I was stunned when I heard Gibson’s voice asking if Gavin knew where he could find me. In the mirror I could see Gavin’s back with the door open slightly, but Gibson wasn’t visible to me.
“Sorry dude, no, I thought she was with you.” Gavin was covering and I wasn’t sure whether I wanted that or not, but after seeing how I was the previous night, I guess he thought he was protecting me.
“Can I come for in a minute?” My heart, which had been pounding in my chest that he was there at all, stopped when I heard him ask that, but Gibson didn’t wait for an answer and pushed his way in before Gavin had the chance to object or react.
Two strides past the mirror, and I was visible but I think he had caught sight of my reflection before he came face to face with me.
“You gotta be fucking kidding me, darlin,’” Gibson’s face was scowling when he glanced at Gavin and his thunderous look quickly turned nasty. Gritting his teeth, his mouth twisted with one lip curled up, and I could see he was seething about the scenario he thought he was facing.
Before either Gavin or I could speak, Gibson spoke in a low threatening tone. “My security guy made me feel like shit because he said I’d hurt her last night. Guess you were there to comfort her, did you fuck her to make her feel better?”
I was appalled he could even think that after everything I had told him, but I was too scared by his aggression to speak up for myself at that point.
“Dude…” Gavin started to talk, but Gibson grabbed him both by the throat and the crotch and squeezed. Gavin yelped but couldn’t speak because Gibson had him by the throat and his face was getting redder by the second.
“Do your nuts hurt? I fucking hope so, I should cut your dick off. You’re a fucking asshole, you know that? What the fuck, dude? Ain’t you got no shame, taking my sloppy seconds? Couldn’t fucking resist her even though you knew she had been with me?”
Looking at me over his shoulder Gibson threw another insult, “You fucking let him bone you, when you’d been with me only a few hours before? Spinning me the sweet victim act? Damn you, Chloe… it fucking worked, I believed you.”
Gibson gave Gavin his attention again. “I saw the way you looked at her. Did you make her come the way I did?” He pushed Gavin back by the throat and he knocked over a bottle of whisky that Gavin had opened on the side.
Amber liquid flowed from the dressing table onto the carpet, soaking into it silently until it was so saturated it made a patting sound, as the rest dripped from the bottle. A strong odor filled the room and Gibson twisted his body quickly to stare at me, still sitting in the bed.
“You’re fucking good. I’ll give you that. You had me fooled for sure. All that crying and shit, I really believed your sob story. My instincts were to fuck you hard, but I took care of you. Did you enjoy taking me for a ride? Thought it would be cool to give me a taste of what it feels like to be used?”
As Gibson turned to address Gavin once again, I wasn’t frightened for myself but for Gavin. There was no way I was going to allow Gibson to continue to target him like that.
“STOP!” I bounced off of the bed and was stood naked in front of both of them, my hands up to stop Gibson from continuing his assault. Glancing over at Gavin, he was still struggling to get himself together and clutching his throat. The agony on his face told me that Gibson hadn’t held back on his handling of him. Poor guy had done me a favor and ended up on the wrong end of Gibson Barclay’s raw side.
The both of them stopped to look at me and I almost cringed because of my naked state but I stood firm. This wasn’t about what I looked like naked. It was about someone damaging my reputation. He may be Gibson Barclay but I was damned if I was going to be tarred with the same brush because I had been with him.
CHAPTER 37 - READ WRONG
Gibson
“Devastated.” When I had asked Johnny how Chloe was when he dropped her off, he gave me that one word answer. There wasn’t time to explain what was going on. I just had to deal with it before it got so out of hand she never spoke to me again.
The steward on the yacht, who I then knew now was Wallace Price, had taken some pretty damning pictures of the two of us on deck and named his price. Three major US newspapers and two gossip magazines had picked up the story and my legal team were on it, but I wanted to oversee it myself.
One headline read, “Gibson Gropes Gorgeous Groupie” The article went on… “Gibson Barclay scores a home run with yet another stunning female. Grooming her in style, the ever promiscuous Gibson meticulously planned his seduction of innocent unsophisticated competition winner, Chloe Jenner, of New York City, yesterday. Hiring a luxury yacht for the day, Gibson moved in on the curvaceous Chloe after plying the unassuming blonde haired beauty with cocktails. Their day had begun with a day out frolicking on the waves with best mate Toby Francis and his band mates, Gametes bandmates, the rest of M3rCy and Chloe’s friends. According to Price, steward in attendance on board the yacht, the couple weren’t shy about their alfresco session. Gibson and his latest squeeze arrived on the boat wearing only swimwear which was quickly discarded. In true Gibson style, Price stated that as soon as Barclay achieved his goal and the smoking hot scene with the pretty fan was over, the date came to an abrupt end. Jenner won a recent competition to meet her idol and fell under ‘the Gibson effect’, resulting in the not so private sex session. Chloe Jenner was conspicuously missing from her hotel room late last night, so was unavailable for comment.”
Fuck. Usually, I laughed when I read how interested the paparazzi were about me getting my rocks off., but this time the one time I wanted to keep everything private and had gone to lengths to make sure we were alone, I’d blown it.
Legally, Price had abused my trust and lost his job and my lawyers stated they were going to sue for invasion of privacy. However, that didn’t help me or protect Chloe from the media bashing or the crazy fans that would target her for being with me.
Strong, almost primal instincts to protect Chloe from everyone hadn’t panned out, and she was facing a potential shit storm that I could neither make go away, nor offer her the anonymity she needed. The press and fans would hound her.
The only way forward was if I kept her with me. That thought excited the hell out of me. However, reading the headlines I doubted my capacity to make her see that my intentions weren’t what the media were portraying, so the chances of keeping her close to me until this blew over were almost non-existent.
While we were heading over to her hotel, Johnny complained the whole time, telling me that this was not the way to make things better, showing up at her room when the media were already fueling a story and spinning it to slant in the direction they thought would sell more copies.
Overwhelmed with crazy mad emotions, I could see Johnny was worried that some of the paparazzi might challenge me and I’d throw a punch. As for me, the way I was feeling I was kinda hoping someone would, so that I could feel justified in doing just that.
Chloe’s hotel foyer was swarming with media parasites, cameras flashing everywhere as soon as I walked through the door, rushing at me like flies on shit. My mood was so fucking black that I was biting my lip in my attempt to reach the elevator lobby without saying anything that made it worse for her. Johnny was talking for me, stating that I had nothing to say, and then he pushed two guys back that got too near.
“No fucking comment dudes, back off, Johnny barked, as two hotel security guys pushed forward and threatened to call the police if they didn’t move out of the way. Just then, the elevator arrived and we both stepped inside. Some photographers were still trying to take shots and one reporter squeezed under the security guy’s arm in an effort to get to us, but the door closed and insanity instantly stopped.
Sagging back against the wall, I ran my hand through my hair and stared darkly at Johnny. “Fuck, what a cluster fuck. How the fuck am I going to convince her that yesterday wasn’t what they are saying it is?”
Johnny folded his arms and crossed a leg over hi
s other one, leaning sideways on the wall to face me. Snickering, he commented, “Gibson, if anyone can talk her round, it’s you. This is where all your lines and seductive ways get to join forces, dude. Plus, she’s a chick. I’ve never known one yet that can stay mad at you for more than five minutes.”
All those women I’d ever spun a line, teased or flirted with in the past were haunting me. Johnny’s words were exactly why I’d have trouble convincing Chloe to believe that yesterday wasn’t just staged to ensure I got laid.
Charlotte had already established that Chloe wasn’t in her room and that Gavin had picked up a key for her last night. So we headed directly to his room which would give me a couple of precious minutes to establish where she was before someone from the press caught up with us, because they would think I was heading straight to hers.
When Gavin opened the door, there was something in the way he held the door that told me there was a chick in there with him. I’m not stupid, I’ve stood the same way on many occasions. “Hey, dude, sorry to interrupt you. Do you know where I can find Chloe?”
Being a guilty man all too often, I recognized the look he was giving me and before he spoke, I was already realizing that Chloe was in there with him. My heart began to thud fast in my chest because she was hiding from me.
“Sorry dude, no, I thought she was with you.” As soon as he lied my temper went from zero to sixty and I fought to keep it under control.
“Can I come in for a minute?” Not waiting for Gavin to answer, I pushed him back and strode into the room, expecting to see Chloe sitting there. Instead, I saw her reflection in the mirror; a shocked look on her face, sitting naked in the dude’s bed.
Taking in the scene and that Gavin was half naked, I assumed he’d probably pulled on his jeans to answer the door. Feeling so fucking hurt by her being with him, I wondered who was playing who? I thought she’d left my bed and jumped straight into his. “You gotta be fucking kidding me, darlin’.”
Thunderous thoughts that she’d gone to him for help and the dude had taken advantage of her vulnerability made me want to kill him.
Addressing Gavin, “My security guy made me feel like shit because he said I’d hurt her last night. Guess you were there to comfort her and fuck her to make her feel better, right?”
Gavin tried to speak, “Dude…” Reacting to my seething thoughts, I grabbed Gavin by the windpipe and his nuts because I was done being reasonable. Gavin yelped and I honestly didn’t give a fuck how much pain he was in, it could never be as bad as I was feeling about giving myself to someone, opening up my feelings and getting them trampled upon.
Glancing at her in the mirror, her sitting there holding a sheet over her to cover up what was already etched into my mind, I felt betrayed by the one person I had thought might be the reason, why my life had had such a void until now. The one void that might have been my true purpose in life, who meant more than making music and hanging out in the fucked up world I had sold into.
“Do your nuts hurt? I fucking hope so, I should cut your dick off. You’re a fucking asshole. What is it with you, dude? You got no shame taking my sloppy seconds? Couldn’t fucking resist her even though you knew she had been with me?”
Deep down in my conscience, my rational side kept telling me to stop; that there must be a logical explanation for her being there, but seeing how he behaved at the door and her sitting naked in his bed...it just seemed to add up to a lot more.
So I threw a few more insults around, accused her of getting with him after me. In fact, I almost lost it altogether and really went for it about how she’d played me, then it got to the point where I was so fucking annoyed I was going around in circles.
Suddenly, Chloe got off the bed and stood in front of us naked. Gavin looked away and I could see he was thinking about her modesty, but I was transfixed. She had guts, knowing everything I knew about her and seeing the look on her face, I knew instantly I had called their scene wrongly.
When she started to attack me with words like hypocrite and defending Gavin, getting in between us, I was done. I’d come to protect her and she was turning what had happened between us into a fucking hook up.
“Just who the hell do you think you are, Gibson? It’s okay for you to fuck around and no one else, right? Or, you behave that way and think everyone else behaves like a dog as well? Fuck you, Gibson Barclay.”
Chloe walked over to a chair and began to dress in the cutest blue lingerie and I was mad we were arguing because I’d have loved to have laid my hands on her cute ass in those blue lacy boy shorts she was pulling over the globes of her ass.
She pointed to Gavin who was still looking at the ground. “This guy right here—take a good look Gibson, because this is the guy who took care of me last night when you discarded me. He never slept with me and he never touched me. Gavin was the perfect gentleman. Unlike you, who performed your famous ‘done and run’ routine on me.”
Drawing breath to come back at her, it caught in my throat and I stopped dead in my tracks and gave her a stunned look because that was the last thing I wanted her to feel.
“Is that what you think happened? I used you? Did nothing I said yesterday sink in to that skull of yours? You have no fucking idea how I feel or what I do, or why I left you with Johnny. For one day… just one day I wish people wouldn’t think the worst of me.”
Glancing over at Gavin, he looked as if he were still in pain and I felt sorry for him because by then I had realized he had done my job for me and taken care of Chloe. I should have been thanking him. But I still wasn’t feeling very benevolent toward anyone so I just nodded and said, “Do you mind dude. I want to speak with Chloe alone.”
Gavin raised his brow and turned to Chloe. “Well, what does Chloe think about that, Gibson? Anyone dismisses me, it’s her. For the record because of how you took care of her yesterday the paparazzi were all over her room last night. She was safer with me than she was with your provision. Also, I owe you nothing and you’re lucky that I know Chloe’s history, and have more self- control than you do, because if you want to come at me like that again, best your bodyguard is on the same side of the door. Ever grab me by the balls again, and I’ll break your fucking fingers.”
Gavin wasn’t a pushover I could see that, but I knew if he fucked with my chances with Chloe, I’d fuck with any part of his anatomy I saw fit to. Staring him down, the altercation could have gone either way, but I had a bigger issue to deal with so I let what he said wash over me. “Chloe?”
Exchanging glances with Gavin then me, Chloe nodded at Gavin and he went over and held her by the arms, speaking to her like she was one of his children. “Any problems I’m outside in the corridor honey, okay?” Chloe smiled weakly at him and Gavin limped toward the door. Striding past him I pulled it open and signaled to Johnny to keep him busy.
Once we were alone, I explained my reason for leaving the yacht so abruptly. When I broke the news about the pictures to Chloe she was devastated, as I knew she would be. Her first thought was about the ex- boyfriend coming after her.
“Chloe, the way I figure this is, you can be a victim or you can adopt the so-fucking-what attitude. Personally, I think it has worked well for me, too well really, because no one believes I can do anything honorable anymore.
However, my take on this is that shit happens and after several years of getting pissed and wanting to get even I was beginning to develop an ulcer, so now I have the so- what- nobody- died attitude and that gets me through most things.”
Seeing how devastated she looked, I stepped forward and pulled her against my chest. I remembered the first time I hugged her; how tense she had been. There was no difference in that hug to my effort to comfort her at that point but I held her tightly and after a few seconds felt the sag of her body against mine as she became relaxed, her arms snaking around me and clinging to the back of my t-shirt
Pushing away from me, Chloe’s head tilted upwards, her eyes meeting mine, tears were welling in hers. “What am I
going to do? What if Kace finds me? What if these people follow me home?”
Biting her lip, Chloe looked terrified and I thought about everything she had told me the day before and how difficult the situation would have been for the most emotionally sound of people. Add domestic violence to being stalked by the media, and it could push her to a breakdown.
“You don’t have to be anywhere, do you? I mean, when you go back to New York you don’t have a schedule to follow or anything?” Chloe’s brow bunched and I could see she had no idea what I was thinking.
“No, I’m trying to write, I told you that. So …”
There was only one answer to this. “Okay, settled. The best way to keep you safe and get the media off your back is for you to stay with me. You’re coming to Rio with me.”
Chloe immediately tried to free herself from me, but I held her tight and began to reason with her, talking quickly to stop her from shutting down on me.
“Listen, wait, whoa! Those guys won’t let up on us unless we do this my way, I guarantee it. The best way to get rid of them is for me to deal with this with my team behind us. We’ll face this head on. So we issue a statement that we don’t care who knows we’ve had sex, that’s what couples do, right?”
I could see that Chloe was about to protest about the couples reference and I was concerned that she wouldn’t go for it, but fuck I wanted her with me not just because of the press, but because I needed more time with her.
“Okay, we make a statement about us being old friends turned lovers, and that we don’t care who knows we had sex because we’re finally together. I mean, it’s not a complete lie is it? We had met before. Once the press see us together, their ‘groupie’ tag will be dropped and they’ll go find someone else to stalk.”
Staring at me, Chloe looked visibly distressed as she tried to explain her feelings and come to grips with what the pictures meant for her.
Romance: Gibson's Legacy ( New Adult Contemporary Erotic Romance) (Last Score Book 1) Page 30