Twenty-four

His brow lifted as a chuckle escaped him. She’d asked about the wig, of all the things she could have said she’d asked about the wig. He shook his head a moment and grinned at the promise of those words, his soulful brown eyes taking her in. His eyes narrowed at the overly bright gaze, the paleness of her cheeks and the almost bloodlessness of her lips. Instinct pushed him out of goofy and straight into protective mode. Wrapping her in a gentle hug his head dipped down as lips brushed against the pretty shell of her ear. “Ok what happened lil Darlin?”

She tilted her head up and for that moment forgot exactly who it was holding her and accepted the strength in the hug. “Work your ass off for someone, save the day at budget time and have your work land you on the unemployment line. They laid me off, can ya believe it? Not even any severance pay, budget too tight, just a fuckin’ I’m so sorry Miss. Waters.” She shook her head. “God, I don’t know what I’m going to do, jobs are so scarce and I just bought the new computer and ….” Her voice trailed off as she realized two things, she was spilling her woes to a very sexy Richie Sambora and he was holding her. Woah, wait a minute he was holding her?

She pulled back and dashed the tears from her eyes. “Sorry bout that, didn’t mean to weep all over you.”

He pulled her back into a hug and grinned. “Lesson one about real men Darlin; real men want to make things better if they can, and making it better starts with a hug.”

Her laughter huffed out against the slip of bare chest revealed by his never button shirt as he held her tight. “Many lessons on real men are there?”

He brushed his nose over the top of her head and inhaled her sweet scent as his voice rumbled out. “Darlin, I’m an education in and of itself.”

She pulled away reluctantly and moved to her desk. It wasn’t often a girl had someone like Richie comforting her, but she had a desk to clear out and plans to make, that is until his next words had her spinning back to look at him in wide-eyed amazement. “Say that again?”

He propped against the door and let his most winning smile free. “I said Come away with me Darlin.”

She couldn’t believe it. He’d come all this way and expected her to just run off with him? She shook her head, the want warring with the reality of her world. “You’re kidding me right?” She looked his way and forced down that irresponsible side that had her riding off into the sunset with the man of her dreams. She kept her hands busy packing her little box as she started talking. “Some of us aren’t rich, or rock stars. We have bills to pay and very little to pay it on. I have to find a new job, pay my rent and all that lovely stuff.” She took a deep breath and turned back to face him, her eyes moving back to meet his. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s probably every girls dream to have a knight in shining armor ride up to save the day, but it is NOT why I said I’d be your friend.”

He moved towards her, his large fingers taking her hands and pulling her in. “And that’s exactly why I want to help. You didn’t ask, you don’t expect it. And besides,” His brows waggled as a shit eating grin fleeted across his lips, “Isn’t that what friends do? They help each other.”

Well he had her there. That is what friends would do, not that she’d had many over her life that COULD do it. She didn’t get what was so special about her, or what she’d done to intrigue him. Azure eyes scanned his face and saw flickering deep within the brown of his eyes an interest that she’d never seen in any other guy before. “So tell me, what exactly does come away with you mean?”

He hefted the box and put it under one arm while pulling her into his body with the other. “It means what it means Linds. I’ll make sure you’re rent and all is covered and you’re gonna go adventuring with me in that nice big RV. Destination anywhere, but eventually LA.” He winced as she started laughing, “Ok Ok I could shoot Kidd for using that as his solo album.”

As he started walking her out she reached back to grab the bouquet, “Well ya know I’d be the stupidest woman on earth to turn that down.” She watched his eyes start to gleam and shook her head. “Woah boy, that don’t mean I’m agreeing to sleep with you. That’s just not on the agenda, at least at first. Too many women have just lain down for you over the years. I won’t be one of those.”

He stopped and looked down into her sparkling blue eyes and smirked. “Darlin, anything worth having is worth working for. Doesn’t mean I won’t try to change your mind. Question is are you up to the challenge?”

She took one look at him and started to laugh. Was she up to the challenge? You bet your sweet bippy she was. She waved at Glenda as they stepped through the Township Hall Foyer and took a deep breath as he opened the door to the RV. Turning to look at what had been her work home for the last five years she smiled. Well good bye job, good bye past and hello unknown future.

Turning to Richie she nodded her thanks as he opened the door for her. Slipping into the passenger seat, she watched as he headed around the front of the RV. She had a feeling the next few days were gonna be the challenge of her life, a challenge she had dreamed of and at times prayed for, and it had come true. Was she up to the challenge? Damn straight she was. Richie would never know what hit him. It was time to give him a taste of what a real woman was all about.