Chapter 56

When Cilla stepped back into the room, Jon was exactly where she had left him forty-five minutes earlier; sprawled across the bed, snoring lightly. She chuckled as she moved to her suitcase. Hitching her towel higher, she grabbed her clothes and padded back to the bed. Unwinding her hair from the knot on the top of her head she leaned over Jon and, lock of hair in hand, proceeded to tickle the spot under his nose.

He twitched, snuffled and dragged his hand across his face. What the hell was that tickling his face? Opening his eyes Cilla came into focus, he reached for her “what do you think you’re doing?” She laughed as she landed on top of him, “trying to wake you up.” He rolled them over and nuzzled in to her neck. She was fresh and soft from her bath. “You always smell so good Sweets” he murmured as he nibbled across her jaw.

Cilla closed her eyes, God what was he doing to her? How could he make her feel so much with just the barest touch? Turning her head their mouths met and she was nearly lost. When she felt her towel fall away she managed to garner the strength to push him back. “Jon, stop.” His fingers played lightly across her skin, “what’s wrong?” She opened her eyes to find his searing blue ones trained on her. “Nothing, but we need to get ready to go. You don’t want to be late do you?”

He skimmed his fingers down her sides and let his head drop forward to rest on her chest, “you know me too well. I’m never late, for anything.” With a sigh Jon pushed himself off of her and stood, she made no move to cover up. “You’d better get dressed Sweets” he told her as he pulled off his shirt, “I may not stop next time.” She grinned and pulled the towel closed, “promise?”

“Witch” he muttered as he stalked to the bathroom, “just get dressed baby.”

Closing her eyes Cilla lay there, trying to figure out just how it was that he had such an effect on her. Charles never made her feel so much. Never made her feel like she was the only woman in the world. Hmph, guess Sid was right. He was the wrong man for me. She shook her head, Sid had never really like Charles but had put up with him for Cilla’s sake. She looked toward the bathroom, thought about the man behind the door and smiled. She was so glad Sid and Richie had connived to get her here.

When the bathroom door opened again Cilla was fixing her top that she had just pulled over her head. The silky pearl gray tank fluttered over her stomach and rested just below the waist of those amazing jeans she had bought on her marathon shopping day with Sid.

Jon stood appreciating the view from the doorway. In the fading daylight her top shimmered with each move she made and the jeans hugged her ass like a second skin.

Catching his eye in the mirror she watched as he crossed the room and pulled on jeans and a fitted deep blue shirt. “Enjoying the show?” He sat on the bed to pull on his socks and shoes as he waited for her to say something. She nodded, “you should always wear that color.” He grinned and came to stand behind her, “thanks.” He ran his hands through his hair, letting it fall where it chose. He studied her in the mirror as she painted her lips a glossy rose color; he couldn’t help but notice that she wore no jewelry save her watch and small hoops in her ears.

He leaned in and kissed her bare shoulder, “you look great, but I think you’re missing something. Don’t move.” He stepped away before she could say anything. She couldn’t imagine what he was doing and her eyes widened when he came back holding the small Weir & Sons bag. She didn’t want to believe that whatever was in the bag was for her, not after all that David had said the day before. “You didn’t get yourself another skull necklace did you?”

He shook his head as he pulled out the small black velvet box. “No and what’s wrong with my skull necklace? I happen to like it, a lot.”

“I know; you wear it, a lot. Too much in fact. It needs a good rest.”

He smiled, “I’ll take that under advisement. Now lift your hair and close your eyes.”

She did as she was bid and waited. She shuddered when his fingers stroked the sensitive skin at the nape of her neck and again when she felt the warmth of his lips there. “Okay” he whispered in her ear, “you can look now.”

Cilla dropped her hair and opened her eyes. The round cut, deep pink stone winked at her from the hollow at the base of her throat. It seemed to be floating there, suspended by a fine white gold chain, or maybe it was platinum, she couldn’t be sure.

As her fingers came up to touch, she couldn’t keep the “Jonny” from slipping out. He smiled and leaned in close, his breath warm at her ear, his fingertips sliding lightly over her shoulders, “do you know how much I love that? The way my name just slips out on a whisper and you don’t even seem to realize it.”

She shook her head, “you shouldn’t have done this.” He shrugged his shoulder and looked a little hurt, “I wanted to. It’s a pink sapphire, don’t you like it?” She touched it again, “it’s beautiful and I love it but…” He stopped her, “no buts Sweets.”

Turning to face him she rested her head against his chest, “I’m sorry. I do love it. I… just... what about what David said yesterday?” He wrapped his arms around her, “you leave David to me.” He tilted her chin up with his fingers so he could see her face, “okay?” She smiled slightly and nodded, “okay. Thank you.” He dropped a kiss on her lips and took her hand, “ready to go?”

Cilla watched out the window as they rode through the Dublin mountains the evening mist creeping along the edges as the last of the daylight disappeared. It reminded her of fairytales and dragons, princesses trapped in high towers and knights on white horses charging in to save the day. With the conversation flowing around her, she tried to memorize every detail, every shade of green and each color of the flowers; as Sid was going to want to “see” everything she saw and she had left her camera back at the hotel.

Jon watched her, wondering what she was thinking. She hadn’t said more than a few words since they left the hotel and they were nearly to the pub. He leaned closer to her, “you all right Sweets?” She nodded and turned to look at him, “yeah, it’s just so pretty, almost like a fairytale.”

Now that her attention was drawn from the window, David took the opportunity to address her. “So Cilla, I understand you’re making the cake for us at the end of the tour. Care to clue us in?”

Cilla smiled sweetly at him, if she was going to get him to see her for who she was, she needed to start now. “Darlin’ it would take more than a clue for you. But if you want to see some of my sketches, maybe we can work something out.”

He put his hand over his heart, falling back against the seat, “Cilla we hardly know each other and you wound me already.”

She just smiled, it was going to be an interesting evening.