by Tammy Coons
Goddess was talking to the valet by the front door and waved to them as they approached. They stepped out into the gentle summer breeze. A stretch limo waited at the curb.
They climbed in and sat across from one another. Goddess sat next to Cheyenne. She felt so much more comfortable with someone tagging along with them, afraid she wouldn’t be able to keep herself in check around Scot.
“I hope you like escargot,” Scot said.
“Never had it.” Goddess said.
Cheyenne glanced at Scot who smiled and shook his head.
“Here we are, Monsieur,” The driver stated over the speaker.
Scot reached over and pushed a button. “Merci.”
He climbed out of the limo and held his hand out for Cheyenne. When she got out, they were standing in front of an abandoned looking building. “Come on.” Scott tugged her by the hand.
“Wait for me,” Goddess said from behind them.
Cheyenne’s stomach was filled with butterflies. She followed him into the building. As they entered the elevator, Scot pulled the gate across the lift and smiled down at her. Soon they stopped on the top floor and Cheyenne heard violin music carry on the summer breeze.
As she stepped off the elevator, Cheyenne looked around. They were on the rooftop. In the distance stood The Eiffel Tower, all lit up against the setting sun. One lonely table sat with candles alit and a waiter stood by a cart.
“Shall we?” Scot asked. Cheyenne felt overwhelmed and excited. The view took her breath away. As the violinist moved closer to them, she marveled that Scot had arranged such an elaborate scene on such short notice. She’d never been wooed like this.
They walked to the table and Scot pulled out chairs for her and Goddess. As they all took their seats Scot waved the waiter over. He poured wine and began serving them.
“Thanks for coming to dinner with me.” Scot flashed a gentle smile.
“Thanks for inviting me.” She replied, smiling back.
“Yeah, me too. This looks so good,” Goddess chimed in.
Scot’s eyes softened. He reached across the table to hold Cheyenne’s hand. His touch warmed her.
“I hope you’ll give me a chance to prove this isn’t a stupid rock star mind game. If I were you, I would think the same thing, especially when I pull a rock star move like this, I suppose. Scot leaned closer to Cheyenne.
“Hey, how do you work these things?” Goddess asked, holding up some tongs.
Scot looked at the floor. Cheyenne sensed his frustration.
“Would you care to dance?” He was close enough for her to smell his evocative cologne.
“Yes.” Cheyenne stood. She could no longer resist the urge to touch him again.
Scot led her to the dance floor and took her into his arms. He was silent for a moment.
“It’s a good thing you brought a chaperone. I’m finding it difficult to keep my hands off of you,” he whispered, his warm, wet lips grazing her ear.
As they moved her around the dance floor, she couldn’t help but imagine how well their bodies would mesh as lovers. It was as if they’d been designed for each other. She suddenly remembered Goddess was there and glanced over, feeling self-conscious. Goddess was on her cell phone, seemingly oblivious to them. Cheyenne focused her attention back to Scott His hand was on the small of her back and his grasp on her tightened. A sigh escaped her. His dark eyes stared into hers and Cheyenne felt like she could drown in those exquisite eyes.
Steph stirred on the bed, practically hidden under the mound of blankets. As she rolled over, pain shot to her right temple. She cried out and opening her eyes; she saw a figure sitting in the chair beside the bed. Terror gripped her; she’d forgotten where she was. She sat up and felt lightheaded.
“Kevin?” she whispered. She reached over to the lamp and switched it on. David was sound asleep, using his jacket as a blanket. Confused, she looked around and quickly realized she was in Cheyenne’s room. She remembered David, the elevator, and the screaming of the fans and eased herself back under the thick covers.
She shook her head at her own stupidity. Of course it wasn’t Kevin. Even though he had her itinerary, she doubted he’d show up. She was sure he’d only been with her because she was connected in the business. She hated that she’s wasted any time on him.
“Loser,” She mumbled out loud.
“Stephanie.” David startled her as he leaned toward her.” How are you feeling?”
“Like hell. Could you please get me my medical bag and some water?”
“Sure,” David said. Steph sat up.
“Why are you here…why are we in Cheyenne’s suite?”
“ Cheyenne asked me to check up on you.” David replied as he stretched.
“Where is she?” Steph asked.
“They aren’t back yet as far as I know.” He handed her the medication and water.
“They?” Steph rubbed her head and popped a pill.
“Yeah, Scot and Cheyenne went out. They took Goddess along.” David sat in the chair.” I really don’t know what he’s thinking.”
“What do you mean?”
“They have only known each other for a few days and he’s practically gushing.” He sounded very matter of fact. Steph looked at him and didn’t reply.
“Are you hungry? I can run down and grab something.” David seemed eager for a change of topic.
“No. I just want to sleep, but thanks for offering and thanks for checking up on me.” She was starting to feel significantly better.
David stood.
“I’ve never seen anyone get so ill with a migraine before. I was really afraid for you.”
Once he left, she sat up again. Climbing out of bed, she went to her room to search for her cell phone. Finding it, she saw a bunch of missed calls from her father. She dialed Cheyenne’s number. It went straight to voicemail.
“What the hell is going on?” she asked out loud. Steph plopped down on the edge of her bed. She checked the clock; it was midnight. She dialed her father’s number after calculating the time difference.
“Hello, Stephanie. How’s everything going?” Her father asked on the other end.
Steph took a deep breath.” I really want to talk to you about Goddess.” Her father was quiet.
“She is never here and, when she is, she is all over Fury like a groupie. She was hanging out with the roadies after the concert, and just being irresponsible. I think she’s on drugs. I just can’t deal with it anymore. Please fire her and send Gerald.” Steph rubbed her temples.
”You have to get along, Bonnie,” Her father replied, his Irish accent caressed his pet name for her. “You need to trust that I have my reasons for sending her along. You do trust me?”
“Of course.” Steph was taken aback by the strange tone in his voice. He sounded worried and this unusual state of affairs mad her incredibly uncomfortable.
“It’s going to be a long assignment. Just go with the flow with Goddess.” His voice was casual again. She was sure he thought she was being a diva and she realized this wasn’t unwarranted.
“I’ll try dad,” Steph grumbled.
“Other than Goddess, how are things going?”
“We already have tons of pictures. I think Cheyenne is holding two of the interviews this week,” Steph said.
“Do you think you will need the entire month to finish?”
“I hope not. I just want to go home. The travel is messing with my internal clock.”
Her dad chuckled.
“Sorry about what I said earlier. Kevin is my problem. I’m sorry he bothered you. I love you, Dad.
“I love you too, Lass. Keep up the good work.”
“We will. And Dad?” Steph paused. It was hard for her to apologize, but it was harder to fight with him.
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry for yelling at you.”
“Me too, I didn’t mean to upset you over all of this.”
“Bye,” Steph whispered. Ending the call, she stared at
her phone. Dialing Cheyenne’s number one more time, she got the same result. Then she tried Goddesses’ room. No answer there either. She walked to the adjoining door and leaned her ear against it. Voices of two people resonated threw the door. Listening closely, she couldn’t make out who the voices belonged to or what they were saying. She knocked on the door. “Goddess, are you in there?” The room fell silent. “That’s odd.” Fatigue overtook Steph and she needed to get off of her feet.
She sighed at the pile of luggage that was all over her bed. Not having the energy to remove it, she returned to Cheyenne’s room and curled up in the bed. Tears began to roll down her cheeks and she pulled the blanket up over her head. This was the worst thing about her migraines. The medicine and the migraine itself always made her teary and weepy. Loathing feeling weak, Steph willed herself to fall asleep and hoped she’d be herself in the morning.
“Thank you,” Cheyenne said as they rode back to the hotel. “The Eiffel Tower was stunning.”
“My pleasure.” Scot smiled.
“Yeah, it was so much fun. But I don’t like those squishy things we ate,” Goddess said. Cheyenne covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. Goddess had been on a roll tonight and by the look on Scot’s face, he’d enough of her. He cleared his throat.
“I want to spend more time with you. Do you want to have a drink with me?”
“I can’t I have to get to work on these pictures,” Goddess said with a shrug. Scot looked at her and shook his head. Cheyenne chuckled.
“Sure,” Cheyenne said. “One drink.”
Scot smiled and nodded.
They pulled up to the hotel. Once again Scot offered his hand as they exited the limo. Cheyenne stood too fast, making her head spin. Scot grabbed her and steadied her. They looked deeply into one another’s eyes.
“Follow me,” Scot whispered. As they parted ways with Goddess, Cheyenne silently wondered why he was leading her to a different area in the hotel. Buzzing from the expensive champagne she’d been drinking all evening, Cheyenne found herself stumbling a bit as they wandered through a maze of hallways.
“I need to take these damn shoes off,” Cheyenne mumbled, as she stopped and leaned against the wall. After two halfhearted tries, she heaved an exaggerated sigh.
“Can you help me?” She leaned her back against the wall and Scot loosened his tie.
“Gladly.”
Scot dropped to one knee before her and Cheyenne felt her pulse quickened. Seeing Scot’s face perilously close to her lower half, she could barely contain herself. Without taking his eyes from hers, he deftly removed one of her strappy sandals and tossed it over his shoulder. The sudden shift in her height nearly caused her to fall forward, but Scott caught her by the hips.
“Hold still.” His command thrilled her and she was ready to have him on the spot.
“I’m trying.” She pouted and she tightly gripped the railing behind her. As he removed her other shoe, Cheyenne lost her balance and toppled onto Scot. He managed to break her fall and she found herself lying sprawled on top of him.
“Oh, shit, I’m so sorry!” Cheyenne’s body and brain were at war as she pushed herself up on all fours. She couldn’t decide whether she was more embarrassed or aroused.
“Don’t be sorry, Love.” Scot was propped up on his elbows and his gaze shifted from her eyes to her cleavage.
Without warning, the door beside them flew open. An old woman in curlers stood eyeing them and clutching her robe.
“Sacre Bleu!” She exclaimed and slammed the door shut.
Cheyenne and Scot exchanged glances and burst out laughing. Scot stood and pulled Cheyenne to her feet. They continued until they reached the end of the hall. He unlocked the Door and they entered the room.
The simple room was softly lit and a cart with strawberries and champagne greeted them. Scot popped the champagne and poured two glasses. He handed one to Cheyenne who took it as she looked around the room.
“So you were counting on a yes, I take it,” Cheyenne murmured.
“I was hoping. If you said no, I was going to come here anyway so that the others didn’t hear me sob into my pillow,” He said with a lopsided grin. “Strawberry?”
Scot presented a big, juicy strawberry and Cheyenne bit it. She washed it down with a sip of her champagne. Meandering to the open balcony doors , she took in the view. “It’s so beautiful here.”
“Yes, I agree,” Scot said from behind her.” Paris is my second favorite place. You can put that in the article.
“My feet are killing me.”
“Come sit.” He pulled a chair out for her. She obliged. Scot sat and moved his chair closer to her. “Here give me your feet.”
Cheyenne pondered it for a moment then placed her feet in his lap. He began massaging them and Cheyenne suppressed a moan. “Feet have pressure points that affect the way other parts of your body feel.”
“Really?” Cheyenne loved the way his hands felt. Scot looked up at her.
“Here you can help with headaches.” He moved his hands around. “Here with back pain.”
“That feels so good,” Cheyenne purred, closing her eyes.
“Is that better?” He asked. She opened her eyes.
“Yes, thank you.” She removed her feet from his lap. Scot leaned back in his chair. There was an awkward silence. Cheyenne finished her champagne.
“Would you like another?” Scot asked. Cheyenne eyed him, trying to get a read on him.
“I know… one drink, right?” He leaned toward her. Cheyenne had to fight herself; she wanted to reach out and touch him.
“Yes indeed… it was one drink,” she said in a soft whisper. Scot reached out and touched her face.His touch made her snap to attention. “I should go.”
She moved away from him and back into the room. She felt scared; vulnerability was an emotion she wasn’t comfortable with... He was so kind and gentle and seemed to be very interested in her. Her head was swimming with questions. Parts of her wanted to stay and others were screaming at her to leave. She felt him touch her back and shivered. Turning to him, they looked into each other’s eyes. Without words they leaned into one another. Their lips met, making Cheyenne’s knees weak. Scot took his time, his mouth exploring hers leisurely. Cheyenne pulled her mouth away, breathless.
“Scot...we can’t.” She looked at the floor. He placed a finger under her chin raising her eyes to his.
“What are you afraid of?” He looked into her as if he was trying to see into her soul.
“Tomorrow.”
Scot touched her face. “Don’t think about it.” he whispered.
They tangled in a deep sensual kiss. Scot led Cheyenne to the bed, still kissing her. Cheyenne allowed herself to be guided as if they were dancing. Scot unclipped her hair and it fell gently down her back. She could feel the bed just behind her legs, begging for her to take refuge there. He took off his jacket and began unbuttoning his shirt.
“Scot,” she began, wanting and not wanting him to stop.
“Shhh…” He leaned into her silencing her with his lips as he shrugged off his shirt. “I love kissing you,”
Cheyenne moaned and realized she was helping him dispose of his pesky shirt.
Scot’s hands moved to the zipper on the back of her dress. Slowly he unzipped it, pulling the straps down and revealing her breasts. He lips were on hers again, trailing down her jaw to her neck where he gently nibbled on her. Cheyenne gasped again softly, and grabbed at his belt, helping him remove the rest of his clothes. Their breathing was heavy as their kisses intensified. He pushed her dress down, following the dress with his mouth. He hungrily kissed and sucked on her breasts and trailed to her stomach until the dress was removed, leaving Cheyenne in her lace panties. His eyes scanned her body, heavy with lust, and he kissed her aggressively, his hands roamed everywhere. She felt worshiped, feeling like he was more interested in giving her pleasure than receiving it himself. He slipped his fingers under her panties and removed them. She removed his boxe
rs and he graced her with a sly smile. Suddenly, he was on top of Cheyenne, the full length of their bodies intertwined. He explored every inch of her body with his hands and fingers, making Cheyenne quake under his touch. His kisses left her breathless as he positioned himself over her and entered her, forcing her to cry out. Scot moaned in her ear. He slowly moved on top of her, entering her again and again, driving her into a frenzy. Cheyenne felt her body boiling, and the sensation of an orgasm building. Amazement overcame her; she had only ever been able to achieve climax during self-satisfaction. She heard her own voice calling out Scot’s name. Scot stopped for a moment, his face inches from hers.
“You’re so beautiful,” Scot moaned.
Cheyenne opened her eyes and watched Scot; he was as close to the edge as she was. As they cried out together, he threw his head back, his dark curly locks gleaming with sweat. Scot relaxed against her, gasping. He kissed her lazily. As they laid together, shaking and trying to catch their breath, Scot pulled away and flopped back on the bed.
“Wow,” Cheyenne blurted, her head reeling.
They both laughed and he wrapped his arms around her. His warmth lulled her into a satisfying sleep.
Daylight demanded Cheyenne opened her eyes. She was greeted by the sight of Scot cuddled up next to her. She reached up and touched his face. He opened his eyes and his gentle smile tugged at her heart. They’d made love into the wee hours of the morning, and the sex had been awe inspiring. Waking up next to him felt so right. Torn between giddiness and guilt, she quickly moved her hand away.
“I have to go.” Cheyenne sat up and scanned the room for her clothes.
“Please stay,” Scot whispered as he gently stroked her back.
Cheyenne shivered. She wanted to crawl back under the blankets with him and never come out, but the real world awaited them and she knew delaying the inevitable would only hurt more.
She wrapped the blanket around her and stood.
“I had too much to drink. That can’t happen again.”
Scot stood, wrapping the sheet around his waist. His features seemed mixed in a cocktail of pain and exasperation.