“Chloe. I’m a rock star. This is what we do. Anyway, what would you rather… Ruby knowing I was a red hot male with strong urges to fuck his girl or have people thinking I’ve gone impotent?”
Hanging upside down I covered my face with my hand but I couldn’t help but be turned on by his caveman gesture in front of her. Even if he was joking around.
Spinning to speak to Ruby, Gibson said, “Stay away from that guitar, Ruby, that howling noise you sing will attract bears or hunters around here.”
Entering the bedroom, he closed the door with his foot and stalked over to the bed. Flipping me back over his shoulder, Gibson lay me on the bed and quickly lay beside me. “So…”
Chewing my lip, I raked my hand through his hair and he caught my wrist lifting it above my head. Gibson closed the space between us and kissed me hard. We both moaned simultaneously in appreciation of each other. Breaking the kiss we both breathed in deeply, then Gibson spoke, “We should do something special right now.”
Staring into his eyes I pulled his t-shirt so that his head was closer and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “This isn’t special enough for you any more, Mr. Barclay?”
Gibson considered this and massaged his lips together. “It is, but it’s not every day you get proposed to…actually that’s not true. I’m a fucking rock star…so that shit happens on a daily basis, but it isn’t every day I hear my girl say it. “I want to take you dancing, Chloe. I wanna take you out and be just a normal couple for one night.”
Gibson bounced off of the bed and stripped his shirt off of his shoulders, his back muscles rippling as he shrugged his way out of it. “Get dressed,” turning to look at me he shook his head,
“I mean put on a dress. We’re going out.” Gibson disappeared out of sight into the walk-in closet then returned naked from the waist down, shaking out a pair of black dress pants. Beginning to step into them he glanced over at me. “Come on…we’re leaving in ten minutes.”
Bouncing my way to the end of the bed, I stood up and gave Gibson an incredulous look.
“Where are we going?”
“Town, Johnny’s already finding somewhere we can have dinner and dance. I texted him just before Ruby’s cat call. I don’t want fancy and posh, just somewhere with good food and some sounds I can hold my chick tight to? Is that alright with you?”
Gibson’s impulsive move thrilled me, I was delighted watching how fired up he was about doing something without all the planning that usually went into his ‘going out’. “Aren’t you worried you’ll get mobbed?”
Snickering Gibson fastened the button on his pants and pulled up the zipper and my eyes fell to where his hand was immediately.
“Naughty girl…that’s for desert. You are going to have to dance with me to play with my dick tonight, Chloe. And no, I’m not worried about going out. With what I have in mind for us, there won’t be more than thirty people there at the most. I’m not planning on taking you to a regular dance club. Just something subtle that has tunes we can get lost in for a while. I mean we’re in Breckenridge not LA. ” I was at a loss how he had pre-empted my next question about attracting attention when we went out.
Gibson’s playful mood along with his ass in those black pants was an enticing combination, but I was almost as excited as he was that we were going out. We’d never really had a proper date the way the events had taken shape in our relationship.
Dressing quickly, I came out of the closet to see Gibson sitting on the end of the bed wearing a crisp white shirt, the effect against his tanned skin and dark hair stopped me dead in my tracks, he was bending over, tying the laces of some dress shoes. When he looked up at me, the effect of the sight of him made me freeze.
“Wow! Gibson you scrub up beautifully.” Gibson gave me his sexy roguish grin and licked his lips as his sensual eyes appraised me from head to toe.
“Damn, you did that, in five minutes? You leave me breathless, Chloe.” Gibson’s eyes glittered with love as he came over and slipped his hand around my waist and kissed my temple. “Coat. We gotta get out of here or we’ll be out of these threads in seconds.”
Johnny pulled in front of the cabin and jumped out to open the door. “Swiss…they have a small dance floor and music from 10pm.”
Gibson looked pleased and patted Johnny’s back. “Come here,” Gibson motioned to Johnny to look at me sitting in the back. “Isn’t she amazing…gonna need plenty of condoms tonight, Johnny.”
Sliding in beside me, Gibson grinned and Johnny laughed, “Chloe…that’s one smooth operator you got there, I hope you’re wearing your chastity belt under that dress.” Closing the door Gibson grinned devilishly and when he saw my jaw drop laughed raucously beside me. “We’re messing with you, Chloe. You look stunning.”
Watching the confusion on my face he could see I didn’t know what to do about the interaction with Johnny. “Okay that was wrong, but fuck, I’m very proud to be with you and to be frank, I either embrace men appreciating how you look or get pissed and run around punching every dude that looks at you. Now I would do that happily if that’s what you wanted, but my expert assessment is, that the sooner we front it out in public, the sooner we’ll be less of a fascination for everyone.
Johnny pulled away from the cabin and down the snow covered driveway, and despite Gibson’s over exuberance about how I looked, I felt we were going to enjoy being let loose.
CHAPTER 37 - SURPRISES
Gibson
Joking with Johnny after I caught him appraising Chloe made her feel uncomfortable. Maybe I did it just to see that sexy pink tinge of embarrassment stain her cheeks, it was one of the things I loved about her. Staring back in shock all innocent looking and sexy as sin in response, with her wide eyes popping at me, I didn’t miss the way she squirmed in her seat in reaction to my comment about her. It made me chuckle.
When her hand slipped into mine she instantly quietened me, and I felt centered by her touch. So we travelled most of the way into town in a comfortable silence.
One of the things that attracted me to Chloe was the way she regarded herself. How she blushed a little when someone paid her a compliment, or if my eyes connected with hers in a crowded room, and she’d smile at me right before her eyes fell to look at the ground like she doesn’t know how mesmerizing she is to look at.
Sometimes when I wake in the early morning and see her lying right beside me with her face completely relaxed, hair tousled around her face and cascading across the sheet toward me, my heart always reacts in one of two ways. It either feels like bursting with pride at my beautiful, brave girl, or it melts with the love I feel for her. Sometimes—when we were in a crowded place it aches because I don’t have her to myself, and when she’s not there at all, that ache is a burn in my chest.
This morning I lay there for hours staring at Chloe and when she moved her soft sounds had my dick twitching. Sometimes I still couldn’t believe how I found her...my one. Mine. Even after all the shit she’d been through she was still Chloe. A little broken but damn, she was coming back fighting, her strength giving her an assertiveness that I wouldn’t expect of her quiet demeanor had I not seen it for myself.
I was a lucky man…very lucky. Everything I had wished for was granted, but if I never sang another song, never walked a stage again and even if I never played another note, I’d be contented because Chloe was by my side.
I have a tattoo of a script I saw on an old billboard for a band I used to like, when I was a teenager. “Heart Strings can only truly be tugged by music.” When I had read it I found it so profound that I had a Gibson guitar tattooed on my arm and the words added because I believed that music was the only real way to affect someone inside. All of that changed the day Chloe came into my life. Love tugs the strings, making the music stir the feelings inside me. The way she affects me tugs at my heart strings.
Holding the hand of someone you love…that loves you back above all other people in this world, is a feeling I never knew existed until Chloe. In
fact, for all the women I’ve held in my arms, all the ‘free love’ that I thought I’d had from having sex with them, Chloe knew more than I did about relationships. She taught me what it was to be intimate… to care so much for someone that they were the driving force behind anything I did from that moment on.
Sitting in the car with her on the way to the restaurant there was so much going on in my head. For weeks I’d been struggling with asking Chloe to be my wife. It wasn’t necessary, I’d take care of her for the rest of my life like we were now, but from my perspective I wanted to make her mine, forever.
Ruby played it very cool today slipping it in about me making an honest woman of Chloe and when Chloe asked me to marry her, I felt her little body shake with nerves even though she thought it was farcical, but my answer was completely legitimate. I was ready— for me it has always been her. Chloe was that ‘thing’ that had been missing in my life.
Chloe was smiling at the tiny white and lilac double fronted restaurant at the top of the main street in the local town of Breckenridge. I thought it set the scene perfectly. Everywhere I looked was beautiful and I remembered why I picked this place as my bolt hole.
Gigantic mountains loomed above the town with ski slopes carved into them all the way down until they almost met the street. Glancing down the main street, it was idyllic, with its thick snow covered streets and antique style lampstands with twinkling lights on the store fronts it all gave an old fashioned feel to the place.
“So…there isn’t a chain of Casanova restaurants then?” Chloe was smirking wickedly at the memory of the night we officially met, when Charlotte sent us to the wonderful restaurant with the unfortunate name given my reputation.
Grinning up at me, Chloe was standing shivering with her hands shoved deep into her pockets and her collar pulled up protecting her neck from the icy wind. Her nose and cheeks were already turning rosy red from the freezing night air and she looked utterly adorable.
Glancing down I snuck another quick peek at her temptingly seductive legs in stiletto ankle boots with black fishnet stockings that hinted of sin. This attire was entirely different to the last time I’d taken her out to eat on our own when she was wearing her ass hugging jeans and cropped top with her tiny leather jacket. Pulling my cell out of my pocket I snapped a picture of them and she giggled.
Entering the restaurant I was thankful that they used fold out dressing screens to separate intimately curved booths with round tables. Low lighting and candles made the date all the more romantic for her and our presence was less conspicuous.
Sliding around the booth to be seated, we poured over the menu, choosing to share the simple vegetable fondue. Personally, I could have eaten anything as long as I was able to stare into Chloe’s stunning inky blue eyes while doing it.
“So…” Chloe snickered and I grinned as she placed her elbows on the table and took her chin in her closed hands.
“Remember that time we had phone sex, Chloe?” Instantly her eyes glanced down at her glass and she took the stem between two fingers twirling it between them while her lips disappeared into her mouth as she squeezed them closed. She was biting back a grin.
“Mm-hm.” Chloe covered her face with her hand still embarrassed about those pictures we sent each other yet I’d seen her hundreds of times close up and personal.
“What are you embarrassed about? That was one of the hottest things I ever did without having sex. I still have the picture by the way.” I winked at her playfully and she shook her head. I could see she didn’t believe me.
“You have no idea how that made me feel darlin’. Can we do it again sometime? Send pictures to each other I mean?”
Chloe started giggling and brought her half-full wine glass to her lips trying to hide her sudden shyness at being put on the spot. “Whatever you want, Gibson.”
“Hmm…that’s the second time you’ve said that to me today. What else can I ask for? Let me see?” Tapping my chin playfully, Chloe leaned over and wrapped her fingers around my wrist.
“Stop teasing me. What’s got into you tonight? You’re in a funny mood.”
“Not aware of anything getting into me, but I know I’ll be getting into you later if you play your cards right.” Waggling my eyebrows I could see my corny, crude attempt at humor was a shocker and Chloe’s jaw dropped, but she didn’t answer because the old waiter arrived with the fondue pan and lit the little warmer on the table, Chloe pulled her hand back and placed it on her lap.
During dinner the banter between us continued to be more and more suggestive on my part and I was completely sober. Chloe had one glass of white wine spritzer, then stuck to water for the rest of the meal. After an hour we’d eaten just about everything on the table and I slid closer to her, pulling her into my side. Chloe’s twinkling eyes stared up at me and she looked so fucking cute I had to kiss her.
Once I had started, I was in danger of getting carried away and I still had something left to do before I took her home and ruined those sexy stockings she was wearing. Breaking the kiss I slid my mouth to her ear and whispered softly in it, “Whatever I want, remember?”
Chloe glanced up and worked a swallow then licked her lips. “Hmm…I did say that didn’t I?”
Nodding playfully I dipped my head and touched her forehead with mine. “Will you dance with me?”
Smiling bashfully Chloe looked around and shrugged. “I don’t see a dance floor, Gibson.”
Gibson caught the eye of the old waiter and beckoned him over. “Excuse me, I promised my girl a dance, and I heard you had a dance floor.”
The waiter smiled and nodded vigorously, “Qui, it is upstairs.”
Taking Chloe’s hand I edged out of the seat and helped her to her feet then we followed the waiter to the door we had entered the restaurant through. He opened a door and there was a flight of stairs leading up. Pulling Chloe up the narrow staircase my heart was pounding in my chest. She was about to get the surprise of her life, and I had no idea how she was going to react. Chloe started giggling again.
“What are you laughing at? You don’t think I’m serious about my dancing? I’m a great dancer?” Reaching the top of the stairs we stepped into a small room with a highly polished dance floor. Sheer cream silk hung from the windows and the lilac walls with cream ornamental wrought iron candle holders made the room feel so romantic. For a moment I fell into work mode, shit I hope the press or my PR team never get wind of this. I’d never live it down.
Chloe was staring into the room looking uncomfortable. “Oh, I hate being the first person on the dance floor.”
Stepping closer to her I said, “Well it’s only you and me here, darlin’, so there’s nothing to be worried about. If the two of us dance, everyone will on the dance floor.”
Sliding my hand around her waist to her lower back, I took her hand in my other one and held it close to my chest but pulling her into my body at the same time.
Chloe looked like she was really enjoying our little interaction. Leaning into her I kissed her softly and drew my head back to look at her. “May I have the pleasure of this dance?”
Nodding she giggled nervously again, “I love when you’re playful, it’s turning me on Gibson, you need to do this more often.”
“Oh, I’m not being playful darlin’. Never been more serious about anything in my life.”
Coughing she cleared her throat then made an ‘ahem’ noise. “Sorry, okay, yes, I’d love to dance with you, but there isn’t any music yet.”
“Chloe…I’m a fucking rock star…I am the music.”
Seeing her chuckle at my comment, I felt so smug because I could almost guarantee that I was going to have the last laugh.
“Are we doing this? Or are we talking about it? Because I’m getting antsy about getting my dancing done before we go home, darlin’.”
Looking sheepish, Chloe nodded, “Sorry, Yes please I’d love to dance with you, Gibson.”
Taking in a deep breath, I pretended to think about what I wa
nted to sing. “Fast or slow?”
Making a humming noise, Chloe looked at my mouth then glanced up to stare into my eyes. Where we had a silent frozen moment, “Erm…I’d like to choose a slow dance with my gorgeous boyfriend please.”
Without saying anything else, she put her head on my shoulder and I started to move my feet and she followed. I knew the song was a huge risk but it was the one she associated with me, so I figured this was the most significant to us that wasn’t mine. I started singing “Waiting for Superman” Lifting her head, she looked up at me and smiled with tears in her doe-like eyes.
Chloe’s hot, watery gaze stole my breath and after a brief hesitation I continued until I was approaching the bridge and she smiled just as I sang the line… “And she smiles… and as I was singing a door at the far end opened. Chris Daughtry came in strumming his acoustic guitar and continued with the song.
Chloe’s eyes popped wide with a mixture of embarrassment, shock and delight on her face, then she sagged against me. For a second I was jealous because she had that fan-girl-adulation shit going on as she stared at Chris, who was grinning every now and again as he sang his way through the rest of the song.
Before Ruby had pulled her stunt at the cabin and sang with me I had already arranged the evening, but I didn’t quite know how to pull it off. Chris and I had been at a radio station interview because we were both headlining a festival on consecutive days. We’d bumped into each other over the years and had tables next to each other at dinner functions in the past.
I’m a fan of his work and he of mine, so when I mentioned the song and how Chloe loved it, the idea sprang to mind to have him sing it live to her at some point. When he told me at the interview he was coming to Breckenridge skiing for a long weekend, I asked for a favor and being the type of guy he is, he was only too happy to oblige.
When he finished singing to her he chatted for about ten minutes then left to spend time with his family. Chloe was absolutely glowing from her interaction with him. “Oye! You weren’t like that when you met me. What does he have that I don’t?”
Trusting Gibson (Last Score Book 2) Page 32