by Kylie Walker
If only she could buy him time and health.
She walked out of the store, going up and down the perimeter of the street, being careful to stay in the general area because she knew that Roman would probably soon be on his way. She stopped to rest on a park bench, enjoying a tasty treat of frozen strawberry gelato that she had purchased from an ice cream shop sitting adjacent to the pottery store.
The taste of strawberry flavor exploded in her mouth and sent her taste buds into overdrive. She licked the delicious treat, never wanting it to end. She was pondering whether to walk back in the store and try out another flavor, perhaps coconut this time when she heard a noise from behind her.
Thinking that it might be Roman, she turned around with a smile. She opened her mouth to speak but stood up and hastily took a fumbled step backward when she realized it was not Roman, but a pair of aggressive and hungry reporter’s beelining directly for her as if she was the prey and they were the hunters.
“Can I help you?” Chloe still held the gelato in her grip but noticed that her bags full of purchases were sitting; looking displaced on the wrought iron bench she had been peacefully relaxing on just moments before.
“Are you her?” The blonde, eager-eyed woman pressed.
Chloe shook her head, feeling slightly perplexed and thoroughly ambushed. “I’m sorry?” She asked. “Who exactly are you trying to find?”
The blonde woman glanced at her partner with an enthusiastic grin. “It is her. I’m sure of it. Same haircut, same chic style.”
As keen as Chloe was to accept abstract compliments from total strangers on the street, she still didn’t understand who they were looking for.
The pair looked to be about forty years old, and they both had American accents which were slightly befuddling. The male had slicked back dark hair that appeared as if he had drenched his entire head in hair gel, perhaps even using an entire bottle. He was wearing a jet black suit and a red power tie with tiny white dots splattered across it in an intricate design.
“You are Chloe Adams, are you not?” He gave her a frenzied glance as if he had just struck oil out west and was still shocked to learn he had hit the jackpot.
“I’m sorry,” Chloe was starting to feel like a broken record, stating the same thing over and over. She shook her head guardedly. “Who are you?” She still was apprehensive to reveal her identity to this man with blazing, ravenous eyes. All reporters were sharks. He was starving for a story as he pushed his camera into her face, massively violating her personal space.
“We work for the Chicago Tribune,” the blonde woman wearing a navy pants suit with high shoulder pads chimed in a proud and boastful voice.
Chloe frowned. “What are you doing all the way over here, in Milan, Italy?” What the hell did they want with her?
The man edged closer to her. “My dear, we could be asking you the very same thing.”
Chloe was taken aback but held her ground. “Excuse me,” she pushed past them breezily retrieving her bags from the bench without allowing her shaky hands to show.
“Are you dating Roman Davenport, lead drummer for the popular rock band Infinity Prism?”
Chloe huffed, feeling her ears burn and her cheeks scorch with the heat of embarrassment. What nerve did these people have to fly across the world and fire rounds of questions at her?
She wasn’t going to entertain them with an answer. “No comment.”
“Is Roman Davenport your love interest?” The woman called out in a desperate attempt to get a rise out of Chloe, or at least attempt to make her stop in her tracks and give her the attention she was craving.
Chloe turned around, glaring at the woman while privately seething. “For your information,” she began coolly, “I work as a Marketing Assistant to Emelia Greene who is working on the European leg of the tour. And that’s my only connection to the band.”
Chloe spun around, already berating herself for spewing too much impulsive information on the spot. These obnoxious reporters were succeeding in getting her to commit to their wishes for a story.
She began brashly walking down the street, temporarily forgetting all about the fact that Roman would be searching for her. For now, all she could focus on was being hunted by these antagonistic reporters, bordering belligerent.
She huffed down the street, trying not to let her furious state of mind capture control of her mind or her physical actions. She pushed past an older couple wearing cameras around their necks and book bags across their backs.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized, becoming even more rattled by the second.
The reporters were gaining on her. She dared to glance apprehensively over her shoulder, noticing how they were narrowing the gap between them.
“We can’t believe how lucky we are to have run into Roman Davenport’s girlfriend on the street!” The woman chanted, inadvertently making a buzzing crowd form around them.
Chloe was cornered, encircled. There was nowhere else to go, no path of escape. She glanced to her left and right, trying not to panic. The vibrant blonde reporter shoved her microphone in Chloe’s face.
“We are in Milan following the band.” She elbowed her gel-doused counterpart. “Can you believe it, Richard?” She squealed.
“I can’t believe it, Susan.” Richard, the Reporter, gave Chloe a bedazzled smile. “Today is our lucky day.”
“You can’t believe everything you hear,” Chloe fired back. “You don’t know anything about me or my private life. Which, by the way, I intend to keep fully private.” Chloe had to insert that little tidbit of disclosure so that the sharks would stop wadding around her, just waiting for her to spill a droplet of blood so they could pounce on her.
She knew she sounded less than convincing, but she was literally backed into a corner. “Please,” she said in the most assertive voice she could muster, given the circumstances. “Leave me alone.”
Other bystanders besides the reporters had begun to flash their cameras in Chloe’s face, wanting to get a good look at the woman alleged to be dating the famous rocker, Roman Davenport.
Chloe wouldn’t appease them with a direct answer. It was none of anyone’s business. Besides, she couldn’t hammer in a title for her and Roman’s relationship in the first place. It was still in the baby stages, not even fully grown yet.
She noticed a break in the crowd and made a run for it. She observed a huge figure barreling towards her out of the corner of her eye and braced herself for impact. Was it the local police coming to capture her? Was it worse? Human trafficking? The scenarios blazed through her mind like wildfire.
The reporters were gaining on her, getting closer and closer with their cameras pointed directly at Chloe. She had never expected in a million years to be ambushed in such a highly populated area in the middle of the day.
The mysterious and huge man-centered himself between Chloe and the reporters. “Not so fast,” he roared.
Chloe recognized that voice at once. Tufts of blond hair emerged behind a baseball cap and huge aviator sunglasses. Roman had attempted to disguise himself under the scrutiny of being out on the streets in plain open sight.
He held his hands up in an effort to shove the reporters out of the way. “Stay back,” he warned.
“Roman Davenport?” The blonde reporter wasn’t even phased by the fact that Roman was practically growling at her in an effort to protect Chloe. “Have you come to be with your lady friend?”
Chloe knew that Roman would never hit a woman. However, given the way his eyes flashed with hostility towards the wet head reporter, he looked as if he were debating whether to clock him a nice one in the side of the cheek. Chloe noticed that he even went as far as to ball his fists and crack his knuckles.
She wished she could use mind tricks to mentally deter him from making the same rash mistakes as before, in a media frenzy. She didn’t want to see him assault this male reporter without cause, and then end up in even more trouble than before.
“Roman,” she hissed
out of the side of her mouth. “Don’t do it.”
Roman’s face twisted in torment and conflict about whether or not he should punch the guy or let it go. Finally, he shoved past the reporter, making his way to Chloe. “Come on,” he said and gripped her gently by the elbow to tug her along faster.
“Let’s get out of here before I do something I’ll regret.”
Chapter Nineteen
Roman was vaguely staring at Burt, watching him spit as he yelled at the band as an entity, but, in particular, Roman himself.
“You guys are careless fools.” He pointed his finger accusingly at all five of the band members, wagging it in anger. “What has gotten into the lot of you lately? You think just because you are a famous rock band that you can do whatever the hell you want, any good ole time of the day or night?”
Burt’s straight brown hair was askew as he paced the room, pausing a few seconds to wager a reaction from the lot of the men in front of him. He’d been in a rage since he’d flown in a few hours ago.
“Take it easy.” Colton crossed his arms as he sat in a lounged position on the couch in the backstage area of the venue they were going to play at tomorrow. “Nobody got hurt.”
Burt dared a condescending glance at Roman. “It could have ended badly.”
“But it didn’t,” Roman fired back.
Burt didn’t often give them an earful, but as their manager, he had somewhat of an obligation to keep the members of Infinity Prism on track, to prevent them from going off the rails and creating a media shit storm.
“You know what this means...” Burt trailed off as if to state the obvious.
Roman glanced at each of his band members, shrugging. “No?” He questioned. “Do you care to elaborate?”
He wasn’t trying to be a jerk, but Burt was treating them like they were children who deserved a lecture and a punishment. Roman was tired, fatigued of all the stress and turmoil that had been trailing him ever since this tour had begun.
“We need to release another statement,” Burt stated gravely, placing his gold ring studded hands on his hips. “To the press.”
Everyone groaned, including Roman, but he knew that it was one of those necessary evil’s to once again clear their reputations.
“I need you guys to really step it up from here on out,” Burt puffed. “I’m serious guys. We can’t afford any other snafus out there. No more pushing people around. No more using your fists.” He went on with a list of rules, do this and not that’s.
Roman and Colton gave each other a knowing look. Burt had coached them on appropriate public behavior and all that shit, but it was hard to keep their emotions under wraps. Besides, what had happened in Amsterdam was not their fault. And a reporter in Chloe’s face? Fuck that.
Burt was a damn good manager, and Roman respected the hell out of him, but sometimes he was a little over the top, so much so that his proposed rules and procedures became almost too ridiculous.
“Look, man.” Roman tossed his hand in the air to let the rest of the group know that he was fully engaged and prepared to go the extra mile to sharpen his image until it had a beautiful sheen and waxy coat.
“Yeah?” Burt looked perplexed.
“I am all for these changes. I will say whatever the hell you want me to say in the press release. I’m one-hundred percent committed and on board.”
Burt’s smile widened slightly. “Thank you, Roman,” he said with a nod. “That means a lot.” He glanced around the group. “Hell, it certainly makes my job a ton easier.”
“Let me finish,” Roman added. “I just want to put it out there, for the record that I’m not a bad guy.”
Asher chortled. “No one on earth thinks you are a bad guy Roman. In fact, you are one of the most laid back ones of them all.”
“I concur,” Lucas chimed.
“I was just simply trying to protect my girlfriend from those asshole reporters. You should have seen it.” He stood up, animatedly walking around, waving his arms in the air to inflect the visual of chaos at the scene. “A crowd had formed around her. The reporters had baited her, hook, line and sinker. She was trapped. She had nowhere else to go. I could have punched the male reporter directly in the face. He would have gone down hard too, but I restrained myself. Because I’m a good guy.”
Burt rolled his eyes. “Thanks for being the diplomatic hero, but unfortunately that’s not the way the media is going to spin the story. We still have to do some damage control to make nice with everyone involved.”
Roman glanced at Trevor, who was staring at him with a roguish smile.
“What?” Roman chuckled with apprehension. “Stop looking at me like that.”
“I just noticed something that no one else even bothered to pick up on,” Trevor mentioned.
Roman gave him his full attention, crossing his arms. “What?”
“You called Chloe your girlfriend.” Now Trevor’s smile was massive.
“I did?” Roman was caught off guard. When he glanced around the room, he was met with the amused stares of his band members. “I did...” he trailed off as the realization sank into his own brain.
“It’s okay buddy.” Lucas gave him a brotherly slap on the back. “We’re happy for you.”
“Yeah,” Colton offered. “Chloe is a great girl.”
“One hot chick.” Asher pushed his hands out, pretending to mimic a big breasted female.
“Oh, grow up,” Roman rolled his eyes, but he was grinning. Maybe they were right. Perhaps it was time to follow his heart for once and see where the path took him. Being with Chloe felt so natural and safe, it was probably the best place to start.
A few minutes later, Roman walked out of the meeting room backstage at the arena. They had open access to the venue the day before and the day of the concert for the purpose of practicing, bringing in stage equipment and running through sound checks.
He plucked his cell phone from his back pocket, gearing up to call his assistant so that she would have his car prepared at the front to pick him up. He was distracted, staring at the device and not keeping an eye on where he was going.
He stumbled into someone, vaguely apologized and kept moving.
“Hey,” the sexy female voice he had come to recognize and get excited about cooed behind him.
He spun around. “Chloe?”
She had an eccentric grin on her face. Her hands were shoved into her back pocket, and she was wearing pink Converse high tops. She looked sexy and chic, just like usual. “Is that how you respond when you see your girlfriend?” She accentuated the last word as she gave him a mischievous smile.
Roman approached her, a flirtatious grin cracking his lips. He snaked his arms around her waist as they began to sway back and forth as if they were dancing even though there was no music playing in
“You heard me in there I assume?” He took a strand of her hair and tucked it tenderly behind her ear.
“Every word,” she beamed. “You are in for a wild treat tonight mister.”
“Really?” Roman’s pulse pounded in his ears. He was already feeling the tug of desire begin to stretch between his legs.
“Yes really,” she purred into his ear in a tantric way of seduction.
“I was just getting ready to call for the car,” he mentioned. “Then I can’t wait to see what you have in store for me.”
“I promise that you’ll love it,” she stated, giving him an erotic gaze that made his bones feel wavy.
“Let’s go then,” he said with a mile-wide grin. “There’s no point in wasting any more time here.”
A few minutes later, they climbed into the car, electric sexual chemistry swirling around them. Roman couldn’t stop staring at Chloe. She was remarkably stunning, breathtaking. She was more than surface beauty. She was charming and caring on the inside too, always putting others before herself.
He hated the pain and suffering she was going through with her father’s sickness, but on some levels, he felt like he understood the sorro
w she had to live with. It was almost as if he were shedding the layers of his own grief while being in her company. In some ways, Chloe was the dose of healing he required in order to function. He just hadn’t realized it until that very moment when they were sitting in the car next to each other, heading back to their hotel.
“Hey,” he whispered and leaned over in the seat to be closer to her.
Chloe’s gorgeous blue eyes stared through him, piercing his soul and erupting a sensual magic he never even knew existed.
“Yes?” Chloe’s voice was excitedly expectant. Her cheeks were flushed and rosy, probably with the same desire that pulsed the massive erection bulging through his pants.
He couldn’t wait another second to kiss her. Her lips were so full and juicy, like a tasty strawberry dessert that was alluring, and he couldn’t resist taking a massive bite from.
“You are so pretty,” he whispered as he kissed her neck, showering gentle kisses onto her skin while he relished in the reaction of pleasure chill bumps that poked through the surface.
“Mmm...” Chloe trailed off, giving him, even more, fuel and ammunition.
He grazed his hands up her inner thighs, rubbing her between her legs through her shorts. She moaned softly in his ear, a response that drove him crazy.
It was so erotic to be in the back of the car with her, at night, hidden in the darkness but yet still in the company of the driver. Roman continued to swirl his index finger and thumb around between Chloe’s legs, but through her clothes.
She purred into his ear, panting heavily. He couldn’t keep his hands off her. He was counting the seconds until they would be alone and naked together in his penthouse hotel suite. After what had seemed like an eternity, the driver finally pulled up to the valet curb, letting Roman and Chloe out.
There were a handful of paparazzi cameras waiting for them at the door, but security was there to help the pair breeze right past the cameras with no problems. As soon as they were behind closed doors, alone, at last, Chloe draped her arms around Roman’s neck, grazing her index finger across his shoulder as she gazed at him with a seductive glance.
