Chapter 34

Richie woke before Faith the next morning and he decided to let her sleep. Downstairs, he got a pot of coffee started and he wandered into his "music room". He was sitting on the sofa noodling around on one of his guitars when Faith wandered in. She sat down on the couch next to him and nudged him with her shoulder. "Hey." He smiled down at her, "hey yourself." "How long you been up?" He ran a hand over the whiskers on his chin, "long enough to make coffee." Looking at her Richie could still see the shadows under eyes. "You could have slept longer though." Faith shook her head, "no I couldn't." "You don't have to work today do you?" Richie was sure she had the day off. "No, I have the day off for the holiday." He put the guitar down, "well then why are you up?" "Because you are." He put his arm around her and hugged her. They sat quietly together, both knowing that in a few short hours they would be heading their separate ways again. Laying her head against his chest Faith listened to his steady heartbeat. She looked over at the guitar and then up at him, "Richie?" He ran his fingers up and down her arm as he looked down at her, "what baby?" "Play something for me?"

He thought about it for a minute before shifting her off of him and picking up his guitar. "What would you like to hear?" Faith shrugged her shoulders, "surprise me." Richie strummed as he thought. Finally, when he started playing, Faith watched, not believing what she was hearing.

It's hard to remember a time
When I didn't have you when I didn't have nothing
But a cold bed to come to at night

That was all I knew until there was you
And then you took my world and turned it all around
I couldn't live without you now

Baby, if I can't have your love
If I can't feel your touch I got nothing
Baby, if I can't taste your kiss then I don't exist
I got nothing
No I can't imagine living life without you
I can't imagine living life without your love

I wake up with you by my side
Can't let go,
I can't even bear the thought of you in another man's eyes
I would lose control,
I would die
'Cause now you're in my heart and I can't let you out
I gotta keep you here somehow

Baby, if I can't have your love
If I can't feel your touch I got nothing
Baby, if I can't taste your kiss then I don't exist
I got nothingIf I can't be your man,
I wouldn't know who I am
I got nothingI got nothing

No, I can't imagine living life without you
I can't imagine living life without your love
'Cause I can't imagine living life without you
Can't imagine living life without your love

Believe me baby I don't mean to doubt you
But if you ever leave, that would be the end of me, baby

Baby, if I can't feel your touch I got nothing
Baby, if I can't taste your kiss then I don't exist
I got nothing I got nothing

If I can't be your man,
I wouldn't know who I am
I'd be nothing

Baby, if I can't have your love
If I can't feel your touch I got nothing
No, I can't imagine living life without you

Richie set the guitar aside when he was finished. That was the first time he had played that song in a long time. He had written it for Heather and when they split it just cost him too much emotionally to play, until today. When he turned to Faith she threw her arms around him and hugged him hard. "Thank you. That was amazing." He hugged her back and kissed her head, "anything for you darlin'". Richie pulled back so he could see her face, "Faith, do you have any vacation time you could take?" He wanted her to come with him or come see him. He didn't want to leave her behind this time.

"I do get vacation. Why?" Richie took her hand, "If you could arrange it, I'd like you to come with me." Faith tried to keep her face blank as she answered, she didn't want to lie to him, but she didn't want to spoil the surprise she was working on for his birthday either. "I would love to come, but I can't just take time off like that. Besides, I have that doctor appointment this week and what would I do with Hannah?" Richie sighed his disappointment. He knew she was right, but dammit, he didn't want to be alone on his birthday. "What about next week, could you come then?" Again, Faith had to put her game face on, "I don't know. I would have to make arrangements for Hannah and check things at work." Richie seemed pacified by that answer. "You do what you can and let me know. I will make what ever arrangements you need to get you to me." Faith nodded her head, "I will."

Faith dragged Richie from the music room and into the kitchen, bribing him with french toast. After gorging themselves, they sat sipping their coffee and talking what lay ahead of them for that day. Richie needed to pack then he was picking up Ava later for dinner. Faith had to get her things together and be home by dinnertime to get Hannah.

As they took their dishes to the sink Richie turned to Faith, "why don't you and Hannah come to dinner with me and Ava?" Faith set her things in the sink, "I don't want to infringe on your father/daughter time with Ava." He took her hand, "you're not infringing, I invited you to join us. If I didn't want you there I wouldn't have asked you." She smiled at him, "well since you put it that way, what time should we be ready?" "We will pick you up at 7."

They spent the rest of the day getting Richie packed and ready to go. His stage clothes he didn't have to work about, it was just the everyday things he needed to take care of.

Faith had left Richie to pack and was enjoying a little quiet time by the pool. She hadn't had any dizziness that day and wondered if Richie was right, maybe she just needed to slow down some. Either way, she was still going to her appointment. She couldn't mess around, who would look after Hannah if anything happened to her? Sure, Ms. Betty would do what she could, but Hannah needed her mother. Faith sighed, I'm making more out of this than I need to. She glanced at her watch, it was getting late and she still needed to shower.

Climbing the stairs she wondered what Richie was doing. She hadn't seen him in a while. As she got closer to the bedroom she heard the shower running. Faith smiled to herself, stripped off her bikini and padded toward the bathroom. She stopped and just watched him for a minute. He was truly a beautiful man. He was shampooing all that wonderful dark hair and had his eyes closed. When he tipped his head back to rinse Faith stepped in the shower and dropped to her knees in front of him. She dragged her hands up the length of his legs, followed by her tongue.

Richie smiled when he felt her hands on him. "Hey baby." Faith didn't answer, she continued to tease him, pressing open mouthed kisses on his stomach, running her tongue down the crease of his thighs, her mouth was everywhere but where he wanted it to be. When she laved her tongue over first one of his balls and then the other, he put a hand to the wall to steady himself. When Faith finally ran her tongue up and down the length of him she was rewarded with his sharp intake of breath. "Faith, please" he begged. She looked up at him, meeting his gaze she flicked her tongue across the tip and slid the length of him into her mouth. His eyes slammed shut at the intense pleasure of her mouth on him. She moved her head, letting him slide almost all the way out of her mouth, letting her tongue swirl around the tip before taking him deep again. "Fuck" he groaned.

As she continued her sweet torture Richie's free hand threaded into her hair and his hips moved with every glide of her mouth. He started to tense and she could tell he was just about there, with her hands on his hips she sucked hard as she took him deep. "Faith... I'm gonna... Fuck!" he cried out as he emptied himself into her mouth. Faith took all he gave her and, when he had gone soft she rested her head against his thigh.

When he had pulled himself together, Richie pulled Faith up from her knees and hugged her close. "Tell me what I did to deserve that. I need to remember it so I can do it again." Faith smiled at him, "let's just call it a going away gift. I love you." He kissed her softly, "I love you too darlin'."

He turned her so her back was to the shower and the water was cascading over her, "close your eyes." Faith raised an eyebrow at him, "what are you up to?" "Trust me, just close your eyes." She complied and Richie grabbed the shampoo and worked the lather throught her dark tresses, massaging her scalp in the process. "God Richie, that feels good." He tipped her head back and rinsed the suds out and then put the conditioner on. He then reached for her scented shower wash. Glancing at the bottle he noted the fragrance, vanilla spice. I'll have to remember that he thought. He worked the lather in his hands and then, starting at her shoulders, lightly massaged first one arm then the other. He turned her to work the lather down her back and over her butt. Turning her to face him again he ran his hands lightly over her breasts, working in circles until he got to the tips. He teased them with his fingers and then slid his hands down across the flat of her stomach. Faith thougth she might explode if he didn't touch her soon. "Richie, please." He just chuckled and continued on.

He crouched in front of her, taking one leg and running his hands lightly up to her hip. He slid his hand to the inside of her thigh, pausing before letting it slip back down to her foot. He did the same on the other leg. He looked up at her, he could see that she was panting now. "Okay baby?" She nodded her head and waited. He didn't touch her yet. Instead he stood and made sure all the soap was rinsed off and then turned her to lean against the wall. Once again he dropped down and spread her legs. With his hands on her the thighs he opened her and tasted her. She was so ready that the orgasm flashed through her like wild fire. "Richie!" she screamed. He continued teasing her clit and then fucking her with his tongue. When the second rush came over her Faith had all she could do to stay standing. Richie stood and cradled her against him as the tremors slowly subsided. He turned his face to the spray to wash her from his face and Faith reached up and kissed him. "Will you wash me like that every day?" He smiled and kissed her, "anything you want baby."

After they were finally dressed Faith met Richie downstairs. "I have to go, Hannah will be back soon." He grabbed her bag and walked her to her car. "Don't forget, we'll be by at 7." She kissed him, "we'll be ready."

Faith got home just a few minutes before Hannah. "Mom" she came tearing in the house looking for Faith. Faith came around the corner from the kitchen and caught Hannah in a hug. "Hi baby did you have a good time?" Hannah didn't stop talking for a good 10 minutes. Faith finally had to put her hand over Hannah's mouth "okay, okay I get it, you had the best time. But now you need to take your stuff to your room and get cleaned up. We are going out to dinner." Hannah grabbed her bag, "where are we going?" Faith shrugged her shoulders "I don't know honey, we are going with Richie and Ava and he didn't tell me where." Hannah took off for her room, "I'll be ready quick as a wink." Faith just sat down on the couch and laughed.

Richie took them to dinner at a not so quiet family type restaurant. He knew the owner and generally had no trouble with fans when he took Ava there. The girls chatted nonstop through dinner, having to be told more than once to stop talking and eat. Faith and Richie talked around the girls and it was all too soon that they were heading back to Faith's house. He walked up the step with Faith and she let Hannah into the house. He turned her to him, "I'll call you when I can." She nodded her head "I know you will. Be safe and have fun." He leaned down and placed his lips on hers, then placed light kisses across her cheek until she felt his warm breath at her ear. "I'll miss you darlin." She swallowed the lump that was forming, "I'll miss you too." He captured her mouth with his and kissed her breathless. He dragged his mouth from hers "I love you Faith. I'll see you soon." She kissed him once more "I love you too Richie. See you when you get back."