CHAPTER 21
Brian’s chance came after they had spent a day up the coast at a quiet inlet with Daniel and Jay. It had been a day of sun and surf, the four of them enjoying their day on the beach in privacy, something Brian treasured. It had driven Brian crazy watching Skye in her swimsuit nearly all day long. They shared a special closeness through the day that had his heartbeat racing out of control. He was finding it difficult to keep his eyes from her and wondering what it would be like to make love to her and deepen their relationship. He knew he wanted to, but he wouldn’t take that step until he had told her everything about himself.
Daniel walked up to him as the girls walked towards the waters edge for a quick swim. The guys had declined the offer to join them, both of them sensing the need to talk. Brian had always been close to Daniel and missed these rare opportunities to spend time with him.
“So Brian, things between you and Skye seem to be going well. I never dreamt when I offered you my house for the summer it would heal two people who were close to me. I should have asked you sooner.”
Brian sighed, his eyes still on Skye as she swam leisurely in the still water. His insides ached to hold her as he watched. “Timing wouldn’t have been right Daniel.”
“Yeah, that’s true. The loss of Trevor really hit her hard. She was a mess for a long time, and slowly I have seen her come out of her shell. Now is the happiest I have seen her for a long time Brian. You are perfect for her.”
‘So I keep being told,’ Brian thought to himself. “It feels like it to me. But it’s the future I worry about.”
“The future? Brian you aren’t worried about the past creeping up in things you share together are you? Because while Trevor was a great person, he is a friend I will always miss, you and Skye share something incredibly special. I don’t know there is something even more than she had before between the two of you.”
“No, it’s not that, but thanks for saying that. I would be lying if I said it never played on my mind. It’s hard living in someone’s shadow and wondering if comparisons are being made. What I am worried about is a future between us, is there even a chance it can happen or am I building myself up for a fall?”
“You haven’t told her yet?” Daniel asked without needing to clarify the question.
“Not yet. I am waiting for the right moment. But I have to do it soon. I can’t have this hanging over us.” He wasn’t going to add that he would not take the next step in their relationship till he had told her to Daniel.
“It’ll be okay cuz. I can feel it. The two of you are, I dunno, destined to be together.”
“I hope so. I sure hope so.” Brian answered him with a faraway look in his eyes.
“She means that much to you?”
Brian heard the seriousness in his cousin’s voice. “Yes. Yes she does,” Brian answered without hesitation.
“Then tell her.”
Those three words echoed in his ears later when he stood in Skye’s living room trying to decide which CD to put on as she had suggested he do while she took a quick shower. Just the thought of her in the shower, the water running over her naked body, steam rising all around her, soap sliding over her body. He shook his head. This was not helping him any.
He continued to look at the CD’s neatly arranged on the shelf in the living room and spied a familiar looking cover. He reached out tentatively and took it out of its place. Sure enough it was the blue cover he had thought it was. Their Millennium CD and as he looked down at his image on the cover he didn’t know what to think. He knew completely that Skye had no idea who he was but it puzzled him still. They had many fans who didn’t know what they looked like though, so he chalked it up to that fact. He looked at the rest of the CD’s in the shelf and found no more of theirs. Not their earlier CD or their 2 since Millennium. He held onto the album, his eyes burning into the images, his mind racing. This was the opening he was looking for. He opened the CD and popped it into the player. ‘Larger Than Life’ filled the room and he smiled to himself. It brought back so many happy memories of recording and tour life.
‘I Want It That Way’ was playing when he suddenly heard, then felt Skye walk up behind him. “Oh this is one of Jay’s CD’s but I have always loved this song.” Her arms wound around Brian from behind and she lay her head on his shoulder feeling the warmth of his body.
“It’s one of Jay’s? I’m sorry, I should have checked.” Now the opportunity was in his grasp he didn’t know what to say. Her body so close to his was making his head spin and his body churn with delight and desire.
“That’s okay Brian. She wouldn’t mind. Ahhhhh! Listen to that voice would you?” she said just as Brian’s part in the song began. “It’s just beautiful. A voice from Heaven,” she said and a strangled sound came from his throat. “Brian. Are you okay? Would you like a drink?”
He nodded his head. “Thanks.”
Skye went to the fridge and got out a cold soda pouring it in to two glasses she got from the cupboard. She brought them back to him and sat herself down on the lounge, holding her hand out to him to have him join her. Without thought he moved towards her, unable to resist her, the CD cover still in his hand. The sly grin her face when she got there was almost his undoing. If he didn’t know better he would think Skye was trying to seduce him… Then again maybe she was. He gulped. He had to tell her before they went any further.
“Put that cover away Brian and come here.”
He sat beside her stiffly and turned to look at her. He let out the breath that he had been holding when he looked into her honey eyes looking up at him softly. He closed his eyes and spoke. “Skye, we need to talk.”
“No. We don’t need to talk. You need to kiss me Brian,” she purred and he groaned out loud in frustration. He wanted her so badly. This was going to take all his willpower to get through because all he wanted to do right at that moment was to take her in his arms and devour her with kisses before making slow, sweet, passionate love to her.
“No Skye. I have to tell you something. It might make a difference in our relationship.”
That got Skye’s attention. “Brian. You’re scaring me now. What’s the matter?” He could sense the fear that went through Skye at his words. He reached up and ran his fingers through her damp hair, his thumb brushing her cheek gently.
“There’s nothing wrong Skye. At least I hope not.” He sat back and ran his fingers through his hair. “Skye, I need to tell you what I do for a living.”
Skye frowned. Could it be such a problem? “Brian. What you do doesn’t matter to me.” She told him reaching out to lace her fingers with his.
“Even if it means I have to leave you for weeks at a time. Even if it means you might not know where I am one day to the next or how or when we can ever see each other again. If it means the only way we could spend time together is for you to come to me.” He took another ragged breath. “Skye even if it means you see women throwing themselves at me, knowing I wouldn’t look at another one now that I have met you, but the media will say anything for a story.”
“Brian. Slow down. What are you talking about? I don’t understand.” Skye was looking confused and the familiar ache to hold her and comfort her returned.
By this time ‘Don’t Wanna Lose You Now’ had come on the CD and he chuckled to himself at the irony of the moment. “Do you hear that voice playing on the CD?”
“Yes, it’s beautiful. But what’s that…”
He put his fingers to her lips. “Shhhh!” he told her. He waited for the chorus to begin playing and started singing along, his voice fitting in with the CD perfectly. When he finished singing she looked even more confused than before.
“Brian, what are you trying to tell me?” Her forehead was creased with a frown and he reached over to smooth it away with his fingers.
“That’s me Skye. That voice you hear is mine.”
“What are you saying Brian?” she asked him, her voice quivering.
He picked up the CD cover he had put on the lounge beside him and held it up in front of her. “Take a good look Skye.”
Skye took the cover in her hand and stared at it for what seemed to Brian like forever. Then she looked at him, back at the cover, and finally back at him before she spoke. “Oh my God Brian. This is you?”
He nodded and shrugged his shoulder. “Yes, it’s me. Here, look,” he said taking the cover from her and opening it to open the booklet inside. “Here. My hair is a bit darker but it’s me.”
“So… You’re famous?” she asked trying to digest this piece of information.
He gave her a crooked smile. “You could say that,” he said to her. He took her hand in his, tucking a finger on his other under her chin to lift her gaze to his. “Please Skye. Say it doesn’t matter to you. Say you feel the same about me as you did before you knew.” For what seemed hours to Brian, but were mere minutes, Skye sat quietly trying to digest what Brian had told her and put it all together in the context of her life. He knew it would be a problem between them and now as he sat waiting for her answer he had never been more scared in his life than he was now. “Skye?”
“Brian. I don’t know what to say.” She looked up and saw the disappointment in his eyes. “I’m sorry Brian, but it is a bit of a shock. I mean you are someone I have seen on TV, and yes I have seen you. I just never thought of you as being that person.”
“But I am still the same person. I’m the person who was at the beach with you today, the person who helped you get over your fear of boats. The same person who holds you in his arms and kisses you till we are both breathing so heavy we could hyperventilate. Skye. It’s still me.” He pleaded with her.
“I understand that Brian, but all those reasons you mentioned earlier, the being away for weeks, the not knowing where you are, the long distance relationship, all those things. I have to think of that now too. I’m sorry Brian, I know that’s not what you wanted to hear,” she said to him, clearly troubled that she couldn’t tell him what he wanted to hear.
He reached out and pulled her into his arms and she came to him with no resistance which he took heart in. She wanted them to be together, he was sure of it, she just wasn’t sure if it would work. “Don’t apologise,” he said to her kissing her forehead softly. “I understand what must be going through your mind. It’s the reason I have been agonising over how to tell you about myself. I had to tell you before we were in too deep.” He sniffed. “If it’s not too late already,” he added. “For me I think it is.” Skye nodded her head not looking at Brian. He pulled her gaze up to his. “I don’t want this to come between us.”
“Brian, I don’t want anything to come between us either, you mean too much to me. But you are going to have to give me time to get my head around this. I know it shouldn’t make any difference, but your whole lifestyle is so totally different to anything I could ever imagine.” She looked at him, her eyes shining. “Why did you come here in the first place? It isn’t the sort of place one would expect to find a mega superstar,” she said and felt him cringe at the words and regretted them instantly.
“I needed a break from the stress I was under,” Brian admitted to her knowing too well that the admission would not go very far in convincing her a life with him would be achievable for them. “When Daniel offered me his house for the summer I jumped at the chance, never expecting to find the best thing in my life down here.” He moved his face closer to hers. “You are that best thing in my life. I want to share my world with you if only you would let me.”
Skye was quiet for a while longer and Brian let her think, praying silently that she would. Finally she spoke. “I’d like to Brian. I just need to think some more about it. I mean it is hard for me to even imagine what your life is like.”
He smiled at her. “You never know, you might like it.” At her crooked grin he continued on. “It’s definitely different. But it’s basically all I know. I came here for a break. Get some sort of normality.”
“So Daniel really is your cousin? It would be hard to deny it though, you are so alike,” she asked.
“Yes, he is my cousin.”
Skye sat up suddenly. “Brian!” she exclaimed, giving him a fright. “You sing so beautifully,” she told him.
He couldn’t help himself and smiled. He wanted to sing to her but right at that moment he couldn’t think of anything to sing. “Thank you.” They gazed at each other for what seemed and endless amount of time. Without warning Brian stood, pulling Skye to her feet. “I think I better let you do some more thinking about all this. I don’t want to leave you, but you need to be alone to think this through.” He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “It’s not that hard a decision Skye.”
“You’re right Brian. But yes, I should think.” She sighed to herself. It shouldn’t be a hard decision, but the thought of Brian’s lifestyle scared her. She had to think.
Brian pulled her to the front door. “I just want you to remember one thing,” he said. He pulled Skye into his arms and softly kissed her cheek. His fingers brushed the side of her face, tracing down to her tease her lips. The tip of her tongue came out to wet his fingertips and he moaned before crashing his lips down on hers urgently. He felt a desperate need to show her how he felt about her, to emphasise in her mind the attraction between them. It was a sneaky way of showing her, but he would resort to anything to remind her of the relationship they had already built. His arms wound around her tightly, pulling her close to him, their bodies pressed against one another intimately. There was no denying the way he felt about her and the groan that escaped her gave Brian an evil feeling of satisfaction. As quickly as he had started the kiss, he broke away. He touched the tip of her nose. “Just remember that,” he said and opened the door, disappearing without giving Skye any chance to recover and call him back. Their immediate future was now up to her.
Chapter 22
Index
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