9.

9.

The party geared up with kids splashing in the pool and all the Jovi men kidding and trying to out do each other with how many burgers they could scarf down before the end of party. Lindsay watched and tried to not laugh, Richie and David alone had both taken in at least eight burgers each, and at this point Richie was getting that man I’m gonna hurl if I see hamburgers again look. David on the other hand was grinning and reaching for his ninth. She knew Richie hated to lose, especially against the Joker, so she leaned over and whispered into Richie’s ear. He snorted and twisted away from her, his hand delving into his pocket.

David’s cell rang and he excused himself a moment to answer. As he turned his back Lindsay quickly slid a few jalapeno peppers into his burger then slid all glasses, bottles and drinks away from his place setting. Quickly turning to wrap her arms around Richie she bit her lip and tried to not laugh.

Richie chuckled and pulled her onto his lap, grinning as the sudden shifting onto his lap had her shivering. He casually brushed against the side of her breath and damn near laughed when her breathing hitched.

Leaning into him she brushed lips over his ear and whispered, “If you eat that you’re gonna be too full to move and all this teasing won’t mean a thing.”

His brow flicked upwards as a wicked grin spread over his lips and made his dark brown eyes gleam. “Not on your fuckin’ life Darlin.”

David snapped his phone closed and settled back into the picnic table, his eyes catching each bump of the lips and brush of the hands going on between Richie and Linds. He cocked a brow before lifting his burger and snorted out, “I’m so gonna win this one Sambora, you’re too busy getting the girl.”

Richie glanced over at his friend and laughed, “Already got the girl, already won, but try your damnedest Joker.”

David bit into his burger and chewed happily. “I’ll finish before you ever get a chance too jackass. I always win at eating contests!” As he swallowed his face paled and he stood, grabbing for anything that would calm the fire that had started in his mouth. Oddly all the drinks that had been next to his plate had gone missing, and as he stood there waving his hand everyone started to laugh. “Man I’m dying here! What the Fuck? Come on help me here.”

Linds grinned and slipped from Richie’s lap only to pick up the cooler of half melted ice. Making sure it was empty of anything other than ice she walked over to David and grinned. “Hot are we? Need help?” Lifting the cooler she tipped it downwards, she started to laugh as David stiffened with the outpouring of frigid icy water.

David sputtered as the table erupted into guffaws. “Man that’s just priceless, See I always knew he was all wet,” washed over David’s ears as he turned on Linds, his curly hair dangling nearly straight from the water, his clothes plastered to his lean form. Reaching into the waist of his pants he dug out the few slivers of ice that had made it through and advanced on Linds. “Why I oughta!!”

She winked at David, her voice going all soft and silky, “You outta what Curly?”

David scooped her up suddenly and dashed for this pool. “This!” He roared as he swung out and tossed her into the pool. “That’ll teach ya for peppering my freaking burger Missy!”

Linds felt it the moment he started to run. He was gonna douse her and think it was funny, well he’d see damn him. No one threw Lindsay Waters into a pool and laughed about it. Just as she flew she grabbed onto a deep breath and let herself settle slowly to the bottom of the pool. Idiots didn’t know she was a swimmer, and damned good at holding her breath.

David leaned into the pool, his blue eyes going wide when Lindsay didn’t surface. “Fuck I didn’t throw her THAT hard.”

Richie stood and quickly walked to the stand beside David, his dark eyes shadowing in worry. “What the fuck did you do? WHERE is she?”

David leaned back, the look in Richie’s eyes not boding well for his well being. “Well fuck she peppered my burger, dumped ice water on me so I threw her in the pool. You saw me man, it was an easy toss; she couldn’t have gotten hurt.”

Jon came up quickly his blue eyes scanning the water. “Ok you two stand there, I’ll save the babe.” He jumped into the pool, diving low his eyes widening as Linds winked at him from the bottom of the pool. Well fuck him silly; she was pranking BOTH of the men now. Goddamn if she wasn’t the perfect woman for Richie, there was no doubt about it now. His appreciation grew as he wrapped arms around her and felt her go limp in his arms. She was gonna play this for all it was worth, and man it felt good to be in on the joke.

He kicked for the surface, her body limp in his arms. Man he wanted to laugh so badly, but forced it down as he lifted her supposedly unconscious form into the waiting arms of Richie. “She musta hit her head man, I can’t... she was just lying down at the bottom of the pool.” He pulled on every piece of acting ability he had as he pulled himself from the pool. Jon glanced at David and shook his head as David went pale. Turning to Richie he nearly lost it as his friend growled, “Goddammit Bryan if you’ve killed my woman ….”

He left the threat unnamed as leaned over Linds tilting her head back as he frantically tried to remember his CPR. “Dammit baby, come on wake up here, it was just a LITTLE water!”

His finger brushed over her lips before pressing against them, ready to breathe for her only to feel her tongue flicker against his lips. Cracking one eye open he saw her wink as she deepened the kiss. Fuck, she’d got him too, the minx.

Her arms slid up around his neck as she whimpered softly, the soft sound turning into a strangled laugh as Richie bolted back. Sitting up she glanced over at David and grinned. “And that’s what you get for trying to dunk me.”

David’s heart jolted back into rhythm as a gleam of pure appreciation filtered into his gaze. “Well fuck, I’ve been outdone.”

Richie pushed to his feet only to lean back over and scoop the naughty Lindsay up and onto his shoulder. Clapping a hand over her drenched butt he turned and started to the house muttering, “That deserves a little payback Sambora style.”

Jon shook his head as Lind’s fingers waggled in goodbye. “You know that’s the last we’ll see of them today right?”

David started to laugh, “That may be the last we see of them before the end of fall man. I do think Sambora has it bad.”

Jon and Tico started to laugh as they nodded in agreement. “Bout damned time too.”