Chapter 25

As they sat in the back Gail ran her hand down Richie’s hard thigh, making circles on it like she had earlier, he took that wandering hand, threaded his fingers through it kissed it again and held it on his lap. ‘Keep playin darlin and the drivers going to get an eyeful, just wait a lil.’

She huffed but grinned and they sat fingers stroking fingers till the taxi slammed to a halt in just over six minutes, Richie tipped him the hundred anyway, got out, unloading the bags and Gail, and then stood looking at the wrought iron gates in front of him.

The house was set well back from the road; it was a huge Victorian house. ‘Wow you own this?’ His passion put on the back burner for a minute! He knew she said she had money but not this much!

‘Yeah, Santa thought I’d been a good girl.’ She laughed; she could see he was impressed. ‘I used to see this house when I walked passed it each day when I started out, I always said I’d buy it one day. And voila I did about eight years ago, it had been run down and I fixed it up, it’s my refuge, my home.’

He grinned, ‘So you like the place then?’

‘A little.’ She walked to the wall and flipped open a panel, if you didn’t know it was there, you never would. A pin pad sat there and Richie being nosy crowded her, if he knew the code, he could get to her anytime, a smirk crossed his beautiful mouth.

Gail took a breath; with him standing right behind her, her brain was short circuiting a little, damn he only had to be near her for her to want to rip his clothes off! She punched in the code and the gates silently opened, she grabbed her bags and turned, bouncing off Richie! He was frowning and looking at the pin pad as something was bugging him.

‘What?’ She asked she’d got an inkling why he couldn’t get it.

He looked at her and then the pad, ‘What number did you punch in?’

‘One-one-zero-seven-five-nine.’ She bit the inside of her mouth to keep from laughing at his confused look. The gate swung closed again, neither of them noticing.

She knew the moment it sank in and he’d turned the numbers about, his grin lit up his face, he leant down and wrapping his arms about her, bags and all, pulled her to him and kissed her; after a second his lips bussed hers once more and she looked into laughing chocolate playful puppy brown eyes, ‘Well darlin, I don’t think even I could forget that number.’

Gail blushed, ‘Yeah took you a while to realise it was your birthday didn’t it.’ She laughed and snuggled into him, loving the feel of his arms tight about her.

‘Well you English, have to change the damn numbers about!’ He sniffed loudly, she jabbed him in the ribs making his laugh. Then his chest puffed out, ‘You used my birthday, wait till I tell Jonny boy.’ He turned her to take her through the gates, laughed, leant passed her, opened the box punched the numbers in and the gate opened again, he ushered Gail through and keeping his arm about her walked her up the long drive way.

‘Honey, don’t get big headed, most Jovi girls use their favs birthday numbers for all sorts of things, its common.’

‘I am not common! I’m very special!’ He sniffed and looked affronted again.

Gail took the keys from her bag and unlocked the massive, daunting door, he looked disappointed it didn’t squeak and groan open, ‘Yes Richie, you are very special, and not in a good way!’ She scooted over the doorstep and into the house.

His stunned look turned into a fierce scowl and he growled deep in his throat, Gail took off running towards the back of the house as he crashed through the door, ‘Not nice lady, you’re gonna pay for that one!’

He stopped and looked about the massive entrance, which opened into a grand foyer. Two staircases rose from either side, meeting at the top. He glanced about for her, she’d gone, he grinned, he liked to stalk his prey sometimes. He dumped the bags and listened.

He heard her dirty laugh, ‘Gotta find me first before you can make me pay Richie love.’ His head whipped from side to side, which way, it sounded like it came from everywhere at once. Richie love huh, he thought, not as bad as it could have been, he laughed loudly and took off to the right, damn this place was huge.