THREE: Cabs are for Sissies

Tessa unloaded an armful of, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, into the front display on her way out the door. She'd wrangled in an old employee that was home for the holidays with a rather large bribe. But it was worth it to make sure she had an evening with Jon. Even if she had to listen to the droning speeches of the politicians that came with the evening out.

She sprinted down the street. She only had an hour to get ready and finding a cab would take too much of that precious time. Dust in her hair from crawling around in the stock room thanks to Joe's defection had not been on the schedule. Disgusted that she was winded before she'd gotten three blocks, she waved at their doorman and slapped her palm on the new security system. For a man who hated technology, Jon certainly liked to own lots of gadgets when it came to the penthouse.

Skidding into the foyer, she flipped off her boots. She hopped on one foot to get the last one off and shimmied out of her black jeans. She'd stared out cute but gave up around lunchtime and changed into her wear and tear clothes.  Another sprint up the stairs and she slammed into a very warm, very naked chest.

Both of them hit the hardwood floor with a thud, her cheek pressed to the soft trail of hair that disappeared under the loosened towel. "Well, if you wanted a little something before the gala all you had to do was ask."

She crawled up and over him, squealing when he nipped at her inner thigh on the way over his head. "I don't have time for you at the moment."

He caught her foot and dragged her back. "I bet you do."

Laughing despite her rushing, she let him rolled her onto her back. Caged by  impressively bulging biceps, she got distracted. Mercy, there were benefits when Jon was bored. The man upped his training sessions with delightful results.

They'd been doing the half clothes on, kill the itch sex for the last few weeks that she hadn't actually seen him naked except in passing. She nuzzled her nose against the quivering skin over sinewy tendons and groaned. "I don't have time."

"We can be fashionably late."

She hooked a leg around his hip and moaned as his towel slid away. He flicked his tongue over the sensitive skin behind her ear. "I love when I got to one of these stuffy things and can still smell you on my skin."

"Christ, that's not fair."

He laughed and hooked clever fingers into the serviceable cotton panties that had already been stretched to their limit once that day. He dragged them down her thighs and heard the pop of his knee and the growling litany of , "Fucking piece of fuck."

Her leg slipped away. "We are too old to be screwing on the hardwood floor."

"No," he growled and slid the tip of his cock over her slick opening. "We are not."

Lifting her hips in surprise, she took every inch of him. The angle was crazy effective and her eyes flew open as his hips twisted and rolled against her. The instant friction pushed her from exhausted and rushed into the warm melting pot of love and pleasure that this man invariably created. She stared up at him, the intensity in his gaze kicked her up another notch into the edge of bliss.

She dragged his mouth down to hers. The kiss was carnal and overwhelming. There was a bit of anger in the thrust of his tongue and where they were joined, but it only added to the excitement of the moment. She closed herself around him from thigh to neck and took every bit of passion he laid into her.

Rolling them, she flipped her shirt off and straddled him. He reared up, the muscles of his belly flexed and she couldn't stop herself from ticking down each abdominal muscle. "God, I love when you're bored."

He laughed and released the hook of her bra throwing it over his head. "What?"

She raked her nails over his chest and traced the firm wall of muscle that made up his pec, tweaking over his nipples. "You do like a million incline sit ups and weights." She did her own twisting glide around his shaft and he groaned in response.

"I'll do a million sit ups if you keep doing tha--fuck."

She grinned and did it again, his crystal blue eyes widening. The lock and key that defined them in times like this clicked and the friction hit just right. Her smile slid away as he gripped her hips and pounded into her.

"Come," he growled. "Now, Tessa. I'm on the edge here and I can't leave you behind."

She drew herself into tighter circles around him and he sat up, his arms around her shoulders as his lips slanted over hers. An almost punishing grip on her hair as he drew her head back so he could get to her neck and all the last bits of control snapped. She screamed out his name, God's name, even a few curses as her body shivered and trembled from the force of the orgasm.

He pulsed inside her, his hips jerking against her in relief. His kisses gentled as he held her tighter as his breath slowed and hers followed suit. "Tessa mine," he mumbled into her ear.

She smiled, dragging her fingers through his still wet hair and winced as all the aches and pains and twinges came alive again. "Ow."

He drew back, dropping to the floor with his own groan. "I'm going to pay for that in so many ways tonight."

She leaned back and laughed at the scrapes on her knees. "And I have to pick a new dress. I've got some road rash."

He looked up and then down at her knees. "Shit, babe, I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry." She crawled up his chest and brushed her lips over his. "I'll find something that I can wear black stockings with." Standing with only a few twinges, she looked down at her husband. "You might smell a little too much like me and not in a good way. Shower?"

He waggled his eyebrows. "Shower."

Twenty minutes later she had her head upside down and the drier going full blast. Jon was on the damn phone as always and already had his tux on. It so wasn't fair that he could get ready in ten minutes and it took at least forty for her. She turned off the hairdryer.

"What do you mean you're stuck in midtown?"

She peeked out from the bathroom. "Problem?"

Jon held his phone against his chest. "Henry's trapped in construction traffic and some fucking release party on Broadway."

"So, I shouldn't wear my five inch stilettos?"

He groaned and put the phone to his ear again. "Do you have a backup?"

She grinned and twisted her still damp hair up into a twist with pins and a flashy clip. She highlighted her eyes with a little Christmas flash and a bold line of black liner and coated her lashes. Moving to her walk in closet she snapped hangers until she found the red and black dress. It was backless to make up for the long hemline.

"So, we--damn."

She turned, smoothing the dress down over her hips until it swung to mid-calf. It was deceptively well made thanks to her favorite SoHo designer. And made specifically for her.

He brushed his knuckle down her naked back. "Christ, you're beautiful."

"Daria strikes again."

Jon pressed a kiss at her nape. "She's worth every fucking penny."

"So, am I wearing my three or my fives?"

He moaned. "We're going to have to find a fucking cab."

"So, the threes."

His chin dropped to his chest and he pouted. "Yeah."

Normally she would have done a grin-and-bear-it but not after the day she'd had and their little hallway excursion. She stood before her shoes and noticed the tiny pink drawstring bag. "It hasn't snowed or rained in the last few days has it?"

"No, why?"

She snatched the little bag and tucked it into her bag. "Looks like you get your wish." She pulled down the wicked platform heels with the peep-toes down from the clear box that let her see all her shoes. She held onto his shoulder as she stepped into them. They were nearly the same height now.

He looked down, his gaze heated. "I'm a dead man."

She laughed. She loved that she could still rile that man up. She swirled her wool shrug on and slid her hand into his. "Let's do this."

Finding a cab turned into a debacle. They were far too close to Christmas and the pedestrian traffic was out of control. By the fourth block she switched out her heels for the little black flats that had been the best invention since the push up bra.

Jon tried to hail another cab, his tension level increasing with each passing yellow car. They headed up town and were willing to use a gypsy cab if need be, but they couldn't even find one of those.

She spotted a Jonnie cab as the shrill whistles of their unique language filled the air and competed for the most annoying sound in the city. Three of them descended upon their corner but it was the slick smile of an indiscriminately dark skinned boy that could be fifteen or twenty that won the race. There was knowledge in his dark eyes and a ready smile that was all charm.

"Come, I take you where you need to go."

Jon waved him by. "That's okay buddy, we'll find a cab."

The kid looked over his shoulder as four cabs flew by at breakneck speed. Then back at them. "Come one. I'm safe and I'm fast as lightning."

Tessa stepped closer to the bike. "How fast."

"Tessa."

She slid her hand into his. "C'mon. I haven't been on one of these things since I was first in the city."

Jon shook his head. "And get killed in traffic? No thanks."

"C'mon, where's your sense  of adventure?"

"Sitting in midtown with all the other A-listers."

"Snob."

Jon scowled at her.

"What's your name?"

"Eddie."

Tessa stepped away from Jon and took Eddie's hand. "I'm going with Eddie." She looked down at the high step and her tight skirt and hiked it up a few inches.

"Jesus, Tessa."

"Pussy." She smirked over her shoulder. 

Eddie laughed and lifted her into the little yellow seat with the plastic hood. She yelped at the wiry muscles and found herself deposited gently into the surprisingly comfortable bench seat.

Jon swore and unbuttoned his tux jacket.  "If we get maimed it's your fault." Nimbly, he climbed in next to her. She leaned forward until he stretched his arm along her back.

"All set?" Eddie asked.

Tessa grinned and settled into Jon with her heels in her lap. "And we're off."