Chapter 29

Faith had never been so glad to see anyone. Richie pulled her closer, held her tighter; then his mouth found hers. Two weeks had never seemed so long to him before. After several hungry kisses he pulled his mouth from hers, "you are a sight for sore eyes darlin'."

Faith laughed, knowing what she must look like after working in the yard, "well I am a sight that I'm sure of." He kissed her again, his hands roaming over her, sliding under her tank top. He needed to touch her, to feel her, to taste her.

Faith let her own hands roam over him, touching him as if for the first time. "Richie" his mouth kept moving over her. "Richie" she tried again. "Hmm, what?" He managed between kisses. Faith pulled her head back to look at him, "what are you doing here today? You told me you weren't coming back until tomorrow." His hands continued to roam as she talked. He groaned as he discovered she wasn't wearing a bra. "I didn't want to wait so I came back early." His hand covered her breast as he finished speaking. "Thank God" Faith breathed out before Richie claimed her lips again.

Richie's hands and lips played over Faith as he lowered her to the ground. He pulled his mouth from her long enough to ask "where's Hannah?" Faith tried to focus on him through the need that was thrumming through her. "She's at her friend's house, for the next few days." Richie's only answer was to ravage her mouth again. He continued his assault on her, driving her ever closer to that precarious edge. His hands moved down her body, sliding her shorts down. Her hands cupped him through his jeans, then the button popped and the zipper released. "Now, Richie" she all but begged, "now." He was over her and in her before the words were fully out of her mouth. He drove into her with all the frustration of the past two weeks. He pushed them to the edge and over, calling her name before he collapsed on top of her.

As the haze cleared, Richie moved off Faith and she dragged her shorts back on, fully realizing that they were still in her backyard. She looked over at Richie, "welcome home." He smiled at her as he readjusted himself. "I didn't mean for that to happen out here. I just couldn't help myself." Faith leaned over and kissed his cheek, "I didn't mind, but I probably have grass stains on my ass now." He laughed and pulled her close. "God it's good to see you." He kissed her once again and then stood, holding his hand out for her. "Maybe we should go inside?" She reached up and took his hand, letting him help her up. As she stood a wave of dizziness washed over her and she stumbled. Richie steadied her, "are you all right?"

Faith closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, the stars had stopped dancing in front of them and she felt a bit steadier on her feet. She looked at Richie, "I'm fine. Just a bit over-excited I think." That had never happened to her before, but she didn't want to dwell on that right now. "Come on, let's go in and get some lemonade and you can tell me all about your trip."

They sat at her table, both glancing at the chair that they had christened just days earlier and drank the lemonade and talked about the last two weeks. "Faith" Richie started, "did you say Hannah was away for a few days?" Faith drained her glass, "yes, she is with a friend until the Fourth." Richie was glad to hear that. "Will you come home with me tonight and stay until then?" She didn't need to think about that. "I'd like that, but I do have to work you know." "That's okay, you can just come and go from my house." Faith nodded at him. "Okay, let me just get a few things together."

Richie followed her to her room, "I should probably warn you, the guys will be there at some point tonight." Faith stopped in her tracks, "what do you mean, 'the guys'? "Come on Faith, the guys, Jon, Dave, Tico, you know, the guys." She had thought they would be alone. Richie sensed her hesitation. "Listen, they will only be there overnight, leaving sometime tomorrow. That's how we always travel, instead of doing the whole long flight from Japan to New Jersey in one shot, we break it up over two days. It is just easier on us that way." Faith could understand that. "I have just one question though." "What's that?" "Do I have to cook for all of you?" Richie laughed and crossed the room to her, taking her in his arms, "only if you want to darlin', only if you want to."