Chapter 10

Melanie couldn't restrain the shiver that raced down her spine at the husky timbre of his voice. "Yeah I gotta feed the squirt any hows." She glanced up then, her eyes narrowing. "Ok where IS squirt?"
"Shay?" he asked as he stood then offered a hand to help her stand. The tiniest trill of electricity hit him as he pulled her up, his hand still holding hers even when it would have been more appropriate to drop it and step away. "Oh she took off with Jon after you soaked ‘em with the hose."

"Please tell me he's a nice person. She's.. god.." She moved to Shannon's bedroom and opened the door, her eyes scanning over the room, noting the pile of wet clothes. "Shit she changed."

She blinked for a moment then stepped inside, drawn to the one poster adorning the wall. "God she’s out with a rock star. I'm gonna kill her."

Richie stood behind her taking in the image hanging on the wall, all five of them glammed up to their prettiest and trying to look like bad asses and all he could do was laugh riotously at the irony of it all.

She moved closer, her eyes zeroing in on poster boy Richie as the laughter started. "Oh dear god."

"What?" he managed after his laughing fit faded

"You.. you.. tease your hair?" She turned and braced her head on his chest her shoulders shaking as she tried to not laugh harder. "Those pants! Dork became a rock star!"

"What's so funny about that??" he asked incredulously.

She quieted a moment then lifted her head, "You had on eyeliner!"

"Yeah, well I don't wear it around all day long, just on stage or for photoshoots," he defended himself.

She tried so hard to not laugh, his eyes were always his best feature as a kid, but eyeliner? It was too much. "Bet you have sparkly shit too, you always did like it if it sparkled."

He peered down into her smirking face. "Well.. I might have a few... glittery things... I'm a rock star baby I gotta look good."

She took his hand and started pulling him from the room. "God she'd kill me if she knew we were in here, the ONLY poster on the wall and its of .... and she’s off with.. GOD tell me he’s a nice guy!" If birds of a feather flocked together then Shannon was in for trouble; Rich was nothing but, always had been, but back then so had she. "No wonder she kept looking at me like I'd lost my marbles."

He followed her laughing. "Don’t worry Mel. He's a nice guy."

She stopped dead in the living room and turned, “They're all on.. " she snapped her lips shut and studied him intently. "Drugs and .. " She took a deep breath, his eyes were clear, he obviously wasn't so maybe this Jon person wasn't.

Turning towards the kitchen she busied herself putting the casserole in the oven and setting it to heat. "If he does anything to her I'll kill him. I will."

"Jesus Mel he's not on drugs! He's my best friend... settle down they ain't gonna elope or anything."

Her fingers curled into the counter as his voice went high and hard. Shit she'd done it again. She had to protect Shan, she was all she had left. Closing her eyes she bit back the retort, her slender body nearly vibrating with the need to let him have it. "She's all I got Rich, the one thing that hasn’t been hurt or taken away. I gotta look after her. It's what I do."

She swallowed back the rising fear, forced the tears away and tried to keep her voice from quavering. Opting to change the subject to avoid a fight she forced a smile to her lips. "So, what kind of music are you guys known for?"

Richie reigned in his natural reaction of defending his friend with a vengeance and cooled his tone a bit. Stepping behind her he touched her shoulders reassuring her "She's in good hands.. I promise....." He stepped back and grabbed a seat his face lighting up when he began to tell her about his music. Once he started,he didn’t stop, he just rambled on and on, joy shining in every word.

She slipped into the chair next to him, watching his face shine as he talked about meeting Jon, and how they'd worked so hard. "This, what did you call it? Slippery record really went that big?"

"Huge man!" he exaggerated his words with hand motions. "It's fuckin’ unbelievable Mel.. we're still riding the wave."

She leaned back and shook her head. "I've never really heard of any of it. Hell had I known I woulda listened.. but.." [i]Liar. It would have brought the memories back and ya know it Mel.[/i] She shook her head, as a memory surfaced. "I keep remembering how you cussed at that little acoustic guitar. Mr. Adam couldn't believe you even wanted to try yet another instrument."

Richie laughed "Yeah, man I thought I'd never get it but it became an obsession... still is, it's like my missing link ya know... I mean the guitar... the music... its a part of me I just had to find it.. let it out."

She glanced over at the oven and went quiet. Well at least he'd found what he was looking for. She'd lost most of it playing mom to her sister. "I'm glad it worked for you Rich, really. I mean, I know I teased you about the music, but it’s so EASY to tease you. Always was."

A light smile played on his face "Still is huh?"

She leaned in, nose to nose and grinned. "How am I gonna call you Dork now? It won’t work, you so aren’t anymore." She stilled, her eyes closing as she felt his breath on her lips, felt the heat that rocketing off of him like a homing beacon. "Naaah, you'll always be ..."

Her breath was so close. The scent of her, the teasing womanly glint in her eyes, all it combined made his composure snap. The urge bubbled up from inside and before she had a chance to think of moving away his arm snaked around her and pulled her down hard. His lips closed in on hers none to gently as he sealed their mouths and gave her no mercy, his tongue sliding expertly between her lips, first grazing her teeth then dueling with her tongue and conquering.

As quickly as he'd attacked, he ended it, releasing her with a cheeky grin and a wink. "The oven just beeped... foods done!"

She reeled back, her eyes wide as she struggled to find center, her finger lifting to brush over her lips. Damn that was nothing like his first attempts so long ago, those lips knew the power they held. She'd felt that kiss to her toes, no fumbling sloppy kiss there, that was full on dead sex in a kiss.

She watched him stand and move to the oven, her eyes glued to his back as he settled the pan on the stove. She couldn’t stop watching him, still trying to equate the boy she knew to the man he’d become.

Richie moved, around pulling plates from cabinets, getting drinks and grinned. Eyeing Mel and her reaction he smiled; confident in his self and his abilities now. She seemed a bit shaken at that kiss, stunned even. Maybe this day wouldn't end so badly after all.

She managed to pick up her fork and eat. He was still Dork, and yet he so wasn't. Hell she wasn't too sure she could handle this man who'd replaced her childhood friend? Nemesis? First? How the hell was she gonna ....She closed her eyes and fought for composure. So what if he had became some rock star? So what if he had changed more than she'd ever imagined? He was still her Dork, her whatever he was, and that’s how she'd handle it. yeah.. that’s how.. she'd just treat him like normal. She could do that.