Chapter 54

Alex was in the process of setting up her cameras for the formal shots that would be released to the press when she felt the presence behind her. "What's he doing here?" Jon growled in her ear, the tenor of his voice leaving no mistake as to which 'he' he was referring.

With barely a glance over her shoulder she responded. "He was invited. If you have a problem with that, I suggest you take it up with Richie and Heather." The happy couple were but a few yards away, blissfully unaware of the heated exchange taking place between their photographer and her lover.

"I wanted some time alone with you." He ground through clenched teeth.

"In case you have forgotten," she whispered, "you are here with your wife. That seems to have made time alone impossible regardless of Rick's attendance."

"I would have found a way." He insisted.

"Like you found a way to come see me this last month. I wouldn't hold my breath."

Jon huffed. "Alex...be reasonable. You know the situation."

"Far too well...But this is neither the time nor place to discuss it." She admonished.

Alex tried to keep her concentration focussed on her camera but was finding it increasingly difficult. It had been so long since they had seen each other that even his presence in the same room had elicited a strong physical reaction from her. One she knew all too well she had to hide. She had caught sight of him in the chapel during the service, and had found it hard to keep her attention focused on the bride and groom. She was having that same difficulty now.

"It seems that there is never a good time," he muttered.

"Well...isn't that telling you something?" She spat, as she corrected the final setting for the shoot.

"Yep, it's telling me that we need to commit to this more than we have been."

"And by that we you mean me I suppose?" She finally swung around to face him, defiant.

"NO," Jon yelled, frustration momentarily getting the better of him before lowering his voice as Richie shot him a warning glare. "By we I mean both of us. Though if I'm honest I have to admit more of that responsibility falls on my shoulders."

"You bet your sweet ass it does." And what an ass he had too, dammit Alex, focus.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around Ali. I'm being torn in a million different directions at the moment." He explained.

"Yep and as usual I'm the last to get a piece." He opened his mouth to object but she held up her hand to stop him. "Wrong time, wrong place. I have to get back to work. Go enjoy your family. There will be time enough later for us to argue this out." She said and turned dismissively back to her camera.

When she was sure he was gone she snuck a look on his direction. He had obediently returned to his wife's side, his disposition telling anyone who knew him well, that he wasn't happy to be there. Alex shook her head. She was disappointed in herself that she had to admit she was secretly pleased about that. She turned back to the task at hand.

***

"God, I've missed you baby." Rick's warm body had her pressed up against a wall in a dark corner of one of the Ritz's banquet rooms. His lips found hers in a fiery kiss, she was helpless to resist.

They were finally getting to the tail end of the evenings formalities and Alex was looking forward to the privacy of her room. Spending an evening in the same room as Jon and his wife was something akin to torture. Not that he was all that attentive as a husband...quite the opposite in fact, but Dots proprietary demeanour was beginning to annoy her. And she had no right to be annoyed...so then she got annoyed with herself for being annoyed... and then annoyed that Jon had put her in a position where she should be annoyed with herself for being annoyed. It was all one vicious annoying circle. If she could just get these photos done and spend a little time on some candids afterwards she would be able to execute her escape. For now though the comfort of Ricks embrace was one hell of a substitute.

Alex found the strength to pull away from him finally and gave a gentle push against his chest. "I've missed you too baby. But this isn't the time...I have to work."

He groaned but stepped back. "I know...but we have so little time. And it's been so long."

It was almost Christmas and the last time they had seen each other had been in August. They had met in London, where they had had an all too brief week together. Of course, Jon had been ropable, but Alex had very firmly reminded herself he had no right, just as he had no right to be starring daggers at Rick's back now. As she looked up and caught his eye he started across the room towards them.

"Oh Hell." She muttered.

"What?" Rick asked.

"Bongiovi's on his way over here." She sighed.

"And that's a problem?" he asked. "I thought you two were friends."

"Sometimes." It was a relationship she wasn't sure they couldn't claim.

"If he's done something to upset you babe..." Rick trailed off.

"No, no, no...it's nothing like that. Sometimes I just find him a little...Hey Jon." She said as if greeting him for the first time that evening. "It's been a while. You remember my husband Rick."

"How could I forget?" The last time I saw you, you were stealing my woman, you son of a bitch. "Good to see ya again, man." Jon said slapping Rick on the shoulder perhaps a little than required. "How's the Middle East treating you?"

"Good...besides keeping me away from my honey here." He moved to stand behind Alex and circle his arms around her. "Every minute away from her is its own tiny torture." He said and kissed her temple.

"I know what you mean." Jon gave Alex a pointed look while Rick's attention was diverted.

"Yeah I guess you do huh? You spend a lot of time away from Dot touring I guess."

"It's not easy being apart from the woman you love." Jon answered obliquely, looking directly at Alex a tight smile plastered to his face.

"Actually I saw Dot a little earlier...congratulations man, when is she due?" Rick asked, seemingly oblivious to Jon's pointed look at Alex.

"February," Dot said coming up beside Jon, "And thank you Rick. We couldn't be happier...could we honey?"

Jon turned up the corners of his mouth in a pitiful attempt at a smile.

"How are you Rick, Alex? Long time, no see, it must be a year now. What have you been doing with yourselves?" Dot asked.

"I've been working in the Middle East actually..." Rick began.

Jon interrupted, "Would you mind terribly if I borrowed Alex for a few minutes? I have some business propositions to discuss with her."

"Jon," Dot chastised, "This isn't the time to discuss work. Just because you're a workaholic it doesn't mean everyone else is. I'm sure Alex would rather relax and enjoy her evening."

For some insane reason Alex found herself coming to Jon's defence. "Actually I am on the clock Dot. And unfortunately Rick can attest to the fact that I am just as much a workaholic as your husband. But you are right about one thing, this isn't the time for this particular discussion. Sorry Jon," she added turning towards him, "but the happy couple are just about to cut the cake." She indicated to the centre of the room where an elaborate cake stood atop a round table draped in silk and fine lace.

Alex leaned up to lay a gentle kiss on Rick's lips. "Back to work I guess. It was good to see you both again. Jon, please feel free to call my office if you still want to discuss that proposition. I rather not mix business with pleasure."

"Oh, you can count on that." He smiled at her back as she made her way over to the bride and groom.

 

The cake was cut, the first dance had been had. Alex stood off to the side clicked off shot after shot of the guests as they twirled across the dance floor. A light tap on her shoulder had her lowering her camera.

"Dance with me?" Richie stood before her hand extended.

"Richie I'm working here."

"Now Darlin'," he grinned at her, "you can't turn down the groom. Besides you have done more than enough today. It's time for you to lay down those cameras and relax. Now put that down on the table here," he patted the table in front of an impeccably coiffed older woman, "Mom will watch it for you and come dance with me, damn it."

"How can I refuse an offer like that?" Alex placed the camera on the table in front of Mrs. Sambora and took Richie's hand.

They had been on the dance floor barely a minute when he asked, "Alex, do you know what's going on with Jon lately?"

"No idea. What makes you think I would?" At the start of their affair, Jon and Alex had determined that even their closest friends were to remain oblivious to their relationship. The more people that knew the more dangerous it would become for both of them. She hoped Jon had remained discrete.

"Jon has always said how close the two of you are?"

"And just how close is that?" She asked eying him speculatively. It took everything she had to stop the panic she was feeling from seeping into her voice.

Richie caught the tremor in her voice, "Don't worry darlin'...he didn't say anything about that. I know you two had somethin' pretty special...but that was a long time ago. You have Rick now and he has a family...not that that means much in his case I guess," he whispered. Alex frowned. What the hell did that mean? "It's just that I know you still hold a special place in his heart and I know he talks to you. I was hoping you could shed some light on why he's been acting like a bear with a sore tooth of late."

"Sorry Rich, really have no idea...maybe it's just the pressure of the new album release?" she suggested.

"Nope...it's more than that. I know this whole thing with the baby has thrown him for a loop. He really didn't want another kid with things the way they are with him and Dot. I assume I'm not betraying any confidences here?" he paused. Alex shook her head. "But I really think there is more to it than that. Will you keep an eye on him Alex? Can you do that for me? I'll be out LA a bit now...at least til the tour kicks off and I'm worried about him."

"I'll do the best I can," She smiled up at him gently. "Now, I really think that your wife would like some of your attention," she said and turned him to where Heather was watching from the side of the dance floor with interest. "I don't want to be the cause of your wife's displeasure on your wedding day."

"Nah," he chuckled, "Heather's cool. She knows I only have eyes for her. Besides..." he added in an aside, "I told her what I was up to." He bent down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "It's been good catching up with you Alex. It's been too long. Don't be such a stranger next time huh?"

"It's been good to see you too. And you'll be seeing me soon enough. I have to get all these photos in to albums for you. They should be done by the time you get back home. Call me then. I had better get back to it." Alex said, indicating her camera.

"Oh no you don't. I told you," he said firmly, "you're work here is done. Put your gear away and enjoy yourself. I saw Rick earlier and I know he's been out of town. Spend your evening with him. You've already done far more than we asked for."

"If you're sure..." Alex smiled.

"I am....now go." It was the final word.

Alex retrieved her camera from Mrs. Sambora and gathered the rest of her gear together. She found Rick having a drink at the bar, he was having such a good time regaling a few guests with tales of action and danger that he decided to stay put while she went to drop her gear off in their room.

The elevator door dinged on her floor and she stepped out into the empty corridor. She let herself into her room and stepped into the bathroom to freshen up before rejoining the party. It had been a long day, and backed up on the heals of the flight over, she was absolutely exhausted. She perched precariously on the edge of the bath to gather her thoughts for a few minutes.

It was always hard for her to see Jon with Dot, regardless of how distant they seemed. Dot would always have something she wouldn't....the right to love him.

Wearily Alex rose. She would go downstairs, retrieve her husband, take him to bed and spend the rest of the night in the warmth of his arms. She gathered up her purse and inspected its contents to ensure she had her room key. Reassured of its presence, she swung the door wide and walked straight into Jon.

Chapter 53

"When am I going to see you again?" Jon whined into the phone.

"You tell me," Alex replied coldly. It had been almost a month since she had seen him last. She had spent the better part of the last few months pandering to his schedule and it was most certainly taking a toll on her.

"Awe baby..." he soothed, "don't be like that."

"Don't be like what Jon?"

"You know I've been busy...what with recording the album and getting ready for the tour. I just want to see you as much as I can." Jon was laying back on a very comfortable king size bed in a very plush suite in Los Angeles. He was in town for a few days to do the Leno Show and some other promotional gigs. He had hoped Alex would fly out so they could steal a couple of days together, but she had stubbornly insisted that she had work to do. "Are you sure you can't come out here?" he pleaded.

"Sure Jon...no problem. I'll just turn down a million dollar commission so my lover is sexually satisfied. I'll be on the next plane honey....you just keep your dick warm till I get there." She retorted.

"OK Ali...there is no need to be sarcastic."

"Apparently there is Jon. For the last few months I have been at your beck and call. Much to the detriment of my business I might add. When exactly is it gonna be your turn to sacrifice? Can you tell me that Jon? If I'm so God damn important to you, why aren't you here with me?" She fumed.

"I'll be home next month, and then I'll be settled for the next few," he said hoping to calm her down. It was so not how he had imagined this conversation going. He had hoped that with a little cajoling he would be able to get her to acquiesce and fly out to be with him. He had even sent the jet back just in case. It would be sitting at the airport now, prepped and ready to go.

"Yes, with your pregnant wife." Alex hated that she sounded so jealous.

"You know that wasn't my idea."

"Takes two Jonny," was all she said. She was sitting at the window seat in her bedroom in the Jersey house, staring blankly across the river. It was a crystal clear winter evening. Distorted by the icicles that had formed in the corners of the windows, the distant lights from the opposite bank of the river looked like little stars, giving the scene a surreal fairytale quality.

There was a long pause over the line. Then he said, "What are you wearing?"

Alex couldn't help but laugh at the abrupt change in topic. "You're incorrigible."

"I know." She could hear his smile all the way down the phone line, and almost...almost wished she had given in a joined him. She could have been laying in his arms this very moment in nice warm California hotel room...but NOOOO. Instead she was sitting home...alone...again...in frosty New Jersey.

"Well let me see...,"she said looking down at her slim figure. It was midnight and she was ready for bed. The house was heated so it wasn't like she had to dress for the cold, so she was wearing her usual sleeping attire...nothing. The only light in her bedroom came from the soft glow of embers in the fireplace, and the moonlight streaming in her window. "I have on those purple sweats you love so much," she paused to listen to him groan, "the Boston Celtics Jersey...oh and those lovely blue bed socks Mum sent me."

"You are so lying," he chuckled. "You're naked...aren't you?"

"Ask a stupid question Jon..." A tingle ran up her spine as his low growl vibrated the receiver on her ear.

"Where are you?"

"Just climbing into bed now." He heard the rustle of fabric as she settled herself beneath the duvet.

"I wish I was there with you..." he said. He could picture the scene exactly. He had only been to her home the one time. It had freaked her out having him there, even though there was no chance they would get caught out with Rick overseas. Usually their trysts were conducted in her apartment or a hotel in the city.

Alex let out a deep sigh, "I wish you were here too, baby," she said then paused, "well not here...but with me. We can't be together here anymore Jon...it's not right. I know it's dumb but I even feel a little guilty just talking to you from this bed remembering what we did in here."

"I'm sorry baby," he whispered sincerely, "I honestly never intended for things to go that far."

It had been the last time they had seen each other. They had spent a glorious afternoon together in the city but when it came time to drop her home he had not been able to leave her. He had coerced an invitation out of her despite her better judgement, then once inside had insisted on a tour. He had taken her in her bedroom with an urgency and desperation he had rarely known before. It was a raw primitive urge to mark her as his and to defile the sanctity of her marriage bed. He hadn't been thinking at the time of the ramifications it would have for Alex, but he had certainly considered them since.

"I know...me either...it's just...when you touch me Jon, I just can't seem to help myself. You're like a force of nature."

He chuckled softly at that and her heart clenched. "I hope this isn't just about sex for you Ali." He said a little more soberly, "because you know you mean so much more than that to me."

"So you keep saying...but it doesn't always feel that way." She answered quietly.

"What are you talking about?" he asked indignantly.

"When I'm with you, it's wonderful...perfect. I feel cherished and loved and adored, but Jon, it seems the second we're apart it's almost like...oh I don't know... out of sight out of mind, I guess. I'm so far down on your list of priorities at the moment I'm not sure I figure in there at all. And yet when you call I come running. I guess I'm just sick of being the one to make all the sacrifices."

And there they were back at square one.

"Ali, I promise you that will all change very soon...I have a few plans in the works as we speak. But baby....in the meantime....please don't doubt my love for you. You are always in my thoughts...you're the first thing I think of in the morning and the last thing on my mind at night. I love you with all my heart."

Alex sighed contentedly. It had been a long day and she was exhausted. "Love you too," she murmured.

"Don't you dare fall asleep on me Alex."

"Can't... help... it." She whispered slowly, a soft purr emphasising her words.

"Damn it Alex. I was hoping I could convince you to come out here. I need you so bad right now baby."

"How bad?"

"You have no idea," he growled. The sexy rumble in her ear roused her a little.

"So why don't you 'splain it to me," she said lazily.

"I need to feel your skin on mine, our bodies pressed so tightly together that I don't know where you stop and I begin."

"Mmmmmmm," she moaned.

"Jesus Ali, you have no idea what that sound does to me. You have me wound up like a fucking spring. I'm so hard it hurts."

"So fix it," she said. Alex had never been one to beat around the bush.

"It's not the same."

"Not the same as what baby... my hand stroking you..."

"Yes." He whispered huskily.

"My mouth sucking you?" She teased.

"Fuck yes," he growled.

"Stroke yourself for me Jon. Imagine it's my hand wrapped around you, moving slowly...up and down, up and down, rubbing my thumb lightly across the tip. I wish I was there so I could lick off that drop of pre-cum I know is waiting for me."

Another growl, this time incoherent.

The noises Alex was hearing through the receiver sparked her own desire and she found herself slipping her finger into the slit between her thighs. She was already wet with desire and wanting.

"I want to kiss and lick and suck every inch of you baby," she said breathily.

"Touch yourself for me Ali. I want to hear you come."

"I already am."

"Oh God!" he breathed, "Tell me..."

Alex drew her lower lip between her teeth and arched her spine. His voice was so rugged and raw, the very sound of it was almost more than she could bear.

"I'm sucking on my left forefinger." He heard the slight pop as she extracted it from her mouth. Now I'm using it to circle my nipple, wishing it was your tongue."

She heard him shudder. "It feels sooo good baby...but I wish it was you. Now I'm kneading my breast with my hand."

"Pinch your nipple..." he said and paused, "ahhh Ali?"

"Yes baby?"

"Where is your other hand?"

"Fingering my pussy Jon," she said matter-of-factly in a tone that clearly added "well duh!"

Jon's cock surged violently beneath the covers, as if it had a mind of its own. He had resisted taking himself in hand until now, but found he couldn't any longer. He reached down and grabbed it none too gently and gasped loudly. He threw off the covers and watched his hand move up and down his length wishing it was her touch.

"Fuck Ali, I need you here so bad right now."

She smiled with satisfaction and purred. "Close your eyes Jon...I am there. I'm laying right next to you. I have my hand wrapped around your beautiful cock and I'm stroking...slowly. All the way up and all the way down."

"I want to taste you baby," he rumbled, "I want to lick you up and down and suck on your clit til you scream."

"Yes...oh yes..." She panted. "I want your dick in me, filling me. My fingers are there now."

Jon imagined her laying on her bed, her dark auburn curls forming a halo around her head, her hand working frantically at the apex of her thighs to bring her to that sweet completion he had so often enjoyed with her.

"Oh hell baby...I'm gonna come," he grunted.

"Wait... for... me...almost... there..." she spoke in ragged gasps. Her small moans and whimpers were driving him insane.

Jon was teetering on the edge. He clamped down on the base of his cock, circling it with his thumb and forefinger delaying the inevitable. And then he heard what he was waiting for...

"Oooh....Oh Fuck, yes...yes." And then he was coming right along with her, screaming her name as hot streams coated his stomach and chest.

There was only panting on both ends of the line as they came back down from bliss. Jon broke the silence first. "Christ Ali...that was amazing. I haven't come like that since I was a kid."

"Well then," she said in an amused voice, "I guess that means I don't have to bother seeing you at all anymore. I can just call and that will do the trick."

"Alone!" Jon exclaimed exasperated. "I haven't come like that alone since I was a kid. Besides...I want you with me for so much more than sex. It's not the same without you around baby, without your smile to wake me in the morning. Or that special brand of Aussie bluntness I have come to adore...most of the time," he added a little more quietly.

"I know what you meant. I was just teasing. But for the record...it's not the same for me either. I miss you Jon. When can you get back here?" She tried her best not to sound whiney.

"I'm back home for the gig at MSG in two weeks, then I have a pretty full on week leading up to the Count Bassie gig on the fourteenth. I guess if I don't see you there the next chance will be Richie's wedding. You are still shooting that aren't you?"

"Yes." She said reluctantly. "You realise you owe me big for this don't you. That is so not what I am about professionally."

"Yeah... I know," she could hear his smile, "but you love me."

"Indeed I do." She replied. "Listen I'm heading out of town in the morning. I need to get some sleep. Can I call you tomorrow night?"

"You can try...but Dot is flying in to do some shopping with Heather before the big day."

A pang of jealousy gripped Alex hard. "Well I guess I won't bother then." She said a little more abruptly that she intended.

"Ali..." Jon started.

She interrupted before he could chastise her. "Yes...I know...she's your wife. You don't have to say it. I'll talk to you when I talk to you I guess. Or I'll see you in Paris."

"You will see me before then baby...I don't think I can stand another month of this. I will find a way."

Don't make promises you can't keep, she thought bitterly. "Goodnight Jon."

"Love you baby," he said, but she had already hung up.