Lennox seemed to notice and drew Gibson into the conversation, and Gibson was his usual arrogant self. “Jeez, Len can’t a guy stare at a beautiful woman in peace?” Initially, I tried to stare him out but, it didn’t work because I lost my nerve and was about to look away, but he began to introduce himself to the group.
Gavin looked uncomfortable when Gibson mistook him for my boyfriend, and I was silently kicking myself that I hadn’t asked Gavin to pretend to be that for the duration of the trip, but I never expected the amount of scrutiny that Gibson was putting me under.
Almost as soon as he established what Gavin was, Gibson began to make his move on me, all charming and charismatic, giving me that roguish smile that would have melted the panties off of the most frigid of women. He tried to seduce me, and suck me in with his warm attention and flirtatious words, until I was almost hypnotized.
Unexpectedly, he placed his arm around my shoulder and pulled me in for a hug, which freaked me out by his action. It was the first time a man had done that since Kace, and he was Gibson Barclay.
My body stiffened and I felt myself to hold my breath. When his arms held me tightly, the comfort I felt from his hug seemed so genuine, I just felt my body involuntarily sag into his warm chest. Gibson’s arms responded to me, by molding around me even more and pulling me tighter into his chest.
Briefly, he inhaled deeply and his chest expanded, pressing harder against mine. The deep draw of his breath was incredibly sensual, focusing me so much that when he exhaled I was almost completely entranced.
His warm, slow, steady breath fanned across the curve of my neck, sending shivers down my spine, and made goose-bumps erupt on my skin, making my vagina clench tightly with need. Just as I was becoming overwhelmed with the sensation of his embrace, he stepped away again.
Feelings of loss washed over me like a tidal wave and I choked a little, because I wondered if that was my moment with Gibson and wanted it again, because if it was, I was sure all of my senses hadn’t had time to tune in to what we did in that few seconds. Fighting conflicting emotions and trying to decide what that all meant was halted abruptly when he reached out and took my hand in his.
He gave me that beautiful roguish smile, and I had never seen him look more attractive. “Hi, honey, congratulations on winning the competition. This is as nerve-racking for me as it is for you. I’ve never done this before either.”
Smiling my first genuine smile, I was relieved at his honesty. It was a pretty weird situation to find myself in, and I was glad that we had that in common at the very least. In response to my smile, he squeezed my hand and his own smile grew even wider. “Let’s just try and have a good time together, no pressure okay?”
Still smiling, I tried to meet his gaze with confidence but there was something in the way he looked at me that was too intimate, so I quickly dropped my head down and looked at the floor.
Feelings I knew I would have to fight if he came near me were rising fast, and there was no way I could allow myself to fall into the web he spun so well. I’d been unlucky to see that happen so many times in the past, and knew what it meant to him.
Seconds after I looked away, his index finger crooked under my jaw line and he teased my face up to meet his, bending slightly at the knees to look me in the eye. “Don’t look at the floor. You have the most incredible eyes, I’d like to see them if that’s okay.”
Embarrassed by that level of attention I looked away, and almost frantically searched out Ruby to come to my rescue, but she was too involved with Mick Stanley to focus on me.
Luckily, Simon the bass player came over and took the heat out of the moment by chatting about the concert and how we were finding LA, and Gibson seemed to take his leave and disappeared out the door altogether.
Relaxing the instant he was out of sight, I welcomed the pleasant conversation of the easy going bass player. Simon was a great looking guy, wiry build, fantastic tattoos, toned, tanned, muzzy hair, and a fabulous smile; M3rCy were a great looking band.
Simon’s laugh was infectious and he was really funny as well. There is just something about a guy who could make a girl laugh that had always been really appealing to me.
After about ten minutes, we’d fallen into easy conversation, but I felt Gibson’s presence back in the room before I saw him. Simon broke eye contact to look past me and I just knew Gibson was approaching us again.
Simon seemed to dismiss himself quickly and I wondered how much of the last ten minutes was staged. Did Gibson arrange for Simon to keep me busy? If so, how did that happen?
“Alright, are you ready to get this party started, honey?” He smiled widely at me but I was still trying to figure out what the deal was with Simon and I guess I needed to put Gibson straight on a few things.
“Thank you for your hospitality for me and my friends, but I didn’t enter a competition hoping to meet you. That was purely by default after buying a new phone with automatic competition entry.”
Gibson managed to look completely unaffected by my admission, “Well, I guess you’re not really a fan then, but we’ll just have a good time anyway. What do you say?”
Pursing my lips, I knew that I had to warn him off because if I didn’t and we got too comfortable goodness knows where I’d find myself with him. I could already feel the fight in me ebbing away in his presence. Breathing out deeply, I tried to keep my voice even and look him square in the eye. “Gibson, I know you don’t remember me, but we’ve kind of met before. I just want to say a couple of things to you.”
Looking around for somewhere that created some extra space between us, I sat on the chair by a small table.
“Firstly, I am indeed a fan of M3rCy, I have every album you have all made, but to be honest, I know what you are doing, trying to lure me away from the others. You may be used to women dropping their panties for you whenever you want them to. Please understand I am not a star struck teenager and that won’t be happening with me.”
Gibson gave me an enquiring look, as if he was surprised by something and a sullen expression took hold.
“Hmm, this is the second time today someone has decided what my intentions are and got it wrong. I really want you to enjoy yourself Chloe, so I’ll clear the air. I, Gibson Barclay, am not going to fuck you, so you can relax.” He was wagging his finger as he gesticulated at me with his arm and his jaw clenched.
“All I want to do is take you to dinner. Is that a problem for you?” Swallowing hard, there was nothing I could say to that. I felt embarrassed that I was stupid enough to presume that I’d be attractive enough for him to hit on. So I shook my head and apologized. “Sorry, that was wrong of me.”
CHAPTER 21 - EASY
Chloe
Scowling initially at my outburst, Gibson stood staring into my eyes as if challenging me to retort, with some kind of clever come back after putting me firmly in my place. As soon as I conceded that I had been presumptuous, his face softened, visibly relaxing. The edges of his lips curved into a soft half smile.
“Shall we start again?” Gibson’s eyebrow raised in question and he waited for me to respond. I wasn’t being fair to him. He never asked for me to be here and the fact that I was and he was being gracious about taking the winner to dinner, made me feel stupid and judgmental. Trying to push the images of Gibson with all those girls aside, I accepted his valiant attempt at making the peace between us, after my mini-rant about knowing him.
Exhaling slowly, I nodded. “I’d like that, I murmured softly. My reward was his wide roguish grin and another firm hug. This time it was brief, but as he drew back, the palms of his hands smoothed down my arms and I wished my jacket sleeves hadn’t been in the way of that. As he reached my wrist his right hand wrapped around my left wrist and he held it possessively.
“Come on, let’s go. We need to leave now if we’re going to have dinner this side of midnight.” His off-the-cuff remark went over my head until a short time later, when we were sitting on his private jet and taxiing down the ru
nway. Everything that had happened from the moment we left The Staples Center until we got on the plane seemed surreal.
One thing really surprised me during the journey to the airport no flashy limousine. Instead there was an inconspicuous black Chrysler Grand Voyager SUV. Still a big car, but a lot of larger families have those.
Turning behind him, he pulled out a bottle of ice cold champagne and a glass. “For you.”
Already corked, he gestured for me to hold the glass and poured it half full with the golden liquid. I watched the bubbles dance in the crystal glass. He twisted his body and reaching back behind him. My eyes followed his movement as he replaced the bottle in a silver ice-bucket attached to a built in stand on the floor.
“Are you not having any?” Gibson glanced up at me as he straightened back in his seat, and smiled ruefully.
“No. No alcohol for me today, Chloe. Especially… not today.” Puzzled by that response, I wanted to ask why especially not today? Suddenly feeling self-conscious, I figured it must be because he was with me.
What had that meant? He already knew he wasn’t going to enjoy our dinner? Of course… he was on duty. This wasn’t two people going to dinner, for Gibson it was just another job.
“Tell me something about yourself.” God, the way he said it made me think of Paul. He’d asked me that once. And their voices; although not quite the same had the same intonation and pitch. They had the same rich, deep timbre and seductive, slow southern accents.
Thinking of Paul, I blushed and felt a pang of loss, that we’d ruined our little daily chats by doing that stupid phone sex thing.
“Not much to tell, really.” Where did I start with someone like him? Making small talk with someone who oozed sex appeal, was stunning to look at, and had a beguiling way with them wasn’t something I was adept at.
Besides, what could I tell him? While you’ve been off making millions and fucking your way around the world, I was practically kept hostage and beaten in my own home by a man that I thought loved me?
Gibson smirked as if he was humoring me. “Okayyyy, no small talk for now then.” Sliding right down in his seat, he folded his arms and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back. “You won’t mind if I catch ten minutes’ nap then, until we get to where we are going.”
Disbelief rocked me. Not that I really expected that much of him, but how rude of him to dismiss me like that and go to sleep when I was sitting right there with him. Fuck you, Gibson Barclay.
Staring out the window as the city gave way to scrubland and eventually plunged into darkness as the street lighting ran out, I found myself looking at his reflection in the window. Face completely relaxed and peaceful, lips slightly parted, his long dark eyelashes fanning across the top of his cheek bones and just enough stubble on his chin to hint at the sinful man I knew he was.
Captivated by his features and the incredible magnetism, I turned to face him. Even when Gibson was asleep, he had a presence I’d never experienced with any other person. I couldn’t have dragged my eyes away from him for anything.
Allowing my eyes to roam over his body, I could see his solid frame and muscular arms, even though he was covered completely by a black and white checkered shirt. Beautiful strong hands led me to indulge in the memory of his hugs earlier. When he tugged at my wrist earlier, that, possessive grip had sent shivers across my body.
Gibson stirred and I jumped in fright like a child would do at being caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Turning my head away quickly again I looked back out the window. Seeing him open his eyes and straighten, I kept my eyes trained on the window.
As I watched I saw him peruse me. His tongue leisurely rounded his lips, making me shiver again at the sight of him doing something so teasing.
“Are you cold?” Gibson noticed and leaned over to produce a small green chenille throw from the back seat.
Shaking my head, I put my hand up to stop him. “No, I’m fine.” Shrugging, he tossed it over his shoulder into the back of the car.
“Sorry about that. When I’ve been on stage I get a huge burst of energy afterwards. If it has nowhere to go, it kind of knocks me out and I have to sleep to recover. Usually, I manage it well but I guess today it caught up with me.”
Weird, how he could be so natural around me and able to fall asleep like that…like he was completely comfortable in my presence. There was no way I could ever have fallen asleep around Gibson Barclay, that was for sure.
Leaving the car, Gibson put his hand out to help me down from the SUV. Accepting, I never expected that he would continue to hold it and lead me up the steps of his plane.
“Umm, what’s happening? You never said anything about getting on an airplane.” Turning to look over his shoulder, his eyes met mine and there was a humorous twinkle of mischief in them.
“Do you want to eat today or not? Because if so we need to take this or it will be too late.” Confused, I let him lead me up the steps and into the small cabin of the plane. Large plush leather seats with round padded armrests grey carpeting and a large sofa with lap restraints were visible immediately.
Sitting down, I noticed that there were a series of buttons on a panel on each chair, which housed a video system and iPads that turned into TV screens. Amongst the various sound and lighting operations, there were controls for the massage facilities, Skype and cell phone charging docks.
Gibson sat facing me, his face hard to read, until he asked me if I was afraid of flying. I wasn’t but it was my turn to feel exhausted, planes always seemed to have that effect on me, and I sat back in my chair. “No, but I’m tired.”
Gibson looked solemnly at me, and I thought he thought I was one of those nerdy girls that went to bed at 10:00 pm. “God, I’m sorry… it’s half past one in the morning for you, isn’t it?” Taken aback that he would even know that, I was even more surprised at the genuine concern in his voice.
Raising my eyebrow, I couldn‘t help but smile in reassurance at him. “It is, but I’m okay. Planes have this effect on me for some reason.”
Nodding his head in understanding, he smirked knowingly. “And cars have the same effect on me.” Grinning at each other, I realized I actually had something in common with Gibson Barclay. Go figure.
Forgetting myself for a moment, I asked, “Clever of you to remember the time difference we have, your PA briefs you very well, Gibson.” I don’t know what I said wrong, but his wide smile dropped the moment I said it, and his tongue started to play along his top teeth at the side, as if he was hiding something. When he did that, I noticed for the first time that he had a piercing almost in the center of his tongue.
Wondering why I hadn’t noticed that before, I figured either it was new, or I had been too shy or too drawn by him to stare for long enough to notice because the pull I felt toward him was so strong. His cabin crew came over to say we would be taking off shortly, and Gibson’s cell rang.
Answering it, he unclipped himself, saying he had to take the call and moved to another seat further down the plane for privacy. Once again, I felt I was being put in my place, and knew there would be constant reminders that I was nothing more than a prize winner.
Slumping down into the seat, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. Dull humming began to break into my consciousness and my eyes fluttered open. Gibson was back in his seat and staring intently at me. He had been watching me sleep and that fact embarrassed me. Had I been drooling, was my mouth gaping? Did I look a mess?
Slowly his lips curved up at the corners and his eyes became brighter as a smile played on his lips. “Well Chloe, this is a night to remember for sure. We’ve slept with each other and it has all been totally appropriate.”
Gibson’s past and his reputation flashed in my mind but I pushed it back and grinned because I really could see the funny side of that after my rant at him earlier. “We’ll be touching down in about ten minutes. I’m starving now and I hope you are hungry too. I should have asked, is French food okay with you?”
French food was my first choice if it was going out, Chinese for takeout. “Sounds great, I could eat a horse, I’m so hungry.” Gibson frowned and stroked his lips with his thumb and forefinger, pulling his bottom lip out slightly.
“Hmm, not sure if they do horse at that particular restaurant, or bourguignon sauce, you want me to ring ahead and see if they can get some for you?” At first I was going to argue that I had been joking with him and that it was just a figure of speech, but he started laughing at me and I instantly relaxed.
“Very funny. You are such a tease, Gibson.”
Gibson’s response was instinctive and honest. “Of course I am, it’s my second occupation, in fact sometimes it’s hard to know what I am more famous for, teasing women or being a singer in a band.”
A quiet fell between us as he held my gaze a moment too long and I looked away. When I looked back, he looked pissed about something again. I remember thinking, he was hot and cold. An intense one minute and he’d a flippant couldn’t-care-less attitude the next. The fluctuant changes in Gibson’s moods were way too complex and sophisticated for me to deal with.
Five minutes of silence made me want to scream, the uncomfortable quiet gnawing away at the both of us. Gibson had stirred restlessly in his seat several times and made eye contact with me, always appearing as if he was going to say something, but then exhaled and shook his head again.
Working a swallow, I felt compelled to say something. “I really didn’t mean to offend you when I said that you were a tease. I was just saying…”
Gibson’s head snapped up, his eyebrow raised “No? You weren’t? And if you were you’d be the first, and that wasn’t what you said in your school ma’am voice earlier either. I know what people think…and yeah, I suppose it’s my own fault, but fuck, can’t a guy grow up without having a legacy that follows him like a fucking cancer when he’s just trying to have a normal day?”
Romance: Gibson's Legacy ( New Adult Contemporary Erotic Romance) (Last Score Book 1) Page 17