Trusting Gibson (Last Score Book 2)

by K. L. Shandwick

  Why would he bring me here, if there was a woman already here he was close to? How was I supposed to be myself with him, when there was this woman who obviously saw me as little more than someone that Gibson was merely passing his time with? Any confidence I had about being with him was ebbing fast.

  I felt lost. I had nowhere to go and no way of getting there even if I had. There was no one I could call apart from Ruby— who had no clue where I was, and come to think of it, I still didn’t either. First thing I could think of doing was to put clothes on and then maybe I thought I would feel less vulnerable— more able to stand up for myself.

  Gibson came after me, following me from the bathroom into his room.

  “What is it? What the fuck did I say?” His hands were out by his sides and Gibson continued to follow me around as I pulled out a sweater and bra, some panties and a pair of black cotton pants. Stepping into the panties, I pulled them over my butt and Gibson’s hands were instantly on the waistband, his fingertips denting my flesh.

  “Stop.”

  “Get your hands off me, now.”

  “Jesus, Chloe. Stop. This is me, Gibson. Whatever the hell I said, I’m sorry. Please. Just stop and talk to me.”

  I paused and stared at him silently, then lifted the bra from the bed and fed my arms through the straps. Gibson threw the towel I’d discarded over the back of the chair angrily.

  “Fine. Whatever is going on in that fucking head of yours, I’m too tired to deal with it tonight. I’ve been working and all I want to do is relax without any drama. I know there was nothing that I did to piss you off to this level, but my feeling is that you are in a very pissy mood, so I’m going to take a shower and go hang with my friend. You’re welcome to join me…or not. It’s your call. I’m never going to force you to do anything, but that doesn’t mean I have to take the rap for any fucked up feelings you have over what your ex did to you.”

  Gibson strode over and into the bathroom, banging the door behind him and I jumped, startled by the sudden forceful action. Tears welled in my eyes, blurring my vision and I fought them back, feeling vulnerable and angry, that once again, I was in a situation where I wasn’t able to just walk away. However, I knew I wasn’t hanging around and pretending I felt fine with someone that was obviously his fuck-buddy and had designs on Gibson. And from the all-inclusive pass to his life that she seemed to have, I knew she would be on me like a tick on my back.

  Pacing the floor, I was trying to formulate a plan to leave, but I couldn’t come up with anything other than to tell Gibson straight that I wanted to go. I didn’t want to… I had to go. Sitting down slowly on the bed, I swallowed noisily when the reality of leaving him in my mind caught up with the feelings in my heart. It was tearing me apart.

  Gibson had been amazing with me…to me, but there was no way I was going to cheapen myself by lowering my moral standards and accepting someone hanging around who was definitely a threat to anything we had been building. Some may say I should have just been grateful for what he was willing to give me, but I’d say that after everything that had gone on before in my life, I deserved that much more.

  Another thought struck me. I had come to care about Gibson. Not just lust after him, I’d gone way past that point, maybe even as early as the first day we spent together. What I was about to do was going to crucify me, but I wasn’t going to share a man with anyone, and with Gibson we may have come to this point somewhere along the line anyway, given his history.

  Maybe Gibson was on the rebound from feelings of his own as well, that I didn’t know about, that thought had occurred to me several times, but the fact that he’d shown me care and tenderness, protection and said all those nice things to me, definitely said he’d enjoyed being with me and me with him. Whatever the deal was, the fact remained Morgan wasn’t going anywhere so that meant I had to.

  Gibson came stalking out of the bathroom and headed for his closet, his magnificently sculpted frame moving with effortless grace, muscles flexing and rippling as he walked past me. His perfect, satiny taut skin was covered in tiny water droplets that instantly drew my mind to the feel of his body under my palms as I stroked it. A small towel hung from his waist and he lifted both arms to run his hands through his dark wet hair to smooth it back. The scene was pure seduction even if that wasn’t what was going on in his mind.

  Watching him nervously, I cleared my throat and heard myself speak as I processed the thought. “Could you please make Johnny available to take me to a hotel, Gibson?” As soon as I spoke, my gaze lowered and I suddenly became engrossed in the emerald ring I wore on my middle finger, twisting it nervously, because I knew I was inciting conflict with him.

  Gibson came out of the closet instantly and stalked over to stand in front of me, crossing his arms over his chest, his stormy grey eyes boring holes in me. When he spoke, it was a tirade of questions.

  “You want to leave? Just like that? We’re done? Thanks, Gibson—but no thanks? No discussion about what’s pissed you off? Really, darlin’? Damn, I know you’re fucked up from that gig you were stuck in with that mad bastard you lived with, but you don’t think I deserve an explanation for your abrupt exit?”

  Struggling to look up at him, I glanced briefly, making contact with his pained look, then flicked back and forth between him and my lap until I could choke back the tears and keep my voice sounding resolute.

  “I can’t be what you want me to be. I won’t be what everyone expects me to be. This…this…thing between us, it’s been insane and I’m thankful that I got to spend time with you, and got to know you…a little, but it’s time for me to go and stand on my own two feet, Gibson.

  “This game isn’t for me. I’m way too broken to manage the stuff that’s going on around me. If I thought for one minute I could be everything you want in a woman, I wouldn’t hesitate to stay, but I know that I’m not, so please, let’s not drag this out and can Johnny just help me leave, please?”

  “This game? That’s what you think this is? A fucking game?”

  Gibson paced back and forth, his hand running through his hair as he gathered his thoughts and my mind was in meltdown about what was coming next. Watching his body language it radiated anger, confusion and frustration. All the while he drew in deep breaths and exhaled heavily as he formed the speech that I knew was coming.

  Throwing his hand out there like he was throwing me away, Gibson then pointed at the door, “Alright. Go. Take whatever you need. Be whatever you want to be. Go and hide in that hole you need so fucking badly. Let him win, Chloe.” Pausing briefly, he shook his head and continued, “I can’t keep you here, but get this, I’ve given this my best shot and I won’t come after you. If this is really what you want, then there’s not much I can do about that.”

  There was a long moment of silence between us, neither of us moving and I was wondering whether I should get up and leave the room or whether Gibson would. I sat there staring at my hands, my heart felt crushed and feeling distressed at the thought of leaving him, every second that passed, my heart tore more with the awkward pause that hung in the air. The only thing I could hear was music coming from the kitchen. “What You Wanted” by One Republic filtered along the corridor as I tried to block it out and concentrate on what was going on.

  Gibson turned on his heel and walked over to a small cooler in the corner of the room, pulling out a bottle of water. Snapping the plastic cap open, he drew my attention to him placing it to his lips, practically inhaling most of the contents. Placing the bottle down heavily on the nightstand, then he walked back around to the side of the bed I was sitting on.

  “Nothing to add? Well, I have. Your little speech…what did you say? Let’s break it down. Point one, ‘I can’t be what you want me to be.’ Funny darlin’, I don’t ever recall asking you to be anything other than you, Chloe. I think you’re pretty fucking perfect the way you are. So I don’t get that particular statement at all. Point two, ‘I won’t be what everyone expects me to be.’ Well, from my pe
rspective I’m stoked about that, because what people expect is some blonde bimbo that’s gonna get fucked and dumped by horny ol’ Gibson Barclay, and we both know that’s not the case here.”

  I glanced up and Gibson’s hurt eyes instantly connected with mine, sending a tight squeeze to my heart. “You’re right about one thing, ‘this thing between us is insane.’ Listen to that, can you hear it?” The line of the song floating down the hall had just said the same thing. “‘The best love is insane.’

  “There is obviously something different going on for you than there is for me, Chloe. You are my reason, this amazing heady cocktail that’s made me a fucked up, babbling idiot around you. I have no idea how to make you understand that. Can’t you feel what I feel for you? Can’t you take it in and just know that what I want is to be with you? Be inside you? All the time, Chloe. That isn’t me being crude or coarse. I have never felt so centered by any one person as I have with you.”

  Taking my hands, he pulled me to stand. “Now, I’m going to the kitchen. You can either come with me or you can take your leave. I told you before I will never force you to do anything. It’s your decision, Chloe. If you choose to go, then thank you for the time you have given me and even though it’s been brief, I’ll remember you for the rest of my life. You have Johnny’s number in your cell. That’s your call to make, not mine.”

  Bending softly, he placed his closed mouth on mine in a painfully motionless kiss, then broke it and placed his forehead on mine. Staring sadly back at me, he held me captive for a few seconds, “You stole my soul with those eyes, darlin’.”

  Looking into his eyes was dissolving my fear, but he suddenly inhaled deeply and pulled away from me. Without another word Gibson turned and pulled on his jeans, zipped the fly, paused to look one last time at me, then left the room.

  CHAPTER 9 - DELAYING TACTICS

  Gibson

  Walking away from Chloe was so fucking difficult. As soon as the bedroom door closed, the crushing pains in the center of my chest at the thought she wanted to go, just about killed me. I pulled my cell from my jeans, swiped the screen and my thumbs worked quickly to send Johnny a text.

  Me: You’re drunk

  Johnny: Uh Oh sup?

  Me: Chloe.

  Luckily, I had pulled my cell off the counter top in the bathroom and dropped it in the pocket of my jeans when I was carrying them back to the bedroom. Johnny never did anything unless I said so, and if Chloe thought I was giving up that easily after all that I’d gone through to find her, she’d have to think again. I was no fucking quitter and she was about to find that out.

  While slipping the phone into my back jeans pocket, I racked my brain about what had set her off to the point where she wanted to leave. The only thing I could think of was Morgan turning up in the kitchen. But that wouldn’t have been it, because she was just a very old friend and one of the most laid back people I’d ever known.

  Suddenly the penny dropped. Chloe was intuitive, so the chances were, she’d know that if Morgan had been around me for a long time, that I’d probably fucked her. And I had…multiple times. And up to as recently as last month in fact. But to the both of us it was like going to the gym. A workout. There were no feelings involved, just two people who loved to have sex and she was a good match.

  Why the fuck didn’t I warn Morgan not to come to the cabin? How did she even know I was here? I couldn’t remember telling her where we were going. We’d spoken when she rang just after Charlotte called me with the news that Chloe’s apartment had been ransacked, but I never mentioned that I was coming here. When Morgan asked if she could come over to the hotel before we left for the cabin, I had mentioned that I was heading out because of a security issue.

  Guess she knew me better than I knew myself and figured that I would come here and didn’t realize that Chloe would be with me. How the hell had she got here so quickly? How Morgan had the ability to turn up in different states was beyond me. Wandering into the kitchen, my phone vibrated in my pocket. Morgan stopped, looked up at me and gave me that beautiful smile that was like a warm drink on a cold day.

  Smiling warmly back, my eyes darted to my phone to check the text from Johnny.

  Johnny: Roger that. You have until the morning at least. It wasn’t easy talking her down from the ledge.

  As soon as I saw the text, I just wanted Morgan to disappear. I had one night to convince Chloe that she should be with me and that wasn’t going to be easy with a fuck-buddy hanging around. So I texted him again.

  An hour. Emergency with Morgan. Take her away.

  Once I’d informed Johnny that Morgan was on the scene, I knew he’d come good on figuring a way to get her out of the cabin. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but I wasn’t going to let my friendship with her get in the way of what was happening between Chloe and me.

  I suppose I could have tried to speak to Morgan about Chloe, but I felt weird because I’d been fucking her for a couple of years and I’d never been in the situation where I had a girlfriend and a fuck friend in the same place at the same time.

  Hell, I hadn’t even thought about Morgan in the time I’d been with Chloe. We saw each other a few times a year and spoke on the phone quite often, but she was always in some kind of drama and she did use the fact that she was ‘Gibson Barclay’s friend’, which pissed me off sometimes. She said it opened doors for her, but I’d never have used her name if the roles were reversed.

  But she was the only woman I’d met that gave me a run for my money as far as being hooked on sex and she was fun, like one of the dudes—but with a pussy. Morgan hit on me. In fact, I don’t remember instigating a single session we’d ever had, those particular ideas were all on her.

  “Hungry? I figured eggs were the way to go as it’s late. Good gig?” Morgan had prepped everything in a bowl that she took from the fridge. She’d obviously been here some time to have managed that, but waited until I arrived to start making us an omelet. Reaching into the fridge again she took out a tossed salad and a large bottle of white wine. Sashaying past me, she placed it on the table beside the two glasses and place settings that were laid out.

  Watching Morgan work around the kitchen, I looked at her and back to the table then wondered why she hadn’t set it for three, because she undoubtedly knew that Chloe was here. I sat down casually.

  “Did Chloe not want something to eat?” Morgan spun around with a confused look on her face.

  “Chloe?”

  Morgan may have thought she was being smart, but I was way too clever to fall for the bullshit I felt was coming.

  “Chloe…is that the chick you’ve been boning? Must say I was surprised you brought her back to your personal space Gibson, she looks a little needy. I tried to converse with her but she was pretty pissy with me. You know the funniest part? She called herself your girlfriend.” Morgan was smirking with her eyebrows raised, like Chloe had said something incredulous to her.

  Pushing back the chair with my legs I stood and began walking down the hall again. Morgan called out after me. “Hey, where are you going, Gibson? The eggs will get cold.” Ignoring her, I pushed the bedroom door open and I saw Chloe lying on my bed. She’d been crying, her tear stained face all blotchy, and I wanted to scream in frustration that someone else had hurt her while I wasn’t around.

  Being mindful of not startling her again, I murmured softly. “Chloe…are you awake, darlin’? Her eyes fluttered open slowly and they were dull with sorrow, it almost destroyed me. To think how she was feeling was somehow my fault made my heart ache. Walking slowly toward the bed, I said, “Morgan is a friend, Chloe. Nothing more.”

  “Not true, Gibson. Women don’t just appear in cabins in the wood miles from anywhere with a key to let themselves in and know where everything is instinctively in your home. It seems pretty clear to me that she’s well versed at being here. You told me you didn’t have a girl, but as far as I can see Morgan is as near to one without the title as you could call it.”

  F
uck. Chloe was right. Maybe I just wasn’t paying attention to how Morgan had snuck more and more into my life. But, I didn’t think there was anything ‘together’ about us. We were just two people who got together now and again, had fun and fucked each other’s brains out. So when I looked at it that way, I knew that ultimately I was going to have to choose between Chloe and Morgan.

  Another thing that I had only just realized during our conversation was that Morgan hadn’t tried to welcome Chloe, she’d tried to ostracize her by making me dinner so that I’d spend time with her, knowing that Chloe was elsewhere in the cabin.

  “Get up, Chloe. Get the fuck out of that bed and come with me. Let’s get this sorted out. What did Morgan tell you? I know what you’re thinking and you’re wrong. Morgan is a friend but she’s not indispensable. Not when she comes between us, darlin’.”

  Chloe stood up and I could see the hesitancy and insecurity on her face, so I tugged her tight to my chest. Smelling her hair and that awesome feminine smell she had affected my dick like no other woman ever had. I was still horny from the gig but I had to deal with this with my other head and not the one on the end of my dick.

  She was tense in her stance and I couldn’t stand the resistance, so I squeezed her tighter and waited to feel her body relax enough to submit to me hugging her. Once she did, I felt it was salvageable but it depended on how I treated both women.

  There was no way I wanted to humiliate Morgan, but I had to make it clear that Chloe was the girl that was going nowhere. Actually, I was fooling myself because being with her meant that Morgan and I were never going to be in the same place again… if I was serious about being with Chloe.

  Leaning back to look up at me, her eyes full and brimming with tears, Chloe’s soft broken voice sounded hurt.