Richie led the way out of the hotel with Jon holding Amanda’s hand. She felt a little better as she had made it through the lobby and outside without anyone seeming to see her. They took a taxi in the queue and were taken to Dublin Castle. As they walked around, Amanda was looking avidly at the brochure provided, learning that the castle had first been started in 1204 and completed by 1230.
It was built in typical Norman courtyard design, with a central square devoid of a keep, bounded on all sides by tall defensive walls and protected at each corner by a circular tower. She was even more surprised to learn that no trace of medieval buildings remain above ground level today, with the exception of the giant Record Tower dating from c. 1228-1230, the sole surviving tower of the original fortification: its battlements an early 19th century addition.
They spent several hours looking through historically rebuilt rooms and underground areas that were in the public domain. Richie and Jon seemed to be having as good a time as she was and she realized again that they didn’t often get to just stop and have some fun when they toured. Neither man left her side and although she didn’t realize it, both used themselves to shield her from any prying eyes that were turned in her direction.
When they had finished, all three realized they were starving and caught another taxi to a local tavern. Richie and Jon had pints of beer, while Amanda stuck with soda. At the tavern she was able to remove the glasses and hat as she was facing a wall in an end booth. She didn’t get any stares at the castle, but in truth was enjoying herself too much to notice if she had.
When the waitress came to take their food order though, Amanda turned and the woman gasped. She quickly turned her head away and gave Jon her order. The woman turned to the two men and glared at them. Holding his hands up, Richie smiled at her.
“It wasn’t us. I swear.”
The woman squinted at him a little, but seemed to accept that and took their orders. Amanda turned at Richie’s voice and saw the glare on the woman’s face recede a little. She had reached for her glasses and hat again to put them on. Jon stopped her.
“Honey, she already saw. Just relax and eat.” Grimacing a little, she nodded at him.
“Okay, but let me take the sunglasses for the ladies’ room.” She grabbed them and moved toward the back of the tavern. She caught sight of their server just before she entered and went over to the woman.
“Excuse me, ma’am?” The woman turned to her. “Neither of those men are the one who did this. One of them is my boyfriend and the other my very good friend.”
Smiling at her now, the woman nodded. “Thanks for tellin’ me that, otherwise those boys might have had a bit of a surprise in their food!”
Laughing a little at that, Amanda assured her again that neither was responsible and with a twinkle in her eye asked that the woman please serve the men their food without anything “extra”. She used the ladies’ room and then returned to the table.
She was grinning as she sat down, but was glad the two were talking as she didn’t want to have to explain where her grin had come from. They were served their meal and other than a wink from the waitress, everything seemed to be extremely good. At least there were no surprised yelps from the other side of the table. Richie called Tico and told them where they were in case the others wanted to meet them. It seems they did as within a half hour the other three arrived and joined them.
When the waitress came back she saw the additional three men and gave Amanda a wide-eyed look. Amanda shook her head ‘no’, none of these were involved either. The woman laughed out loud.
“You keep adding more men to the table, girl, and I’m gonna start not believin’ ye’.”
They shared a laugh together as women as the men turned puzzled eyes to the two. Taking their orders, the woman moved off to get their drinks and food. Turning to see five pairs of eyes on her, she shook her head.
“Nope, not telling, forget it.” Despite their teasing and prodding she refused to divulge the secret. At least not until they’ve all eaten, she giggled to herself.
It was close to ten that night as they made their way back to the Merrion and Amanda was tired. She took a quick shower and laid down on the bed. Jon was on his phone again and by the time he had finished his calls, she was fast asleep. He took a quick shower himself and joined her. Wrapping her gently in his arms, he too was soon asleep.
~~~
The day of the concert was bright, clear, and cold. When the room phone rang that morning, Amanda simply snuggled down deeper into the covers and closer to Jon’s warmth. She heard his voice as he thanked the operator and felt him turn in bed towards her.
“Good morning” his voice whisper soft.
“Morning” she answered, still huddling closer to him. He looked at her face which was still vividly bruised, but he thought that the worst had already shown itself and she would now start to heal.
“I promise that if you get the shower running and the bathroom warm, I will get out of bed.”
Her voice was muffled as her nose was under the covers. He laughed and got up, starting the shower and then calling down for coffee. She was as good as her word and made her way to the bathroom, quickly closing the door for warmth and then in a few minutes calling out to Jon that he could come in if he wanted.
“What’s this ‘if I want to’ crap?” He growled at her as he entered the shower. Her body much less sore this morning, Amanda gave him a wicked grin.
“Well, thought you might need some time alone, want to shower by yourself for a change, that’s all.” She accompanied these words with soapy hands on her breasts and Jon’s eyes darkened. He pulled her towards him and she felt his full arousal pressing into her skin.
“Feeling better, baby?” His voice was husky with his rising passion.
She shook her head, “Not yet…” His face unconsciously turned into a pout as he thought she meant she was still too sore.
“Will you help me feel better, John Francis?” His erection, already upthrust at her actions began to throb from her words.
“Oh yeah, Manda, I would love to help you feel better.”
Carefully positioning her so her back did not hit the wall, he touched her and found her ready for him. Running his hands over her soapy breasts and trailing them downward, he skillfully played with her until her breathing had turned into soft pants. He then thrust into her gently but insistently. She responded by arching towards him, allowing him full access to her heat and her need. His hands continued to aid her arousal, turning her desire into thick honey. Their coupling was quick and urgent and explosive, leaving them both panting and holding onto the other. Silly smiles at the other replaced words and they finished their showers, dressing in thick robes.
They found that coffee had been delivered while they were showering and grinning at one another hoped their sounds had not carried into the main room. Amanda took two of her pain pills as her back and face still ached more than Tylenol could help. It was close to ten and Jon told her they needed to be ready to eat at eleven. She answered that she would be ready and dressed in warm clothes as she already knew the day was cold. They would have breakfast then go to Punchestown Racecourse for the sound check. Bon Jovi had performed there earlier in the year, but this concert, as others on the schedule, was to provide a portion of the proceeds to local charities.
Amanda dressed in jeans and her favorite soft rose sweater, along with socks and boots to keep her feet warm. She had a coat to wear, along with gloves and a scarf as she seemed to feel the cold in her bones. She laughed as Jon was not nearly so heavily garbed.
“I think I’ve been in Florida too long. Can’t seem to get used to this cold!”
“Just dress warm and if you get too cold…well, I do know other ways to get your blood moving!”
His grin was nearly a leer and she playfully smacked at him, missing as he moved out of her way. They were heading to the dining room at eleven and were the first to arrive. The others showed up within about ten minutes and they all got their breakfast orders in, coffee being a high priority.
In an extremely good mood this morning, Amanda gave the men a brilliant smile that only caused a mild wince as her injured cheek stretched. By 12:30 they were on their way to the concert venue, with Chris waiting for them when they arrived. Somehow he had been left out of the loop on what had happened with Amanda and his eyes widened with shock at the sight of her face. He shot a look at Jon, wondering what the hell had happened. Jon motioned for him to follow so they could talk.
Giving Chris a brief rundown on the incident, Jon saw the man’s eyes darken in anger and a grim line form in place of a smile. Jon instructed his head of security to keep an eye on Amanda, but not hover around her as she seemed to be a bit sensitive to that right now. Chris nodded in understanding. The crew were still setting up the staging equipment and the entire band was involved in placement and the like. Jon kissed Amanda gently and told her he would see her in just a little while. She shooed him away.
It was built in typical Norman courtyard design, with a central square devoid of a keep, bounded on all sides by tall defensive walls and protected at each corner by a circular tower. She was even more surprised to learn that no trace of medieval buildings remain above ground level today, with the exception of the giant Record Tower dating from c. 1228-1230, the sole surviving tower of the original fortification: its battlements an early 19th century addition.
They spent several hours looking through historically rebuilt rooms and underground areas that were in the public domain. Richie and Jon seemed to be having as good a time as she was and she realized again that they didn’t often get to just stop and have some fun when they toured. Neither man left her side and although she didn’t realize it, both used themselves to shield her from any prying eyes that were turned in her direction.
When they had finished, all three realized they were starving and caught another taxi to a local tavern. Richie and Jon had pints of beer, while Amanda stuck with soda. At the tavern she was able to remove the glasses and hat as she was facing a wall in an end booth. She didn’t get any stares at the castle, but in truth was enjoying herself too much to notice if she had.
When the waitress came to take their food order though, Amanda turned and the woman gasped. She quickly turned her head away and gave Jon her order. The woman turned to the two men and glared at them. Holding his hands up, Richie smiled at her.
“It wasn’t us. I swear.”
The woman squinted at him a little, but seemed to accept that and took their orders. Amanda turned at Richie’s voice and saw the glare on the woman’s face recede a little. She had reached for her glasses and hat again to put them on. Jon stopped her.
“Honey, she already saw. Just relax and eat.” Grimacing a little, she nodded at him.
“Okay, but let me take the sunglasses for the ladies’ room.” She grabbed them and moved toward the back of the tavern. She caught sight of their server just before she entered and went over to the woman.
“Excuse me, ma’am?” The woman turned to her. “Neither of those men are the one who did this. One of them is my boyfriend and the other my very good friend.”
Smiling at her now, the woman nodded. “Thanks for tellin’ me that, otherwise those boys might have had a bit of a surprise in their food!”
Laughing a little at that, Amanda assured her again that neither was responsible and with a twinkle in her eye asked that the woman please serve the men their food without anything “extra”. She used the ladies’ room and then returned to the table.
She was grinning as she sat down, but was glad the two were talking as she didn’t want to have to explain where her grin had come from. They were served their meal and other than a wink from the waitress, everything seemed to be extremely good. At least there were no surprised yelps from the other side of the table. Richie called Tico and told them where they were in case the others wanted to meet them. It seems they did as within a half hour the other three arrived and joined them.
When the waitress came back she saw the additional three men and gave Amanda a wide-eyed look. Amanda shook her head ‘no’, none of these were involved either. The woman laughed out loud.
“You keep adding more men to the table, girl, and I’m gonna start not believin’ ye’.”
They shared a laugh together as women as the men turned puzzled eyes to the two. Taking their orders, the woman moved off to get their drinks and food. Turning to see five pairs of eyes on her, she shook her head.
“Nope, not telling, forget it.” Despite their teasing and prodding she refused to divulge the secret. At least not until they’ve all eaten, she giggled to herself.
It was close to ten that night as they made their way back to the Merrion and Amanda was tired. She took a quick shower and laid down on the bed. Jon was on his phone again and by the time he had finished his calls, she was fast asleep. He took a quick shower himself and joined her. Wrapping her gently in his arms, he too was soon asleep.
~~~
The day of the concert was bright, clear, and cold. When the room phone rang that morning, Amanda simply snuggled down deeper into the covers and closer to Jon’s warmth. She heard his voice as he thanked the operator and felt him turn in bed towards her.
“Good morning” his voice whisper soft.
“Morning” she answered, still huddling closer to him. He looked at her face which was still vividly bruised, but he thought that the worst had already shown itself and she would now start to heal.
“I promise that if you get the shower running and the bathroom warm, I will get out of bed.”
Her voice was muffled as her nose was under the covers. He laughed and got up, starting the shower and then calling down for coffee. She was as good as her word and made her way to the bathroom, quickly closing the door for warmth and then in a few minutes calling out to Jon that he could come in if he wanted.
“What’s this ‘if I want to’ crap?” He growled at her as he entered the shower. Her body much less sore this morning, Amanda gave him a wicked grin.
“Well, thought you might need some time alone, want to shower by yourself for a change, that’s all.” She accompanied these words with soapy hands on her breasts and Jon’s eyes darkened. He pulled her towards him and she felt his full arousal pressing into her skin.
“Feeling better, baby?” His voice was husky with his rising passion.
She shook her head, “Not yet…” His face unconsciously turned into a pout as he thought she meant she was still too sore.
“Will you help me feel better, John Francis?” His erection, already upthrust at her actions began to throb from her words.
“Oh yeah, Manda, I would love to help you feel better.”
Carefully positioning her so her back did not hit the wall, he touched her and found her ready for him. Running his hands over her soapy breasts and trailing them downward, he skillfully played with her until her breathing had turned into soft pants. He then thrust into her gently but insistently. She responded by arching towards him, allowing him full access to her heat and her need. His hands continued to aid her arousal, turning her desire into thick honey. Their coupling was quick and urgent and explosive, leaving them both panting and holding onto the other. Silly smiles at the other replaced words and they finished their showers, dressing in thick robes.
They found that coffee had been delivered while they were showering and grinning at one another hoped their sounds had not carried into the main room. Amanda took two of her pain pills as her back and face still ached more than Tylenol could help. It was close to ten and Jon told her they needed to be ready to eat at eleven. She answered that she would be ready and dressed in warm clothes as she already knew the day was cold. They would have breakfast then go to Punchestown Racecourse for the sound check. Bon Jovi had performed there earlier in the year, but this concert, as others on the schedule, was to provide a portion of the proceeds to local charities.
Amanda dressed in jeans and her favorite soft rose sweater, along with socks and boots to keep her feet warm. She had a coat to wear, along with gloves and a scarf as she seemed to feel the cold in her bones. She laughed as Jon was not nearly so heavily garbed.
“I think I’ve been in Florida too long. Can’t seem to get used to this cold!”
“Just dress warm and if you get too cold…well, I do know other ways to get your blood moving!”
His grin was nearly a leer and she playfully smacked at him, missing as he moved out of her way. They were heading to the dining room at eleven and were the first to arrive. The others showed up within about ten minutes and they all got their breakfast orders in, coffee being a high priority.
In an extremely good mood this morning, Amanda gave the men a brilliant smile that only caused a mild wince as her injured cheek stretched. By 12:30 they were on their way to the concert venue, with Chris waiting for them when they arrived. Somehow he had been left out of the loop on what had happened with Amanda and his eyes widened with shock at the sight of her face. He shot a look at Jon, wondering what the hell had happened. Jon motioned for him to follow so they could talk.
Giving Chris a brief rundown on the incident, Jon saw the man’s eyes darken in anger and a grim line form in place of a smile. Jon instructed his head of security to keep an eye on Amanda, but not hover around her as she seemed to be a bit sensitive to that right now. Chris nodded in understanding. The crew were still setting up the staging equipment and the entire band was involved in placement and the like. Jon kissed Amanda gently and told her he would see her in just a little while. She shooed him away.
“Go! Work! I’m fine.” He kissed her again and moved off.
Thank you for another great chapter!
Linda
Just getting caught up. great chapters!
Oh I sooo love this story!!
I hope Amanda's face will be better soon. It must be unnerving when everybody stares at you. But Jon takes good care of her. Love it!
Wow, so much has happened! See what I get for going on vacation??? Sure hope Amanda's face is better soon and had to say what a great job you did showing the aftermath of the trauma where Amanda was having flashbacks! I hope they manage to catch Sean and make him pay for what he did-so glad Amanda pressed charges-I just hope they catch him!
YAY Another chapter!!!
Sun honey, you're writing is so good.
I can literally feel Amanda's pain and embarassment due to her injuries.
I also thought that I was going on tour to Dublin castle. The detail was great!
Well done sweets!
Those last few lines sound rather omnious to me. Chris better keep his eyes on Amanda.