Chapter Thirty Five

The night air was warm around them as they stepped from the car that deposited them outside the front door of Jon’s beach house. They had slipped away from the Perelman party just after midnight, both of them tired from all the social chit chat that was enjoyable but draining. An oval moon shone brightly in the clear sky casting a gentle luminance over the silhouettes of the properties around them and framing the dark shadows of the surrounding trees. The distant murmur of the ocean called out enticingly as Rachel waited for Jon to unlock the door.

“It’s such a beautiful night – how about a walk?”

Turning to her in surprise as he knocked off the alarm, Jon raised his brows and grinned.

“Just a walk?”

“Well, we could always build a sand castle if we get bored……”

Chuckling Jon motioned for her to wait at the door, “Hang on there just one second, I got a better idea!”

Leaving her at the porch, Jon disappeared down the darkened hallway in the direction of the kitchen, a faint light that looked suspiciously like the refrigerator door spilling out from around the corner. Sure enough, he reappeared moments later barefoot, with a bottle of wine and a towel under one arm and a pair of glasses and their flip flops dangling from the fingers of his other hand.

Handing Rachel her flip flops, he winked at her and turned to relock the door. 

“Never go to the beach unprepared baby!”

Laughing she kicked off her heels and left them behind a plant pot on the porch, sighing gratefully when her feet slipped into the comfort of the flat shoes. Toeing on his own, Jon offered her his free arm and together they made their way across the garden to the small side gate of the property that led down a sandy path to the shoreline.

The beach was deserted as they made their way through the soft sand, the calm ocean in front of them glimmering in the twilight. A scattering of lights twinkled beyond the dunes marking out the boardwalk in the distance underneath the black night sky. Hand in hand they walked a short way down the beach until Jon spread out the towel a little way back from the gently breaking waves and poured them both a glass of wine.

“To moonlight walks!” Jon offered her a toast with a cheeky smile and eased himself down on the towel, patting the space beside him.

“And many more!” Balancing her glass carefully, Rachel dropped to her knees and scooted up to lean into his arms. They sipped their wine in silence for a few comfortable minutes, content in watching the kaleidoscope of sparkling stars high above them combining with the blinking lights of faraway planes making their way silently through the night sky.

Eventually Jon squeezed his arm a little tighter around her, breathing in the light perfume that wafted through her loose hair.

“Whatcha thinkin’?”

He had observed the woman by his side all evening; her confident and warm personality had shone through in their conversations with the many various guests. He had to admit he’d been a little worried after their unpleasant altercation with Andrea and although she smiled brightly all evening he had no idea what was really going on behind her twinkling eyes.

“Nothing much…..just enjoying the view – the ocean is so beautiful at night.”

Sighing happily, Rachel took another sip of her wine and nestled deeper into Jon’s comfortable chest.

Nodding Jon followed her gaze out across the ocean. “It sure is…..I’m glad you’re here Rach….”

Surprised at the sudden emotion in his voice, Rachel twisted around to smile warmly at him in the moonlight.

“Good! Me too!”

“I’m sorry about Andi earlier, I always knew she was a bit spoilt but I didn’t ever think she could be that much of a bitch.”

Grinning Rachel shook her head at him before resuming her scrutiny of the horizon. “No need to be sorry Jon, she’s past history now.”

“You should’ve been an attorney you know? The cool way you defend yourself is pretty impressive! I’d hate to come up against you in the boardroom.”

Rachel laughed lightly; “It’s a little tricky – the whole business and women thing. There’s a fine line between holding your own and being a bitch. My business is so male-driven it can be a touchy thing to navigate at times.”

“Well I learned from my Mom all about the advantages of having women in charge – and I haven’t forgotten it. I have more women working for me than men most of the time – it works.” Jon chuckled as he added a little sheepishly; “Doesn’t hurt of course that they’re better lookin’ too!”

Rolling her eyes, Rachel jabbed him playfully in the ribs and moved to stretch out on the towel beside him, her lower back beginning to ache from the hours spent in her heels. Turning onto her side, she leaned on her elbow and gazed up at his silhouette in the darkness.

“Mama’s boy huh? What did you want to be when you grew up? Was it always music?”

Looking down at her curled beside him, Jon nodded.

“Yeah, it was all I ever imagined doing, nothing else came into the picture. What about you?”

Rachel sighed softly; “A mother – it was all I ever aspired to be. Real estate was just something I fell into after school and then when the babies were a long time coming, the money in the boom time allowed us to pay for expensive fertility treatments that we otherwise couldn’t have afforded, so it served a purpose I guess.”

The surprise echoed in Jon’s voice and he paused as he searched for the right words. “I didn’t realise you had fertility issues…….obviously it worked out?”

She gazed up at him from her comfortable lounge on the soft sand, a ghost of a remembering smile lifting her face in the moonlight. “Yeah, it took a while but when I got pregnant with Lauren it was bigger than New Year’s Eve you know? It made the wait for Tyler a lot easier because at least we had her.”

Jon drew his knees up to his chest and leaned back on his hands as he watched her relive the memories, quietly listening to her soft voice continue.

“They were almost five years apart so Lauren started school shortly after Tyler came along and I was able to devote my world to each of them when they were just babies. Real estate is a perfect career for a woman raising kids – I was able to set my own hours and such – go on all the field trips, do the whole ‘room Mom’ thing – it worked really well.”

Surprised at her admission, Jon raised a brow questioningly. “So you weren’t really a ‘career woman’ per se?”

“Oh no! I was a homemaker – by choice, and I loved it. Our kids barely knew their Mom had a job!”

Shrugging she smiled up at him; “I mean I would hold an open house a couple weekends a month but the rest of the time I was just ‘Mom’. Most of the time the kids were with me or Nick – we made it a point to rarely have to get a sitter.”

Sitting up, she ran her hands through her hair and reached for her wine as Jon quietly absorbed the glimpse into her past life.

“So how did you end up where you are now?” Tilting his head, he winked across at her with a mischievous grin. “I seem to recall you were a top dog in the real estate world – or so you told me as you were ripping my clothes off that first night!”

Rolling her eyes, Rachel smirked and held up a finger. “Two corrections – number one – I still am a top dog and number two – I believe it was you that made the first move that night, stud!”

Topping up their glasses, Jon acknowledged her corrections with a chuckle. They were finally having a conversation where she wasn’t shutting down on him and it was refreshing.

“I dunno Rach – your memory seems a little hazy but I’m not letting you change the subject by throwing sex out there so c’mon – finish telling me about your rise to the top of the real estate ranks.”

Snorting Rachel shook her head as she buried the base of her wine glass in the sand beside her.

“Whatever Bongiovi! If you must know it was pretty simple really. I basically discovered if I was going to have a life I’d have to limit the number of buyers I worked with and focus primarily on listings. So, I transitioned to being a listing agent and streamlined that process therefore making it more efficient.”

Pursing her lips, she shrugged. “Turns out I was  a pretty good marketing person and I developed a reputation that seemed to have referrals coming to me hand over fist and it all just kinda snowballed from there.”

Impressed, Jon blew out a low whistle between his teeth. “So – first class Mom, successful business woman – is there anything you suck at?”

Rachel reached over to poke him in the ribs again and crawled into his lap, peppering his mouth with soft kisses. “Compliments will get you everywhere Mr Bongiovi – but I am out of practice with the latest sexual trends – think you can help me sharpen my skills a little?”

With her lithe little body rubbing against his hips, Jon groaned when he felt his ever diligent cock stir in his pants. Reciprocating her kisses he mumbled against her lips; “I haven’t noticed you coming up short in that department…….”

Giggling, Rachel sat up on his thighs, her dress riding high on her bent knees. She grinned wickedly as her fingers moved to unbutton his shirt further. “I hear you’re a hard man to keep satisfied – I don’t want you wandering back to the ‘skank tank’ because you’re bored!”

Jon’s hands crept under the hem of her dress, his fingers searching for the line of her panties as she wriggled her hips seductively. “Right now I’m just a ‘hard’ man…….and somehow I doubt I could ever be bored with you.”

When he worked her dress up above the curve of her butt, his hands moved to caress her bare hips, his thumbs hooking down the flimsy material of her panties. In the darkness he could feel Rachel reach the bottom of his shirt and begin work on his belt where his erection begged mercilessly to be released. Very much aware that they were on a public beach and the cover of night wasn’t anywhere near a good enough privacy screen, Jon reluctantly withdrew his hands from her hips to gently still her busy fingers.

“Rach – we need to take this home where we can do it right.”

            

Consumed by the heady concoction of too much wine and raw lust, Rachel barely heard his soft murmur only stopping to frown when his hands prevented her from taking things any further. Confused, she glared down at him from her perch on his lap.

“What?”

“We gotta stop baby – right now or I’m not gonna be able to stop until I have you screaming my name over and over. Do you wanna risk pictures of this showing up in a day or so for all your family to see?”

Frustrated and annoyed, Rachel stared at him incredulously. “Are you freakin kidding me?? HERE? Is that even a remote possibility? I mean seriously Jon – it’s the middle of the night for God’s sake – there’s nobody here!”

Regretfully Jon shook his head at her, his frustration was equal to hers but he needed to show her this side of his life; “You don’t know that Rach – anything done in a public place is liable to being photographed – the fuckers are everywhere.”

Annoyed at their interruption, Rachel scowled and gestured wildly with her hands.

“How do you live like that? I mean that is insane! You do know I was only mere seconds away from an incredible orgasm right – just from sitting here! Damn it Jon!”

Grinning at her sexually charged frustration, Jon let his guard slip just a little as a sneaky idea formed in his head. He knew they were potentially exposed here on the beach but there was a place just yards away that would afford them the right amount of privacy. Reaching up to frame her face, he kissed her pouting lips hard and smirked up at her when he pulled back.

“Ever had a midnight swim?”

Chapter Thirty Four

Standing at the large mirror that took up the wall above the pair of sinks in the ensuite, Rachel bared her lips to apply a coat of lip gloss before reaching up to pull some hot rollers from her hair, letting the soft waves tumble to her shoulders. Frowning as the uppermost one stubbornly tangled itself amongst some fine strands she glanced over at Jon in the mirror at the other sink where he was running water through his hair to re-wet it. The natural, ordinary feel to the moment made her giggle as she struggled with freeing herself from the last roller.

“Well I guess the honeymoon is over…….I’m standing in the bathroom caught up in hot rollers with one of People Magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive!”

Straightening up from the sink, Jon cocked an eyebrow at her and replied with a deadpan face;

“I prefer to think of those things as prehistoric torture devices – even I don’t go to those lengths to look good! I don’t know why you bother – you look hot anyway! C’mere before you kill yourself.”

Still giggling she shuffled sideways to let him gently free her hair from the offending roller. When the last wave of hair tumbled free, Jon lightly teased it apart with his fingers so it fell naturally behind her ear, completing the look.

“There, looks like Pop taught me something – I shoulda been a pro!”

Rachel tilted her head sideways to examine his work and nodded in approval. Beaming back up at him, she threw her arms around his neck to kiss him noisily in appreciation.

“I knew I lo…” Stopping herself just before the word slipped from her mouth, she hastily rearranged the sentence before turning back to finish with her makeup. “…..uh…..I knew I hooked up with you for a reason – you’re useful to have around!”

Jon watched her spritz some perfume on her wrists with amusement. He knew she’d almost slipped up and told him she loved him. It didn’t bother him in the slightest; he wasn’t some needy kid that needed reassurance every time he formed a relationship with someone – in fact he much preferred the ‘unspoken’ word – less complications that way.

“You’re very low-drama Rachel Braden, aren’t you?”

Concentrating on slipping in her earrings, Rachel frowned at him in confusion.

“Huh? Where did that come from?”

Jon folded his arms and leaned back against the vanity top, regarding her with a casual smile.

“Well you didn’t have a complete meltdown when you saw that article – I can’t think of any woman I've ever known, except maybe Dorothea, who would have responded the way you did, that’s all – Low drama!”

Rummaging around her vanity case for some mascara, Rachel shrugged and unscrewed the wand.

“Life brings enough drama all on its own – why go looking for it?” Leaning into the mirror, she carefully flicked the dark liquid through her eyelashes. “I mean, why waste time throwing a tantrum about something we’ve already settled when we could spend our time on other things – like tossing up the bed sheets for example.” 

She grinned at him in the mirror before returning her concentration to the job in hand. “Life’s too short to sweat the small stuff Jon.”

Jon listened carefully to her matter of fact reply, she didn’t beat about the bush and he liked it.

“And most of it’s the small stuff right? I guess you’d know that better than most people I know.”

“Right.” Changing the subject, Rachel ran her fingers threw her hair once more and gave it a light going over of hair spray to fix her waves in place. “So, what’s the dress code tonight?”

Noticing the abrupt end to their conversation, Jon chose to take her advice and not sweat it, she was right – why waste time? 

“Just casual….about like last night.”

“Casual I can do! C’mon get moving big guy – I hate being late!”

Winking at him, Rachel sashayed out the door in her robe to leave Jon to finish his own preparations without further distraction. The glass and a half of wine she had consumed before, during and after their little afternoon romp was making her feel decidedly horny, she had no idea how she was going to keep her hands to herself for the rest of the evening – she couldn’t get enough of him.

In the closet, she selected a light melon green sheath dress, that she knew was cool enough for the still warm evening but still fitted just nicely around her slight curves to accentuate her slender figure. Picking out a pair of panties and matching bra from her suitcase on the floor, she slipped off her robe to dress unaware of Jon’s silent figure behind her.

Leaning against the door frame, he watched her appreciatively as she slipped the panties up her long legs, past the tan lines from their day on the beach. An unfamiliar feeling stirred deep in his belly as he let his eyes sweep over her body, taking in the elegant sweep of her neck down to her unfettered breasts that bounced gently from her chest as she bent down to pick up her bra. It wasn’t lust that swirled through him for once, it was something else – something comfortable.

As she slipped the straps of her bra over her shoulders, Jon stepped forward with a soft clear of his throat to fasten the front clasp for her. Smiling up at him as he ran a finger over the embroidered lace edge, Rachel giggled.

“So as well as a hairdresser, you’re a personal dresser now too?”

“Mmmnnhmm……for you baby, I could be anything.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An hour later and Rachel was chatting with ease with the party’s host Ron Perelman and his girlfriend Anna. Everyone so far had been warm and welcoming although she was very much aware of the curious glances and hushed conversations as they had moved through the crowd. She couldn’t help but share a private giggle with herself at their obvious surprise at seeing Jon out with the same woman on his arm two nights in a row – something they were just going to have to get used to.

Jon stood beside her deep in conversation with Ron about the revival of some little restaurant in the Hamptons, to Rachel’s keen real estate ear by all accounts it sounded like a potentially solid investment. When Ron suggested Jon meet with a couple of other potential investors at the property tomorrow, he nodded keenly in agreement.

“Sure – I can be there, let’s set that up.”

Ron winked and nodded across to Rachel, “Are you sure you want to abandon Rachel in favour of business? We can do this some other time…..”

Chuckling Jon put his arm playfully around Rachel’s neck and pulled her close, snorting with a cheeky grin. “Don’t let this pretty face fool ya Ron! This one can take care of herself – she works more than I do!”

The robust billionaire smirked, “Jesus Jon – it’s hard to imagine anybody working more than you do!”

Slapping Jon on the back he accepted another drink off a passing tray, “Let me see if I can confirm a couple other people for tomorrow – I’ll get back to you before the end of the night.”

Turning to Rachel as he shared a firm handshake with Jon, he chuckled at her. “Why don’t you have this old cheapskate here buy you another glass of wine? After tomorrow he might not be able to afford it!”

Laughing to himself, he moved off with his pretty girlfriend to greet his other guests leaving Jon to guide Rachel over to the bar.

“Nice guy!” Rachel remarked when they reached the vast, linen draped counter laid out with an assortment of fine canapés and Hor d’oeuvres.

“Great guy, been friends with him a long time!” Ordering them both a glass of wine, Jon turned to smile at Rachel before someone approaching from the crowd darkened his handsome features.

“Oh hell – brace yourself!” Muttering under his breath, Jon plastered on his best fake smile to greet the pouting brunette that sauntered confidently up to them.

“Jon! Look at you…….” A pair of heavily lined eyes flicked from Jon to bluntly look Rachel up and down. “…playing with the grownups tonight I see – aren’t you going to introduce us? You know how I like to be familiar with the competition.”

Rachel inwardly marvelled at the girl’s brazen attitude but like Jon, kept her smile relaxed and neutral. She already didn’t like this one – at least Elizabeth had been somewhat cordial.

Wrapping his arm around Rachel in a reassuring squeeze, Jon nodded pleasantly and greeted the scantily clad socialite with a well-practised ease.

“Hello Andi – you look lovely tonight, as always.”

Rolling her eyes, the girl flashed a set of perfectly white veneers in a petulant smile and brushed an overly affectionate hand over his shoulder.

“Oh Jon – you know we don’t burden ourselves with the exchange of politically correct pleasantries…” Leaning into him so that her tightly drawn up bust in a faux snakeskin corset rubbed off his chest, she lowered her voice to a seductive purr and flicked a casual glance at Rachel. “We got past that point in our relationship a long time ago…..”

Unfazed by the indirect barb, Rachel briskly extended her hand, her voice cool and determined.

 “Rachel Braden……and you I presume are ‘cosmetics heiress Andrea London’.”

Completely undaunted, Andrea accepted the handshake with a set of perfectly manicured fingertips.

“Hmmm……so my boy has told you about me……..intriguing that he’s not mentioned you!”

Aware of the interested looks their conversation was gaining from nearby onlookers, Rachel maintained her polite smile with a casual shrug.

“No reason he’d mention me to you.”

Apparently disinterested in Rachel and her calm attitude, Andrea retrieved her hand and turned back to Jon.

“Lover you look entirely too rested….” Jerking her head to Rachel she lowered her voice and sneered in obvious distaste. “…This one letting you sleep too much?”

Jon’s voice hardened and the muscles in his neck strained with the effort to remain polite. His previous dalliances with the perky, attitude laden girl in front of him had always been of the drunk as shit and if he was honest – desperate – kind. That kind of relationship that had suited him pre Rachel but it was a period of his life he had no wish to return to – ever. Raising one eyebrow and against all odds, he managed to keep his response light but to the point. 

“Not at all – she just doesn’t suck the life out of me Andi – this lifestyle suits me.”

“Pfft…..from looks of Miss Prim and Proper here, I doubt she sucks anything out of you!” Cockily, she tipped her highlighted head towards Rachel; “Just a tip Rachel – he’s a hard man to keep satisfied – God knows I’ve been doing it for years now!”

 “Well bless your little heart Andrea!” Rachel smiled through a forced chuckle as she felt Jon’s hand slip into her own, his pinkie finger gently intertwining with her own in a silent reminder of their promise to one another. “But from where I stand – well…..” Leaning forward slightly, her voice dropped to a dangerous whisper behind a condescending smile that she normally only kept reserved for the most difficult of investors. “….I’d say you’ve not kept him too well satisfied.”

Andrea, momentarily stunned blinked wide eyed back at her from beneath her smoky eyelids before she smirked and placed a hand coyly on Jon’s arm, slithering close to his body as she stared defiantly back at Rachel.

“I know what Jonny likes, what he needs – sometimes we just need a little break…..meet new people – you know? Learn some new tricks…….”

Completely locked onto her new competition, Andrea appeared to forget Jon was even standing there in a bemused silence. “He likes it rough you know?? Or maybe you don’t……?”

“That’s enough Andi!” Irritated, Jon snapped quietly at her, his normally masterful crowd pleasing smile fading. Jesus how had he ever been in the least bit attracted to this spoilt little bitch?

Their quiet conversation was beginning to become the focal point of the group of guests milling around the bar, obviously interested in seeing a potential showdown between one of Jon’s well known hook-ups and the mysterious new lady now seen out with him two nights in a row.

Rachel could feel the eyes of nearly a hundred people on her as she offered Andrea her sweetest, most genuine smile with a light laugh rolling off her tongue.

“Andi honey? Don’t you worry your bleached little head about it because I know exactly how he likes it – especially how he’ll like it tonight, and tomorrow night and the night after that – shall I go on?”

Sidling closer to Jon’s reassuring frame, Rachel squeezed tighter on their interlocked pinkies and smiled politely at Andrea, hovering in gaping shock in front of them. “And I can assure you it’s not gonna be with you – so you just think about that tonight when you’re digging around with your battery operated fun – okay?”

Taking his cue, Jon matched the charming smile that was spread across Rachel’s firm lips and dipped his head in acknowledgement before he guided them away from the bar.

“Nice seeing you Andi – enjoy the rest of the evening. If you’ll excuse us……”

Mortified, Andrea gazed up at him in stunned disbelief, her cheeks flushing beneath the heavy layer of makeup that covered her face before she grabbed a drink off the bar and slunk away into the watching crowd.

Jon, keeping his eyes forward as they walked to the large gazebo set up outside on the oceanfront lawn couldn’t help but chuckle quietly under his breath until they were a distance away from anyone.  

“Subtle honey, real subtle!”

With her chin lifted just a little defiantly at his obvious amusement of the situation, Rachel shrugged casually with a little grin. She couldn’t deny her adrenalin was pumping around her system with the force of a freight train but the look on the spoilt tart’s face had been worth it. The warm evening air combined with the gentle sea breeze milled around them, the sweet scent of the abundant rose bushes adding a pleasant touch as Jon pulled her close to him, his arms wrapping around her lower back.

“So I’m just wondering what happened to the ‘Southern Approach’ you were preaching at me yesterday huh? I notice the ‘bless your heart’ comment didn’t work so well today!”

Biting her lip, Rachel slipped her hands into the back pockets of his jeans and smirked up at him, her willowy green eyes sparkling with excitement.

“I’m a Jersey girl now – consider yourself warned!”

Chapter Thirty Three

Rachel sighed happily as the heat from the sun high above sank deep into her body, the background chatter of families and other beach goers merging with the waves breaking on the shore to blend into the beach soundtrack that was universal. Wriggling further into the hollow her towel had made in the sand beneath her she stretched luxuriously and turned to squint over at Jon lying belly down beside her engrossed in some book that had captured his attention for most of the afternoon.

“What is it about the sun on your body that is soooooo erotic?”

Jon cocked an eye at her over the aviators perched low on his nose and shook his head with a low chuckle. “You have a one track mind Rachel Braden!” Discarding his book, he rolled up onto his side to slide a hand across the warm plane of her abdomen. “You are completely obsessed with sex!”

Squirming away from his tickling fingers, Rachel giggled and propped herself up on an elbow to face him, an indignant grin spread across her face.

“I wasn’t before you came along – it’s all your own fault! And I don’t remember YOU complaining last night!”

“Nope, no complaints from me!” Laughing Jon pushed his sunglasses back up his nose and with a grunt got to his feet to dust the sand off his belly. They had spent the better half of the day on the beach together enjoying the last of the summer sunshine that luckily seemed reluctant to give way to the oncoming fall.

Rachel rolled onto her back with a happy groan, stretching out her calf muscles to dig her toes into the hot sand at the foot of her towel and winked devilishly up at him.

“But seriously Jon - this sun? ….it’s kinda like an erotic massage all overrrr my body!”

Jon chuckled and shook his head, grinning down at the little display she was putting on for him. That black bikini that he loved so much had made another appearance today and damn if he didn’t appreciate it! Bending down he offered her a hand up;

“Alright ‘Miss Erotica’…..you need to cool off before you get too carried away – come take a swim with me.”

In the fleeting moment before she took his outstretched hand, Rachel let her eyes sweep over his muscular arms and lightly bronzed chest that swooped down to the board shorts that were slung neatly off his hips. Topped with a faded baseball cap sitting low over his caramel locks and the dark aviators that masked his eyes - he was a vision of ruffled perfection, the slight line of stubble darkening his jaw completing the look.

Taking his hand she allowed him to help her to her feet and together they walked hand in hand to the water’s edge, weaving their way through the clusters of towels and loungers that were dotted along the beach. Nobody seemed to take a second glance as they joined the other bathers and children shrieking in delight at the small waves breaking on the shore, the chilly water sloshing around their bare ankles before it raced back down to meet the next salty onslaught.

Jon grasped her hand firmly and waded steadily through the foamy surf until the water was more than waist high and the waves no more than gentle swells beneath them. The Atlantic chill was soon forgotten as the bright sun glinted off the ocean’s ripples and warmed the bare skin of their shoulders, its heat seeping into their bones.

Treading the water, Jon grinned and pulled her into his arms, his fingers playfully dipping under the string of her bikini top cleverly concealed by the rolling waters. Rachel giggled and narrowed her eyes at him, all the while enjoying the feel of his strong arms around her.

“I thought we came out here to swim!”

Jon flashed a mischievous grin and nudged one knee buoyed by the light current between her thighs until she was settled around his waist.

 “We are swimming!”

Rachel giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, biting her lower lip to stifle a squeal when one of his fingers found its way under the hem of her bikini bottom, stealthily burrowing to her inner folds.

“JON!”

“What baby?”

Even with his eyes hidden behind the dark shades of the sunglasses that mirrored her own water splashed face, Rachel could feel him laughing at her as she squirmed away from his delicious touch.

“NOW who’s obsessed?”

Leaning in for a kiss, Jon grazed her chin with his stubble before murmuring wickedly into her ear;

“Well if you do insist on wearing this little outfit in public I can’t be held accountable for my actions.”

Returning his kiss, Rachel rolled her eyes and tugged playfully on the damp tufts of hair protruding from the base of his cap. Her protests were being made completely in vain; she knew if he persisted she’d more than willingly participate even though they were only mere metres from a densely packed shoreline - he made logical thinking an impossibility.

“We probably need to head in pretty soon…” With a regretful sigh, Jon let his hand float back up to the safety of her back, gently gliding over the soft bumps of her spine. “…How much time do you need to get ready for tonight?”

Groaning dramatically Rachel smiled wistfully at him. “Urgh! I’ll make it quick – I’m not quite done with beach time yet!”

“But if we leave now – we’ll have time to shower and have a little nap……” Jon smirked and threatened to slide his hand back down to her ass, “…before we have to get ready! So….”

Pursing his lips in the pretence of deep thought, he gazed down at her nestled between his arms.

 “….the real question is would you rather have time on the beach or time with me between your legs?”

“Hmm…..”

Tilting her head, Rachel considered her options with a deliberate pause before gripping her legs tighter around his waist under the water line.

“…I’ll take ‘Rock Star between My Legs’ for five hundred, Alex!”

Chuckling Jon dropped a quick kiss on her lips, “Atta girl! C’mon – let’s head in and dry out for a few minutes before I take you home and have my wicked way with you!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kicking off their sandy flip flops at the back door of Jon’s house, Rachel headed into the laundry room to hang up their damp towel and shake out the beach bag while Jon headed off to call his kids. While she was yet to meet them, from Jon’s vivid descriptions and just the way he spoke of them they sounded like great kids – they were quite obviously and understandably the most important thing in his life. Reaching into the beach bag she frowned when she found her cell blinking innocuously at the bottom signalling a missed call. Please GOD let it not be work!

“Robin……”

She breathed out a sigh of relief when her sister’s name flashed across the screen. Rachel hadn’t checked in with her in nearly a week, in fact truth be told with the whirlwind of activity in the last few weeks she had been pretty bad about keeping in touch with home. Checking the time she hurried upstairs to shower, she didn’t have all that long before they were due to leave for the party but if she made it a quick one that should leave just enough time for a quick call back to her only sister.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Alright honey, love you too – bye.”

Disconnecting the call from his daughter, Jon made his way cheerily to the kitchen to grab some pre party refreshments. This was possibly his favourite time of year, excepting Christmas - when he had some downtime in the good weather and time to properly enjoy socialising without criss-crossing the country every second day to perform here, there and everywhere. Of course it was made all the better when he had a fine woman such as the one currently showering upstairs to enjoy it with. That was something he’d come to appreciate since his marriage break down – life wasn’t much fun on your own.

With a large glass of chilled wine in each hand and humming softly under his breath, Jon padded barefoot up the stairs and along the landing to the master suite, his lips curving into a goofy smile when he spied Rachel perched on the bed wearing the silk robe he’d left for her in the city apartment. 

Blowing out a low whistle between his teeth, he looked her up and down before passing her the wine.

“Hell you’re looking mighty fine there little lady….” Mustering his finest Southern drawl, Jon slid onto the bed beside her and nudged the side of her damp neck playfully with his nose, his free hand running up her thigh under the silky material of the robe. “But damn woman - you done gone and showered all by your fine self…..what am I gonna do in there all on my own?”

Giggling at his horrendous accent, Rachel took a sip of her wine and shrugged carelessly as she leaned back against his bare chest. “Snooze – you lose buddy!”

Jon sighed dramatically and nibbled lightly along her collarbone, the rough stubble on his chin grazing the soft underside of her jaw. “You’re a hard woman Rachel Braden – count yourself lucky we got this party to haul our asses to or you’d be in trouble – BIG trouble!”

Contenting himself for the time being with one final peck, he hauled himself off the bed and stepped into the bathroom to run the shower, leaving Rachel smirking after him. Setting her glass down, she carried on slathering lotion onto her skin, every now and then sneakily casting her eyes through the open ensuite door. With his back to her as he stripped off his beach gear, she stopped mid slather to gaze at his sand dusted body in appreciation, a few lusty thoughts of her own running through her mind.

Just as Jon stepped into the shower, his shorts in a muddled pile on the bathroom floor, he glanced back over his shoulder;

“Just so you know – I can see you in the mirror and you’re staring at me like I’m a piece of meat!”

Caught red-handed, Rachel blushed and shot him an embarrassed little grin.

“Well you can’t walk around here with a body like that and expect me to treat you with respect! Gimme a break!”

Laughing he shook his head in amusement and with a wiggle of his bare ass, aimed specifically for her enjoyment, stepped under the shower to wash away the saltiness of the ocean. Still grinning Rachel snapped the cap shut on the bottle of lotion and reached for her cell, if she didn’t call Robin back now she probably wouldn’t get another chance.

“Hey kiddo!”

Robin answered with her usual bubbly voice and Rachel leaned back against the pillows, genuinely glad to hear her big sister’s voice.

“Hey, girl! What’s going on?”

“Oh, nothing much…..just calling to see if you’re still in the Hamptons…..”

Puzzled, Rachel frowned as she tried to recall telling her where she was. Her mind could only draw a blank, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“How do you know where I am?”

A knowing chuckle travelled down the line to enlighten her.

“I guess you’ve forgotten our dear cousin is a rabid Bon Jovi fan??”

Feeling a little flustered, Rachel fought to stop the cartwheels in her pit of her stomach. She hadn’t intentionally been keeping her activities a secret but it wasn’t exactly something she’d wanted to discuss down the phone with her nearest and dearest.

“Well now that you mention it, I had forgotten that little titbit…….but it doesn’t answer my question as to how you know I’m in the Hamptons?”

Enjoying the power of secretly gained knowledge, Robin teased her unmercifully.

“OH! Well……..Tanya apparently has Google Alerts for all things Jon Bon Jovi…….you obviously haven’t checked your email or you’d have seen the article and accompanying pictures she’s forward to pretty much everyone we know!”

Sweet Jesus!

“Shit! Let me check my email and I’ll call you back.”

Still laughing Robin gloated unashamedly; “Yeah you do that and be sure you DO call me back – RIGHT BACK!”

Hanging up Rachel’s fingers flew over her phone’s screen, hastily bringing up her mailbox and scrolling down until she spotted the attached link that had arrived earlier that morning. Her mouth felt dry as cotton as she stared at the screen, jabbing the link in frustration when it refused to open.

“Damn!”

Flinging the phone onto the light duvet, she scrambled onto her feet to retrieve her laptop, yanking the lid up and hitting the power button as she moved back to the soft bed. Seconds felt like minutes while she waited for the system to power up, the home screen flickering to life painfully slow.

“I believe you were about to disrespect me and my body……..”

Amidst her panicky thoughts, Rachel hadn’t even been aware of Jon stepping out of the shower and sidling up behind her, his hands snaking around her waist to unravel the knot of her robe tie. Shaking her head, she wriggled out of his reach.

“Would you chill for a minute?! There seems to be some article about you and me floating around….my sister has seen it and called to ask me if I was still in the Hamptons – if my damn email ever opens I can find out what my entire family has seen.”

Jon’s brows lifted in amusement at her agitation, this was a different side to the normally cool and confident Rachel he knew.

“Rachel – you can’t expect to be out with me and it be a secret…….” His tone was gentle and reassuring as he lifted his hands to softly knead her tensed shoulders. “…..I’m sure it’s no big deal – it’s not like we’re having some sort of sordid affair.”

Choosing to ignore his infuriating calmness, Rachel sucked in a sharp breath when the article eventually loaded revealing a series of photos with Jon arriving at various functions alone only to be seen leaving with a different woman on his arm each time. There was a large picture of him arriving at a summer charity event alone and then leaving with Elizabeth Williams who Rachel had only met the day before, another of him arriving at a restaurant with Richie and then a shot of them leaving with two tanned and glossed girls draped over them. To the left of the screen a large shot showed him leaving a NYC party with a woman identified as  ’28 yr old cosmetics heiress Andrea London’ and finally a picture of him arriving alone at the Hamptons party the evening before. Scrolling down the page Rachel’s eyes widened in alarm at the final shot, a picture showing her wrapped in Jon’s arms as they waited for their car. While there was nothing crude about the photograph, the obvious lust on both their faces spoke volumes. Aware of Jon’s breath warm on her neck as he read the article from over her shoulder, she swallowed down a lump of dread and quickly scanned the small print on the page. The general consensus of the piece was about Jon’s bi-coastal antics and how he obviously hasn’t been spending his nights alone. It painted him as a bit of a womaniser and posed the question of who his latest mystery conquest was.

“Do I need to explain anything here?”

Jon’s voice was quiet and even from behind her stiff frame, his fingers never ceasing in their steady massage of her tense shoulders.

Pausing for a moment to run her eyes back over the pictures, Rachel pointed to the one dated from the time he had spent back West with Richie. “I assume this one is the girl you told me about in LA?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay…..” Moving across the page she pointed to Elizabeth. “Well I’ve already handled her…so who’s the cosmetics girl? Is that the ‘socialite’ you mentioned a while ago?”

“Yeah, that was taken earlier this summer – you and I had only just met…….”

Rachel nodded slowly, her brain running the printed dates of the photographs through her memory.

“Is this by any chance, the 'friend' that left you too hung over to run that morning?”

“Guilty as charged.”

Rachel caught the slightly sheepish grin on his face as she glanced back at him before she hit a button on the laptop to close the page. Pushing it out of the way, she turned to face him, tucking her legs underneath her.

“Okay then…..you’ve been a bit of a man whore it seems, but then I already knew that – so this is as bad as it gets?” Eyebrows raised, she looked into his eyes to wait for his assurance.

“Well I’m not gonna tell you other pictures might not show up….” A fleeting troubled look clouded his blue eyes before he lifted a hand to gently rub his thumb along her chin. “But if you’re asking me if there’s any chance of being ‘blindsided’ as you put it……well there’s nothing since you and I agreed to a ‘relationship’ that’s gonna bite us in the ass.”

When Rachel nodded, relief and understanding flowing into one, Jon added with a little chuckle, the usual sparkle returning to his eyes lit up by the standard megawatt grin.

“Hey at least it’s a good picture of us right?”

Rachel rolled her eyes and laughed back at him, her earlier panic subsiding. “I think it’s pretty obvious what we’ve got on our minds, don’t you think?”

A wicked grin curled the corners of his lips as his fingers dropped to work on unravelling the knot of her robe. “Let’s send a copy of it to my Mom – she’ll love seeing what you’ve got her baby boy thinking.”

Giggling as his fingers crept inside the folds of the robe to push it away from her sides, Rachel nodded and smirked. “Not a bad idea, considering half of my family has already seen it! But first….” 

Sitting up on her knees, she pulled the towel from around his waist and shucked her own robe in one swift motion. “…….you look like a man in dire need of a blow job.”

A grin as wide as the Grand Canyon split Jon’s face when he let her push him back onto the soft pillows. If this was what those damn articles were going to invoke he had better dig up a few more - it was about time they worked to his advantage!

Chapter Thirty Two

Safely loaded into the dark interior of the car, Jon abandoned all restraint and hooked an arm around a giggling Rachel, his right hand diving into the loose tresses of hair that toppled wildly from her head.

“You’re all mine now little girl…….”

Husky with wanton lust, he snarled softly and lowered his mouth triumphantly to her parted lips, laying claim to their pink fullness for the first proper time in days. Breathless with excitement, Rachel moaned in pleasure when his tongue softly swiped over hers, a heightened sense of desire driving her wild. She was his – completely and willingly.

Sidling onto his lap, she nestled between his open legs and ran her own hand through his tufts of caramel hair, her fingers tugging the roots when their kiss deepened. She was only barely aware of the banging of her heart threatening to explode out of her chest when Jon pulled back, scraping his teeth slowly against her bruised lips.

“We better stop or Phil is gonna get an eyeful….” Muttering into her ear he flicked a glance at their driver and then ran a finger purposefully down the curve of her breast, watching as her nipple puckered under the smooth silk of her blouse.

“Is it wrong that I don’t really care if he does or not?” Wriggling enticingly on his lap, Rachel kissed the length of his jawline and nipped playfully at the soft skin of his neck. Right now she couldn’t have cared less if the whole world was watching in high definition – there was only one thing on her mind and it was hardening underneath her.

Groaning Jon squirmed, his jeans getting noticeably tighter by the second when she rasped her fingernails under the tails of his shirt, goose bumps travelling the length of his spine. He mentally willed Phil to drive faster or things were gonna get messy real fast. He needed a distraction before the little minx in his arms drove him crazy.

“You were incredible tonight…..not too many women I know could’ve worked that crowd like you did without having a panic attack.”

He couldn’t help but pop open just the top two buttons of her blouse, his fingers reaching inside to caress the soft mounds that swayed invitingly within the cups of her bra. The small hand that was tugging at his hair suddenly grasped harder, Rachel’s breath exhaling in short warm bursts against his cheek.

“I think I’ve exhibited an inordinate amount of self-control this entire evening……and compliments will always get you everywhere…..” Gasping for breath as his fingers squeezed a pert nipple inside her blouse, she made a reluctant effort to pull away. “….but if you don’t keep your hands to yourself I’m not going to be able to resist giving Phil here an unexpected viewing bonus…”

Jon chuckled and slowly withdrew his hand, knowing full well his driver, who never once showed any sign of awareness at his passenger’s activities was able to hear every word they uttered. He had to hand it to the guy, he was damn good at discretion which was why Jon willingly paid out the big bucks for him to be his regular driver – after all this wasn’t his first fumble in the back seat after an event.

About to turn his attention back to Rachel and her wriggling hips, he was interrupted by the car jolting slightly as it bumped over the small kerb made by the indentation of electric gates. Breathing out a sigh of relief he grinned down at Rachel and winked.

“Honey we’re home!”

“Thank GOD!” Hastily redoing the buttons on her blouse, Rachel ignored his smirk and slid off his lap.

“Don’t think you’re off the hook rock star – I’ve got plans for you the minute we get inside that house buddy!”

“Ohhh I’m counting on those plans baby!” Laughing Jon opened the car door as soon as they rolled to a stop and clambered out gingerly, the unmistakable bulge in his jeans making movement somewhat awkward.

“Thanks Phil, see you tomorrow.” Ducking his head back in to help Rachel out he nodded his thanks to the driver and shut the door behind them. Turning back to Rachel he found her staring up at the house, its elegant outline silhouetted in the dusky evening light. 

“Welcome to my little slice of heaven baby.”

Taking her by the hand, he led her up to the front door, flicking back the locks until it swung open. After jabbing a few buttons on the control panel just inside the door to disable the alarm he stood back and gestured for her to enter ahead of him. Wordlessly she stepped inside the cool interior of the hall and surveyed the grand space, her eyes travelling appreciatively over the pale shades of cream and blue that made up the décor – just as she imagined a beach house to look like.

Jon tossed his keys in a small bowl on the entry table and encircled her from behind, his nose nuzzling at her neck through the waves of tousled hair.

“Now what about those plans……..”

Suddenly shy, Rachel clasped the hands that met around her waist and looked back at him uncertainly. The earlier playfulness of their flirting was gone, the stillness within the house almost echoing their roused heartbeats.

“Do you have staff here?” She whispered the words over her shoulder, unwilling to relax until she knew they were safe from prying eyes. Tonight was not something she wished to share with anyone other than the man currently holding her tight in his arms.

He shook his head, his clear blue eyes reassuring her. “No, not while I’m here - we’re completely alone.”

Twisting in his arms, Rachel leaned against him and tipped her head back; pressing her lips against his in a sweet and slow kiss. Jon cradled her with his hands resting lightly above the curve of her ass, his voice no more than a hoarse whisper.

“Come with me….”

Quietly he led them upstairs, his fingers interlaced in Rachel’s slight hand guiding her down a long hallway and into the master suite tucked into the far wing of the house. Everything about the room was crisp and airy, from the feather light drapes that swathed the large sea front windows to the smooth white sheets tucked neatly around the wooden four poster bed that was carved with the same simplistic carvings as the bedroom set Rachel had picked out in the store in Soho.

Gasping in disbelief, she turned to him; “Did you……”

Smiling he lifted a hand to tenderly push back a strand of hair from her face. “All new baby…..no ghosts in here either.”

“It’s beautiful….”

When he made to flick on a light switch to illuminate the room, she laid a hand on his arm and shook her head. The dusky light framed the puzzled frown etched in his brows as he looked down at her shadowy face. The sparkle from her desire laden eyes told him all he needed to know.

Dropping his hand from the wall to cup her pale cheeks with his fingertips, Jon tilted her chin up to meet his lips and claimed her soft mouth in a sweet kiss filled with a tenderness that merged their two bodies into one. Time seemed to stand still for one long moment and when finally their lips parted, Rachel drew in a much needed breath, her heart thudding against her chest in anticipation.

Slowly she lifted her hands to curl around the fingers that were still gently cradling her face and tentatively began to step backwards, her gaze firmly locked on the blue pools of his eyes that were filled with a longing for more. Moving as one she guided them to the high sided bed and lowered herself to sit on the edge when the backs of her knees touched the firm mattress. Perched on the bed, she dropped her hands to her lap and whispered a simple statement through the still air;

“I’m done talking Jon…..”

Jon’s breath stalled in his chest as he gazed down at her motionless frame, waiting so innocently for the reunion they’d both longed for so much all afternoon. Their earlier flirtations had been cast aside, tonight would be so much more than a casual tumble between the sheets and the apprehension of what lay ahead was electrifying.

Silently he toed off his shoes and slid onto the bed beside her, hitching his knees up until he was knelt behind her, the slight curves of her hips nestled neatly between his thighs. A tremble jerked Rachel’s spine when he slowly drew back the soft waves of hair that tumbled down her shoulders to expose her neck, leaving the skin bare for his lips to latch onto her pulse that throbbed against his tongue. An involuntary moan escaped Rachel’s lips when she felt him suck lightly against her skin that felt so hot she might burst into flames and her eyes flew open to focus on the large mirror above a dresser on the wall facing them.

Through eyes heavy with desire she watched the top of Jon’s head nuzzle at her neck as his hands crept around her arms to caress her breasts through the sheer silk of her blouse, the material almost luminous in the dusky twilight that filled the room. Seeing his moves mirrored in front of her eyes coupled with the actual feeling of his hands upon her skin after his fingers deftly popped the buttons on the blouse to expose her bosom was intoxicating, as if she was watching herself in a movie – only this was no movie – this was very real.

Sitting up on his knees, Jon reverently slid the silk blouse off her shoulders and let his fingers trace the outline of her bare shoulders, pausing at the ridge of each bra strap to gently push them aside until they draped loosely around her toned biceps. When she made no move, he glanced up to see what she was so ardently staring at and a small smile evened across his face when their reflection greeted him.

“You wanna watch us baby?”

Rachel nodded excitedly, a heady desire dancing in her eyes as she waited for him to make his next move. Keeping his focus locked firmly on the mirror, Jon encircled her with his arms once more and with a soft click undid the front clasp of her bra, his eyes hungrily devouring the sight of her firm breasts bobbing free into his waiting hands. She moaned softly when he cupped one in each hand and softly kneaded, his thumbs simultaneously grazing the tips of her stiff nipples making the fine hairs on the back of her neck instantly stand to attention.

“Mmmm……”

She watched enthralled, her mind disconnected from her body as his fingers scorched a trail down past her navel to slowly undo the button of her capris. An involuntary shudder reeled her stomach muscles into a tight coil when his fingers pushed under the satin fabric of her panties, momentarily hiding them from her view. Seconds later she felt a fingertip slide in between her folds, probing gently and deeper as she arched her hips to meet him. A flushed heat raced up her neck as his touch ignited a fever deep within her belly, burning with such intensity that she gasped for breath.

In one fluid movement as she lifted herself off the bed pushing against his solid frame, Jon slid both her panties and capris down her thighs, leaving her naked to his touch. With no garments of clothing to impede his way, he resumed his torturous scrutiny of her moist folds, his own breathing ragged with excitement as their eyes met transfixed on one another in the mirror.

“Jesus Rachel……you’re beautiful………”

Any threads of embarrassment at staring at her own body being subjected to such a sweet assault were banished when a lazy finger slowly circled her clit, her muscles clenching in an empty vice that begged to be filled. When a finger suddenly thrust deep inside, her world shattered into infinity as a cacophony of fireworks exploded from within her walls, a sharp cry piercing the intimate silence of the room. Her knees flew up to her chest allowing her heels to gain a grasp on the edge of the bed that propelled them both backwards onto the soft mattress; such was the strength of the orgasm that threatened to overcome her. Surprised by her sudden actions, Jon grunted when she landed back on his chest but his hand remained firmly where it was, cupping her sex and thrusting a long finger deep inside her as he mumbled softly into her hair.

“Let go baby, let go for me.”

Lying side by side on the soft bed, it was all Rachel could do to concentrate on breathing as her hips ground automatically against his groin, silently begging for the release that was building in momentum with every stroke of his slick finger. Another slow graze of her clit with his thumb was all it took to send her tumbling down an abyss of unadulterated ecstasy as wave after wave crashed through her body.

“Ohhhh my…..ohhhhhhh……mmmnnn”

An incoherent jumble of words rolled off her tongue as she lay gasping for breath in the semi darkness of the bedroom, her blood pounding furiously in her eardrums. Feeling Jon’s weight shift on the bed beside her, she blinked rapidly in an attempt to focus and found him hovering over her prone body, strong arms buried in the light throw beneath her and a satisfied smirk twitching at his lips.

“I meant it when I said I was gonna do unimaginable things to you…..”

His husky growl sent another delicious aftershock racing through her electrified veins, jolting her back to her senses as a slow grin broke past her trembling lips. With considerable effort, she willed her quivering limbs back to life and propped herself up on her elbows, eyeing him speculatively to simper wickedly between her gulped breaths.

“In case you haven’t guessed I have a pretty vivid imagination and right now……”

Grinning she reached up to run her hands through the feathery trail of hair that disappeared under  the buckle of his belt, her fingertips lightly scraping his skin underneath the drape of his shirt.

“….I’m imagining these jeans on the floor…..”

Chortling Jon straightened above her and pulled his shirt over his head in one fluid motion, tossing it to join Rachel’s discarded capris on the floor. She licked her lips appreciatively, still basking in the afterglow of the orgasmic bliss coursing through her veins. His broad chest, the muscles clearly defined in the shadow of the moonlight filled her view as he gazed down at her, his lips twitching in an amused smirk from his straddled perch upon her thighs.

“And now what?”

Her adept fingers scrambled for the buckle of the belt that twinkled at the base of his torso, a feverish excitement gleaming in her eyes when he hitched a breath as she released his straining erection from its denim confines. His cock sprang proudly into her waiting hands and he groaned softly when she grazed her thumb over the moistened tip, a surge of heat racing to greet her touch.

“My turn to play – off me – now!”

Her determined command caused him to raise an eyebrow at her, a slow grin creasing the lines of him mouth when she squeezed a little firmer on his hardened cock, silently urging him to comply. Bossy Rachel – he liked her. Shifting his weight, Jon gently slid himself off her to lay back on the bed so that she was able to sit up and in turn straddle him, reversing their positions. Bending low over his groin, she ran her fingers up his stomach, around his nipples and back down to the base of his shaft to softly knead his balls, all the while locking her eyes on his in a soft pool of desire. When her lithe little fingers began massaging the length of his erection, Jon groaned again and threw his head back down against the soft throw surrendering himself to her mercy. She dropped just the briefest of kisses on the dewy tip before sitting up with a smug smile and tugged at his jeans and briefs, sliding them off his thighs to let them fall in a soft clunk on the floor. Satisfied they were both finally on a level playing field, she resumed her examination of his groin, her loose hair falling lightly about his thighs when she bent her head once more, her lips slowly encasing his engorged head. Jon shuddered beneath her, his breathing noticeably more laboured as he felt her tongue snake around him, the wet heat of her mouth eliciting a roar of blood through his veins. For several long, gloriously torturous minutes he endured the sweet assault she was inflicting with her lips and tongue, his fists buried in her tousled hair until he could barely restrain himself.

“Fuck – no more Rachel!”

Growling he sat upright and slid from under her, a slight sheen of perspiration beginning to break from his temples with the excitement of what lay ahead. Rachel cocked her head sideways at him, her eyes blinking innocently as she swivelled on the bed to face him.

“What’s wrong baby? Can’t take the heat?”

Jon chuckled and reached up to brush the hair from her face before cupping her chin with his fingers. Lust and desire added huskiness to his voice when he fixed her with a look that scorched right to her belly.

“Oh Rachel baby, it’s about to get a hell of a lot hotter in here.”

Guiding her back onto the bed, he hitched a long slender leg around his hip and nudged his erection between her thighs, grinning when she latched her leg around him. He wanted her so badly and the knowledge that she wanted him just as much was too much to bear. In one swift movement he buried his length deep inside her wet heat, the tight walls enveloping his cock and claiming it as their own. Grunting with the effort and with beads of sweat beginning to trickle down his temples, he pounded into her over and over, the only other sound in the room that of slick skin slapping against one another.

 

The angle of their union threatened to tear Rachel apart as she hovered on the brink of another cataclysmic crescendo, every plunge of Jon deep inside her lighting up the fuses that sparked the beginning of a glorious end. Mirrors, drapes and furniture were all forgotten as she absorbed herself in the here and now, the feeling of the man between her legs who set her world alight – again and again.

“Christ baby…….”

Jon sucked in a long breath when he felt her convulse around him, his steady but urgent rhythm pushing them both higher and higher until with a low groan he finally surrendered to his body’s urge and climaxed with her, their shallow breathes matching the beat of their thundering hearts as they collapsed against one another in an explosive sweaty tangle. 

Chapter Thirty One

“Uhoh……”

Jon groaned inwardly when he spotted a familiar figure making their way toward the bar where he stood with Rachel. When she looked up at his warning, he shot her an apologetic smile before murmuring;

“Incoming. Two o’clock.”

Stiffening Rachel’s fingers involuntarily tightened around her glass as she immediately understood Jon’s quiet warning. There was one of his previous conquests on the radar.

“Your two o’clock or mine?”

“Mine.”

Before she could even respond, an overly enthusiastic female voice trilled from behind her.

“Jon darling! How are you?”

When Rachel turned to face the incoming hurricane of honeysuckle sweet perfume she was met with a familiar looking blonde and tanned woman who honed in on Jon with all the accuracy of a heat seeking missile.

“Honey it’s been ages since I’ve seen you! Where have you been keeping yourself?”

Smiling Jon reached an arm around the woman to kiss her cheek in greeting. “Hey Beth – great to see you!” Extricating himself discretely from the arms she had slipped around his waist he motioned to Rachel standing quietly by his side. 

“Let me introduce you to Rachel Braden.”

At the mention of the woman’s name, Rachel gasped in genuine awe – the familiar face finally identified. Clasping one hand over her chest she extended the other to shake the older woman’s hand.

“Oh my goodness! Elizabeth Williams! No introduction is necessary Jon!” 

Gently swatting away Jon’s hand she glanced at him reproachfully. An amused grin creased the dimples of his cheeks, his sparkling eyes silently laughing at her charade. This should be interesting….

Gushing Rachel kept a hold of the former supermodel’s delicately manicured hand, covering it with her own in warm affection. 

“When I was a little girl I wanted to grow up to be just like you! You were on the cover of every magazine my mother ever subscribed to! Goodness me it really is a thrill to meet you Ms Williams!”

Momentarily taken aback at Rachel’s subtle dig at their age difference, the other woman smiled graciously and arched a subtly botoxed brow while firmly retrieving her hand from Rachel’s fawning clasp.

“Please call me Elizabeth – that’s very kind – thank you.”

Undeterred Rachel carried on with the compliments, her face a picture of complete innocence.

“When I was in 2^nd grade I had pictures of you on my wall – you were the classic beauty that all the girls in my school used to look up to! And then you were in those music videos with Joel Williams and he sang about how perfect you were? And about how he didn’t want to change you at all…..”

Sighing Rachel looked sympathetically at her. “I was heartbroken when the two of you divorced….I just so wanted the fairy tale ending for you guys!”

Elizabeth’s pleasant demeanour threatened to diminish until Rachel smoothly rushed to reassure her.

“But you’re as beautiful now as you were thirty years ago – you’ll have to share your secrets with me!”

“No secret Rachel, I do take care of my skin, eat healthily, drink lots of water….you know all the usual things. But the real secret……” Glancing around to make sure nobody was listening in, she leaned closer to whisper dramatically. “…..is lots of great sex!”

With a superior flick of her glossed blonde mane she tinkled a high pitched giggle and winked knowingly at Jon; “If there’s something better baby, well they haven’t found it yet!”

Jon suppressed a cringe at her unbelievably cheesy play on words all the while silently wondering what had ever possessed him to have once upon a time hooked up regularly with the melodramatic model. She may have aged gracefully with looks that took years off her but she made it all the clearer that Rachel was in a class of her own. And it was a class that he firmly wanted to attend.

Rachel, seemingly oblivious to the woman’s intended dig grinned delightedly at her.

“Then sign me up if great sex is the key to me looking as good as you do when I’m your age!”

That comment was finally too much for Jon and he snorted into his wine glass, quickly taking a sip to disguise the chuckle shaking his shoulders. Elizabeth, clearly disgusted that Rachel was using every chance to use the age advantage against her and that there was nothing she could do about it pursed her lips in a tight smile.

“Well…..thank you again – it was nice meeting you.” Turning to Jon in one last obvious attempt to slight Rachel, she fluttered her long eyelashes coyly at him.

“Jon – we’ll get together soon?”

Doing his best to keep a straight face as he felt Rachel’s fingers creep under his shirt from behind the bar, Jon nodded with a casual inquiry. “Will you be at Perelman’s party tomorrow?”

The model’s eyes lit up, mistakenly taking his question as a coded hook up date. Lips curled in a seductive smile, she leaned in close to brush his cheek with a soft kiss.

“Of course – I’ll see you there.”

“Oooh is that where we’re going tomorrow baby?” Almost childlike Rachel blinked up at Jon, her emerald eyes brimming with innocence.

Nodding he fought to keep the smirk on his face from widening – she was something else!

“Elizabeth, perhaps I could trouble you for a photo at tomorrow’s party? My sister will just flip when I tell her I’ve met you!”

Finally accepting defeat, Elizabeth threw Jon a regretful glance before nodding in agreement.

“Certainly, I’d be happy to……..enjoy the rest of the evening………both of you.”

With one final flick of her blonde tresses, she excused herself and sashayed away into the crowd leaving Jon to gaze down at Rachel in amusement.

“You just took evil to a whole new level! You know she wants to slit her wrists now, right?”

Taking a demure sip from her club soda, Rachel shook her head sweetly;

“I’m sure I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about!”

“You just cut her heart out…” Completely amused, Jon pulled her close, his fingers sliding against the smooth silk of her back. “…and you did it with such an innocent smile on your face! You really are a bad girl!”

Enjoying the feel of his arms around her, Rachel leaned her weight back and winked up at him.

“There’s more than one way to skin a cat Jon – no need to be trashy about it when you can get the same job done the Southern way.”

Smirking Jon arched his brows, “And that was the ‘Southern way’?”

“Mmmhmm……..see Jersey girls will say ‘Fuck you.” Southern girls will say ‘Well, bless your heart!” It means exactly the same thing and every woman knows it. That nice woman is now completely aware that I’ve marked my territory so to speak!”

With a shake of his head, Jon grinned widely. “You are such a bitch! I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t have any liquor!” Ignoring the conversing crowd around them, he dropped his head to nuzzle back the hair behind her ear. “So I’m your territory huh?”

“Yep – all mine! And being that I’m the baby in my family – I don’t share well!”

Unable to resist taking a quick nip at the soft skin of her neck, Jon teased her mercilessly.

“Aw baby that’s a shame……I thought I might take her home with us – you know? Have us a little threesome?”

The wet heat of his breath just below her hairline was enough to make Rachel shiver in anticipation. She silently cursed the fact that they were in a room full of people, the only thing stopping her from wrapping her body around him.

“She’ll be sorely disappointed if you do……there won’t be enough of you left to help with her coat once I get done with you tonight……”

“Promises, promises baby.” Tugging gently on the edge of her earlobe, Jon reluctantly released it from between his teeth and straightened himself up. “Let’s see if I can wrap this up and take you home so you can be more specific about all the things you’re gonna do to me.”

“Good idea…” Slipping her hand into his Rachel prepared to step forward away from the bar and into the throng of people. “Otherwise I might just have to make a scene…..”

After another hour of working their way through the posse of guests, countless introductions and posing for the odd photograph here and there, Jon finally pulled his phone out to send a text to his driver.

“C’mon baby, let’s get outta here.” Guiding her in front of him they wandered past the last few clusters of people, smiling and nodding as they made good their getaway.

“I’m gonna do unthinkable things when I get you behind closed doors…..” Standing in the shadows of the relatively quiet garage area at the side of the mansion, Jon wrapped his arms around Rachel’s waist and pulled her close to his hips, grinding his crotch into the soft curve of her butt. While mingling with the other guests had been a fortunate distraction, he couldn’t wait much longer to get his girl home and slide that slinky blouse off her shoulders. Three days without any action had been too long – far too long.

Twisting her head back to gaze up at him, Rachel groaned lightly and wickedly squeezed her hand in between their bodies to sneakily brush the hardening bulge below his belt only just resisting the urge to let him have his wicked way with her right there on the pavement.

“Bring your ‘A’ game rock star – you’re gonna need it!”

Laughing together they reluctantly pulled apart as their car swung up the driveway and rolled to a stop in front of them. Still smirking Jon held the back door open for her to slide in and with a happy sigh ducked his head to follow her inside, the darkened windows finally allowing them some privacy on the short ride home. Unbeknownst to either of them, a series of shuttered clicks were firing rapidly from the camouflage of the dense shrubbery surrounding the property - each click preserving every single move they had made.  

Chapter Thirty

“Dammit!”

Frustrated Rachel swore softly under her breath as she checked her watch and saw three pm fast approaching. There was no way in hell she was going to make the Hamptons by four o clock when she was supposed to accompany Jon to the first of several events they had planned – today had been nothing but one delay after the other. Sliding her phone out from her briefcase she tapped out a quick message to Jon, warning him of probable disruption to their evening.

14.47 Delayed – I’ll meet you at party as soon as I can – can you rearrange?”

She had one more representative to meet before she could get the paperwork sorted in order to clear her schedule for the remainder of the week and he was already running twenty minutes late for their scheduled appointment. Irritated she crossed her legs under the table and drummed out a beat on the polished surface with her freshly manicured nails – she had popped into a nail bar in between sessions earlier in preparation for her stay in the Hamptons  - a stay which was taking forever to arrive. A discrete beep from her phone signalled Jon’s response;

14.50 I’ll take care of it – we’ve got all weekend so no worries. See you when I see you x

Relaxing a little she blew out a long sigh of relief. She hated keeping anyone waiting and she especially hated being rushed when going into new surroundings. Social events in the Hamptons hadn’t exactly popped up in her events calendar on a regular basis before and she was pretty sure it was an environment that was going to take some getting used to.

An apologetic knock on the boardroom door snapped her out of her musings and back to the present as her last appointment finally showed up. It was game face time again. Any more thoughts of the Hamptons were hastily pushed to the back of her mind as she stood up to welcome the man – the quicker she could get this final piece of business taken care of, the quicker she would be at the beach in Jon’s arms.

It was just shy of two hours later by the time she was eventually being helped into Jon’s helicopter by the pilot for the second time in as many days. Freshly showered and changed, her stuffy office attire swapped for a more elegant look of capris and a silk shirt, her mood had vastly improved. The past couple of day’s frustrations and problems flew out of her head once the chopper nosed skyward and headed East leaving the backed up traffic and honking horns of impatient drivers stuck in rush hour behind her. It was just a short flight out to the Hamptons, another driver waiting diligently to whisk her away to the party on arrival. A small flutter of nerves unfurled in her stomach when the car rolled up on the pavement of a long driveway that lead to an imposing private property – the home of the high society couple that were hosting the evening’s benefit. Applying a quick touch up to her lip gloss, she thanked the driver and stepped gracefully from the car, nodding politely to the attendant who opened the door for her. A warm breeze ruffled the waves of her loose hair that bounced lightly on her shoulders as she glanced upwards and took in the magnificent architecture of the ivy clad brick terraces and alcoves that towered above her head. The sheer size of the mansion could have easily passed it for a small hotel.

“Good evening Ms ?”

A suited man with a clipboard in hand stepped forward to greet her, his eyebrows raised in a polite enquiry as to her identification.

“Good evening – Braden, Rachel Braden.”

The man quickly scanned the list in front of him and then smiled in acceptance as he ticked her name off.

“Welcome Ms Braden, right this way please.”

Swallowing down a nervous lump, Rachel smiled brightly and followed the man around the imposing house on a path framed by intricate herbaceous borders to where it opened out onto a grand lawn. An enormous marquee was erected off an annex of the house, the brilliant white drapes fluttering against the dramatic backdrop of the deep blue Atlantic which shimmered in the distance. The clamour of conversation from the crowd spilling out onto the lawn rose above the soft tones of a string quartet playing on a small bandstand to Rachel’s left as she gratefully accepted a flute of champagne offered by a server who materialised by her side. Lifting the slender crystal to her lips, the bubbles popped and cracked under her nose momentarily distracting her from the more than slightly intimidating sea of beautiful women in front of her. The cream of New York’s rich and famous were here in force; everywhere she looked there were long slender legs in four inch heels and designer dresses – the infamous socialites.

Deciding against sampling the crisp Dom Perignon that was fizzing so invitingly between her fingertips, Rachel wandered into the crowd smiling and nodding politely at the other guests. She needed a clear head to find her feet in this scene. Sideways glances and murmured questions behind tight lips made it plainly obvious that she was the focus of much scrutiny, a cat among the pigeons as it were.

Passing a small group of people in her quest to find Jon, the sound of her name being called out stopped her in her tracks.

“Rachel?”

A guarded smile firmly in place, she turned in the direction of the voice only to blink in surprise at the man making his way towards her.

“Nigel? Hi!”

Relief rolled over her as she beamed in genuine delight at the executive she had held a meeting with only the day before. Leaning in to accept a warm kiss on each cheek, she laughed lightly at him.

“I didn’t expect to see you again quite so soon!”

“Likewise! You’re out here for the weekend?”

Nodding Rachel smiled; “Yes, until Sunday. It’s nice to be out of the city especially with weather like this.”

“I hear you! Let me introduce you to my wife – Miranda.”

Allowing her to be ushered toward a small group of people clustered around one of the many tall drinks tables scattered about the lawn; Rachel politely greeted and exchanged pleasantries with Nigel’s wife and his friends, her manner easy and relaxed until she spied Jon chatting with two men not far from her. Their eyes met at the same time, a beaming smile breaking out on Jon’s face as he excused himself to make his way towards her. Clad in a royal blue shirt only buttoned to just above his chest with the cuffs rolled back and a pair of dark denims, the casual outfit made his summer bronzed skin glow.

“It was lovely to see you again Nigel, enjoy your evening!”

Hastily taking her leave of the executive and his friends, Rachel stepped around the group to meet Jon, a small grin on her face. Raw lust surged through her veins when with sparkling eyes highlighted by the blue of his shirt, Jon drew her close in a light embrace, both conscious of the surreptitious looks of the people standing by checking them out.With an amused smile he murmured quietly in her ear;

“You do realise that almost every woman in this place hated you the minute you walked in right?”

They may have been surrounded by some of the country’s most glamorous women but in his view they couldn’t hold a candle to Rachel, her natural golden waves glinting in the sunshine and the elegant salmon silk blouse she was wearing accentuating her slender figure. He could already feel a surge of hormone fuelled blood beginning to race through his veins.

Biting one lip, Rachel murmured back coyly from under her lightly made up eyelids. 

“If they didn’t then – they sure will when they see me leave with you…..”

Chuckling Jon dropped a gentle kiss on the top of her head and draped an arm comfortably around the middle of her back. “You look amazing. C’mon and let me get you a proper drink.”

Both with relaxed smiles, they moved together through the crowd toward the long linen draped bar in the vast marquee. Rachel, very much aware of the dazzling array of flirtatious winks and smiles aimed at Jon from the various women they passed, quietly began calculating some damage limitations, just in case.

“I’m presuming you’ve slept with a few of these women ……”

Jon glanced down at her with an amused smile as they reached a quiet area of the bar and with a shrug modestly admitted to his previous dalliances.

“Just a few….”

When she looked up at him, only a small hint of insecurity was betrayed in her voice.

“Don’t let me be blindsided okay? Because it seems to me there are a lot of eyes on us right now.”

Gently he turned her to face him and cupped her chin reassuringly with his thumb, his eyes smiling down at her before he kissed her softly on the lips.

“Don’t worry baby – I got your back okay?”

When she nodded Jon turned to lean casually against the bar. “Now what do you fancy? Wine? A margarita maybe?”

“No, just a club soda with lime please.”

“Club soda?” Cocking his head to one side, one eyebrow lifted in disbelief. “That’s not like you – c’mon – I can’t imagine you not in a tequila mood! What about a Long Island Iced Tea?”

Ruefully she shook her head, “No thanks, I better skip the alcohol for the moment.”

Jon shook his head grinning. “What have you done with my Rachel? Why have you suddenly gone ‘on the wagon’ on me?”

A slight heat of embarrassment coloured Rachel’s cheeks when she dropped her head to murmur quietly; “Would you just drop it? I can barely keep my hands off you as it is – any alcohol and I’ll be making a scene with you on top of the centre pieces in front of all these lovely people.”

Eyes wide in surprise, Jon ducked down to get a good look at her face. “You’re serious?”

“Uhhh……yeah!”

Chortling in delight Jon motioned at the bartender. “Club soda with lime please.” 

Replacing his arm across the curve of her lower back he leaned in close to her, his fingers squeezing her side teasingly.

“What exactly do you mean by ‘making a scene’?”

Images of their first night together flew through Rachel’s mind, a tight knot of desire stirring deep within her at the memories. Straight laced, she looked him square in the eyes.

“It would make the ‘up against the wall’ scene in your kitchen look like a freakin Disney production.”

Taking a sip from his wine, Jon nearly choked on the pale liquid at her words. Steadying himself he cleared his throat and turned to lean against the bar, gazing innocently across at the crowd.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – you’re a bad girl Rachel Braden – a very bad girl!”

Giggling Rachel shrugged and offered no defence, choosing to keep her focus on the back wall of the marquee as she took a sip of her club soda that the bartender had just handed her. Her earlier apprehensions were rapidly diminishing and the thoughts of the fun filled weekend ahead were making her delirious with excitement. It was time to taste the Hamptons and all it had to offer.