Chapter 30

Cilla frowned as she looked over her notes for a cake she was doing for a wedding that Saturday. Jon hadn’t called her last night. She had waited as long as she could before finally letting herself go to sleep and he hadn’t called. She was so lost in thought that she jumped when the door bounced open and Sid walked in. “Good morning Cil” he sang out as dropped the newspaper on the table in front of her.

She looked up at him, “what’s this?” He smirked, “the newspaper.” Cilla watched as he went to get his apron, “why are you bringing me your paper?” Sid tied the apron behind his back and flipped the paper open to page 6, “you made the paper girlfriend.”

She looked down and sure enough, there was a picture of her and Jon walking out of the restaurant that weekend, complete with a short caption. “Oh God.” She turned to find Sid smiling at her, “what?” She shoved the paper at him, “did you read the caption?” He shook his head, “no, I was too excited to see your picture in the paper. What does it say?”

Cilla picked up the paper again, “Soho-dwelling rocker Jon Bon Jovi spotted leaving Waverly’s Restaurant with an unknown woman. Bon Jovi and this same woman were spotted earlier in the day shopping on the streets of Soho. They looked quite cozy.” She looked up at Sid, “there’s a picture of us looking at some books at one of the street vendors and holding hands too.” Looking back at the paper she continued. “Has Bon Jovi found a new leading lady or is she just” Cilla winced “Living on a Prayer?”

Sid grabbed the paper back from Cilla and tossed it in the recycle bucket, “what the hell do they know. Damn vultures.” Cilla smiled, she could always count on Sid to make her smile when she wanted to cry. “Thanks.” He patted her shoulder, “don’t you worry about the press. They’re bigger pains in the ass then they're worth. I bet Jon doesn’t know about this. Matter of fact, I bet he doesn’t even care about it.”

Cilla stood and grabbed a tray of muffins, “oh, I don’t know about that. I’m sure if he hasn’t seen it yet that he will soon enough.” Sid shrugged and grabbed another tray, “so what? He’s got to be used to it by now.” They went out front to load the cases, “I know Sid, but still…” she stopped, turning to face Sid a look of near horror on her face, “how long do you suppose I have before they figure out who I am?”

Sid stacked the now empty trays, “probably not that long.” He nudged her, hoping for a smile, “but just think how good it will be for business.” Cilla dropped her face to her hands, “just shoot me now, please.” Sid pushed her toward the kitchen, “go and have your meltdown in the back. I’m going to open up.”

Cilla was working on the flowers and extras for the cake, still wondering why Jon hadn’t called, when Sid poked his head around the door, “Cil, could you come out here for a minute please?” She stopped what she was doing “what’s the problem?” Sid rolled his eyes, he didn't want to tell her that Jon and his children were out front, “could you just come here please?”

With a sigh she wiped her hands, can’t he handle the customers? She pushed through the door and stopped. Sid was crouched next to the cookie jar handing a cookie to a little blonde-haired boy and Jon stood on the other side of the counter, his three other children beside him.

Jon was watching Romeo and didn’t notice Cilla right away so she took the time to study the group in front of her. The kids all resembled Jon, but his daughter looked remarkably like his ex-wife. Except for her eyes. They were all Jon. She glanced at the two boys, it seemed they had all inherited Jon’s amazing blue eyes.

When her gaze came back to Jon he was watching her watch him and his kids, “hi.” With a smile she came around the counter, “hi. What brings you in today?” Romeo moved back over by his dad, clinging to his leg. “We were in the neighborhood so I thought we’d stop. And Romeo wanted a cookie.” Cilla nodded and addressed the kids, “okay, what does everyone like?”

As the kids studied the long glass enclosed cases Steph sidled up to Cilla, “I’m Stephanie. You made my birthday cake, right?” Cilla nodded, “it’s nice to meet you Stephanie and yes, I did. I hope you liked it.” Stephanie smiled, “it was amazing. My friends still talk about it. I think dad gave all their moms your card too.” Cilla smiled, “I know, he told me. I’m just waiting for the phone calls.”

She felt a tug on her pant leg. Looking down she peered into yet another pair of blue eyes. She crouched down slightly, “well hi there handsome. Who might you be?” Jake looked her up and down, “Jake. Do you have any cookies with M & M’s in them?” Cilla shook her head, “I’m sorry Jake, I didn’t make any like that today. How about chocolate chip?”

When she stood she found one more pair of blue eyes on her, “you must be Jesse.” Jesse nodded, “Yeah. Is that just a regular brownie?” She looked at where he was pointing, “no, that’s not just any regular old brownie, that’s a special brownie.” She smiled at the boy. “Do you like chocolate and peanut butter?” Jesse nodded his head, “oh yeah.” Cilla chuckled, “then I think you’ll like this.”

She went behind the case, “here” she handed him what appeared to be a brownie. In actuality it was a peanut butter cup encased in a brownie. With his first bite Jesse gave Cilla a big chocolaty smile, “awesome Ms. Preston, this is really good.” Cilla laughed, “it’s Cilla and I’m glad you like it.”

Jon watched as she talked to his kids. She didn’t push herself on them, didn’t force them to talk to her. They all seemed to be comfortable with her, all except Romeo. He was still clinging to Jon’s leg like a drowning man clinging to a life preserver. He reached down and pried Romeo’s fingers from his leg and picked him up, “what’s the matter big guy? Don’t you want to meet my friend?” Romeo shook his head, “no. Can we go now?”

Cilla approached Jon and Romeo, “everything okay over here?” She tried to engage Romeo but he just turned his head and wouldn’t say a word. Jon apologized for him. “I don’t know what his problem is. Usually he’s friendlier than this.” Cilla squeezed Jon’s free hand with hers, “it’s all right.” When Jon leaned down to kiss Cilla’s cheek Romeo squirmed and wiggled to get down. Jon’s lips landed somewhere in the vicinity of Cilla’s hair before he resituated Romeo on his hip, “what is the matter Rom?”

With a little hand on the side of Jon’s face Romeo turned his father’s head so he was looking right at him, “I want to go home now.” Jon sighed and turned to Cilla again, “sorry babe.” He turned his attention to his other kids, “did you all get what you wanted?” They all shook their heads, “okay." He turned to Cilla as he dug in his pocket for his wallet, "what're the damages?" She put a hand on his, "it's on the house." He searched her eyes, "you sure?" She nodded, "absolutely." He looked at his kids, "let’s go.”

Cilla watched as they all trouped out of her shop. Looking back at the clock she decided to close up a little early and locked the door behind them. She turned to find Sid watching her, “what?” Sid started to unload the cases, “what’s wrong?” She shook her head, “nothing. It’s just…” she let the thought go. Sid didn’t, “come on Cil. Something’s bothering you. It was the little one, wasn’t it?”

She grabbed a tray, “yeah. He wouldn’t even look at me. I don’t get it.” Sid shrugged and pushed through the door, “you’re not his mother.”

Chapter 29

Driving out of the City and heading to Dot’s, Jon replayed his conversation with Cilla over in his head. What kind of man was her ex? That question kept cropping up over and over. While Jon could admit to moments of being an asshole, he couldn’t understand how a person could be so blatantly cruel. He thought of Cilla and smiled. She deserved to be treated with respect she deserved to be spoiled, she deserved a whole hell of a lot better than her ex-husband had ever been to her.

Jon's fists tightened on the wheel as he thought again of their conversation that morning. Shaking his head in hopes of clearing the anger, he pressed a button on his phone, “call Cilla.” His fingers tapped along with the music as he waited.

Cilla had the vacuum going and was halfway under the bed when the phone rang. She banged her head as she tried to get to the phone. “Son of a...” She was rubbing at the slight bump when she answered. “Hello.”

Jon turned the music down, “hi Cil.”

She let her hand drop to her side, “hi Jon. What’s going on? Miss me already?”

Jon chuckled. “I missed you the second I left this morning. What’re you up to?”

Cilla smiled. “I miss you too and I’m cleaning my apartment. Someone kept me too busy yesterday so I was forced to do it today.”

He conjured a vision of Cilla, dust rag in one hand, a smudge of dirt on her cheek and smiled. “Sorry about that. You should have said something.”

Cilla shook her head, “it’s no big deal. I thought you were seeing your kids today. Where are you?”

Jon turned into the Dot’s driveway. “I just got to Dot’s to pick the kids up.” He sighed, “her and I need to talk.”

That was the second time he had said that to her and her curiosity was piqued. “Is okay for me to ask about what?”

Jon shut the car off, “It’s fine. We need to talk about you and her new friend and the kids. I wanted to do this last week but she didn’t have time so today’s the day.”

Cilla sat down, “should I be worried?”

Jon got out of the car and walked up the front steps, “no Cil you shouldn’t. Everything will be fine. I gotta go. I’ll call you later.” Before Cilla could say goodbye, he was gone.

Jon rang the bell and heard the pounding of feet as one of the kids ran to the door. “Daddy!” Jon looked down into Jake’s face, “hey buddy.” He stepped inside and swung Jake up into his arms, “why are you answering the door? Where’s Tina?” Jake smiled, “she took Romeo upstairs and mommy’s on the phone. ‘Sides, I knew it was you.”

Jon set the little boy on his feet, “how did you know it was me?” Jake folded his arms across his chest, “I looked out the window and saw your car.” Jake didn’t say it, but the “duh” was there just the same. Jon laughed, “where’s your mother?”

“Right here.”

Jon turned and saw Dorothea standing in the doorway, “hey.” She nodded, “hey yourself.” Jon turned back to Jake, “your mom and I need to talk bud. Why don’t you get your stuff ready for my house, okay?” Jake nodded, “okay” and took off running. Jon shook his head, “will he ever learn to just walk somewhere?” Dot shook her head, “doubtful. Come on, want a cup of coffee?”

Jon followed his ex-wife into the kitchen and watched as she poured them both mugs of coffee. She handed him one of the mugs as she sat down, “so, what did you need to talk to me about?”

Jon took a fortifying sip of his coffee, “my new girlfriend and your new boyfriend.”

Dot set her mug down and pushed at her glasses, “you have a girlfriend?” Jon nodded, “I started seeing someone about a week ago.” He sipped at his coffee, “I heard you’re seeing someone too?” Dot nodded, “I am. For about a month now.” Jon’s brows lifted in surprise, “A month? When were you going to tell me? And why did the kids find out before I did?”

Dorothea sighed, “the only reason the kids found out is because he’s Jesse’s football coach. And I didn’t tell you because I wanted to be sure this wasn’t going to be just a fling.” She met Jon’s gaze, “I’m sorry.” Surprised at the hurt he felt he tried not to show it. “It’s all right. I know now. So, Rick huh. Never would have figured that.” Dot shrugged, “he’s a nice guy. So, who’s the new woman in your life? Anyone I know?”

Jon finished his coffee and shook his head, “I don’t think so. She made Steph’s birthday cake. Her name is Cilla. She owns her own shop, Cilla ~ Queen of Tarts.” It was Dot’s turn to be surprised, “I’ve been in her shop and seen her.” Jon toyed with his coffee mug, “She’s a nice woman and I like her, a lot. You should know that there may be pictures in the papers tomorrow. We were out and about yesterday.” Dot nodded her head, “thanks for the heads up. Have the kids met her yet?” Jon shook his head, “not really. They know I’m seeing someone and she sent cookies home for them but no, they haven’t met her in person yet.”

Dot stood, taking their mugs to the sink, “are you going to introduce them to her?” Jon stood and stretched, “I was planning on it, that’s why I wanted to talk to you. Are you all right with it?” Dot sighed, “I guess.” She paused, thinking of all their years together and where they were now, “how did we end up here Jonny? I thought we were supposed to be for forever.” He crossed the room and stood behind her, laying his hands lightly on her shoulders, “I don’t know Dot. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you your happy ever after.”

She turned and pressed a kiss to his cheek, “just be happy now Jon and if this woman is right for you, don’t screw it up.” He laughed quietly as she moved past him, “I’ll try not to.” She took his hand and dragged Jon out of the kitchen, “now go take your kids and have a good time.”

Chapter 28

Cilla stroked her fingers across the warm hard chest that was in front of her. Her fingers trailed down, tracing each ridge of muscle along his abs. His body was truly amazing. She pushed the blankets lower, marveling at the site before her. Even in sleep his body was hard, unrelenting. She stroked her fingers lightly over his thighs, wondering what it took for him to maintain this level of fitness.

Jon peeked through barely open eyes, watching what she was doing. She hadn’t ever openly explored before. When she lowered her mouth and her tongue flicked out to trace the ridge of his hip bone he had to will himself to remain still, not wanting her to know he was awake. When her warm breath ghosted over his now erect penis he couldn’t help the shiver. Cilla smiled without looking at him, “good morning.” She nibbled at his thigh, “sleep well?”

Jon chuckled, “good morning and yes, I did.” He toyed with her hair that was spread across his stomach, “enjoying yourself?” He was hoping she would take him in her mouth, but every time she got close she backed off. She turned and slid up his body, caressing him with her fingertips, “I was, is that all right?” She pressed a kiss to his chest, dragging her tongue up over his adam’s apple, stopping just a hair’s breadth from his mouth. He leaned slightly and touched his lips to hers, “it’s fine. Why’d you stop?” She shrugged her shoulders, “you woke up.”

He slid his hand down her back and caressed the smooth skin at her waist, “you could have kept going. I don’t mind.” Cilla watched Jon’s face and instinctively knew what he was getting at. She shifted her gaze, how could she explain this?

She moved to get up and he held her fast, “where’re you going?” He looked at her face, the smile had faded and there was a wariness in her eyes. “What’s wrong Cilla?” She shook her head, “I just want to get up Jon, please.” Reluctantly he let her go. He sat up and watched as she slipped on her robe. “Come on Cil, talk to me. What’s going on?”

She paced from the door to the bed, trying to find a way to say the words. “I know what you wanted Jon and I just… I can’t do that.” She turned to leave and he grabbed her arm, “don’t walk away from me Cilla. Let’s talk about this.” She turned back but couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze. “Look at me Cil.”

Hesitantly she brought her eyes to meet his, “what’s this all about Cil?” She felt her cheeks redden as she again tried to find the words to tell him. She buried her face in her hands, “do you have any idea how hard it is to sit here and tell you that I can’t give the man I… I’m involved with a blow job because my ex-husband told me I sucked at it?”

Jon just sat and stared at her for a minute. That’s what this is about? He reached for her hands and gently pulled them from her face. “Cilla.” She kept staring at the floor, not able to look at him. He patted the spot on the bed next to him, “if you’re not going to look at me, could you at least come sit next to me?” With a sigh she crawled up next to him, her head hanging down, her hair obscuring her face from him.

With a gentle hand Jon pushed her hair back and lifted her chin, “this isn’t a big deal baby.” She wrapped her hand around his wrist, “how can you say that? I saw how you reacted.” He tried not to smile, “we’ll get back to my reaction in a minute. If this relationship is going to work we need to be able to talk to each other Cilla.”

Hesitantly she raised her eyes to his. He wasn’t upset or angry, she found concern in the blue depths, concern and a hint of a smile. “I know we need to be able to talk, but this was just too weird a conversation for me.” Now Jon did smile, “apparently you’ve never talked with a four year old. I have weird conversations on a daily basis.”

Cilla laughed, “I bet you do but not like this one.” He wrapped his arms around her, “no, not like this, but weird just the same.” They sat quietly for a minute, “Cilla, you know I’d never force you to do anything you don’t want to do.” She rested her head against his shoulder, “I know. And it’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just, what if you don’t… what if he was right, what if I really am bad at it?” Jon looked down at her, stroking her cheek with a finger, “why don’t you let me be the judge of that?” She leaned up and pressed her lips to his, “okay.”

Jon glanced at the clock and hugged her, “I’ve got to get going baby. I’ve got my kids today.” Cilla got off the bed, “do you have time for breakfast?” He stretched and stood, “unfortunately no baby I don’t. I’ve to get to Dot’s to pick up the kids and she and I need to talk.” Jon looked around for his clothes, forgetting they were strewn across the living room. “Where are my pants?” Cilla walked toward the door, “out here somewhere.” Jon smiled, “oh yeah.”

He followed her out of the room and found his pants on the floor by the table. She put on a pot of coffee as he found the rest of his clothes. When he came out of the bathroom she handed him a cup. “You can take this with you if you are in that much of a hurry.” He dropped a minty kiss on her lips, “thanks.” She went and took her turn in the bathroom and when she came back he was just setting his cup in the sink. “Sorry I have to leave like this Cil.” She walked with him to the door, “it’s okay. Have a good time with your kids. Call me later?” He pulled her close for a kiss, “count on it.”

Chapter 27

Standing in front of her closet Cilla chewed on her thumb. Sid is right, I need to go shopping. After several delicious kisses she had managed to convince Jon that she needed a little time to get ready for dinner and now she couldn’t figure out what to wear. All the clothes she normally loved just didn’t seem to fit her new relationship; her love of shabby chic and Jon just didn’t seem to gel.

Sighing, she flipped the hangars finally deciding on the black skirt with a zipper that ran up the back from hem to waist and a simple black tank. She topped it off with a lightweight black jacket and, tucking her bangs behind her ear she knelt to rifle through her shoes.

Pulling a shoebox from the back of the closet she lifted the lid and slipped the black sandals on her feet. Giving herself the once over in the mirror she frowned, she could hear Sid in her head. All black, you’re wearing all black, are you insane? You need to add some color somewhere. Cilla sighed, Sid would be right. She opened the trunk at the foot of her bed and found a colorful beaded purse she had picked up at a recent street fair and put her necessities in it. She was just closing the trunk as the knock sounded at the door.

Jon ran his hand through his hair as he waited. He couldn’t understand the eagerness to see her. He had been with her just two hours ago and now, here he was, antsy to see her, to hold her, he licked his lips, to taste her again. Hearing her footfalls beyond the door he wiped his palms on his jeans and leaned against the jamb as she opened the door.

“Hi Jon.” He smiled at her before leaning in for a kiss, “long time no see baby.” His gaze roamed her up and down, “you look great.” Cilla stepped out onto the landing and pulled the door shut, “thank you. You look nice too. That’s a great jacket.” He was wearing black jeans with a white shirt and an off-white leather jacket. They complemented each other perfectly.

Jon let her go down the stairs ahead of him, enjoying the gentle sway of her hips before homing in on the zipper up the back of her skirt. “Cil?” She stopped at the bottom and turned slightly, “Jon?” He traced the curve of her butt where the zipper was. “Does the zipper work or is it for show?” She twisted around, “it works.” She reached down and unzipped it slightly, teasing him more. He grabbed her hand, “come on I’ve got a cab waiting. We can play with the zipper later.”

As they pulled up to the curb Jon swore. Cilla looked past him out the window; there were several people with cameras just waiting for a brief glance of someone famous. Jon looked over at Cilla, “you ready for this?” She swallowed, “I guess.” Stepping from the cab Jon kept his hand at her lower back and Cilla kept her gaze averted. She heard the clicks and saw the flashes, but they just kept walking. Once she was inside the door Jon turned back and let them have a shot.

They enjoyed a cozy dinner and Cilla had nearly forgotten about the cameras until they were heading out the door again. This time she didn’t avert her gaze quick enough and the flash nearly blinded her. Jon urged her a few steps ahead of him and tried to draw the cameras away from her and onto him. They snapped their pictures and Jon quickly caught up with Cilla. “Sorry about that.” They walked on silently, hands clasped between them. “Cil?” Jon was worried that what happened earlier in the day and then this would run her off. He knew she wasn’t accustomed to the kind of attention he garnered.

When she didn’t answer Jon tugged her to a stop, drawing her to one side, leaning back against the building. “Cilla.” She looked up at him, “it’s okay Jon. I’m okay, really.” He reached up and stroked her cheek, “you’re sure? I know it’s a lot to deal with.” He took a breath, silently praying that she didn’t want the out he was about to give her. “I’ll understand if you’d rather not be involved.”

Cilla studied him for a minute then leaned in and pressed her lips to his, “too late. I’m already involved.” She pulled back, her eyes locking on his, “I’m not going anywhere.” His fingers that had been stroking her cheek curled around to her nape and pulled her closer, “good.” His mouth came down on hers; the kiss was gentle at first, then grew more demanding. Cilla’s hands found their way under the hem of his shirt, her fingers brushing at the fine hairs above his belt. Jon’s hand tightened on her neck, her touch igniting a fire in his blood. Nipping at her lips he gently pushed her back from him, “we should go.” She slid her hands out from under his shirt, “you’re place or mine?” Jon tugged at his shirt and he looked up and down the street, “yours baby, its closer.”

Climbing the stairs, he let Cilla lead the way, once again mesmerized by the zipper at the back of her skirt. When she stopped to search her purse for her key, Jon’s fingers toyed with the pull. He slowly inched the zipper up, exposing more and more of her legs. When Cilla felt the cool air hitting her thighs she turned, “Jon! Can we at least get inside?” Leaving the zipper alone, he trailed his finger tips over her skin, “well hurry up already.”

As soon as the door shut behind them Jon had Cilla in his arms again. His mouth was on hers as his hands pushed at her jacket. Cilla surrendered to his mouth and her own hands pushed and pulled at his clothing. Together they stumbled across the room, stopping when they bumped into the table. “Here’s good” Jon mumbled against her neck. He pulled her top off and kissed down her chest as his fingers divested her of the bra. She groaned when his mouth covered one pert nipple.

As his mouth moved over her, Cilla managed to get the button open on his pants. She stroked her hand up and down as she struggled with the zipper “damn tight pants you wear.” Jon chuckled against her and he helped her get them unzipped and down his legs. “Better?” She wrapped her hand around him and stroked him up and down, “much.” He groaned at her touch, his mouth finding hers again as she continued to torture him.

Pushing her hands away Jon looked at her, she still had her skirt and shoes on. He turned her and leaned her over the table. Cilla gasped when her breasts came in contact with the cool formica. Jon reached for the zipper, easing it up over the curve of her ass, spreading it wide when he got to the top. Calloused fingertips stroked the firm globes of her ass, teasing the lace that encased them.

He leaned in and kissed the tattoo at her lower back, trailing nipping kisses across her skin as he slid her panties down. As he kissed his way back up her legs, he could see that she was ready for him. His fingers traced up and down and she squirmed under him, pushing back against his fingers. “Jon, please!” Pulling her hips to the edge of the table, he entered her swiftly, burying himself in her welcoming heat. “God baby.” He moved, setting a pounding rhythm.

Cilla hands reached for something, anything to grab onto, she found nothing across the expanse of the table. All she could do was lay there and take everything Jon was giving her. She shifted her legs slightly and lifted her hips a bit more and with one last push from Jon her release raced through her, her muscles tightened, draining Jon of everything he had to give.

Jon slumped over her, his forehead resting on her shoulder. “Cilla, I…” he stopped when she reached back and grabbed his wrist. “You what Jon?” He opened his eyes and started to rise, “I should get off of you.” She turned her head to look at him, wondering if that was really what he was going to say.

Chapter 26

After stopping at Cilla's apartment for fresh clothes, Jon and Cilla spent the day together. Strolling around the streets of Soho with Jon was an interesting experience for Cilla.

Cilla watched in amusement at all the different reactions people had when they saw Jon trying to blend into the crowd. His sunglasses weren’t doing much to defray the gapers and gawkers. When they stopped to peruse a table of books Cilla sneaked a sidelong glance at Jon. “How do you stand it?” He kept up the pretense of thumbing through the books, “for the most part, I’ve learned to ignore it.”

Cilla picked up a book, “how can you ignore it? I can feel eyes everywhere.” Jon side-stepped her, “if I don’t ignore it, I’d never be able to leave the house.” She set the book down, “come on,” she took his hand, “let’s keep walking.”

When they got around the corner Jon hailed a cab. Cilla looked at him questioningly, “why do we need a cab?” He smiled as one stopped, “you want to buy a computer today, right?” She nodded as she climbed in, “well, I don’t know about buy, but I was going to look. So?” Jon climbed in and shut the door. “Best place to do that is Best Buy.” She slid closer to him as the cab pulled away from the curb. “Fifth Avenue?” Jon nodded his head and pressed a kiss to her temple. “I’m sorry about today.” Cilla looked up at him, “don’t be sorry. I just wasn’t prepared. Now I know what to expect.” She kissed his cheek, “it’s okay, just a little unnerving when you’re not used to it.”

They wandered Best Buy for a bit, Jon caught Cilla looking through the Bon Jovi CDs and she caught him in the video game department trying out the newest Guitar Hero. She had to laugh when he couldn’t even get through one of his own songs. “Are you serious? You can’t play your own song?” He sheepishly set the guitar down and grabbed her hand, dragging her toward the computers, “that game is not as easy as it looks. Come on, you want to look at computers, let’s look.”

Cilla walked down the aisle where the laptops were and was studying the Vaio CS when a sales associate finally came by and asked how she was doing. “Anything I can help you with today ma’am?” Cilla nearly frowned at the girl’s use of the word “ma’am”. Cilla glanced at the girls’ name tag, “Chris, I’m looking for a laptop.” She explained to the girl about her business and what she was looking to use it for.

“Well” Chris said, “the one you’re looking at right now would probably suit your needs just fine. It has a great graphics program for your designs and a large amount of memory, and the Intel 2 Processor offers the fastest performance. Plus, it comes in several great colors.” She moved down the aisle a little further, “but let’s look at all your options before you decide.”

Jon watched from the end of the aisle, trying to be as innocuous as possible. He watched and listened and was impressed. Cilla was a very smart woman who wasn’t easily swayed by the pushy sales associate. She let the girl show her other models with more options than she needed; all the while circling the girl back to the one she knew was best for her.

“Okay Chris” Cilla said as Jon came up behind her “this is the one I want.” She pointed to the Vaio CS. “I’m sure this will be fine.” Chris’ eyes widened as she noticed the man standing behind Cilla. “Well, if you’re sure. Do you want any particular color?” Cilla thought for a minute, “pink if you have it. It matches my logo.” She scuttled off to find what Cilla wanted and Cilla turned to Jon, “thank you.” His eyebrow rose in question, “for what? I didn’t do anything.” Cilla smiled at him, “exactly.”

Climbing into another cab Cilla laid her head back on the seat. “I’m glad that’s over. I hate shopping for things like that.” Jon was surprised, “but you’re good at it. You didn’t let that girl talk you into something you didn’t need and you ended up with what you wanted in the first place.” Cilla shrugged, “there wasn’t any reason to be rude to the girl. I let her give her spiel and then I bought what I wanted. No big deal, I just wish they weren’t so pushy.”

Jon wrapped an arm around her and dragged her closer to him, “they’re just doing their job.” Cilla sighed, “I know.” He kissed her head, “we have a reservation for dinner at 8, is that okay?” She nodded her head against him, it was five now that would give her time to primp a little. “That’s fine. Where?” She wondered if he was actually going to take her out or if they were going to eat on his terrace again.

“Waverly’s Inn. Why?” Cilla chuckled, “your terrace trattoria booked up for the night?” Jon laughed, “something like that. Tonight I want to take you out, show you off. You think you can handle being ogled a bit more today?” The cab stopped by her apartment. She waited as Jon paid and they climbed the stairs, “If you can, I can.”

When they got inside and the door was shut behind them Jon waited for her to set her things down, “come here.” Cilla stepped into the circle of his embrace and tilted her head up so she could see his face, “what can I do for you?” He dropped a kiss on her lips, “kiss me. I’ve missed your lips today.” She kissed him back, “good thing I like kissing you.” Jon traced her lower lip with the tip of his tongue, “lucky me.”

Chapter 25

Cilla woke lying on her stomach, fingers lightly caressing her back, one calloused fingertip tracing her tattoo. She turned her head and opened her eyes to find Jon’s gaze fixated on her lower back. “Find something you like back there?”

A smile tugged at Jon’s lips and he drew his gaze up her smooth back to meet her eyes, “absolutely.” He skimmed his fingers over the curve of her ass before lying back down beside her. “Good morning.” Cilla smiled, rolled to her side and kissed the tip of his nose, “good morning. What was so fascinating about my tattoo?”

Jon traced her cheek with his finger, “when did you get it?” It didn’t look recent, the color of the flowers had faded and the outline wasn’t as crisp anymore; but more than that, it was the words to one of his songs. He wanted to know if she had gotten it because of him.

Cilla shifted and pulled the blankets up over her. “I got it when Charles and I started having trouble. It was just the words at first, words that Sid used to say to me all the time. I had the flowers and scrollwork added later.” Looking at Jon she could see the question in his eyes and knew what he was wondering. “No, it wasn’t because of your song. I got the tattoo before I ever heard the song. I got it to help me deal with everything that was going on in my life then.” Jon nodded his understanding. Each of his tattoos he had gotten at a specific time and they related to things that had been going on with him. “Did it? Help I mean?”

Her fingers toyed with the hair on Jon’s chest. “For a while; but then it got too bad for anything to help, other than filing for divorce anyway. Now, it’s a reminder of what I went through and how I got where I am today.”

Jon rolled onto his back and pulled her on top of him, “you’re a strong woman Cilla. You would have survived even without the tattoo.” Bracing her hands on his chest, she levered herself up and straddled his waist, “thanks, but I didn’t do it alone. Sid was there for me every step of the way.”

Jon reached up and pushed her hair over her shoulders, “he’s a good man and a good friend.” He stroked his fingertips down between her breasts, fascinated that her nipples hardened even though he had barely touched her, “now, what are we going to do today?”

Cilla reached behind her, wrapping a hand around the hardness that had been nudging her, “I can think of one thing we could do.” He closed his eyes as she continued to stroke him. “I like the way you think babe.” He felt her move and his eyes flew open, a groan of surprise escaped him as he was suddenly enveloped in her warm wetness. “Cilla! What’re you doing?”

She looked up at him, “what does it feel like I’m doing?” Jon closed his eyes and gritted his teeth against his urge to let go, “you know what I mean” he ground out. She leaned down and teased his nipple with the tip of her tongue, “I’m winning, again.”

Jon wrapped his arms around her and rolled them so that Cilla was under him, “I think this is one game I could get used to losing.” Cilla’s laugh ended on a moan as Jon moved. He gripped her leg and pulled it higher on his hip, grinding against her. He watched her face and he knew he had found the spot. Her head was thrown back, her neck arched and he leaned in and nibbled his way up to her lips.

He thrust harder, knowing she was going to lose it and he wanted to get lost with her. “Let it go baby” he whispered against her mouth. “Come for me.” She opened her eyes and found his as she did what he asked. Her nails dug into his shoulders as her hips arched up into his thrust, dragging him with her.

Laying side by side Jon pulled Cilla close, “now what should we do with the rest of our day?” Cilla chuckled, “I’m not sure I can think just yet. Give me a minute and I’ll let you know.”

Chapter 24

Rolling over in his bed, Jon stretched out his arm and was dismayed to find cold sheets. Without opening his eyes he stretched a little further, trying to find Cilla. When all he encountered was an empty bed he opened his eyes and glanced at the clock. 3:00, where is she? He looked across the room but the bathroom was dark. Did she leave?

Turning on the bedside light his glance flicked to the chair; their clothes were still piled there. He felt the relief wash through him as he realized she hadn't left. He got up and pulled on a pair of sweats before heading out in search of his woman.

The soft glow of the low kitchen light drew him into the room. He smiled when he saw her sitting on one of the stools, his white dress shirt riding high on her thighs, a glass of juice in front of her. "Hey."

Startled, she nearly knocked the glass over as she spun around to face him. "God Jon, you scared me half to death." He walked over and took a sip from the glass before sitting down next to her. "Sorry. What are you doing up anyway?" Cilla sighed, "habit. I'm always up at this time. Usually I'm in the kitchen baking away by now. I can't seem to help it." Jon stroked his fingers up and down her bare thigh, "you're internal clock is set to this time. It's okay. I just got a little nervous when all I found were cold sheets up there."

She turned to face him fully, "did you think I left?" He shrugged his shoulders, his eyes downcast, "I wasn't sure." She put her hand on his arm, "why would you think that?" Again he shrugged his shoulders, "it's happened before." She put her finger under his chin and drew his eyes up from the counter to meet hers, "if I hadn’t wanted to stay I wouldn't have come back here with you earlier Jon."

His eyes brightened, "really?" She nodded, "really." She stroked her thumb across his jaw, the stubble scraping her skin, "I would have at least left you a note." This was a side of Jon she didn't think existed. She had thought that him, of all people, would never be insecure and yet, this made him seem that much more the regular guy he claimed to be.

He curled his fingers around her hand, pulling it to his mouth, kissing her fingertips. "I'm glad you stayed." Her breath caught in her throat as his tongue stroked across the tips of her fingers, "me too." He tugged her from her stool and pulled her close, his mouth finding hers in a soft slow kiss.

As their kisses turned heated, he opened the few buttons she had done up on the shirt, baring her to him. His hands cupped and kneaded her breasts, his thumbs stroking across the hardened tips. Wordlessly he lifted her and set her on the counter in front of him. "Jon?" He looked up at her, "lean back."

His relief at finding her still here urged him on and he spread her legs and settled in between. He kissed and nibbled up the inside of her thighs, the heat and heart of her drawing him in.

At the first touch of his mouth on her, Cilla's head dropped back, her hair pooling on the counter behind her. Her eyes slid shut and she couldn't contain the cry of his name as his tongue slipped inside her. When he pulled her clit into his mouth and sucked her scream echoed around them.

Looking up at her had his already straining cock begging for release. She was glorious in her arousal. Her head was thrown back; her back was arched jutting her breasts forward and her skin was dewy with a light sheen of sweat. Pulling his mouth from her he shoved his pants down and pulled her onto his lap.

Cilla wrapped her arms around him, groaning as she took him all. With his hands on her hips he helped her move. With her hands on his shoulders she moved against him, her breasts brushing against his chest, the hair scraping across the sensitive tips. Her head dropped back and her hair caressed his thighs as his mouth scraped across her throat. She could feel the wave building as he pressed her back slightly and took a nipple into his mouth. "Jon!" He looked up at her "please!" He pulled her hips down and thrust up into her hard, once, twice and their cries of release wrapped around them.

Wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his shoulder she stroked a hand up and down his back. He kissed her head and laced his fingers together at her lower back. "Ready to go back to bed now?" She nodded her head against him, "Oh yeah."

Chapter 23

Changing direction, Cilla fell into step beside Jon. The evening air had cooled slightly and Cilla shivered involuntarily. "Cold Cil?" They had just turned the corner and Jon's building was just up ahead. "A little. I forgot to grab a coat." He shrugged out of his, "here." He wrapped her up and slid his arm around her as they walked through the door. "Better?" She nodded as they stepped into the elevator.

Entering the apartment Jon headed for the kitchen, "make yourself comfortable." Cilla wandered into the living room and stood looking out at the city skyline. Jon turned on some music and came up behind her, handing her a glass. "You okay Cil?" She nodded, "yeah. I'm sorry about tonight Jon. I didn't know that Sid's friend Ted was going to be like that." He took her hand and led her to the couch, "its okay. I get that a lot. It's no big deal."

Jon sat down, one leg stretched out along the couch, "come here." She sat, snuggled between his legs, her head resting on his chest. "I also saw your face when Sid came back with that stack of board games. You don't strike me as the type to spend your evening playing Pictionary or Scene It." He chuckled, "maybe not, but I have been known to spend an hour to two playing Candyland and Chutes and Ladders." Cilla laughed and looked up at him, "the world famous rock star sitting on the floor playing Candyland; imagine what that would do to your image."

Jon wound his hand into her hair and slid it up to the nape of her neck, "I told you before I'm just a regular guy and those games happen to be Jake's favorites. He kicks my ass at Candyland every time too." Cilla closed her eyes as he stroked her neck, "he always gets the lollipop card and I always get stuck by the peanut brittle. I think he cheats." She laughed, "I do believe you're a sore loser. It's just a game Jon."

He slid his hand up higher and unsnapped her barrette, letting her hair fall down around her, "tell that to Jake. He doesn't let me forget from one time to the next that he keeps beating me." Cilla looked up at him, "maybe I should play him. I used to be pretty good at that game."

"I've got a better idea." He eased her off of him and stood, "stay here, I'll be right back." Cilla watched as he went up the stairs, wondering what he had in mind. She slipped his jacket off her shoulders and laid it across the back of the chair and was sipping her wine when she heard him come back down the stairs. "I knew we had this somewhere. I really need to have Jess clean his closet." Cilla turned to find Jon holding Twister in his hands.

She laughed, "I'm no Sarah Jessica Parker, but I'll do my best." Jon set the lid on the table, "you saw that huh?" Cilla nodded and picked up the spinner, "it was my favorite episode that season. I always wondered what it would be like to play this with you." He laid out the mat, took his shoes off and took the spinner from her, setting it on the box, "ready to find out?"

She held up a finger, "just a sec." She took off her sandals and the long top she was wearing, leaving her clad in the camisole and pants, "now I am." Jon swallowed hard as she took her spot across from him, noticing the soft sway of her breasts, "you're not wearing a bra are you?" She cocked her head and her tongue snaked out to lick her bottom lip, "nope. Is there a rule that says I have to?" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "no, let's go."

Several long minutes later they were tangled together and laughing as Cilla took her turn. "Left hand red." Jon moved, his hand caressing her hip as he searched for a spot. Cilla leaned and Jon got an eyeful down her top as her upper armed rested against his inner thigh. She could feel his arousal pressing against her. She deliberately moved her arm and he twitched, nearly losing his balance. "Don't do that."

Cilla tried to turn to look at him and lost her balance and together they landed in a heap on the floor. Amidst their laughter Jon rolled so Cilla was on top of him and he reached over to spin one last time. "Let's see what would have come next." They watched as it came to a stop, "right hand blue." Jon grinned and his hand slid across her blue silk clad butt before gripping her hip, "I win."

Cilla shifted so she was straddling him, and she rolled her hips against him as she leaned in to press a kiss to his lips. "You won so what's your prize?" He smiled wickedly as his fingers walked up her hip to the hem of her top, "I get to pick the next game."

"Oh, and what would that be?" Cilla asked, as she nibbled down his neck.

He nearly stuttered his words when her tongue stroked over his adam's apple. "Strip poker."
Cilla laughed. "I suck at that game."

"Then let's skip the cards and go straight for the stripping." Jon lifted Cilla's camisole off her, carefully checking her face to make sure she was in this game all the way. She nodded slightly before letting her fingers make quick work of the buttons on his shirt. She pulled the tails out of his pants and slid her hands up his chest, her fingers raking through the soft hair before grazing the hard points of his nipples.

Jon wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close as he rolled her under him. He dipped his head, taking her mouth in a slow, burning kiss. Her hands pushed at his shirt and he let her mouth go to pull it off. Dropping the shirt behind him, Jon slid his hands up the blue silk that covered her legs, hooking his fingers in the thin elastic waistband and dragging them off of her. Kissing his way up her legs he paused at lacy blue panties, "now these are pretty."

Cilla picked her head up and looked down at him, "you should see the bra that matches."

Jon stroked his tongue around her navel and up to her breasts, "you should have worn it."

"Next time" she sighed as he licked up under her breast. Her sigh turned to a moan when he sucked the tip into his warm mouth. She nearly came when he moved to tease her other breast before finally claiming her mouth again.

Wrapping her legs around him and gently pushing on his shoulders, Cilla maneuvered them and she was on top, "my turn to play." He watched as she slid down his thighs far enough to get her hands on his belt. She stroked him through his jeans with one hand as she rid him of the belt and opened his pants with the other. His jeans landed in a heap with his shirt as she straddled his thighs again, taking him in her hand. With soft sure strokes she drew him closer to the edge of his control.

"Cilla." The gravel in his voice had her looking up at him and gasping. His eyes were darker than she had remembered, his breathing was labored and there was a fine sheen of sweet on his upper lip. Jon reached and pulled her hand from him, pulling her up his body. He kissed her demandingly as he rolled her under him again, stripping her panties away he buried himself in her wet heat. She arched to meet the welcome intrusion, her muscles clenching around him. "God...fuck... Cil" Jon groaned as he moved in her. Cilla wrapped her legs around him, meeting his every thrust and together they rode the wave of their release.

Breathing heavily, Jon moved off Cilla, moving to lay next to her. She rolled to her side to look up at him, "I think I won that time." Jon opened his eyes and looked at her, "how do you figure that?" She smiled, "all your chips are in my pot." Jon couldn't help but laugh.

Chapter 22

Mark ushered them into the apartment, leading them first to the kitchen so Cilla could take care of the cake. As they entered the living room the quiet conversation that had been going on came to a grinding halt. It was so quiet you could hear the seconds ticking by on the clock on the wall.

Cilla gave Jon's hand a slight squeeze before she crossed the room to Sid. "Why did everyone stop talking?" Sid kissed Cilla's cheek, "You look lovely Cil and I think they are all a bit shocked at who you walked in with." She crossed the room took Jon's hand and went back to stand by Sid, whispering fiercely in his ear "introduce us and tell your friends to stop staring."

Sid cleared his throat, "everyone, I'm pretty sure you remember my best friend Cilla." The men all nodded their heads, "this is her" he looked at Jon and Cilla and shrugged, "boyfriend, Jon." Cilla rolled her eyes at his use of the word "boyfriend." Sid indicated to the first couple, "Cilla and Jon, this is Steve and Eric." The men shook hands with Jon and kissed Cilla's cheek.

Sid turned to the next couple, "this is Ted and Larry." Again there were handshakes and kisses. Jon could tell by the look on Ted's face that he was a fan. He waited for the reaction and wasn't disappointed when, not two seconds after introducing himself, it happened. "Oh my you're Jon Bon Jovi! I just love your band's music!"

Jon just smiled, "yes I am and thank you." Ted continued to gush, "I listen to Lost Highway all the time and Larry and I have tickets to the last two shows at Madison Square Garden." He nearly squealed like a girl as he rushed to get the words out. Jon smiled, "keep your ears open, we've got a surprise in the works."

Ted got all excited, "a surprise, I love surprises. We'll keep our ears to the ground and our eyes open!" He turned to Larry, "won't we Larry?" Larry looked mortified at his partner's behavior. "Of course we will Ted. Now come on, I need a refill on my wine." He looked at Jon and mouthed "sorry" as they walked away.

Jon closed his eyes and prayed that the whole night wasn't going to be like that. "Here." He opened his eyes to find Cilla standing in front of him holding out a wineglass. "I thought you might need this." He gratefully took the glass she offered and sipped the golden liquid, "mmm, thank you. You must be able to read my mind or something." Cilla smiled, "or something."

When they all sat down to eat Jon had Cilla on his left and Mark on his right. As he and Mark spoke his hand rested lightly on Cilla's thigh. She tried to concentrate on the conversation she was having with Larry but it was difficult with heat of Jon's fingers seeping through the thin silk of her pants. She slipped her hand under the table and covered his, giving a gentle squeeze before she stood.

In the kitchen with Sid, Cilla retrieved the pink box from the refrigerator. "Do you have a cake plate Sid?" He looked at her, "you're kidding right? Of course I do." He got the footed plate out of the cupboard and handed it to her. "Are you going to tell me what you made?" He arranged cookies on another plate poured the coffee into a carafe, arranging everything on a tray.

Cilla slid the cake from the box onto the plate. "Your favorite." He turned and saw the tall coconut cream cake on the crystal plate. "You made coconut cream! You hate coconut cream, but thank you." She kissed his cheek, "you're welcome. Come on, let's take this in the other room before we're missed."

After dessert was cleared away and the couples were sipping their coffee in the living room, Sid disappeared only to reappear minutes later with a stack of board games in his arms. Cilla groaned inwardly and looked at Jon. An amused smiled tugged at his lips and Cilla wanted the floor to open up and swallow her. She leaned over and whispered in Jon's ear, "want to get out of here?" He was more than ready to get her alone, but he shrugged his shoulders and left it up to her, "whatever you want to do baby."

Cilla took their cups to the kitchen and grabbed Sid on the way, "we're leaving." Sid pouted, "but its game time." Cilla snuck a peek past him and into the living room, "Jon and I have our own games we want to play." She kissed him "I'll see you Monday morning Sid. Thanks for everything." She grabbed Jon's hand and he stood. They said their goodbyes and headed to the elevator.

When the doors slid shut Jon pulled Cilla close and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, "I've been wanting to do that all night." She slid her arms up around his neck, "do it again." He smiled and kissed her thoroughly. When the elevator opened again Cilla's face was flushed and she had to hold onto Jon to keep from falling down.

When they stepped outside Cilla started to the left and Jon tried to go to the right. He looked over at her, "come home with me?"

Chapter 21

As Sid and Cilla closed up shop for the weekend they chatted about the upcoming evening. “How many of your friends will be there tonight Sid?” Cilla wanted to know how uncomfortable tonight was likely to be for Jon. “Only four.” Sid turned to face Cilla, “don’t worry; we didn’t invite anyone single for you this time.” Cilla rolled her eyes at him, “thanks for the restraint.”

She turned and grabbed one of her pink boxes and then headed to the refrigerator. “Turn around.” Sid laughed, “what for?” Cilla went and turned him, “I don’t want you to see what I made for dessert. Now don’t peek.” She rushed back to the refrigerator and pulled out the coconut cream layer cake she had worked on that afternoon and slid it into the box. She was just tying the string when Sid whined, “can I look now?”

She tied the bow and cut the string, “go ahead.” He gave a dramatic sigh when he saw the box all tied up, “why can’t I see what it is?” The cake was he and Mark’s favorite and she wanted to surprise them. “I don’t want you to see it just yet. Here.” She handed him a second, smaller box. “There are some new cookies in there. I’m using you and your friends as guinea pigs for them.”

She stuck the bigger box back in the refrigerator to be retrieved later. “Let’s go. I know you need time to primp.” Sid laughed, “you could add a few extra minutes to your routine too you know.” Cilla waived him off, “nah, I’m just gonna throw on my old jeans and a t-shirt. That should be fine, right?” Sid looked aghast. “If you show up dressed like a bum, I’m not letting you in the door. Wear some of your pretty clothes tonight for god sakes.”

Cilla chuckled all the way up the stairs to her apartment. Jon’s right, it is fun to get Sid all riled up. They had parted ways at the back door and he again had admonished her to wear something pretty. She shook her head as she stood in front of her closet, does he think I don’t know how to do this? She flipped through her things, coming across an outfit she hadn’t yet worn. She had found the pieces in a vintage thrift shop and had fallen in love with the whole look.

After taking a quick shower she slipped into a pair of tiny blue silk panties and her robe and brushed out her hair. She pulled the sides back with an enameled barrette, leaving wispy bangs framing her face. She was just putting the finishing touches on her make-up when she heard the knock on her door.

Jon was early. He smiled; he couldn’t help it. He had been itching to see her ever since he had dropped the kids off to Dorothea that afternoon. He tried to work, tried to watch a movie, read the paper, but he couldn’t concentrate on anything. He heard the lock disengage and his smiled broadened when she opened the door in her robe.

“Jon, you’re early.” Cilla stepped back so he could come inside. “I know, I’m sorry. Do you want me to go away and come back again?” Cilla laughed, “no, just make yourself comfortable. I’ll be ready in a few minutes.” He eyed her robe and waggled his eyebrows, “need some help?” She put a hand on his chest, “I think if you help, I’ll end up naked. You just wait right here.” Before he could say anything else she turned and fled to the bedroom.

She leaned against the door and took a deep breath. He looked so damned good standing there in his form fitting black jeans, white dress shirt and black blazer. It was the blue pocket square that got her though. How had he known she was wearing blue tonight? She dressed quickly; the midnight blue silk pants were tissue thin and flowed around her legs. The camisole she slipped over her head was a shade lighter than the pants and had delicate embroidery around the hem and neckline. To top it off was an almost sheer slivery blue, mandarin collared over-blouse that stopped just above her knees. It was held closed by a loop and button at the base of her throat and one slightly lower, showing off the embroidery on the camisole. Her silver high-heeled sandals completed the look. She grabbed her purse, slicked some gloss on her lips and opened the door.

Jon looked up when he heard the door open and whistled low, “wow Cil. You look great.” He eyed her hungrily, taking in the whole package that she was.

Cilla walked over to him and fingered the blue pocket square, “how did you know?” He looked down and then back at her, “I didn’t. I just thought it looked good.” She smiled slightly and leaned up, pressing a kiss to his lips, “it looks great, as do you.” He kissed her back and was pushed back slightly when he tried to take things further, “we have to go. Sid will be grumpy all night if we’re late.” Jon took her hand, “let’s go then. We don’t want a grumpy Sid on our hands tonight.”

She laughed as they headed down the stairs, “we need to stop in the shop quick. Dessert is in the fridge.” He waited while she got the box and re-locked the door. “What did you make?” Cilla took his hand and started to walk, “you’re as bad as Sid. But I guess I can tell you; coconut cream cake. It’s Sid’s favorite. He also has a box of new cookies that I’m trying out.” He took the cake from her, “what kind of cookies?”

“The little Italian ones and some almond paste. I hope they turned out okay. They looked good, but taste-wise, I have no idea.”

Jon chuckled, “you could have called me, I would have been your taste tester.” Cilla laughed, “I’ll remember that for next time.” She looked up when they got to the intersection, “that’s his building” she pointed, indicating the building across the street.

They stepped of the elevator together, chatting as they strolled toward Sid’s apartment. Jon knocked and looked at Cilla, “here we go.”

Chapter 20

Cilla dropped her bag to the floor and collapsed on the couch with a groan. She was glad the day was over. Putting her feet up on the coffee table she reached over and dug in her bag for her sketch book. She had a few more ideas for the cake that Jon wanted and she wanted to get them down before she forgot. Thumbing through her book and while contemplating the need for a computer, she came across sketches for an addition to her shop that she had been considering.

The space next to her shop had been empty for a while now and she had been thinking about expanding. On more than one occasion customers had inquired about coffee and she had been considering adding a coffee bar and some small tables for her customers to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee along with a sweet or two. That would require hiring more help and not to mention a lot of red tape and hoop jumping to get a permit. She sighed; do I really want to do this?

Setting her book down she got up to make herself some dinner. While she made her sandwich and poured a glass of milk her thoughts turned to Jon and how he had spent his day.

Jon was, at that moment, refereeing a battle between Jake and Romeo and cursing Cilla for sending the cookies. “You’ll have to share it.” Jake stamped his foot, “I don’t want to!” Jon looked down at both his boys, “you each already had one, you need to share the last one.” “NO!” they both cried at the same time. Jon put the cookie back in the box, “then neither of you can have it.” Jake tried again, “please dad, I’m older than him, I should get the cookie.” Jon tried not to smile, how many times did I try that line when I was his age? “Sorry bud, you share it or you don’t get any.”

When he finally persuaded the boys to see things his way Jon shuttled them off to bed and sat down on the couch. He was holding his phone, wondering if he should call Cilla when Steph came up and sat down next to him. “Hey Steph. What’s up? What’s your brother doing?” She looked at her dad, “Jess is playing on his computer. You’ve seemed distracted today dad. Everything all right?” Jon looked at his daughter; his eyes stared back from a face so much like her mother’s. “I’m fine, just got a lot on my mind.” Steph nodded, she knew the last leg of the tour was starting up the following week. That always took a toll on her dad.

“Were you going to call someone?” Jon looked down at the phone in his hand, “yeah, actually I was.”

Steph knew Richie had left that afternoon to go back to LA to spend time with Ava so he couldn’t have been calling him. “Who were you going to call?” Jon studied his daughter, no point in lying to her. “The woman I’ve been seeing.” Steph’s eyes widened, “you’re seeing someone too?” Jon caught the last of her statement and was surprised himself at that. “What do you mean ‘too’? And yes, I am.” Steph sighed, “mom’s seeing someone too. Who is the woman dad?”

Jon debated on how much information to share without talking to Dorothea. “Her name is Cilla. She’s the woman who did your birthday cake, she’s also the woman who provided the cookies and brownies you guys scarfed down earlier.” Steph smiled, “well, they were good. Did you expect us not to eat them?” Jon laughed, “no, but I hoped you’d leave me something.” Jess came in and joined them then. “What’s going on?” Steph looked at her brother, “dad’s got a girlfriend.” Jess looked at his dad, “really?”

Jon sighed and nodded his head, “yeah.” He stood and looked at his two eldest children, “are you guys okay with this?” Steph and Jess nodded their heads, “yeah dad, I guess” Jess told him. “Mom’s seeing someone, why shouldn’t you?” Jon sat down on the coffee table in front of them, “I know this is hard, but you know we still love you guys, right?” They nodded their heads. “We know.” Steph continued, “it just sucks that you and mom couldn’t stay together.” Jon reached over and hugged her, “I know sweetie, but it just wasn’t working anymore. We’re better off apart.” He looked over at Jess, “now why don’t we watch a movie and I’ll make that phone call later?”

They walked into the family room and Jess turned to Jon, “will we get to meet her dad?” Jon laid his hand on Jess’s shoulder and walked further into the room, “yes, you’ll all get to meet her.”

After the movie Jess and Steph went to their rooms and Jon went out on the terrace and pulled out his phone.

A ringing roused her and her hand groped across the night table for the phone. “Hello.”

Jon winced at the groggy voice. “Hey. Sorry I woke you.” Cilla shifted in the bed, “it’s okay. Are you all right?” Jon sat down on one of the chaises and stretched out, “yeah, I didn’t realize how late it was. I just wanted to talk to you.” She sat up a little, “what’s going on?” Jon sighed and related the conversation with his kids to her. “They want to meet you and they told me Dot is seeing someone too.”

Cilla twisted her fingers in the sheets, “and that’s bothering you?” Jon nodded, “it shouldn’t but it is.” Cilla thought for a minute, “you know, you guys were together a long time. It’s bound to hurt a little that she’s with someone else. Does she know that you’re seeing someone?” Jon smiled, “she will tomorrow. I’ll tell her when I drop the kids off.”

Cilla yawned, “how do you think she’s going to take the news?” Jon stood and walked back inside, “I have no idea, but hopefully she’ll be okay with it.” He heard her yawn again, “go back to sleep Cilla. I’m sorry I woke you.” She curled into the blankets, “its okay, I’m glad you called.” Jon smiled, “I’ll see you tomorrow, good night Cil.” He barely heard her whispered “good night” before he closed his phone

Chapter 19

As the hazy light of dawn crept through the window Cilla gazed down at the man sleeping in her bed. He was lying on his back, one hand was splayed across his chest and the other was flung up over his head. She couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips as she studied his hands. His fingers were slightly bent and she felt her face flush as she recalled just exactly what those fingers had done to her in the night. She reached over and brushed a kiss across his stubbly cheek before turning to leave.

“Where are you going?”

Cilla stopped at the whispery, raspy voice and turned back, “shh, go back to sleep. I’m going to work.”

He rolled over, “come here.”

She walked back to the bed and he tugged her down to sit next to him. “Will I see you later?” She nodded her head, “sure, come down to the shop before you leave.” She stroked her fingers across his cheek, “I have to go.” He leaned up and kissed her, “see you later.” She nodded and stood and he rolled over and burrowed back into the covers.

~

Cilla had just come back into the kitchen when Sid swung in through the back door. “Good morning Cil.” She smiled at him, “good morning Sid.” He went and got this apron and looked around as he tied it in the back. “No surprise visitors this morning?” She smiled as she kissed his cheek, “not yet.” He stepped back, “again? You slept with him again? You hussy you.” Cilla laughed; “you seemed surprised Sid. What, didn’t you think I had it in me?”

Sid looked at his best friend, “girl I knew you had it in you; I just didn’t think you knew.” She laughed, “I think I forgot for a while Sid.” He hugged her, “Cilla my dear, I think you’ve gotten your groove back.”

Together they finished loading the cases and readied the shop for their day. They carried the trays back to the sink and Sid turned to Cilla, “don’t forget about dinner tomorrow night.” Cilla looked at him blankly before realization dawned, “oh crap Sid, I totally forgot about your monthly, let’s-set-Cilla-up-with-someone dinner.” Sid tried to look insulted, “we never try to set you up with anyone Cilla. I’m hurt.”

Cilla filled the sink with soapy water, “what about the guy last month, Mark’s accountant friend, Terry I think his name was? You practically had us married and living in Westchester by the end of the night.” Sid waived his hand, “bah, one time we tried to get you together with someone. You’ll still come tomorrow, right? You can bring Jon if you want.”

“Bring me where if she wants?”

Startled, Sid dropped the trays to the counter with a clatter. “Dammit Jon, stop doing that to me.” He laughed, “but its fun to frazzle you Sid.”

Cilla laughed and dried her hands before going to greet him, “good morning.” He leaned down and kissed her, “good morning to you.” He looked over at Sid, “where is Cilla going and taking me if she wants to?”

He picked up the trays and set them in the hot water, “dinner with Mark and I at our place tomorrow night. I hope you both can make it.”

Cilla looked up at Jon, “every month they invite me to dinner and try to set me up with one of their straight friends. So far, their track record sucks.” Jon laughed, “well then, this should prove to be an interesting evening. What time?”

Sid went and opened the shop as Cilla poured Jon a cup of coffee and filled him in on the details. As she sat down on the stool next to him he took her hand, “I won’t see you again until tomorrow.” She looked up at him, “got stuff to do?” He smiled at her, “yeah, I’ve got my kids today and tonight.” She got up and pulled one of her pink boxes from the shelf, “then you need some treats for them.” She went out front and filled the box with cookies and brownies, adding a cannoli before closing the lid and tying the string around it.

Jon looked up when she walked back in the kitchen and set the box in front of him, “you didn’t have to do that Cil.” She laid her hand on his shoulder, “I know; I wanted to. I even put something in there for you; just don’t let Richie see it.” He laughed, knowing what she had put in the box for him. He finished his coffee, grabbed the box and stood, “I should get going. Dot’s going to drop the kids off at noon and I have some stuff to do first.”

She walked him to the back door, “I’ll see you tomorrow night then?” He tugged her to him with his free hand, “I’ll pick you up at 7.” Cilla looked up at him, “have a good day with the kids today Jon.” He lowered his mouth “I will” he told her just before his lips met hers.

Chapter 18

Climbing the stairs to Cilla's apartment, Jon walked behind her, stopping on the last step as she stood on the landing. While she rummaged in her bag for her keys, he traced the seam of her back pocket, his fingers slipping down to brush over the curve of her ass and lower, down the back of her thigh.

The key Cilla had managed to wrap her fingers around dropped to the mat with a jangle as Jon's fingers slid down her thigh. "Jon, stop." He slid his fingers back to her pocket, "I can't help it; you have a great ass." She bent to retrieve her keys and his fingers found the bare skin at her lower back where her shirt had ridden up. "Jon…" she warned as she stood, "I need to get the door open."

He closed in behind her, his voice was low and his breath warm at her ear, "I'm not stopping you. Go ahead, open the door." With a less than steady hand, Cilla managed to somehow fit the key in the lock and open the door.

Together they stumbled into her apartment, Jon kicking the door closed behind them, his hands never leaving her waist. Cilla tried to extricate herself but Jon held on; "where do you think you're going?" She dropped her bag and twisted around so she was facing him, "um, to bed?" His fingers toyed with the zipper on her sweatshirt, "need someone to tuck you in?" Looking up at him she cocked her head to the side, "will you sing me a lullaby?"

He dropped a kiss on her pretty pink lips, "is that all you want, just a song?" She trailed her fingers up the button placket on his shirt, her thumb finding the soft hair where the buttons were open, "maybe I'll let you convince me I want something else." Jon smiled and lifted her so she was flush against him and he walked them toward her room, "I can be very convincing."

Together they bumped through the door and Jon set her down. When she flipped on the light he took a minute to look around and found himself looking at a much younger version of himself and his band mates. "Was that there last night?" She followed his gaze to the poster, "yes. You didn't see it?" He shook his head, "I was otherwise occupied." He looked at the poster and then back at her, "did you buy it signed and then frame it like that?"

Cilla stripped off her sweatshirt and went over to stand next to Jon. "No. We were in London back in 1988 when you were doing your signing at Tower Records. Charles and I waited in line forever but it was more than worth it." He turned; a question in his eyes, "Charles?" She nodded, "things were good between us then." She sighed and her fingers toyed with the hem of his shirt, "does it bother you that it's up there?"

He slid his hands up her arms, "it's a little odd to see myself hanging over your bed, but it's fine." She started slipping the buttons through their holes, "Good. Now, are you going to tuck me in and sing me a lullaby?"

A smile crept across Jon's lips, "I believe there was something else you wanted, wasn't there?" Cilla stroked her hands over the hard plane of his chest, "you haven't convinced me yet."

He stilled her hands, bringing them to his mouth, kissing her fingertips before settling her arms at her sides. As he slid her cami up he started to sing softly.

I saw you coming from a mile away
Trying to hide behind that pretty face
Bet my last dollar baby you been bruised
Poor little heart all black 'n' blue

Cilla gasped as his voice quietly filled the room and her breasts filled his hands. His thumbs brushed across her quickly hardening nipples.

Last thing you need's another pickup line
You must have heard them all a thousand times
God only knows what you been through
Believe me I been broken too

It aches, it breaks, it takes your breath away
I've been around that block a time or two

His hands left her breasts and he shrugged out of his shirt before pulling her against him, swaying lightly as he continued to sing quietly.

Baby, I don't want to fall in love with you
I try, try, try but I can't get around the truth
Please don't say my name, give this heart a break
I don't want to make the same mistake but it's too late
I'll leave on the light
These arms are open all night

Cilla wrapped her arms around him, pressing herself closer, whimpering when her breasts rubbed against the soft hair of his chest. His fingertips skimmed lightly up and down her back, leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake. He pressed her back slightly, lowering his mouth to hers.

Their kisses were soft and gentle, urgent yet unhurried. Jon's hands slid down Cilla's back to cup her butt as they moved toward the bed. Dragging his lips from hers his mouth slid across her jaw and down her neck. As she trembled she could hear his voice again.

I got your taste in the back of my mouth
I want to reach in and pull it out
And I'd be lying if I didn't say
When you're this close I'm afraid
Of the way I'll feel if I touch your hair
The way I'll miss you when you're not there
And that I'll see you when I close my eyes
It's too late, I've crossed that line

His mouth traced a path down to the curve of her breast. His tongue traced lazy circles until he could wrap his tongue around her nipple and gently he drew it into his mouth.

Cilla's head dropped back and her hands came up to fist in his hair as she held him to her as he slowly convinced her of what she had already known she wanted. No one had ever made her feel like this before. She wanted more. She wanted him.

Jon slowly slid to his knees in front of her, tugging at the button on her jeans. He slid her jeans off, his pulse quickening more at the sight of the black satin and lace against her creamy skin. With his hands on her hips he traced the lace edge with his tongue; trailing down the crease of her thigh, nuzzling his nose against the satin, her sweet musky scent urging him on.

Rising from his knees, Jon dragged his fingertips up her thighs, across her stomach and around to caress her lower back. Cilla's hands slid up his arms, her fingers twining in his hair as she leaned up to press her mouth to his. The heat of her mouth on his had his hands splaying across her back and pulling her flush against him. The kiss turned fiery and almost desperate. Cilla whimpered when he pulled his mouth from hers. "What do you want Cil?"

Her hands moved from his hair to his belt, "you Jon. I want you." His belt clanged to the floor and his jeans followed as Cilla climbed on the bed. He crawled toward her, pulling her close, his fingers tugging at the black satin and lace she still wore. Tossing them over his shoulder he rolled her under him, filling her in one slow thrust. He groaned at the wet heat that enveloped him as she arched under him.

Jon moved slowly, pushing them higher. He dipped his head sucking on Cilla's bottom lip, kissing her jaw, nuzzling her neck. When his tongue dipped into the hollow at her shoulder she was lost. As they rode the wave of her release her muscles clenched, drawing a cry from Jon as he spilled into her.

Chapter 17

When she set the box down in the middle of the table the guys looked up, "what do ya got there?" Richie nudged Jon, "you said she brought dessert." Jon set the notebook aside, "I know that you ass, but I don't know what she brought for dessert."

He looked expectantly at Cilla, "what did you bring us baby?"

She smiled at the two of them and proceeded to untie the string and unfold the box. She slid the round cardboard tray out. There was one cannoli, a couple of éclairs, several small squares of cake, a couple of tarts and two brownies. "I didn't know what you liked so I brought a little of everything."

Jon and Richie reached for the tray at the same time, both wanting the cannoli. Richie reached it first and Jon shoved him, "back off man, I want that." Richie laughed and held it just out of Jon's reach, "what's the matter man, arms too short, can't reach?" Jon flipped him off, "fuck you man. I'll have an éclair."

Richie started to bring the cannoli to his mouth only to have it plucked from his fingers. He looked up to find Cilla standing next to him with the cannoli in her hand, "hey, I was gonna eat that." She smiled at him and broke the cannoli in half. "Here." She handed half to him and the other to Jon. "Can the two of you behave long enough for me to get the coffee?" Jon laughed as he stood, "Sit down Cil, I'll go get it."

Once Jon came back and they were sipping their coffee Cilla asked about the cake. "What did you think of my ideas?" Jon grabbed the notebook. "I think we're headed in the same direction Cil. Richie and I liked this one." He flipped the notebook open to the one he and Richie had agreed on. Cilla smiled, "that was my favorite too." She took a sip of her coffee, "how about cake flavors; any favorites I should know about?"

They tossed some ideas around and Cilla shoved the desserts toward them, "there are some samples on here. Why not try them and let me know what you think?"

Jon and Richie reached for the tray at the same time again. Jon shot Richie a warning "you take the one I want this time man, I'm gonna make you sleep out here tonight." Cilla laughed at them. "You two are impossible. There's two of each kind. Now knock it off." Jon and Richie each took two and looked over at Cilla, "what kind are they?" They weren't afraid to try anything; having traveled the world there was very little they wouldn't eat, but they liked to know what it was they were putting in their mouths before it got there.

Cilla looked over at what they had each taken and point to each piece, "Jon you have double chocolate with raspberry mousse filling and lemon poppyseed with a blueberry cream filling." She turned to Richie, "and you have pistachio with vanilla buttercream filling and chocolate chip with a caramel cream filling." Jon pointed back to the tray, "what's that one?" She leaned in and looked, "that's pumpkin chocolate chip with an eggnog cream filling. I don't usually do that flavor until the fall, but I had a special request for it."

They ate and talked and Jon noticed that Cilla hadn't had any of the desserts she had brought. "Cil, don't you want anything?" She sipped the last of her coffee, "no, I'm not a big dessert eater Jon." His eyebrows rose in surprise, "you make all this stuff and don't eat any of it? How do you manage that?" Cilla laughed, "if I ate everything I made do you know how much I would weigh? I'd be as big around as I am tall." Jon laughed as he tried to imagine that.

Turning back to the subejct at hand, she asked about the cake, "what do you think, do you like any of those cake flavors?" Jon and Richie nodded; they had liked them all. "We're going to have to let you know. It's going to be a tough decision." Cilla nodded, "I can do the traditional chocolate and vanilla as well." She stood, "I should be going. I have an early day tomorrow." Richie glanced at his watch, "it's only 9:30 Cilla, its still early now."

She laid her hand on his arm, "for you it's early but for me it's late. I've been up since 3." Richie's eyes widened, "I'm usually just going to bed at 3. Why do you get up so early?" She laughed and pointed at the nearly empty tray in front of him, "that's why." She turned to Jon, reached up and pressed a kiss to his lips, "thank you. I had a good time tonight." He stood and took her hand, "I'll walk you home Cil."

When they reached the door he turned back to Richie, "don't wait up man."

Chapter 16

Hearing her phone, Cilla rushed up the last of the steps. After fumbling with her key she dropped her things at the door and lunged for the phone.

“Hello.” She tried to catch her breath as she sat down.

“Cilla? Are you all right?” Jon could hear her breathing heavily in the background.

“I’m fine. I heard the phone and ran up half the stairs trying to get it before the machine picked up.” She took a deep breath. “What’s up?”

Jon smiled at the thought of her rushing to answer his call. “Do you want to come by tonight and we can talk about the cake and maybe get some dinner?”

Cilla glanced at the clock, “that sounds good, just give me a little bit to wash the flour and frosting off.”

Jon closed his eyes against the image of her naked and covered with frosting. “Just come over when you’re ready baby. We’ll be here.” Before she could ask “who’s we” he had clicked off. With a sigh she hung up her phone and headed to the bathroom.

Thirty minutes later she zipped her black hoodie with the roses embroidered down the sleeves over her black cami and faded jeans, grabbed her satchel with her paperwork in it and headed down the stairs. She stopped into the shop and grabbed the pink bakery box she had packed earlier and headed to Jon’s, once again wondering just who else was going to be there tonight.

When she entered Jon’s building she recognized the doorman right away, he was the same one from the last time she had been there. “Hi Sam, I’m here to see…” holding up a hand, he cut her off. “You go right on up miss. He’s expecting you.” Cilla smiled at him, “thank you.”

Knocking on the door she heard two distinct voices and footsteps approaching. When she looked up she met Jon’s bright blue eyes, “hi.” He smiled, “hi baby, come on in.” Once she was in and he shut the door behind her he pulled her to him, “now let me say hello properly.” His lips covered hers and he kissed her thoroughly.

Cilla stood there for a full minute without saying a word and she would have dropped the dessert box if Jon hadn’t taken it from her.

Richie came in looked at Cilla and then at Jon, “what did you do to her man?” Jon chuckled, “I kissed her.” Richie waved his hand in front of her face, “darlin’ are you okay?” She nodded and blinked her eyes a couple of times and everything came back into focus. “Oh yeah, I’m good Richie. It’s nice to see you again.” He smiled and kissed her cheek, “you too darlin’.” He pointed to the box Jon was holding as he talked, “what’d you bring us?”

Jon led them through the apartment, stopping in the kitchen to put the box in the refrigerator. “She brought dessert man, stop hounding her.” As they stepped out onto the terrace Cilla turned to Jon, “what, no half naked three year-old running around tonight?” Jon laughed, “no, but if I drink enough you could have a half naked 46 year-old to contend with.” Cilla leaned up and pressed a kissed to his chin, “only half naked?” He kissed her mouth playfully as they walked to where Richie was sitting, “Richie’s here, I don’t want him to get jealous.”

Richie had heard their conversation and he rolled his eyes when they sat down, “Bro, I’ve seen what you’ve got and believe me, it ain’t nothing I need to be jealous of man.” He turned to Cilla, patting the seat next to him, “why don’t you come sit by me darlin’, I’ll take real good care of you.”

Cilla watched the play between the two men; she laughed out loud. They were just like her and Sid.

Jon looked up at her, “what’s so funny?” He hoped she wasn’t laughing at Richie’s comment about his manhood. Cilla shook her head, “which one of you is Sid and which one is me?”

Jon started laughing making Cilla laugh harder and Richie sat there looking confused. “Who is Sid?”

Cilla sat down next to Jon and tried to compose herself. “Sid is…” she kept laughing. Jon wiped the tears from his face, “Sid is Cil’s best friend.” Richie nodded in understanding, “is she as pretty as Cilla here?” That got Jon and Cilla going again, “no” Jon managed, “Cilla’s much prettier.” Cilla nodded in agreement. “Sid’s got brown hair, green eyes and is about six feet tall.” Richie still didn’t see what was so funny. “This Sid doesn’t sound so bad. I still don’t get what’s so funny.”

Jon and Cilla managed to stop laughing and Cilla lay her hand over Richie’s, “Richie, Sid is a man. I’ve known him all my life and believe me when I tell you; he’ll be flattered to find out you think he ‘doesn’t sound so bad.’”

Richie’s cheeks pinked. Shit her best friend was a gay man. He laughed at himself, “glad I found that out now before I really made an ass of myself and asked you if I could meet him.” Cilla grinned, “I can still introduce you if you’re interested. He thinks you have…” she paused trying to remember exactly what it was Sid had said, “ah, the most amazing mouth, very full kissable lips I believe were his exact words.” Richie laughed and raised his hands in protest “no, thank you but no, I still prefer the ladies.” Cilla sighed dramatically, “Sid will be crushed. I hope he can go on after this.”

Jon hadn’t said anything in the last few minutes. He was amused by the fact that his best friend was getting along so well with his, he looked at Cilla, girlfriend? Could he call her that after only two dates and one night spent together? He shook his head; let’s not get ahead of ourselves. He interrupted the two of them, “you guys hungry; should we order some food?”

When the bell rang thirty minutes later Richie went to get the food, leaving Jon and Cilla alone. “You seem to be getting along with Richie fairly well.” Cilla smiled, “he’s just like everything I’ve ever read or heard someone say about him. It’s hard not to like him.” Jon took her hand, “he’s a good guy. I’m glad you’re getting along.”

Richie reappeared then with the bag of fragrant chinese food, “dinner is served.”

After the last fortune cookie was broken open talk turned to the tour and, specifically, what Jon wanted from Cilla in regards to the cake. She reached into her satchel and brought out her note book. “I made a few sketches today, take a look and let me know if any of it is what you had in mind.” Richie scooted his chair closer so he could see as well.

While they perused her notes Cilla cleared away the dinner mess and returned from the kitchen with the pink bakery box in one hand and napkins in the other.

Chapter 15

Cilla was pulling a tray of cinnamon buns from the oven and trying not to think about the man she left sleeping in her bed when Sid walked in. “Good morning” he sang out as the door shut behind him. Cilla smiled as she pulled on a pair of gloves, “good morning to you Sid.” He came up next to her and kissed her cheek. “So, how was your date?”

Cilla smirked; Sid was never one to beat around the bush. “Just fine thanks.” He frowned, “you know the rule Cil, details, you share the details girl.” Cilla laughed, “okay, okay. Jeez, you’re worse than a woman Sid.” Before she could say anything else the back door opened again. Sid turned to see who was there and gasped. “Oh my God.”

Cilla walked over and kissed Jon’s cheek, “good morning.” He kissed her back and wrapped an arm around her, “good morning to you. You got any coffee down here?”

Sid stood and watched as she poured Jon a cup of coffee and offered him a warm cinnamon roll. Cilla walked over to him and, placing her finger under his chin, pushed his mouth closed. “It’s not nice to gawk Sid. Let’s go load the cases.”

When they were out front Sid cornered Cilla, “he spent the night?” She nodded, “yes, isn’t that what you wanted?” He countered, “is it what you wanted?” Cilla moved past him, “if it wasn’t he wouldn’t be here now would he.” Sid smiled, “true. So?” She wiped down the cases, “so what?” Sid rolled his eyes, “come on, tell me, he’s the total package, right?”

Glancing up, Cilla saw Jon standing in the doorway, the smirk on his face giving away the fact that he had heard the conversation. She smiled at him as she answered Sid, “totally Sid.” Jon cleared his throat, “so Sid, just exactly what do you want to know?” Sid turned around so fast Cilla thought he might fall down, “Oh shit. You weren’t supposed to hear that.”

Cilla took pity on Sid, “come on Jon” she pushed him back through the door and into the kitchen. “I have to open in a few minutes.” Jon wrapped her up in a hug, “I know and I’m going to get out of your way. But I have a question first.” She looked up at him, “what’s that?” He stepped back from her and took her hands, “the tour finishes soon and I was wondering if you could make a cake for us for after the last show.”

For a minute all Cilla could do was stand there. “You want me to make a cake for the band?” He shook his head, “not just the band, for the crew too. Do you think you can manage it?”

She moved over to her workspace and glanced at her schedule, she had a couple of wedding cakes to do and some other small orders, but one more shouldn’t, wouldn’t be a problem. “I can manage. Do you have any idea of what you want?”

Sid poked his head through the door right then, “honey we have a line of people waiting, can I open?” Cilla looked at the clock, “go ahead.” She turned back to Jon, “why don’t we talk about this later?”

Jon leaned over her make-shift desk and kissed her, “that’s fine. I’ll call you.” She walked him to the door, “have a good day Jon.” He pressed his lips gently against hers, “you too baby.” Then he was gone.

Later in the day, when there was a lull Sid cornered Cilla, “okay, you need to tell me what is going on with the two of you.” Cilla sighed, “I’m not sure yet Sid. He said he likes me and we’d just take things as they come, one day at a time.” Sid studied Cilla, “did you talk to him?”

Cilla didn’t answer right away. She went and flipped the closed sign and locked the door. “I told him everything Sid.” He raised an eyebrow at her, posing a silent question. “Everything Sid. He knows all of it.” He helped carry empty trays back to the kitchen, “and?”

She smiled, “I’m seeing him again tonight, so I guess it’s all okay.”

Sid went and hugged her, “I’m happy for you Cil. You deserve this. Now come on, let’s get these dishes done and get the heck out of here.”

Chapter 14

A hard, heavy thigh pressed her to the bed and she could feel the warmth of his breath at her ear. They were tangled together and Jon’s head was nestled in between her neck and shoulder. Cilla stroked his arm, tracing the superman tattoo with her fingertips. How could he have made her feel so much? She didn’t want to compare, but Charles hadn’t ever made her feel the way Jon just had. Oh, sure, there had been moments of unbridled passion, but they had been few and far between. Cilla hadn’t ever really enjoyed it anyway; it had always been more about Charles than her. She sighed at the thought.

Jon pressed a kiss to her neck and eased himself off of her. “Are you okay?” He had heard her sigh and hoped she didn’t regret what had happened between them. Cilla nodded, “yeah, just thinking.” He lay on his side so he could look at her and pulled the blankets up over them, “thinking about what?” She smoothed her hand over the blanket, “this.” His eyebrow shot up, “this?” He wasn’t sure he really wanted to know what she was getting at.

Looking over at him, she could see the confusion on his face. Cilla sat up a little and pulled the covers around her. “This Jon” she said quietly as she motioned with her hands to him and the bed. “How we ended up here; why, when you could be with any woman you wanted you chose me” she paused and looked at him, “how you made me feel more just now than I ever did with… and where do we go from here.”

Jon sat up and wrapped his arm around her, settling her against him. “I think I’ll answer that last part first. We just take it one day at a time. I like you Cil, more than any other woman I have been with since my divorce. You’ve made me laugh more in the last three days than I have in the last three months. I can’t explain it; I just know that I want to be with you and I hope you feel the same about me.”

He thought about the rest of what she had said. “Cil, I don’t know what your relationship with your ex was and frankly, I’m not sure I want to. I can only guess that he was a very selfish man who didn’t know the gift he had in you. You deserve everything you got tonight and more.” He looked down at her, his blue eyes shining with sincerity “I want to be the one to give it to you too.”

Cilla laid her head against his chest, “this all happened so fast. I’m not sure I’m ready for this. It’s been a long time since I had more than one date with a guy let alone anything more.” She looked up at Jon, “just be patient with me Jon. I may stumble around a bit, but I’m willing to try.” He kissed her head, “That’s all I can ask. Now that we got that all settled, can we eat? I’m starving.” Cilla laughed and pushed away from him, “stay here, I’ll go get it and we can eat in here.”

Jon watched as she grabbed her night shirt from the back of the door and slipped it on, “aw” he whined, “do you have to get dressed?” She looked over her shoulder at him, “you don’t want me to get cold do you?” He winked at her, “I’ll keep you warm baby.”

Five minutes later she was back and they were sitting with a plate of food between them, feeding each other bits of pasta and drinking wine straight from the bottle. Cilla chuckled, “Sid is going to have a heart attack when he finds out about this.” Jon smirked, “why’s that?” She took a swig from the bottle, “I’m fairly certain that he’d love to be sitting where I am right now.” Jon laughed, “I guess it’s a good thing I like girls then.” Cilla smiled and fed Jon a bite of pasta, “good thing.”

When the plate was empty and the wine bottle nearly so, Jon set them on the floor and pulled Cilla close, kissing her softly. “Dinner was delicious, thank you.” She ran her hand up his arm, “I brought some things up from the shop, would you like dessert?” Jon traced his fingers down her chest and toyed with a button on her night shirt, “I think we need to talk about one other thing before we have dessert.” Cilla laid her hand over his, “what’s that?”

He turned his hand over and laced their fingers together, “you said earlier that I didn’t need to use a condom, why was that?” She tried to pry her fingers from his but he wouldn’t let go. “Talk to me Cilla. Whatever it is, just tell me and we’ll work through it.”

She couldn’t bring herself to look at him so as she stared at the blanket she told him. “I can’t have kids Jon. I had my tubes tied years ago.” He squeezed her hand, “that’s not so bad Cil.” She looked up at him; the pain and sadness in her eyes caught him by surprise. “Charles made me.” Jon’s grip on her hand tightened, the surprise he had felt was slowly being overshadowed by the anger that was coursing through him. What kind of monster was this man? His jaw tightened and the muscle twitched, “why?”

It still made her sad to remember, she had always wanted kids, so had he; at least that’s what he had told her at first. When he started having his moods, that all changed. “Charles didn’t want children and he wanted to make sure that it wouldn’t be an issue. He hated condoms so I told him I would go on the pill; but he worried that I would forget to take one. He told me the only way to be certain was for me to have my tubes tied. I asked about him getting a vasectomy but he said that was out of the question.” A single tear slid down her cheek as she finally looked at Jon. “I didn’t want to but he didn’t leave me any choice.”

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close “oh baby, I’m sorry.” She sniffed, “it’s okay Jon. The way things turned out, it was for the best anyway.” He stroked her back, “that’s still no excuse for what he did to you Cil. He had no right to force that on you.” She pulled back from him and wiped her face with the back of her hand, “I know, but it’s too late to do anything about it now. I’ve moved on from it.” She studied Jon’s face, “is this going to be an issue for you?”

Jon settled back on the pillows and pulled her with him, “it just pisses me off that this happened to you, but no, it won’t be an issue.” He kissed her tear-stained cheek, “did you ever consider having it reversed?” Cilla shook her head as she settled against him, “it crossed my mind once or twice after the divorce but I didn’t have any insurance so I just let it go.”

Jon lay awake long after Cilla had drifted off. He was angry at a man he had never met, angry that this man so callously decided her future for her and gave her no choice but to do as he asked. What kind of person does that? Cilla moved and stretched her arm across him. He stroked her hand and closed his eyes, willing sleep to come.

Chapter 13

Determined to chase the ghosts of her past away for her, Jon stood and tugged on Cilla's hand gently, bringing her to her feet.

Standing in front of him, Cilla looked up to find his breathtakingly blue eyes studying her intently, "it's been a long time Jon. I'm not sure I remember what to do." He smiled softly, "I'm not worried darlin'." He trailed his fingertips up her arm, brushing her hair behind her shoulder before fluttering kisses across her forehead. "We'll take it slow."

His hand moved from her shoulder to her chin, tilting it slightly higher before his mouth met hers. His kisses were slow and long, his lips were soft and inviting. Cilla lost herself to his mouth, giving back as much as she was taking. He groaned into her before pulling his head back, "bedroom?" She indicated to a partially shut door, "there."

Dinner lay forgotten on the table as he led her into the bedroom. The soft sounds of the piano from the stereo followed them as the cacophony of the world outside the window greeted them.

They stood next to the bed, Jon flush up against Cilla's back. He ran his hands up from her hips, lightly caressing her sides as his breath ruffled her hair. "Relax Cil" he instructed as his hands moved. She closed her eyes and laid her hands atop his; her fingertips brushed across the back of his hands as they moved over her.

When his hands moved to the hem of her shirt she let hers fall away and he slipped the shirt up and off, revealing a simple white cotton bra underneath. She silently cursed herself for not wearing something prettier for him. Next time. She tensed slightly at that thought. Already thinking about next time? What's the matter with me?

Jon kissed his way across her shoulder, nudging the strap with his nose. He felt her tense. "What's the matter?" he quietly asked as his mouth moved across her skin. "Nothing" she sighed, "just wished I was wearing something prettier." He smiled against her shoulder, "nothing wrong with what you have on, other than it's still on you."

She turned her head and their mouths met as his hand moved to release the catch of her bra. He slid the bra from her, his hands following the straps down her arms, letting it fall to the floor as his hands slid back up her sides, cupping her small round breasts in his hands. His thumbs stroked lightly as the tips puckered and hardened for him. He kissed his way from her mouth to her ear "you're so beautiful" he whispered as he tasted her lobe.

The heat of him behind her and his hands on the front of her had her faltering. Her head dropped back against his shoulder and her hands gripped his thighs as he plucked at her nipples. His mouth was skimming along her neck and shoulder, leaving her trembling. She turned her head to find his mouth again and the kiss was fiery with desperation. She tried to turn to face him but he held her fast, rolling his hips against her. Cilla pulled her mouth from his and whimpered as his hands moved down her sides and across her flat stomach. He stopped before reaching the button of her jeans, caressing the soft skin below her navel with a calloused fingertip.

Jon stepped back from her and slid to his knees behind her, tasting every inch of skin from nape to the waist. He reached around and released the button on her jeans as his tongue stroked across her soft, smooth skin. He eased her jeans down and was surprised to see the tattoo at the small of her back. The scroll work and roses curled across her lower back and intertwined were the words Keep the Faith in fancy script. He traced across it with the tip of his tongue as he pushed her jeans down. He'd ask her about it later.

He kissed the backs of her knees before she stepped out of her jeans and she thought her knees would give out. He steadied her and dragged his tongue lightly up the backs of her thighs as he stood. She trembled as she turned to face him, her hands reached out tentatively for the hem of his shirt and she tugged it up. He pulled it off and she ran her hands over the hard plane of his chest, reveling in the soft hair and the twitch of his muscles. He dragged her close, wrapping his arms around her, tangling his fingers in her hair.

Cilla leaned up and pressed her mouth to his, tongues eagerly exploring. Her hands wandered up and down his back, over his shoulders and down across his chest, stopping to tease the taut nipples before dropping down across his abs to the button his jeans. She slid her hand up and down the length of him; the denim stretched tightly across him, earning her a groan, "Cilla baby, you don't want to be doing that." He pulled her hands away from and urged her back on the bed.

Jon toed off his shoes and peeled his jeans over his hips, pushing them off and joining her on the bed. He stroked her lightly, his fingertips barely touching her skin. "You're so soft" he mumbled as his mouth followed the path his fingers were weaving. When he took a nipple into his mouth she arched off the bed. It had been so long since anyone had made her feel so much.

Jon slid lower on the bed, dragging his mouth down and circling her navel with his tongue. He looked up at Cilla, she had her eyes closed and her breathing was labored. "Cil?" She opened her eyes and met his gaze, "you're sure?" When she nodded he slid her white cotton bikinis down and off, kissing his way back up her legs, her sweet scent drawing him in. He smiled to himself at the slight patch of dark curls that hid her from him. He liked a little hair.

When his tongue grazed over her she nearly lost it. When he suckled on her clit her hips rose from the bed and dots swam in front of her eyes. When he slid a finger into her wet heat she cried out his name as she broke apart. With a final kiss Jon rose over her, she had her eyes closed again. "Cil, look at me." She wasn't sure she could. "Please baby,” he pleaded “look at me." She forced her eyes open, "what?"

A frown marred his beautiful face and he looked chagrined. He wanted this to be special and here he was, no protection in any pocket, having to ask. "Do you have a…" he trailed off as her fingers covered his mouth. "Don't need them. It's okay."

He didn't question her further, they'd talk about it later. Letting the thought go, he slowly, gently slid into her, then eased back, she was tight. He remembered she had said it had been a long time and he didn't want to hurt her. He moved again, slowly filling her and easing back until Cilla thought she couldn't take it anymore. "Jon, please!" He moved again, burying himself in her, "God Cilla, you feel so good."

He didn't move for long moments, savoring the feel of her fisting around him. When she writhed under him he moved, his pace slow and steady; pushing them both closer to the release that was just out of reach. She gripped his shoulders and wrapped her legs around him, meeting each thrust. She cried out to him, she was so close. He slipped a hand between them and with a flick of his fingers he gave her what she asked for, and he followed close on her heels, spilling into her with a grunt and a groan.