Chapter Thirty-One

“Where the hell is Jonny?” Doc paced across the stage checking his watch.

Richie shrugged, “He said he would be here didn’t he? Relax man.”

Doc whirled around and waved a stubbly finger in his direction. “That was before she came along and whisked him away, god knows what dribble she’s made him believe.”

Richie folded his arms, “she has a name. It’s Callie, his wife. He needed the breakaway Doc, he looked like a sack of shit. And that girl wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

The mild winter breeze whipped around them both, as neither of them backed down from their stance.

“If he doesn’t show, he’ll be more than a sack of shit. We cannot afford to lose
these tour dates.”

“He’ll show. He cares too much not to, he’s busting his balls at each show.”

“Well he better be, I knew that girl was trouble right when he married her. And I was right.”

Richie snorted, “Callie – trouble? She’s exactly what Jon needs. Someone with their head on straight. Whether he likes it or not, she’s good for him.”

Doc raised his eyebrow. “And how do you know all this oh wise one?”

“The bastard is grumpy as hell until he calls her. It’s not a bad thing Doc, maybe he just needed someone away from all this to talk to. It’s not easy for him you know.”

“Not easy for him? I’m the fucking one running this show Sambora. He just has to turn up and smile, be where I want him to be and sing well.”

“Like a puppet?” Richie asked.

Doc laughed, “Like a puppet because Richie, that’s all you guys have got. You need me and you know it.”

Richie’s hand rolled into a fist. “Yeah well – fuc-“

“Hey kids!” Jon came bounding up the stairs and immediately noticed Richie’s stance and Doc’s scowl plastered across his face. “What’s going on?”

“Hey Jonny, I was just telling Doc here – you’d show up when you needed to.” Richie
slapped his back, “how’s Callie?”

“Yeah she’s good, just using the ladies and she’ll be right out.” He turned to Doc,
“of course I would have showed. We told you we’d be back in time.” He walked over the side of the stage and grabbed his mic flicking on the amps.

“We gonna do this or what?” he asked to Richie and Doc. Richie grabbed his guitar and hollered for the band backstage. Jon plugged himself in and slotted the mic into the stand, and waved down Callie when she came back into the stadium.

He thundered down the front stage stairs to meet her, he couldn’t remember being this excited to show someone how he could sing. “Hey,” he swept her in close snaking his arms around her waist. Breathing in her sweet scent, he leaned forward finding her glossy lips. She stiffened in his arms at first, but as he deepened the kiss she relaxed into it. Her hands slid under his denim jacket and around his waist.

He broke apart with just enough room to speak. “Mmm, now that’s what I’m talking about. All set?”

She smiled and nodded over his shoulder. “Is he angry with us?”

Jon laughed, and lifted her up onto her toes for another quick kiss. “Of course he is babe, but I don’t really give a fuck right now.” He pushed back her hair, and placed his lips against her forehead. “Have a seat down here, I hope this won’t be boring. We usually grab dinner as a band after sound check, you wanna come?”

“Sure, if I’m not interrupting any sort of ritual.” She straightened the lapels of his jacket and stood back. Even in her jeans, boots and navy sweater, she was the girl next door gorgeous.

He snorted, “Well we usually rip off rats heads and eat bat’s wings... you ok with that?” He took delight at watching her face fall before she popped him on the arm.

“Go and sing Jon,” she mocked an angry voice but the little quirk on her lips couldn’t hide her amusement. Jon bounded back up the stairs and took his place, and they blasted through a couple of bars of songs while they adjusted frequencies and density.

~

Callie slid into one of the auditorium seats near the front and watched as Jon transformed in front of her. She already knew he took what he did seriously, but the way he strutted around the stage barking things at the band and flicking knobs and switches amazed her. That arrogance she knew he had was being used in the right place. The guys respected him, didn’t second guess him when he’d stop and demand it be done a different way, with a different guitar riff, or different drum beat. They just did it.

Once they sailed into the song, the nod of approval tipped at Richie that she assumed meant he was happy. Doc sat and watched, scratching down what Callie could only assume was the set list for the night and Jon kept shaking his head and pointing at it until he changed it.

She recognised the keyboard introduction to Runaway, the single that had been on the radio lately. If it ever came over the staffroom radio, it always prompted people to ask her about the band and how they were doing. Maybe she was wrong to be embarrassed about what he did after all? He loved what he did, and he was serious about it. More to the point, he was good at it.

She smiled as Jon belted out the notes, but soon frowned when Doc started walking down the stairs to where she was. She shifted uncomfortably, she so wasn’t in the mood for this.

“Enjoying yourself?” he asked sliding into the chair beside her.

Jon was now busy hovering over David’s keyboard as they were playing with a riff and didn’t notice that Doc had come down her way. “Yes, I am. They’re very good.” She crossed her legs and rested her hands on her knee, feeling his gaze burn into her.

“They are, so that’s why it’s important for Jon to always be here.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked challenging him. Here we go.

He leaned closer as the drums started smashing again, “its means that he doesn’t need any distractions right now.”

Callie chuckled, “says he who is throwing girls at him left right and centre.”

Doc’s smile turned smug, “is that what he told you huh? Ok, ok – I can go along with that.”

She knew he was trying to wind her up and was looking for a bite out of her. She always wondered about the girls, as much as she told him it didn’t bother her. There was this little niggle deep inside her when she thought about it.

“Fuck!” The sound died, and they both looked up to the stage where Jon had stormed off in Tico’s direction.

“Save your crap for Jon, it doesn’t work on me.” She was amazed she was so angry with the man. She’d seen how tired Jon was, but why did she feel the need to protect
him? He could do that himself.

“What do you want from him Callie? I’ve been trying for the last twenty four hours work out why you’d come all the way down here and take him away, to look after him or whatever the hell it was you two have been doing.”

“What we’ve been doing is none of your business. And I don’t have to explain anything to you, I don’t want anything from him. Nothing that you think you’re going to give him.”

His eyes turned dark and narrowed, “what the hell is that supposed to mean?”

She’d started, so she may as well finish it. “You think you’ll give Jon his big break, and he’ll make you rich. Doesn’t matter if you kill him and make him a whore in the process. You just want to make sure the dollars all come flying in, right?”
She jumped when his hand moved but it stayed on the arm of the chair.

“You know nothing about what I want and what I am sacrificing for these kids.”

“Not alot, as he can’t even afford to buy himself a burger.”

Doc raised his eyebrow and then smirked. “Oh I see, you’re buying his love huh? Well let me tell you this much sweetheart. He will make it big, and he’ll make more money than he ever dreamed. And when he does that, he won’t need your money, and you’ll be left with nothing.”

She pursed her lips, “funny Doc. I was just about to say the same thing about you.”
She popped up off the seat when Jon finished the song and walked up the stairs leaving one very pissed off manager in her wake. He deserved it, she crossed the line talking to him like that when it wasn’t any of her business but it was too late now.

“Hey Callie!” She squealed when Richie’s long arms bear hugged her and lifted her off the ground.

“Richard!”

“Ohhh Richard.” Jon and David teased him.

He plopped her back down and kissed her cheek, “shut up assholes, it’s just nice to
see something pretty around here for a change.”

She straightened her sweater before Jon came over, lopping up the mic cord around his elbow and hand. “Everything ok down there?”

“Fine, he was just pushing for what we were doing. But I didn’t tell him.” She didn’t want to go into it and worry Jon. He had just relaxed again and she wouldn’t
put that at risk.

He smirked and brushed his nose against her neck. “So you didn’t tell him I made you cum a half a dozen times then?”

The heat burned up her neck as her eyes widened, “no – I did not.” He circled her, and she swallowed as he continued. “That I sucked on your pretty pink nipples, and stroked you with my fingers...”

She closed her eyes as her nipples grew hard under her sweater, and a small tingle tickled her thighs. He pressed himself into her from behind, and there was no doubt that his cock was hard against the small of her back. She wasn’t used to this, having a man that could destroy her in just a touch... hell just a word.

His hands roped around her waist. “I’m hard Callie.”

She forced a smile at Richie, she didn’t know where to put her hands or her eyes or anything. “That’s great,” one part of her wanted him to take her right here and now on the stage but the sensible part of her kicked up.

“So when is dinner?” she asked cheerfully.

He hooked his thumbs under the waist band of her jeans. “I’m betting you’re wet thinking about me...”

She sank back into him, “you boys were great.”

“That was the sound check honey, you haven’t seen anything yet, besides I’d be great if I was buried deep inside you right about now.” He bucked his hips into her back and she felt herself moan before she could stop it. Damn.

Richie snorted and turned away, “Come on then guys....we’ll see you down there

Jonny.” He waved the others away. Callie went to follow them, but Jon’s arms constricted tighter.

“You’re not going anywhere,” his hand slid up her sweater until the tips of his fingers brushed against lace.

She rolled her bottom lip into her mouth, “Jon not here...” god not here, she couldn’t do this. Anyone could see her, them...where was Doc?

“Doc’s gone...”

Had she said that out loud? His hungry mouth slid down her throat to her shoulder, she reached up and cupped his head there. Her legs were trembling and her nipples were growing hard under her bra. He found the front clasp of her bra and let the cups peel away. Both hands took her breasts, and he rolled her nipples between his finger and thumb.

“Oh god,” she quivered. She was standing, with just him still behind her, no support nothing to grab onto. “Jon, we can’t here...”

“They’re so hard Callie, are they ready for my mouth?”

His lips danced on her ear lobe as she all but melted into the stage floor. She gulped, her head rolled back against his shoulder. “Yes, oh god yes...” she didn’t intend to say it so desperately but it came flooding out.

He walked them to the side stage, one step at a time – his capable fingers sending shockwaves of desire down her body with each step they took. Once concealed by where the audience, if there was one that could see, he twirled her around and smashed his lips against hers. She didn’t have time to breathe as the kiss went from hot to scorching in just seconds.

She tugged at his jacket letting it thunk to ground, and he jerked her sweater up and right off over her head. He cradled her lower back with one hand and her ass with the other as he lowered her down. Her hands fisted in ripped cotton, desperate to get it off him to feel his skin against hers once more. Their tongues mated, as she dragged her nails down his chest. He growled and his hands found her bare breasts.

He dipped down and took her nipple clean into his mouth. The force of the touch made her scream, as she lay flat helplessly against the floor. How could he have turned her into a sex crazed maniac in just two days? His tongue swirled around her nipple, and his hand moved to her jeans. He popped the fly and dove straight in, past silk to the heart of her.

She flung her arm out, hitting wood but she didn’t care as one, two fingers plunged into her.

“God, you’re so fucking wet...” he murmured into the side of her breast.

Her hands reached down, and found his cock strangled by his jeans. She massaged the denim as he continued to suck and pump her.

“I can’t wait much longer...” he groaned.

“Don’t....don’t wait....” she didn’t know if it was because she was afraid someone was going to catch them, or if she needed him equally so much inside of her. She told herself it was the first, but her body knew it was the second.

He made quick work of her jeans and then his own, took care of protection before guiding himself inside her. She cried out, lifting herself up into him anchoring her arms around his neck as he took her wave over wave.

She groaned as the tips of her breasts raked against his fur, and he continuously rolled into her. Her body was closing around his shaft, taking him for everything it could get. Sweaty skin slapped as they fought for breath, between sloppy kisses.
Her hair plastered to her face as she moved in time with him, his necklaces tickled her breasts as he did.

“God, Jon...” her nails pinched skin as her world rolled black. All she could hear was his grunts and her sighs, and all she could feel was the slow white heat beginning to burn inside from her toes up. This is what heaven must have felt like, or close to it.

Her eyes shot back open when he stopped, her heart dropped into her chest afraid that they’d been caught. But sweaty hair and blue eyes of steel stared down at her.

“Turn over...”

She creased her brow but propped herself up on the back of her elbows. He withdrew from her and carefully rolled her over, covered each of her hands with his pinning them to the ground as he entered her again.

The new angle exploded her senses, “oh fuck...” she whimpered.

His strokes were long and deep as he gripped her hands, she was wrong... this was heaven.

She lifted her up just enough so her sensitive nipples dragged across the floor with each thrust he took. It was enough, the heat took over and jolted her body right off the stratosphere. The orgasm worked its way all over her body, milking every precious inch of release. She never wanted it to end.

He followed her, growling her name in her ear as he came hard.

“Callie,” he gasped as he sank down on top of her. She could feel his heart hammering against her back, as they both came down from what only could be described as pure bliss. Could this get any better? For a man she wasn’t supposed to be in love with, they seemed to fit so well. She was desperate not to fall in love with him, they’d grown close as friends so she kept telling herself. He wouldn’t fall in love with a girl like her, it just wasn’t possible when you looked at how different his life was, and how different his life was set to become.

It just wasn’t possible.