Chapter 122

“Just go straight on down.” Jon directed, pointing Richie and Linda toward the living room as he closed the door, still holding onto Sara.

Sara slid her arm around Jon’s waist, squeezing slightly and nodding toward the other couple as they walked. Jon was slightly puzzled at first, then realised Richie and Linda were holding hands, and he grinned, pulling Sara closer and kissing the top of her head as they followed.

In the living room, Richie looked around, seeing the similar furnishings to out in the big Navesink house, recognising Jon’s taste in everything he saw. Sara headed over to the kitchen as Jon stopped beside the other two.

“Nice place.” Richie commented, and Jon nodded.

“Yeah. Temporary, but I like it.”

“Does anybody want coffee or juice or something?” Sara called, and Jon gave a quick glance at his watch before answering.

“I’ll open some of that wine, if you like.” He suggested, turning to Linda and Richie. “I hope you two are hungry. Sara bought half the deli.”

“Starving.” Richie grinned, crossing over to the kitchen. “What did you buy, girl?”

“Nothing much.” Sara replied, opening a cupboard to look for some plates. “Cheese, meat, pasta…..we overslept then had a lazy morning, and there was no time to actually cook anything, so I cheated. Oh, here we go.”

She found a stack of oversize plates in a cupboard, laying them out on the counter - trying not to blush as she shifted the stool out of her way - then she brought out the deli bags to start dishing up the food. Richie grabbed a bag and tore it open, unwrapping cheeses and laying them on a plate while Sara arranged a mixture of meats on another. Her artistic instincts took over, and she unconsciously made sure the plate contained a pleasing array of colour, only realising what she was doing when Jon came over and laughed.

“Sweetheart, we’re going to eat it, not admire it.”

“What?” She looked down at the plate, then blushed. “Oh. Sorry - guess I can’t help it!”

“Leave the girl alone.” Richie told Jon with a grin. “Not like you can talk about anyone being a perfectionist.”

“Yeah, okay. But let’s eat - I’m starving.”

They didn’t even bother going through to the dining room, but just grabbed the stools which sat around the counter and ate in the kitchen, the informality more intimate and friendly.

When they’d eaten as much of the rich meats and cheeses as they could face, Sara opened the box containing the chocolate torte, finding a knife in one of the drawers and cutting it into portions. She slanted her eyes wickedly at Jon as she wiped chocolate from the blade with a finger and licked it clean, and he shifted uncomfortably on his seat as he tried not to remember what had happened before. Serving portions of the thick, gooey torte onto plates, Sara opened the fridge again, taking out a small tub and popping the lid.

“I was going to get some whipped cream or something.” She explained as she laid down the tub. “But I saw this, and this is just so much better!”

“Clotted cream?” Jon read the lid, then looked into the tub. “I think it’s gone bad, darlin’ - it’s all crusted.”

“That’s how it’s supposed to be - the crust is the best part, according to the woman in Perranporth dairy. I just couldn’t believe the deli had it - it’s even the same type as they had in the dairy!”

Everybody tried a little, but none of them were as taken with the unique taste as Sara, and she decided that wasn’t entirely a bad thing - all the more for her.

After lunch, they decided to move across to the couches, but Jon and Sara lingered a little longer in the kitchen, Jon loading the dishwasher while Sara cleared away the debris and put some of the leftovers into the fridge.

“You know you’re going to pay for that little stunt with the chocolate torte, don’t you?” Jon said quietly, and Sara smirked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, baby.”

“Yeah, right.” His hand swept across her ass as he crossed to the counter again. “Hey - if you’d like, you could show Linda around - I know girls like all that stuff.”

“Are you sure? It’s your apartment, Jon.”

“I know, but I hope I get to see you spending a lot of time here, so I want you to look at it like - I don’t know - your second home?”

Sara tilted her head as she looked at him, happiness glowing in her eyes. “You mean that, don’t you?”

“Of course I do. I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t.”

“God, I love you.” She whispered, then walked away, leaving Jon grinning.

“Linda, would you like to see around the place?” Sara asked as she approached the other two, and the blonde woman looked at Richie, then nodded.

“That’d be nice, Sara.”

The two girls headed off to the dining room first, since it was closest, then Jon came across to sit with Richie. Sara showed Linda around the apartment, blushing a little when she noticed - for the first time - that there was a thick fur rug in the bedroom, in front of the fireplace, where she’d acquired the bruises on her back during the first visit to the apartment.

They both ended up in fits of giggles when Linda told Sara about the phone call that morning, with her three friends and Richie, and the mention of friends reminded Sara that she still hadn’t dealt with her own so-called friend, Kay. That could wait for now, though. Right now, all of Sara’s thoughts were occupied with Jon, even though she knew she should be sorting out the photographs for Practical Horseman, but she wanted to make the most of having him back right now. When they returned to the living room, tour completed, she sat down next to Jon while Linda sat by Richie.

“I didn’t notice before, the rug in the bedroom.” She said to Jon, and he smirked at her.

“Yeah, well, that floor’s pretty hard, so I thought a rug would be nice.”

After another hour or so, Richie and Linda said their goodbyes, and this time Sara had managed to find a business card, so she and Linda exchanged details so they could keep in touch, even when Richie wasn’t around. He was headed back out to LA in another day or so, and he gave Sara a tight, heartfelt hug as they left.

“I’m gonna miss you, Sara. My new little sister.”

Sara tightened her own arms around him. “I’ll miss you, too, Richie.”

“If you need anything - anything, Sara - you just call me, okay? If this asshole hurts you again, call me, and I’ll kick his ass for ya.” Richie grinned at Jon over Sara’s head as he spoke, laughing at Jon’s response.

“Bro - Sara’s more than capable of kicking my ass, trust me. I just have to make sure she doesn’t need to.”

Linda and Sara hugged, too, each promising to call the other over the next couple of days, and Sara made a mental note to make sure she did it - she guessed that, when Richie left, Linda would need somebody to keep her mind off missing him.

Jon and Sara walked the other two to the lift, and stood outside the apartment until Richie and Linda disappeared behind the closing doors. Standing behind Sara, Jon had his arms wound around her waist, and Sara leaned back into his hard body, feeling his hug tightening on her. She sighed wearily when his lips sought her neck, tilting her head away to let his mouth play on her skin.

“Know what I feel like?” She murmured, and Jon chuckled.

“Well, to me, you feel like a very sexy woman. You feel like I want to take you into my bed and make love to you all night long. You feel good, darlin’.”

Sara gave a soft moan, which turned to a chuckle. “Good answer, baby, but not quite what I was thinking.”

“And what were you thinking, then?”

“I was thinking that I feel like trying out that jacuzzi tub you have there. I feel like I want a long, hot………” Jon’s sexy chuckle broke through her words, and Sara giggled. “God, you’ve got a filthy mind! A long, hot bath, Jon!”

“Oh. It’s a start, I suppose.” He grinned. “At least, it gets you naked, so we’re on the right tracks.” He drew the tip of his tongue up the side of her neck until he reached her ear. “Let’s go, then.”

Back inside the apartment, Sara went to start filling the oversized round tub while Jon headed for the kitchen, pouring a glass of wine for himself, and a coke for Sara, bringing them back through to the tub. Sara was studying the controls for the jets, then she pressed a button and the water began swirling, soft lights glowing through the bubbles which shrouded the moulded interior of the tub.

“Probably not a good idea to add bubbles to that.” She said wistfully.

“Not unless you want to drown in them.” Jon agreed, and they headed back into the bedroom, stripping off their clothes and tossing them onto the bed in an untidy pile.

As Sara returned to the bathroom, Jon picked up a remote and switched on some music, the random selection picking out a Stones album, and he turned up the volume a few notches to overcome the sound of the jacuzzi, then followed Sara through. She was already immersed in the tub, her hair gathered into the knot on top of her head again, and Jon lowered himself into the water, sitting across the tub from her so they could both stretch their legs out.