Chapter 123

The ride to the hotel was quiet; Richie and Jesse were both exhausted from their day and Ava was busy texting her friends.  Jesse was tucked against Richie, her head on his shoulder as he gently stroked her arm. 

At the hotel, Ava gave them both a kiss and said good-night leaving them alone.  Richie wrapped his arms around Jesse and gave her a kiss.  "Ready for bed, my sweet addiction?"

"Ummm, I promised to give you your present when we got here," she replied closing her eyes and and resting her head on his chest.  She could hear his heartbeat, a soothing sound that was lulling her to sleep as she stood in his arms.

"I've got my present right here in my arms but I need a shower.  Why don't you go get ready for bed?"

"Want company?"

"I'd love company but not tonight.  I want you in bed."

"Geez!" she moaned playfully looking up at him.  "Just LIKE a rocker....ALWAYS trying to get a woman into bed."

"Uh huh!" he smirked.  "Come on, Miss James...YOU need your rest, and I seem to recall you have TWO presents for me."

"I do," she purred as he started walking her towards their bedroom.

"Get ready then while I get my shower."

In their room, Jesse gave Richie a kiss as she said, "Don't be long."

"I won't."

Jesse watched as he stripped down and headed to the bathroom before going to her bag and getting the gift she'd bought him.  She set it on his side of the bed before going back to get her nightgown.  It had been a gift from Dorothea at the shower her friends had thrown and she was loved it.  Ready, she couldn't resist the call of the cool sheets and slipped into them.  She'd been up for almost 36 hours with only a couple quick naps and her body was screaming at her.  She hadn't said anything to Richie because she knew he already knew.

Nestled in the bed, she closed her eyes as she took in his scent on her pillow.  In her mind's eye, she could see Richie clutching it to his chest wishing it were her.  Before she realized it, she was sound asleep.

Richie emerged from the bathroom with a towel around his waist as he dried his hair with the other.  He started to speak to her but quickly realized she was already in their bed asleep.  Moving to her, he reached down to brush her hair back and gave her a kiss.

"You were exhausted, weren't you?" he said quietly as he pulled the covers over her.

He'd seen the gift and decided to look at it while he got a drink.  Going back to the bathroom, he pulled on his robe and slippers then headed out to the bar in the living room of the suite grabbing the gift as he went.  First things first...he needed to go check on Ava.  That done, he fixed himself a drink and took a seat on the couch to open the bag Jesse had left him.  The first thing he found was a note which he read.

"I hope you'll like what I found for you.  You mean the world to me, Richie, and I don't know what I'd do if you weren't in my life."

To the empty room, he said, "You mean the world to me too, Jesse."

The first thing was a green velvet box.   Opening it, he found a silver necklace with a medal.  He fingered the medal to see that it was St. Cecilia, the Patron Saint of Musicians and Singers.  On the back, he found 'To My Favorite Musician'.     He slipped it on and reached into find four T-shirts, each with a number on them and a note telling him to look at them in order.  The first - 'Dad To Be'; the second - 'The Man Behind the Belly'; the third - '"DADDY - Damn, Another Dirty Diaper...Yuck'; the fourth, 'Kick Ass Dad'.  He loved all four of them and the second and third one got a laugh out of him.  He carefully folded them and put them back in the bag then finished his drink.  He needed to have Jesse in his arms. 

Turning off the lights, he headed back to the bedroom and slid into bed with Jesse.  He gathered her in his arms and placed a kiss on her shoulder. "My sweet addiction," he whispered.  "You will NEVER be away from me like that again."

Chapter 124        Index