Chapter 52

She flashed her laminate to the security guard at the door backstage and sauntered in, her eyes scanning for the main room the guys dressed in. Hearing raucous laughter she moved in that direction and stopped in the doorway grinning.

"Hey Trouble’s here!" David shouted over the din with a grin.

Richie turned and looked over his shoulder then whistled "Damn girl! Look ‘atcha!" He crooked a finger at her.

She moved towards him, taking time to stop and plaster an outrageous kiss on David's lips. 'Just so you know what your missing." Slipping next to Richie her hands lifted around his neck as she slowly ground against him. "How are you hot stuff?"

"Mmm better now that you're here," he purred in her ear and sucked in his breath as she ground against the most sensitive part of him.

She winked and offered up a tiny smirk. "Thanks for wearing the leather babe." she pushed closer, one hand slipping between them to brush over the leather of his pants. “Black leather, it does things to me."

"Mel .... you keep that up I'm gonna take you in that room over there and...." he threatened.

She brushed circles over him again, her lips moving to tease the flash of nipple that the stringed tank never covered. "Nope, you gotta wear it until after the concert babe."

He growled, "damn ya woman, their gonna cut off my circulation."

She moved against him, "Or help ya keep that bad boy all hard and wanting.” She grabbed his hand and brought it to the jacket and unbuttoned the one button. "And you can think.. of what’s underneath."

He looked and licked his lips "you are SO gonna get it Mel."

She leaned up, her skin brushing over his chest, "Promises, promises."

Jon walked in to the sight of Richie and his wildcat damned near making out in front of all the guys. Clearing his throat he growled. "Not the time or place, Jesus."

Mel glanced over her shoulder and blew Jon a kiss. "Hello Spoilsport."

Richie chuckled, "aw man whatsa matter? Can't find a date tonight?"

Jon's brows furrowed as he flicked the middle finger at his friend. "Aww fuck you man." Shaking his head he turned to move to the door. "Come on, its time."


"Yeah yeah I'm coming. Later too," he grinned at Mel then kissed her quickly. "Behave lady!" he winked.

She winked and let her hand slide over him as he moved off. "Never."

He left for the stage with a beaming grin and a raging hard on.

Shannon found her seat easy enough, it was a lot closer than she thought it would be. He'd be able to see this row she was sure of it. She glanced around thinking to maybe use her laminate to go stand back by the sound board. As she eyed the women crowding around the men working back there, she decided against it. Maybe the lights would blind him up there.

She settled in to wait overhearing bits and pieces of fans chit chat and doing all she could to smother her grin. She'd use to be just like them, wondering what he was like, dreaming of a chance to meet him. She sighed in contentment thanking god she'd gotten a chance to know the real man behind the image.

He watched Richie shift yet again and try to settle his guitar and snorted. Glancing out at the crowd he muttered, "problem King?"

"Nothing that won’t be taken care of later," he grinned. "Damn that woman makes me insane!"

Jon’s gaze narrowed in on the front row, God that lil piece of fluff looked like his lil Bit. Shaking his head to clear it he turned back to Richie. "Man you were always insane."

Richie glanced at Shannon in the crowd and smothered a laugh "Well let's get this show on the road, I got business to take care of after."

Jon frowned as he started towards the mic. "At least you can take care of business." As David's intro revved up he hefted the mic twirlin it like a baton, his body already going into constant motion. "Hellloooo Everybody!"

As the lights went down and the sound exploded Shannon forgot to be calm and cool and lost herself in the excitement. There he was, finally, and from the start she was entranced. His energy was astounding; his voice was like a drug. She sang along and jumped and yelled just as loud as every other girl around her.

His eyes kept getting pulled towards his Shannon look alike. At least she was enjoying the show. Damn, made him miss his girl though. He pranced towards Richie and leaned against him during a solo. “That little lady makes me wanna quit and go home man."

Richie smiled down at Shannon then replied "Maybe you should invite her back... how many songs to go man?"

Jon rolled his eyes. "Shit the entire hour man at least. Can't invite her, not that desperate yet." he moved back to front stage and started the next song, cursing himself for his stupidity. Not like Shannon would know, he could have a free moment right? Right. He'd know.

Richie groaned to know there was still an hour to go, normally the show flew past but of course not tonight, he snuck a glance to the side of the stage an saw Mel there, twining her hair, her hips moving slowly with the beat of the music, her eyes beckoning him. He swore then and there the girl would never walk right again.

He moved to side stage, singing to everyone, and tried, to the dismay of the left side of stage, to not look that way. Song after song, he felt the siren call of the little lady in black, song after song he ignored it until after the last encore he sped off stage and to the bands room.

Picking up the courtesy phone he dialed her number. If he could just talk to her for a few minutes he could calm the raging need, only to have the phone ring and ring with no answer. "Well fuck."

Shannon almost floated toward the security near the stage. She was high on the music, high on him. She timidly fought her way thru the crowd of gathering women, ignoring the heated stares she was receiving she held out her pass to the guard and said "I 'm looking for... um.. Michael Francis?"

The guard turned and motioned her own through. Laminate said it all. "He's right over there." He pointed to the right. "That guy there, with the beard, that’s Mr. Francis."

"Thanks" she smiled and made her way to the hulking man. She tapped him on the shoulder and introduced herself "Hi.. I'm Shannon.... I was told to find you after the show?"

A genial voice, with an evident British accent chuckled. "Ahh so you’re the little lady."

"Um... yeah I um.." She blushed to the roots of her hair; she'd never dare to tell anyone anything about her and Jon so she simply stated "I'm um.... Mel's sister ... is.. um... is Jon real busy right now?

The big man grinned, "Yeah busy being a jackass. Come on I'll show ya too him."

Shannon wrung her hands as she nervously followed. Why was she so nervous? it was just Jon! She'd spent a week with him, constant, no reason to worry. Right? Then why was she so nervous?

He pulled the towel over his head and tried to ignore all the happy sounds around him. God dammit he wanted Shannon.


She entered the room and saw him sprawled and sweaty on one of the many couches, a towel covering his head. She glanced around noticing the curious stares the rest of the band was giving her as she approached their singer. She looked for Richie and Mel and they were nowhere to be seen.

She quietly approached, slid beside him and slowly pulled the towel from his head. Leaning in she whispered a breathless "Surprise..."

His eyes jolted open as the angel from the front row sat before him. Well fuck it had been no angel, it was his Lil Bit and he'd ignored that side all night. A smile began to creep onto his lips as he pulled her into his body. Ignoring the cheers and hoots, his hand wrapped around her neck as he pulled her in close for a kiss raging with need heat and hunger.

She was vaguely aware of the cat calls in the room, but they soon faded away as his lips ravaged hers. She inhaled the musky sweaty scent of him and linked her arms around his neck pulling him close and laughing happily as she nipped at his neck. "Mmm I missed you," she purred.

He lost himself in her taste and feel, her scent teasing his senses as her fingers teased his skin. "I missed you too, god if you only knew."

She ran her fingers thru his damp hair and kissed his temple gently. "Ya think I can kidnap ya now?"

He quickly sat up, the sparkle in those eyes that winked at him suddenly giving him more energy than he'd felt all day. "Let me shower and we'll go. Then you can tell me all about how you got here."

She laughed at his sudden energy spurt, "you go shower if ya want, but don't see why you'd waste water when you're just gonna need one again later."

He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her cheek, "Because even I can't stand the way I smell after being on stage. Don’t wanna kill anyone else." He grinned and moved towards the showers. She was here, he wasn’t sure HOW she got here but she was here, and he'd be damned if he let her leave too quick."

She let her head fall back against the couch as she watched him take off, her body already tingling just from his presence. She couldn’t stop the smile, her hand picking up a magazine to browse thru while she waited.


He showered the sweat off quickly and yanked on a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt. Within minutes he was back in the band room and heading her way. Scooping her up, he started towards the backdoor. "So now you get to tell me how you got here without me knowing."