Chapter Sixteen: The Lion's Den

Jon chuckled and shot a glance in the direction of the bathroom as the door clicked closed. Well fuck. The vision of flame red see-through lingerie and skin was going to burn in his head for a long time and the end of the night wouldn’t come fucking quickly enough. He was going to wrap that woman around him and sink into her for a few hours. Until then he knew he was at the mercy of his friends and poor Devon would learn the hard way that she was too.

A round of applause erupted as he walked back into the room to the cabinet to fetch Devon a wine glass. "Yeah alright fuckers. Show's over."

"I don't think it really had begun had it?" Richie asked rubbing his hands together and wiggling his eyebrows.

"Ha-ha."

"So this is the new woman Richie mentioned you were seeing huh?" David asked.

Jon poured a wine into the glass and then topped up his own. "Yes, she owns a beauty salon where I got acupuncture."

"And..." Richie prompted.

"Jesus. It's no big deal. I had a facial and a massage."

David's grin grew wide. "Oh I bet you did."

Jon rolled his eyes as Richie and David both high fived while Tico chuckled. "Trust you Lemma."

"Aren't those things for girls anyway?"

"They are uni-sex actually. I'm comfortable enough with my sexuality maybe you're not?" Jon turned as Devon entered the room. She looked every bit gorgeous as she did when she arrived. "Hey baby. Come and sit over here next to me away from these idiots." He sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to him.

She smiled graciously and sat down next to him. He handed her the wine and kissed the side of her head and whispered catching some of that sweet scent again. "Here, this will help."

"Thanks. I'm not interrupting any official band business am I?"

David leaned forward with his wine. "That accent is really something Devon, I gotta ask something if I can without being too rude."

Jon raised his eyebrow and started to interject but he held his hand up in Jon's direction and continued.

"Why him? I mean seriously look at the competition here."

Devon giggled as David gestured to the three of them.

"We're much better looking and funnier."

Jon smiled as she crossed her legs and his cock immediately noted the red stilettos. Christ, she really did come with all the intention to kill him. He knew she had it in her somewhere and while he’ll felt a little guilty for being pushy, he’d got the results he wanted.

He was devouring lace and skin tonight.

Devon took a sip of her wine and turned to Jon. "Are all your friends this forthcoming or just the musicians?"

Richie cleared his throat. "Excuse me-you've met other friends of Jon before us? Ok, now I'm offended."

"Bruce." Jon added. "Who I might add had more manners than you lot."

David shook his head. "Bruce, Smuce. The audition starts right here. We’re the ones that count."

"Excuse me, audition?" Her eyebrows knitted together.

"We come as a package. You get Jon and you get the rest of us." David stated. "So we need to make sure you're worthy."

"Oh good god." Jon muttered as he reached for his cigarettes and gave Tico a nod. "Shall we?"

Tico who had been watching quietly reached for his cigarettes and stood up.

"Oh gee thanks. Leave me here."

Jon kissed the top of her head. "You'll be fine. Just give it back to him and you'll win him over."

"Oh excellent." David shifted seats next to Devon as Jon got up. "I actually did have a question regarding hair if you don't mind."

Jon laughed and left them to join Tico on the balcony. The air was brisk for spring but he shrugged it off and lit his cigarette taking a drag.

"So that's Devon." Tico said glancing back inside and flicked his own lighter into life. "She's cute Jonny. And where did you say she's from?"
"New Zealand."

"Ah that's it and she's different. She's vulnerable."

Jon nodded. "Yeah she is, but she's got a quiet confidence about herself. She's been burnt before or something-she doesn't let go easily but I think she wants to."

"What do you know about her?"

Jon chuckled. "Not a damn lot. Just she's from New Zealand and she came over and started the business. She's easing into talking about herself, I'm just not used to it. The ironic thing is I'm the one that feels vulnerable as she knows more about me than I do her. I’m used to that but it’s unnerving.”

"That's understandable though. Do you trust her?"

Jon flicked his ash over the railing and propped his arms onto it. "I do. I feel at ease with her, she makes me laugh. Like you said she's different and she's got no motive to be with me. She's very successful at her business and has a good mind for it. I really admire that in her, especially at her age."

Tico smiled. "Good Jonny. Sounds like you've got it sorted. You need some company now and then. I do worry about you."

"I know you do Teek and I appreciate it. I hope it's the start of something but we'll see. Dating me is something completely different than I think she's used to."

"Could be just what the doctor ordered though."
"Hell, she's already impressed my mother; she went into the salon and has set up some business with her. And you know that means a lot when it comes to her."

Tico laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "Fucking right you are.” He stamped his butt into pot. “I'm going to make sure they're not killing her in there."

"Thanks Teek." Jon took a minute and stared into the city's lights and half-smiled. Tico wasn't a man of many words but when he did speak they counted. He was bloody lucky to have such good people in his life and he knew it.

~

"I'm telling you, over-conditioning it will make it weaker. You don't need to condition every day it's an urban myth." She laughed as David had spent the last few minutes quizzing her on her hair knowledge. She had to admit that his smile and laugh was contagious no matter how damn embarrassed she was.

"Feel it, it's soft and that comes from conditioning it every day." He held a curly strand out in her direction.

She touched it and frowned. "It's too soft. It'll become brittle."

"Oh c'mon. It won't. This is my special conditioner that I have used for years."

"What is it?"

"It's a secret."

She snorted. "Jesus Christ you're something else aren't you?"

David put his hand on his chest and laughed. "Oh I'm something. I didn't just come around to my boyfriend's place and attack him in the lobby of his apartment."

Her cheeks flushed but she held her ground. "Well he is my boyfriend isn't he?" Hell, they hadn't ever used those words before and here she was justifying it.

"What you were going to do to him?"

"David. Don't be fucking rude. Hey Devon, did you want me to take your coat?" Richie asked thumbing the coat rack behind him.

She closed her eyes and her heart fell into her stomach. "No, I'm fine."

"Jon has the heat on high, trust me you'll fry."

"No, I'm good." She brought her wine glass to her mouth as Tico came back in from the balcony.

David's eyes narrowed and fell to her shoes and then back to her. "You've got nothing on under it have you?"

She didn't have to answer as she tried to speak but she blushed and they burst into laughter complete with a wolf whistle.

"Boys c'mon be nice to Bella." Tico warned. "Devon why don't you pop out and see Jonny, the pizza just buzzed his phone so I'm going to let them in and we'll have dinner."

She rose and straightened herself. "Thank you Tico." She was never going to live this down-ever.

He held the door open for her out to the deck. "There is a chill on the air so it's a good thing you've got your coat." He winked as she stepped out leaving laughter behind her.

"Hey." Jon said leaning back against the railing and crossing his arms. "Are they playing nice?" He nodded over her shoulder.

"What do you think and you-" She poked his chest. "Left me alone in there. Talk about throwing me to the lion’s den mister." His blue gaze deepened as she rose onto her tip toes and pressed her lips against his.

Their teeth clicked as he laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist drawing her in closer. "That was pretty mean wasn't it?"

She cupped his jaw. "Mean wasn't the word. You're seriously in the dog box."

His eyebrow lifted as he swayed her in his arms. "Oh yeah? I thought you could handle them."

"Richie just offered to take my coat."

Jon rolled his lip under his teeth but it didn’t hide the grin from her.

"See." She playfully hit his arm. "Dog box."

"Hey I'm not the one that decided to come over dressed up looking like that and jump me when I opened the door."

"God when you put it like that I sound even more ridiculous than I acted this morning."

He covered her hand on his jaw. "It wasn't ridiculous. It was sexy. You have no idea. I had to leave the room because sitting next you - with what is under your coat burning in my brain isn't good."

"Well good. I'm glad you're suffering too. That makes me at least feel better."

"What ever could I do to make up for it?" She jolted as his other hand slid sneakily inside her coat and over her belly. His gaze rested on hers and a smirk curved on his lips. "Let's see whatever could I do." Her hand rested on his shoulder and her fingers dug in as the tip of his finger traced along the edge of her panties. Her breath hitched as he dipped down inside and gently ran the pad of his finger over her clit.

"Oh god." Sensation chased the hint of pleasure before he withdrew and licked the tip of his finger. Her knees wobbled and she was fairly sure she was about to shatter into tiny pieces.

"But I can't as my friends are right behind me and I'm not into that." He teased her mouth with his and the hint of her flavour lingered on her lips. "I want you all to myself and all my attention will be on you. I promise you that." She whimpered as he kissed her and the breeze whipped around her ankles as he stepped back.

"C'mon dinner's ready."

That’s not the only thing that’s ready.