Chapter Three-Hundred and Forty-Seven

Phoebe woke with a start as she heard John's motorcycle start, squinting at her clock to see that it was only three AM. "Where is he going?" She yawned, crawling out of her bed to watch the red taillight of the Harley speeding down the street.

John smiled as he lifted his face to the soft breeze of the country wind. He'd ridden more than a hundred miles from home, but he knew that it'd been worth it. He took a seat on the porch of the little farm house, lifting his gaze to the realtor. "How much do they want for this place?" He asked, already able to see a little swing set in the yard, a playhouse, birdbath, dogs and kids, he could almost see his entire family before he and Claire had even said their vows.

The woman smiled, looking down at the special request the homeowners had given her when they'd discovered that John was going to be looking at the property. "They told me that they would take seven-grand, if you would sign a few pieces of merchandise and give them tickets to the next concert."

He nodded, knowing better than to take it without having the home looked at. "I'll offer them five-grand, tickets for the family and a signed album with backstage passes."

"I'll let them know."

He sighed as he looked over the fields beyond the fence, noticing the old barn a few hundred yards out. "Thanks."

Clarissa grabbed John's arms as he dismounted his Harley, attempting to stop her shaking as she looked into his dark eyes. "Where the hell have you been?" She asked, pushing some of his hair back and examining him for wounds or injuries of any sort. "Are you hurt?"

He rolled his eyes, taking his jacket off to show her that he was fine. "I'm fine Mom. I just had to run an errand."

"That took all day?"

He shrugged, smirking as she fussed. "It was a long one." He stepped into the house. "Besides, you'll be happy if it works." He thought of all the houses they could fit on that property… enough to keep the whole family together.

"Johnathan Kurtis!" She marched up the stairs after him, yelping when he shut the bathroom door on her. "John! Tell me where you were!" She heard the shower turn on, shoving the door open only to see that his clothes were in a pile on the floor and he was already behind the curtain. "We're not finished with this conversation Kurtis."

"Mom! I'll tell you when I get out of the shower. I just need to wash up a little." He poked his head around the curtain. "I promise, you'll be happy if the deal goes through."

"I swear, if you did something stupid…"

"I didn't."

Claire leaned into John's chest, listening as he spoke to the New York Times.

"No. I want a retraction on those accusations of me being on drugs." He huffed a breath as they tried to talk their way out of what he was asking. "Yes, I used to do drugs when I was younger, but I've been sober for nine months."

She traced her fingernail over the pale scarring on his pecs, tenderly kissing the side of his pec only to make him tremor with pleasure.

"Yes! Just put it in the next article that you had faulty information and that I'm sober." He struggled to keep his voice steady, the sensation of Claire's mouth on his body causing testosterone to fill his system. "Thank you." He hung up the line, turning to Claire and pushing her into the mattress under his own weight. "You're so annoying sometimes." He kissed her neck, slowly moving lower to her shoulder and nipping at her bra strap.

"I know." She smiled, letting his teeth pull at her tank top and eventually at the very top of her bra cup.

He smirked, slipping his tongue out of his mouth to let the barbell in it roll over her skin. "I'll bet you're gonna love this thing when it heals up." He whispered, tracking back up to her throat and kissing her neck.

"We are not doing oral." She stated, trying not to moan as his lips brushed over her jaw. "I'm not comfortable with it."

He hummed a reply, aching to push his tongue into her mouth. He hated that the healing prosses took so long, but it would be worth it someday. "Okay…" He gasped, tracking the barbell over the hollow behind her ear.

"Stop it." She laughed, pulling away only to see that his tongue was tinted red from where the piercing had started to bleed. "You idiot." She pushed his tongue back into his mouth with her fingertip. "That feels weird."

He nodded, tucking his arms underneath her back and holding her close. "You feel so nice though."

"Go to sleep." She yawned, kissing his nose as she snuggled into him. "And stop being an idiot."

"Stop being so fucking hot." He smiled, tucking his blankets around her.