Chapter Five

She dried her hair and let it fall loose around her shoulders, it’d taken over thirty minutes for to de-sand herself, with a little help from Jon. But so worth it, she smiled at herself in the mirror. The woman staring back at her was well sexed with her pink cheeks and glowing skin.

Moments like these almost made the unbearable weeks in-between not seeing each other ok, almost.

She scooped up the towels and dumped them in the hamper and then padded out to see what else the man could possibly have in store for her. She’d been thinking a lot about things before she came to St Bart’s, entertaining further her own ideas of an individual advertising firm in New York. Her father expected her to go as her relationship with Jon had bloomed, but she also knew she was holding onto the last thing her mother gave her before she died, the company.

Jon was sitting out on the deck in a white v-neck tee and a pair of camouflage shorts, and when he saw her he picked up the spoon and handed it to her. “Dessert?”
She plucked it out of his hand and slipped into the chair opposite him, where an ice-cream sundae waited for her slathered in chocolate, sprinkled with nuts.

“Where’s the cherry?” Her lips twitched at the mock horror on his face. “Oh god, this is good.” She savoured and dug in for more.

He scooped his own spoon and faced her, “I was going to make us share, then I decided that I needed you nice and revitalised for bedtime.” His brow waggled as he licked his spoon.

“More sex huh? Trying to kill me so I can’t go back?” That wouldn’t be a bad thing of course, she thought to herself. “God this house is amazing, I can’t believe how secluded it is for such a tiny island.”

“I can pick them,” he swirled some ice-cream around in his glass. “What would you say if I said that you owned this beach house, with me?”

Her eyes widened, “you’re kidding me?”

“Nope, had it done and dusted before I came. Just need your signature on the legal documents and it’s ours.”

“You bought property, in my name?” God, she shouldn’t be this pissed off at him. But she was.

“Our name LJ, it’s our first investment.”

“With your money.”

“It’s only money, I’m not asking you to pay your half, I’m telling you I bought it for you.”

“It’s a big thing Jon, I know we’ve said we needed to make some moves, and some changes but I’d have liked to be asked first.”

“I knew you’d get funny over this, LJ it’s just a holiday house. Hell, I’ll take your name off it if you want me too.”

She wiped her mouth with the napkin, and settled back. “It’s just a big thing. I would have liked to have been consulted on it, that’s all.”

He sighed and licked the back of his spoon. “What are we doing LJ?”

“We’re sitting having ice-cream and you’re buying the world with my name on it, that’s what we’re doing.”

“Oh for Christ’s sake.” The silverware clattered with glass as he stood. “I did it to show you, I’m serious about you, about us since you won’t move to New York.”

“What?” Ok, now she was mad. He’d never asked her to move to New York, she’d been thinking about it to discuss with him, while they were here in fact. But now, it just made her angry that he had been expecting her to do it. “Why do I have to be the one to move?” She knew damn well, and if this hadn’t happened she wouldn’t be as pissed off about it.

“I have more there.” The screech of her chair made him wince, “that’s not what I mean Lily and you know it. I meant-"

She held her hand up. “Oh, I know what you meant Jon, I know what you damn meant.” She turned, but stopped. “I was going to ask you while we were here how you felt about this, was going to ask to work it out but I had been considering starting my own firm in New York, so I could move. So I could be with you, but right now... I’m not sure even sure why I bothered.”

She left him standing there and headed out to the beach, it was dark and the cool night breeze stirred her as she trudged through the sand. Moments ago she was the one being pounded on the sand, not her feet. She shouldn’t have yelled, shouldn’t have been angry, what he did was thoughtful and romantic, he bought them a beach house in the middle of nowhere for goodness sakes. Who didn’t want that? But it was more than that, he should have known she didn’t take kindly to decisions been made out of her control. Him of all people.

She sank down on her butt and watched the ocean gleam under the moon, she needed to cool off before talking to him again. It was a big- no it was a huge thing her giving up her life in London, one she’d built from the ground up but she’d slowly come to reason that he was worth it. He was worth starting all over again for. Maybe it was that, that scared her the most. What if she moved, and it all turned pear shaped? That’s why she’d waited so long, until she knew he loved her. No one had ever loved her the way he had.

No one.

~

He was tempted to run after her as her sunny colored dress disappeared out onto the beach. He hadn’t seen that coming, he should have kept his mouth shut about the move to New York, he knew it was a hard subject on both sides. He scratched his head and headed back inside for a drink, a stiff one. He couldn’t move to London, it just wasn’t viable and he wasn’t being an asshole about it. It was the truth. If that wasn’t going to work, they’d just have to spend months with each other instead of this one week, two weeks here and there.

His work was able to be done remotely, apart from the recording and touring obviously but the rest he could work it in, with careful planning and preparation. Maybe he could set up an office in his apartment for her to video conference, and run her firm from when she stayed with him? The time difference would kill her though, but they could work this out. They had to; they had gone beyond the option of not working this out.

He hadn’t expected love to come around again like it did, but he knew the day he met her, she was different. She was so strong and so independent like Dot, but the difference was Lily knew how to inspire him, how to motivate him and he envied her drive. They worked so well as a team, but both knew when to stand back and let the other be. He’d let Dot do what she wanted, and truthfully not paid that much interest into it, but with Lily he yearned to know what she was doing and of course, he loved her like crazy. The kind of love that gave you twists in the belly when you thought about them and how much you missed them.

God he was stupid, how many times had he listened to Lily talk about the battle she’d overcome with her firm, to get where she was as a woman, knowing she’d worked twice as hard than he did.

He needed a cigarette.

He found his bag, fished out one and lit it swiftly. If Lily was anything like him, and she was, he’d let her cool down before talking to her again after he removed his foot from his own ass.

Chapter Four

Jon widened his stance, bracing himself for the impact that was his Lily. He hiked her up, sliding slowly into her as water lapped around him. “Like this, perhaps?”

Her heels dug into the back of his thighs and her hands raked up into his hair, all sea slicked and ropey. She groaned as he moved inside her, changing the angle when he let her fall back in his arms.

He trudged forward. Her body silky and warm as the tropical waters that surrounded the island. He tightened his grip on her ass, anchoring himself inside of her. “Just you and me LJ.” He breathed against her mouth, then her neck when she pulled her mouth out of reach. The surf sucked at her as he fought the undertow. He dropped her to the sand and stroked long and deep inside of her as sand pulled around them.

Digging his knee into the edge of the water he pulled out and drove himself deep, dragging her knee up higher. "Now I can see you." He pushed it higher so he could go still deeper, until her knee was even with his shoulder. He flipped it over her shoulder and looked down at her. "Now I can see everything." He watched as he disappeared inside of her.

Sand shifted under her back as he moved them, “oh god, Jon!” She rolled him so he hit the sand with a thud and straddled him, squeezing his hips between her knees. She laced her fingers in his, pinning them at shoulder level as she slowly sank down on him. “Now I can see you,” she barely rolled her hips as he cursed under her. “What was that?”She grinned, knowing she had him right where she wanted him. She’d never been as confident with men, as she’d grown with Jon, but now she felt like she had the freedom to do anything.

"Son of a--" he broke off and arched up to meet her swivelled hips. His hand reached up to find her hair, matted with sand and sea, it didn't matter. It wasn't silky now so he could get a good grip. He pulled her to his mouth, sitting up as he lifted his hips, rolling her again to her back. "I like to watch." He folded her knee up to her chest, groaning when he went as deep as possible. Her walls clenched him until milking was all he knew.

He pushed harder, faster, covering her body with his until her legs wrapped around his hips. And this time he rolled it so he was on his back once more. "Ride me," he said hoarsely.

Her palms flattened on in his chest, her nails raking through the fine hair. She squeezed her knees tight and let her inhibitions go as she slammed down on him hard. His cock swelled inside of her, and the course texture of sand coated skin slapped between them, over the ocean.

She arched over her mouth greedily finding his, while keeping the rhythm steady. His hands were free and had found other things to occupy themselves with, as he cupped her breasts and rolled his thumb across her nipples.

He rolled forward, his mouth zeroing on one salty tip as he sat up. At the same time it drove him deeper as she gasped and he sucked hard on her sensitive little nipple. Her arms wrapped around his neck, dragging him closer now.

His nails raked down her back, digging into her ass as she continued her forward rocking. Sand was in nearly every place he could think of, but it didn't matter just then. He sucked harder, until she arched back weakly. He moved onto the other side, her fingers fisting his sea matted hair.

She cried out, screaming through one orgasm and then riding headfirst into the next. She’d long forgotten that they were on a beach, outside in the middle of nowhere, she just didn’t care.

Her mind derailed in an instant, where they were, what they were doing in a public, but private place. She just didn’t care. All she cared about was that clever mouth and the way he made her feel, alive.

It became more urgent, lips and teeth raked over sensitive skin. Fingers dug in, and her hands wound through his hair, dragging him away from her breasts to her lips. The taste of wine, salt mixed with the dark flavor of him.

He'd crawled up off the sand, his legs out under her and hers over his hips, her feet digging into the sand. Her fingers curled around his biceps urging him to push her further, if she could possibly go there.

She lowered herself onto him, and the roaring in his brain intensified as she widened her thighs to show everything to him. Each sucking, pull of her body accepting him burned his gut and his balls as he tried to hold on. Sex and the after burn of no return plowed through him. He lifted his hips to meet her. He slid a hand between then and hooked his knuckle over her hood and found the painfully hard tip of her clit and rubbed. She tipped back; he cradled her with his knees and cursed as he had to put his hand down for balance. It left a new angle as he slammed into her, riding the tremors inside of her. He arched and swore as his arms burned but he pushed her past another orgasm and growled through his own.

She collapsed on top of him, heaving for her breath burying her head into the crook of his neck. Her body quaked with delicious aftershocks as she settled against him. His heart drummed against her ear while she came down from whatever cloud she was still floating on.

“Oh god, I can’t move...I can’t breathe.” She closed her eyes, the cool breeze now rolling in off the ocean, quickly melting the warmth away. He was amazing, and she loved him like crazy. There was no way she was going to let him go, if that’s the route he was thinking. Not now, not ever. “I still want my dessert,” she managed, the salt drying out her mouth.

He laughed and curled his arms around her back and kissed her forehead. He would be content to stay here with her like this forever, here in their little bubble. They’d done so well to create their own little bubbles, away from their real lives, they had to. It was all they had being so far away from each other. He looked around the beach and their clothes were nowhere to be found. "Do you realize how far down we are?"

She lifted her head and looked up, the twinkling lights from their beach house winked a distance away. “Well I’ll be damned,” she laughed and flicked his nose. “What are we going to do with you? You lead me into all kinds of trouble mister. I can’t seem to control myself around you.”

He smirked, “LJ – you were controlling me pretty damn well just before.” He rolled her onto her back and pushed up off her. When she pouted, he laughed and hooked her over his shoulder and started walking. “Who says you don’t work out when you’re on holiday.”

“I so need a shower, I don’t want to think about all the places I have sand, or I’ll freak out.”

His laugh was long and low as he folded his arm across her thigh. “Need a back washer?” That was his Lily all right.

“You’ll be washing that and my hair, and everything else. And then we get dessert.”

“Who says there is any dessert?” He found their clothes and scooped them up in his free hand and trudged further back up to the house.

“There better be, or you’re so not getting anymore sex.”

He lifted her gently down back onto the porch and tucked away the thick ropes of her hair. Even as sand slicked, matted mess, she was gorgeous. “There’s dessert. Ice-cream and hot fudge sauce.” He captured her delighted mouth in a kiss before popping her ass. “Now go start that shower, I’ll be there in a second.”

She squealed as she made a beeline the bathroom in the beach house. Their beach house, Jon picked up the papers he’d hidden earlier to show her. He’d bought it, not rented it, and in both of their names, hoping that this would go a long way to cementing their future together.

Chapter Three

She wringed out her hair as she stepped out of the shower and snagged a towel off the railing. God, she felt alive, there was something about the beach that made you feel like you that way. She stepped into her panties and slipped the light sun dress on over her head, and adjusted the straps. She rolled her hair up loosely and held it in place with a clip.

Her brow rose when the clang of china floated in from the kitchen. “Jon?” She peeked around the corner of the doorframe and stifled a giggle as he tried to manoeuvre something from the oven.

He held up his hand, “don’t, just don’t. Just go and sit outside.”

She nodded and bit back the smile as she walked through to outside, bands of purple and pink stretched high above them as the St Barth’s sun disappeared into the night. Small tea-light candles dotted the porch in red and blue glass votives that surrounded a table set for royalty. A bottle of wine was cooling on ice, and the china place settings gleamed in the candlelight. She sighed and slid into the chair and looked out over the ocean, why couldn’t all days be like this? She couldn’t even remember being at work, trying to massacre the holiday crowds for last minute shopping. It felt like another world away.

She sat up when he came out, and placed a shrimp cocktail in front of her, before putting down his own. “Tonight, I wine and dine you,” he slid into his chair and reached for the wine.

“This looks spectacular, Jon, it’s almost magical. Are you sure you don’t need a hand?” She remembered how well his cooking skills stretched. The man could do many things, cook just wasn’t one of them. It wasn't that he lacked the passion to, it was the patience.

He chuckled, “I had some help, don‘t panic it was delivered while you were in the shower.”

She laughed as she lifted her glass to his, “only you Jon, would order in a romantic dinner.”

“It came as a package.”

She plucked the little cocktail fork off the table, “Even the candles?”

“No, that was all me, my attempt at being romantic...I’m not a mushy guy LJ, but I wanted to make this special.”

She speared some shrimp and slipped it into her mouth, god that was divine. “You’re more romantic than you think Jon, I mean the house? The idea of being here alone for a week, was all you.”

He waggled her brows, “that was just to get you alone, so I could have my wicked way with you.”

“Well it worked. It’s more than I could hope for.”

He picked up his wine again, and held it in thought. She could see those eyes that didn’t ever seem to stop thinking, working overtime.

“This living apart thing is getting hard LJ.”

“Oh?” That line between them was not uncommon, but the way his eyes stayed on hers and his mouth didn’t move in a little quirky grin meant he was serious this time. She’d gone over this in her head and she’d tried to make sense of their living arrangements, there was no issue with the money thankfully, it was more the time. The time that they both had to take leave from their own lives to see the other was becoming harder.

Panic whirled in her belly, he didn’t want to end it did he? It had never been an option, and had never been even hinted at. She took a big gulp of wine; she knew this would eventually come up. Frustrated phone calls and many emails finding gaps in calendars were just many of the little cracks that had started to form.

He reached across the table and took her hand in his, “but let’s enjoy the meal that I slaved for hours preparing.” He squeezed her hand, winked and leaned back.

“All in the space of me having a shower, none the less.”

“You have long showers.”

She narrowed her eyes and smirked, mentally filing away the worry niggling at her.

“Hey, I’m not complaining, it’s worth the effort. Plus you’ll need it for what we’re doing for dessert.”

“Doing?” She asked as he cleared away the glasses and headed back into the kitchen.

“You heard, doing now wait for this main. I asked specifically for this.” He disappeared from her sight and she was left to think against the cooling night breeze in the candlelight glowed through the haze of the sea air coming in off the water. They were seriously alone out here, she couldn’t see a soul anywhere, it was true, something money could in fact buy. Paradise.

“Ta-Da!”He placed down the plate in front of her and she squealed, a fat lobster tail dripped with garlic butter next to fresh asparagus and carrots.

“Lobster, ok I might just marry you.” Their eyes locked, and he smiled before setting down some bread between them.

“If I’d known it was just ever going to take a Lobster Tail, I would have down that ages ago LJ.”

She beckoned him with her finger, “come here.” She leaned up and met his mouth as he bent down, wine and shrimp blended between them as they shared a sweet kiss. Her heart pounded against her chest as he broke away. “I love you Jon.” Be Damned if he was angling for a break up, she was completely in love with him.

He sank into his chair and pointed his fork at her, “you’re just angling for my lobster, admit it.”

She half-laughed as she picked up her glass, they always didn’t say it back to each other straight away and now she was just being silly, but a little reassurance would have been nice. God she sucked at this. Until Jon, Lily couldn’t even remember the last serious relationship she’d had. No one had been worth the effort, and most people were intimidated by her. But not Jon, he was very much the male version of herself at times but they both had qualities that complimented each other. He could at an instant, make her relax with his way and remove whatever stick she had up her ass. Over the last year, Lily had found herself being the one Jon talked through his business decisions to, she challenged his decisions and in turn made him validate his own thoughts.

Now she wasn’t so sure if she could go back to not having this.

“You know me so well.”

They concluded dinner with talking about his kids, and he touched on the latest developments for the new record and that the song-writing process had revealed that they were aiming for a social. He cleared away the plates and returned out to the porch and held out his hand. She took it and lifted it out of the chair and gasped when he dragged her in fiercely for a kiss.

She relaxed and wound her arms around his neck, pushing back his hair. “Dinner was wonderful,” she murmured.

“Uh huh,” he whispered as his mouth left hers for the curve of her neck. He nuzzled into her neck and sighed, “you’re not wearing a bra?”

Her cheek pressed against his hair, “nope.”

“That’ll make it much easier for what I have planned next.”

“Which is?” He pulled away from her, and tugged her off the porch into the sand, dragging her down the beach towards the water.

“Jon! What the hell are you doing?” She laughed as they reached the packed sand and he kicked off his flips.

“We’re going for a dip.” He pulled the shirt off, over his head and popped the button on his cargo pants.

“We are? Here?” She looked around, “now?” They were alone right? What if they weren’t really?

“C’mon LJ, don’t be a chicken.” She watched his perfect naked ass jog away from her into the surf.

She wrapped her arms around herself, “Jon? Seriously couldn’t we just use the spa bath?” She was a wimp, dammit. “Ok, ok..sneaky man.” She quickly discarded the dress and her panties and made her way into the water wincing as the cold spray unmanned her slightly. “Man.” Mortified, she made her way over to him, she had to admit that was kind of liberating.

He hauled her up into his arms catching her disbelief in a slanting kiss. He pressed her back until she arched with the force of it. Teeth clicked as they laughed and he eased her into the situation. This wasn’t so bad after all, and she’d long forgotten if anyone else was out there. Her hands slid down his shoulders to his chest and brushed her thumbs over his nipples.

He growled against her mouth as the beach faded and the water deepened surrounding them in cocoon of warmth as their bodies acclimatised to it. Using the natural buoyancy of the salt water, he curled her further around his hips. Kisses lingered from sweet to hot as they lost themselves in each other.

“I love you LJ.”

She looked up and met his gaze, smiled and crashed her mouth down on his. “Show me, right here, right now.”

Chapter Two

Jon handed a bunch of bills to the driver and waved him back, “its ok. I know the way.” It was good to be back in St Barts, His flip flops popped as he made his way down the overgrown path. He’d come out here a couple of times, once before Lily and once with the band in the last year and decided, they just had to come here for a getaway. It was perfect, and so was the little house nestled in the heart of seclusion. He rounded the bend and smiled as it came into view, he liked that it was modest but not overbearing like some of the villas he’d checked out. It was cheerful, tidy and happened to be growing ocean in its own front yard.

Christmas had been great with the kids, Dot had let him have them the majority of the day with his Mom and Dad, and he’d really appreciated the time with Jesse and Steph. He’d missed Lily like crazy the past month, and was surprised to learn according to those around him how grouchy he was, until he’d heard from her. It was like an itch every time he text or emailed her, and it didn’t go away until the beep of his phone, or chime of his email in reply.

God he was pathetic.

They had done well through the year, with various trips, but there were never long enough, whether it was one, two or three weeks. It was becoming increasingly obvious he wanted to be around her fulltime. But that was for later, right now he wanted to enjoy his woman and take a load off. The wooden porch creaked as he moved slowly across it, he could make light humming coming from just inside. He set his bag down slowly and kept the bouquet of tropical flowers wound in his hand tightly. He peered around and his brow shot up, there she was standing at the kitchen with her back to him, carefully chopping up some fruit.

He was tempted to stand and watch as she hummed a sweet little tune and was lost in her own little world, but he was a man. His eyes ran up her creamy tanned legs to her perfect ass, shaped in the black bikini bottoms he’d picked out for her. Her golden hair tumbled down around her shoulders, above where the tie to the top half, dripped down her lower back. He flexed his fingers and slipped off his flips, moving slowly across the room. Curves and skin were not helping the need that was bubbling inside of him.

Now he could smell her, a tropical seduction of coconuts and mangoes filled the air, along with the sweetness that was Lily. She popped a piece of pineapple in her mouth and at he leaned in close. “Got some for me?”

He leapt back as she screamed and the knife she was skittered across the room. He held up his hands as she whirled around, ready to attack. “Woah, it’s just me babe...”

“Jon! You scared me shitless!” Her eyes were big and blue as she flung her arms around his neck.

He wrapped her tight within his arms and held the moment. The smell of her mixed with sea air and the far away calls of gulls made him want to lose himself in her.

“I wanted to surprise you, good thing you threw that knife. Little John may have not come out and play at all,” he snorted and dipped down silencing them both with a long kiss.

The sweet flavor of her poured through him, filled him whole. She tasted like pineapple and the beach, this is what he had missed, and this is what he had needed.
Her hands inched up into his hair, her nails dragging against his scalp. He lifted her up, resting her on the edge of the counter and wrapped her legs around his waist.

“I need you LJ,” he caught her lip in his teeth and gently tugged. His fingers smoothed up her arms to her neck, and he cupped her face taking the kiss even deeper. She moaned and he swallowed, letting his tongue taste every inch of her mouth. He growled when she arched, feeling the tips of her nipples dig through his tee. He wound his fingers up to her neck and found the tie, peeling back black silk to reveal her breast. He hungrily took one in his mouth, bobbing the sweet tip between his teeth as she cried out against him.

He felt her break, and he followed as the race to shed clothes had begun. He filled his hands with her ass and carried her towards the bedroom, but they made it just to the wall. “Now, can’t-wait.” Her cheeks had flushed and her eyes had turned wild as the sea. His cock, hard as fucking cement needed to be inside her, deep.

She panted, her breath hitched as he pressed her against the wall and poured himself into her. He was surprised how much the ache of missing her was driving him to animal instincts. The ache of missing her had been too much, he wanted to mark her and he needed to show her, she was his, and he was hers. He cupped her hips and held her gaze, moments from plunging inside her.

Her hair was mussed, her lips pink and swollen and her eyes bluer than the deepest night, she was beautiful. His gaze rested on her lips, and the rapid rise of his heart drummed in his ears. He needed to take and he wanted her to take as he plunged inside of her.

She cried out and he grunted, as she fisted around him. The slap of skin against wall filled the room, but he was too wrapped up in her. Velvety skin now slicked with sweat against his own as he slammed into her. Her legs wound tighter and he grabbed her hands, linking his own through hers, pinning them at the level of her eyes.

Words were lost, only actions mattered as they rode through one orgasm and quickly into the next. He buried his nose into her neck and when she clamped around him he bit down as she screamed his name through the room. They tumbled from wall to bedroom, but hit the floor beside the bed. She locked her knees at his waist and clutched his chest as she rode him home.

“More, I need more.” Her hair hung in sweaty ropes as she rolled into him.

“Christ, LJ...” He muttered, clutching the floor rug in his hands, her breasts bouncing with every move. Sweat poured from her temples, and skin mashed with his. White noise exploded as they joined and he yelled until he was hoarse. When he opened his eyes, she was lying limp against his chest gasping for breath. He stroked her hair, and pressed a kiss against her forehead. He was finally home, where he belonged. His brain was fried, fuck, he hadn’t been that desperate to get his pants off in a long time.

“Jon?”

“Oh good, I am still alive. I feel like I’ve been abused.”

She chuckled against his chest, “is your back ok? You landed pretty hard.”

He laughed, “It was worth it, anytime you want to push me around like that, just say the word darlin.” He pulled her in close and took the moment. His back would hurt like fuck when he finally peeled himself off the hardwood floor.

“I’ve missed you, “ she sighed as she evened out on top of him.

“New rule, no not seeing each other for more than thirty days, or we’re likely to kill each other.” He lifted himself up with her but held her when she went to get up. She smiled and tucked his hair behind his ears.

“Deal.” They met in a slow healing kiss, and he scooped them both up off the floor.

“So you like the place?” He grabbed the pink robe and helped her slip into it, grinning when it was completely see through. “Matches your nipples.”

She flicked him and tied the waist tight, “yes I do. I love this place, how in the
world did you find it?”

“Does the great Houdini reveal his secrets?”

Lily raised her eye brow, “does the great Houdini give his woman the flowers he brought her?”

Jon turned and realized the bunch had been scattered across the room when he scared her, “wait one second.” He found the bunch, amazingly in one piece. “For you,” he held them out to her.

“Ohh frangapanis,” she buried her nose deep into the bouquet.

“Franga-whats?”

She laughed and quickly found them some water, “its ok you’re not supposed to know that sort of thing. Just that they look and smell pretty and that they make me happy.”

He tugged on his board shorts and opened the fridge, “wow, when I asked for well stocked...looks like we won’t ever have to leave,” he waggled his brows with a lopsided grin. He plucked out a bottle of white and lifted a glass off the rack.

“I tell you what LJ, I am so glad to be here, with you and away from the world outside. I’m exhausted.” He topped her glass up and took a long sip. “Seriously, I plan to have a lot of sex, sleep and lie on that beach out there,” he motioned with his glass.

She laughed as she took her own glass, “is that so? Who says you’ll get a lot of sex, hmm?” She smirked as she took a sip, god love her.

“Oh, yea. Like you’ll resist after that little indecent display. Good luck with that LJ.” He winked and finished the glass. She propped hers down and wrapped her arms loosely around his waist.

“I can’t stop touching you,” she kissed his chest and he pulled her in closer for a hug. “It’s –“she stopped, but Jon knew what she was going to say. She wasn’t the overly mushy type, and neither was he, but the distance had proven something, which was that the more they were apart, the more that they couldn’t stand it.

“Feeling’s mutual,” he twisted the tie and let the robe float to the ground.

Chapter One

Please note: This takes place one year after the conclusion of Fire and Ice, Jon and Lily's last installment.


December 26th 2004.


Lily St James had grown to hate airports, it wasn’t as if she wasn’t used to them, her job usually took her to Europe and the US every once and awhile. This was before she’d met Jon, and since then she had flown to New York and back enough times in a year to earn gold status on her air mile program. If she didn’t have to wait in another airport queue for a month, it’d be the best damn Christmas present ever.

It had been a year, and a second Christmas had passed in the relationship she had with Jon. This year had been different, they’d decided to spend Christmas with their families and disappear from Boxing Day onwards on a romantic getaway. Her legs ached, right up to her shoulders as the weight of another year gone started to sink into her body. She needed a holiday, and she needed Jon.

She clipped her purse shut and stepped off, oh yes, another plane onto the tarmac. Fortunately this was the tropical paradise of St Barthelemy, where she was meeting Jon for a week of bliss with just her and him away from the big wide world. She sighed and breathed in the warm sea-air, the humidity hit her like blanket but she didn’t care. Jon was flying in a little later on, but he had taken the liberty of booking their suite, and having it ready for her to relax in before he arrived.

Good thing as she didn’t intend on relaxing at all when he did.

Thanksgiving seemed so long ago in her mind, and that’s the last time they saw each other. “Too long,” she muttered as she headed into the tiny little airport that was a welcome sight away from the hustle and bustle of JFK and Heathrow. God, she could smell the beach from here, and she couldn’t wait to dig her toes into the sand. She collected her luggage and found a neatly suited man holding her name on a placard.

“That’s me,” she smiled, she didn’t expect anything less. Whenever she flew into JFK, Jon always had his driver waiting for her, so she’d grown accustomed to expecting it. There were still a lot of things about Jon, that were unexpected, and that’s what made this fun. She settled into the back seat of the car when her purse vibrated. She fished out her phone and pried it open.

“Lily St James.”

“You’re on holiday young lady, you shouldn’t be answering your phone, “ the whiskey roughened voice had her smiling as she reclined back into the seat.

“Oh yea? And how else would I take this very important phone call?”

“Very true, god I miss you LJ. It’s been far too long, six pm cannot come quick enough.”

She glanced at her watch, it was a little after two, “just think of all the things I could get ready by then.”

“I’ll just need you naked, and on the bed. That’s it.”

She burst out laughing, “You are a very bad man. You know that right?”

“I hope so, as I haven’t been bad in nearly four weeks. I’d be disappointed otherwise.”

She’d missed his dirty humor, long weeks and long nights holed up in her office had sucked the life force out of her in the last little while. She needed this vacation and she needed him. “Well naked I can do,” she cupped her hand over the phone so the driver wouldn’t hear.

“Great, now I’m gonna be hard the entire flight. Thanks LJ.”

She chuckled and then sighed. “I’ve missed this. I’ve been so damn busy to notice it, even though it’s always been there.”

“I know how you feel, we’ve been writing for the new album so we can get into the studio next year.”

She smiled hearing the excitement in his voice, as it always was when he talked about his music. The highlight of the year for her was when she flew over to Atlantic City to see him perform some of their rarities in a very heartfelt intimate setting. He was amazing and devastating all at once. She loved big rock and roll Jon, but strip him back and leave him standing there with just his voice and raw emotion, yeah that’d do nicely. “I hope I’m inspiring you.”

"Maybe."

Her brow shot up, “I have? Like what?” She was only kidding him but he wasn’t kidding back.

“You’ll see, now look I’ve got to go, but I’ll be seeing you very soon... and me and Little Jon are very excited about that possibility.”

“Excuse me? Little Jon? If I recall—there’s nothing little about him, or his
appetite.”

He laughed, “I know I just needed an ego boost. See you soon LJ.”

“You are such a sh-" but there was silence, he’d hung up knowing full well she was about to call him out.

“We’re here Miss.” She snapped shut her cell phone shut and frowned when she looked up out the window, sand, and lots of it. “Where in the world are we?”

The driver got out and popped open her door. “We’re here, it’s just down a little further but the road is basically sand so we’ll have to walk.” He collected her bags and motioned for her to walk with him down the path into trees at the foot of the hill.

Ok, this was odd. She looked around, she was away from the mainland, north from the tiny village that they’d whipped through. Villas were dotted around in the lush green hills that surrounded them, but all she could see was sand. She could hear the roar of the ocean, she just couldn’t see it.

They rounded the corner and her breathing became optional. Nestled at the foot of the hill, a little wooden villa stood, with a wraparound porch spilling out onto the sand, and barely yards away, was the greeny blue ocean.

She blinked, and didn’t feel the tear slide down her cheek. This was absolutely incredible.

“M’am?” She opened her mouth and then shut it again. She followed him up to the house, a cherry yellow, with a white trim and the windows sparkled under the hot St Barts sunshine.

“Sure, sorry.” Great, he thinks I’m an idiot. It was homely but in her heart fit for
a king.

“Anything else you need? I think you’ll find all you need is inside, as per Mr Bongiovi’s wishes.”

She paid him and smiled. “Thank you so much, it’s perfect.” She didn’t even hear him leave as she stood stupefied grinning like a loon. She took her bags inside and set them down on the couch. It was bigger inside than she expected as it wrapped around the side of the hill with ocean views from every room in the house.

“You are so going to get lucky Jon,” she murmured tracing her fingers along the edge of the marble in-ground tub, with you guessed it -Oceans views. The four posted bed looked like something out of a fairytale as the wind whipped in off the sea gliding the lace in the air.

She flopped backwards onto the bed sinking into pure luxury, but sat up when she felt something poke into her back. She reached around and found a small package gaily wrapped in silver and blue, with her name clearly marked on the card attached.

LJ,

Something for you, ok it’s really for me.

J
Xx

She pulled the tissue paper apart to find a black string bikini, and a see through candy colored beach robe. “Oh my, you are a naughty boy Mr Bongiovi.”

She couldn’t resist and quickly changed, normally her own swim suit wouldn’t be this generous with skin, but hell they were alone, really alone out here. She admired herself in the full length mirror in the bedroom and her eyes fell to the dresser. Two bottles of her favourite coconut lotion and spray sat there winking up at her with another little note.

Something else for me.

She squealed and slathered herself up nicely, she still had some time for when Jon arrived so she helped herself to a well stocked bar fridge and poured a wine. This was the life, they hadn’t even exchanged Christmas Presents yet, but as far as Lily was concerned, this was the best one in spades.