They finished undressing and met under the covers. He pulled her close. "Well, I have to say that was interesting."
She grinned. "It was easier that way, I thought. Did you like it?"
He laughed. "Did I like it? That was pretty fucking incredible."
She put her hand on his cheek and just looked into his eyes. She brushed her thumb lightly over his skin, trying to think of what to say. She didn't want him to go. Ever. She still felt conflicted inside, but she wasn't sure if she could really let him go. "Chip," she said softly, but couldn't go on.
He looked both confused and concerned. "Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded and then a tear trailed down her face. He kissed her forehead. "Are you sure you want me to be here?"
She leaned in and kissed his lips. "I do. More than anything." She breathed deeply. "I don't want to talk about anything else except that I am so glad to be right where I am, in your arms. For right now, it's just you and me and we're together and it's beautiful."
He kissed her then, and she opened her mouth to his, letting him kiss her hungrily, passionately, until he made her feel all tingly inside. She moved her hand and wrapped her arm around his waist. He cupped her breast and ran his thumb over her nipple, his kiss growing more fierce. She let herself melt into his skin against hers. The pressure of his thumb on her nipple made her feel a little dizzy with the sensation. All she wanted to do was open her legs and then, almost without realizing it, she'd raised her leg and ran her big toe down his calf. His lips still hadn't left hers and she almost didn't realize he'd moved his hand until he rearranged her onto her back, entering her slowly, so slowly she wanted to scream with her need for him. She moved her hips, trying to get him to move fully inside her.
"Connie, take it slow," he whispered against her mouth, then kissed her again. She put her hands on his ass, trying to encourage him to move more quickly, but he wasn't giving in. He finally balanced himself on his forearms and looked down at her and made one last push. She heard herself make a noise as she concentrated on how he felt inside her. She was breathing hard as he started to move. He seemed to signal to her that she needed to keep her eyes on him and she did, watching his face as he set up a rhythm. She felt herself giving in to the sensation of his movements and how they were starting to build inside her.
Suddenly he hit her in the right spot and she cried out, arching her back, as the concentric waves of pleasure washed over and over her. She clung to him as he cried out her name and then finally lowered himself on top of her and she wrapped her arms around his neck as she pulled him closer to her. When they both finally caught their breath, he moved off of her and then pulled her into his arms, spooning her. She could not remember feeling more thoroughly satisfied than she did right that moment.
He snuck up behind her and gently touched her arm. She caught her breath and turned, then smiled when she saw him. She was still nervous and would be glad to put this scene behind them. "You ready?" he asked.
"I guess. We're still on the same page?" They had finally decided they would make it look as real as they could, without it actually being real. She had butterflies though and hoped they could both follow though.
"That's the plan," he said.
They waited then, not saying anything else. Finally it was time to film and she started the scene by walking into the elevator. The doors began to close and she pressed the PH button. They were almost closed when Chip stuck his hand in. This was where, during rehearsal, he was two seconds late and the elevator when up. She couldn't help laughing, along with the cameraman, all the way up and back down again. This time he was perfect and the doors opened. He walked in and hit another button, while she showed her irritation.
The cameraman smoothly made the move to face them, something that had also taken some time to get right during rehearsal. When it came time for The Kiss, Chip turned towards her, backing her up to the wall. His lips were on hers and his hand came up and slid through her hair to her neck. Everything started fine, just the way they'd planned. Then, in character, she pulled back and said her line. Chip said, "Rayna, I'm done talkin'" and then pressed his mouth to hers again. She couldn't remember if he started it or if she did, but in the end it didn't matter.
The Kiss was real.
Her eyes flew open and she made a noise. Her heart was beating hard and then Chip moved behind her. "You having a dream, baby?" he murmured, his voice thick with sleep.
She was so startled by the dream that she couldn't say anything at first. "Yeah," she whispered, finally. After a moment, she could tell he'd fallen back asleep. She couldn't immediately close her eyes, replaying the scene in her head over and over again. After the first time, they hadn't been able to look at each other. When it happened a second time, it felt inevitable, so on the third take, she just threw caution to the wind and let herself relax into it. He did as well.
They had ridden back to the production facility without talking. As they headed towards their cars, she had looked at him and he had looked at her and she'd known he would be coming to her.
When the alarm went off, he stirred and then kissed her on the shoulder. She had finally fallen back asleep, but it had been an unsettled rest. She turned in his arms to look into his eyes. His eyes were barely open. He let his hand drift up and down her back. "So what now?" she asked.
He breathed in deeply, then kissed her. "I think we don't ask questions," he said. He let his hand trail down her leg, then drew it up, bending it at the knee. He kept his eyes on her and she felt him right between her legs. She groaned and then, putting her hand on his cheek, kissed him deeply. As he rolled her onto her back, she felt him push inside her as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
All she could think of then was how much she had missed this, missed how he felt inside her, missed how he excited her to orgasm, missed being in his arms and feeling his skin against her own. She missed him.
It was later, when they were both breathing heavily and his fingers were tangled up in hers, that she turned to him and said, "Absolutely no questions."
There was one more episode to film before the holiday hiatus. But before that, Chip had his Opry debut. She was waiting to shoot a scene when he texted her. You still coming to the Opry? She stared at the text. He'd been a little sketchy around who else might be coming to see him. He had told her a couple of his cousins were planning to be there, but other than that, he'd been vague. She wanted to ask him directly if his wife and kids would be there, but she'd been surprisingly hesitant. Normally she would just ask, but they were back in that kind of honeymoon phase where they tended to ignore the outside world. Their time together was focused on being together and they didn't talk about other things. She knew it was sort of a defense mechanism, for both of them. If we don't talk about the elephant in the room, then we can pretend it isn't really there. But the truth of the matter was that it was there.
She sighed. I want to, she tapped out, then waited. JJ and Clare will be there. Maybe some others. That made her feel a little better. If some of the other cast members would be there, it wouldn't seem strange for her to be there. Anyone else? she asked. There was a pause. She saw the little bubbles, then they stopped. She held the phone in her hand, watching. Nothing.
"Connie, we're ready," one of the PA's called out. She stared at the phone for a few more seconds, but there was nothing. She couldn't wait, so she tucked her phone in her purse and got up from her chair. She wondered if maybe he was going to tell her his family was coming. If that was the case, she wasn't sure she was up for it. But then she also wanted to be able to cheer him on, even if she couldn't do it the way she'd like. For now though, she needed to concentrate on her scene, and this one was with J.D. Souther, who she adored.
She and J.D. sat down for lunch together, a special treat. "So how do you like Nashville?" he asked.
"I haven't gotten out quite as much as I'd have liked to, but I've gotten some chances to go to some pretty nice places. I love Patterson House. Have you been?"
He nodded. "I have. It is a very cozy place, like a hideout in a way."
She laughed. "It's hard to find, for sure. If I hadn't been with someone who knew where it was, I think I would have missed it." She took a sip of her iced tea. "But you know I have a little one, so that cuts into time out on the town."
"I would imagine so." He tapped his fingers on the table. "So I've watched the first couple episodes. As long as things stay at that level, I think we've got a good show."
"I do love the focus on the music and the music industry. I'd like it if there was a little more of a tip towards that, but I suppose you need relationship stories to really draw people in. The people you want watching, that is." She smiled then. "Did you ever think you'd end up on something like this?"
He chuckled. "I did not. But the nice thing about it is that I don't have to travel anywhere and it brings in a little extra income." He winked at her. "It does sometimes interfere with the writing thing."
"I really admire songwriters so much. I don't know that I ever paid a lot of attention to that until this show. The music is really amazing."
"I had no idea you could sing until now, but you do a really nice job with it. I especially liked the song you and Chip did. I know it wasn't written as a duet, but you two did a nice job of making it believable."
"Well, Chip is the real music person. I'm not sure that would have been as good without him." A feeling of melancholy swept through her for a moment. They were in such an impossible situation. She didn't want to think about it though and concentrated then on her food and the company.
He didn't text her again until right before she left for home. She stood in the parking lot and watched as Livy and Yoby got into the car. She decided not to text and called him. "Hey," she said when he answered. "I'm getting ready to leave so I just thought I'd call instead of text back."
"Well, I'm glad I caught you then. I figured you'd already be headed home." He paused. "Can I stop by tonight?"
"Uh, sure."
"How about a little earlier and I bring dinner."
She smiled to herself. "That would be great."
"All right. I'll see you later then."
When she hung up, she stood there for a moment, wondering what was to come. She didn't want to overthink things, but she also didn't want to be surprised. Up to this point, their relationship had come with ups and downs. When they were together, things were mostly good and she could keep all the distractions at bay. But when something happened to disturb it, then it usually meant they had to face something complicated. She wondered if that was where they were now.
He got to her house around 7:15 and had Mexican food with him. He gave her a quick kiss and then followed her into the kitchen. Yoby was sitting in his high chair, shoving a fistful of cheerio's into his mouth. When he saw Chip, he raised his hand in the air and yelled "hey!" with his cereal filled mouth wide open.
She couldn't help but smile. "Yoby," she said, trying to sound a little stern. "Your mouth is full."
"Mowf," he said happily.
Chip walked over – more like bounded over – and squatted down in front of the little boy. "Hey there, buddy," he said, with a big grin. He looked back at her, then back at Yoby. He held his hand out, palm up. "High five me, Yobes." Laughing, Yoby smacked Chip's hand with his cereal covered one.
She shook her head, but she was laughing too. "You two are a mess," she said.
Chip sat on one of the stools and pulled her over, one arm around her waist. "Did you hear that, Yobes? Your mama called us a mess."
Yoby laughed some more. "Mess!" he cried. He was at the age where he was imitating what people said, so she tried being more careful with what she said around him. His vocabulary was getting larger by the day almost and she knew it wouldn't be long before he could make sentences.
Chip was holding her tight and she slipped one arm around his neck. "Thank you for bringing food," she said.
"You want to eat now?" he asked.
"Yeah, let's do. Then I'll get Yoby cleaned up and into bed." He let her go and she got plates and silverware for them. He had brought fish tacos and chips and queso and the smell reminded her lunch had been a long time ago. As they ate, she shared how her day had gone. "So what about you?" She was actually surprised he was still in town and not on his way yet to LA.
"I went for a run and then to the guitar store," he said. He had not been filming that day.
"Did you buy something?" He had told her he had his eye on some guitars and was hoping to buy something that was more of an upgrade.
He shook his head, grimacing a little. "I still can't narrow it down enough. Every time I walk in that place, I see something else I like. Of course what I like is always pricey."
"Wouldn't it be worth it to really invest in something you love? Something you know you'll play forever?"
He smiled. "Probably." His expression turned more serious. "I guess what I really want is something that will feel in my hands the way you do."
She didn't expect that. His words made her think about how his hands felt on her skin and she felt a tingly sensation run through her. "You do?" she asked, feeling a little breathless.
He nodded. "Soft, smooth. Like it was meant for me to hold it. Something that feels like it belongs there. Something beautiful, with a beautiful sound." She wasn't sure what to say. He leaned in and, putting his hand on the back of her neck, kissed her. It was a kiss filled with promise.
It was later, after she got Yoby to bed and Chip had cleaned up the kitchen, that she had found him sitting on the couch. She straddled him, balancing herself on his legs. She put her hands on his face, drawing her to him and she kissed him, letting her tongue trail around his lips and then sliding it into his mouth. He let his hands trail down her back and then to her waist. She rocked slightly, feeling his huge erection between her legs. She moaned as she kept kissing him.
Eventually she reached for his belt, unbuckling it and unfastening his jeans. She pulled her lips from his and raised up on her knees slightly, pulling at his waistband. With his help, she was able to get his jeans pushed down closer to his knees, and then she took him in her hands. He sucked in his breath, his eyes, dark with desire, fastened on hers. She slid her hands down his shaft and back up, then again. He groaned and then put his hands on her hips, pulling her closer. She felt him against the inside of her thigh, but she wanted him inside her. But her pants were in the way and she wasn't sure what to do. Just as she was thinking about it, she felt him slide his hand inside her yoga pants and then tug at the elastic at her leg.
"Connie," he groaned. She moved off of him and quickly shed her pants and underwear and then straddled him again.
"Oh, god," she murmured as she felt him guide himself inside her. Then he put both hands on her ass and pulled her closer, while he was pushing harder inside her. She linked her hands around his neck and looked into his eyes. She moved her hips, finding a rhythm, and he matched it. She could feel the waves of pleasure building, building, and she moved her hips a little faster. Then suddenly it felt like everything exploded around her and she cried out over and over as she let go. In the middle of all of it, he moved her onto her back and pushed one last time and she felt him come inside her.
He held her close, breathing heavily onto her shoulder. Her arms were still around his neck as she tried to catch her breath. They lay that way for a long time, before they finally stirred. They both got up – Chip first, then he helped her up – and she felt a little woozy. He grabbed her arm. "You okay?" he asked.
She knew she was probably blushing. "Yeah. Just a little lightheaded." He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Stop."
He pulled her closer and kissed her. "I won't," he murmured in her ear. She took his hand then and led him back to her bedroom. They undressed and got under the covers. They both slid closer to the center of the bed. She laid on her side next to him, with her head on his shoulder.
"How early do you need to leave?" she asked. "Or will you need to go back to your place tonight?" She knew, since the next day was Friday, that he would be flying out to LA for the weekend.
He reached over and ran his hand up and down her arm. "I'd like to stay tonight, if you're okay with that."
She looked up at him. "I'm okay with it."
He nodded. "I need to get up about 6. I've got to stop by the apartment and grab a bag."
She sat up and rolled towards the bedside table. She set the alarm on her phone and then turned out the light. She moved back next to him and put her head back on his shoulder. She was already missing him, even though he was right next to her, their bodies touching. For a brief second, she wondered if he always slept that way or was it just with her, and then she willed the thought out of her head. for that night, he was hers and she would focus on that.
When the alarm went off, she wasn't ready to get up. She rolled over and grabbed her phone, turning the alarm off. Yoby had gotten to the place where he was starting to sleep later, which was a good thing unless she had an early set call. Then he was cranky, upset at having been roused from a sound sleep. He wouldn't be awake before 7:00 and she wished she had the extra hour to sleep. She sighed.
"Come here, sweetie," Chip said, his voice thick with sleep.
She rolled back over, putting her arm across his abdomen as he wrapped one arm around her shoulder. He took his other hand and placed it on her cheek, pulling her in for a kiss. Then he let his hand drift down over her arm. She smiled, reaching out to run her fingers through his hair and arranging it a little. "Good morning," she said.
"Good morning," he said, smiling back at her. He kissed her again and then brought his hand up to push her hair back off her face. He sighed. "I wish I didn't have to leave."
She hugged him a little closer. "Me too."
He breathed in and then back out. "I got a little bit of time before I really need to go."
She smiled. "You do?"
He nodded, a hint of a smile on his face. "I do," he said, his voice low and thick with desire. Without any preamble, he rolled on top of her and she opened herself up for him.
She smiled up at him, her arms loosely wrapped around his neck and her feet resting on the back of his legs. "Mm, that was nice," she murmured. It was nice. It had been sweet and gentle and very loving. The way she imagined it felt when you were with the person you were meant to be with and sex didn't always have to be rough and sweaty and frantic. It could be quiet and joyful and...loving. I love him. As he kissed her, she let that roll around in her head. It scared her a little bit to think she might have fallen in love with him, but it also felt wonderful. She decided it was something she would keep to herself, hold close to her heart, for the time being.
He smiled back at her. "Yes, it was. It always is." Then he sighed and the smile faded away. "I guess I need to get going." He rolled away from her and sat on the edge of the bed for a moment as she watched him. Then he stood up and got dressed. She got up as well and slipped on some underwear and shorts, then pulled on the t-shirt she'd worn the night before, without a bra.
She followed behind him out to the den, stopping for a moment to pick up her yoga pants and underwear, fold them, and set them on the couch. "You want some coffee or something?" she asked.
He shook his head and gave her a sad smile. "Nah, it's okay. I'll stop somewhere."
She stood in front of him and reached up to run her fingers through his hair again, putting it into some sort of order. He smiled and put his hand on her cheek, gently rubbing her skin with his thumb. He leaned down to kiss her, then kissed the tip of her nose and finally her forehead. She put her arms around his waist and held him close and he did the same. He stepped back and she looked into his eyes, seeing sadness there. "Have a safe trip," she said finally.
He nodded. "I'll see you when I get back." He opened the door and stepped out onto the unlit porch. He turned slightly and reached for her hand, squeezing it gently. Then he turned and jogged down the steps. She stood at the door, watching him walk away in that early morning time between darkness and light. Then she gently closed the door and leaned back against it.
There was a feeling that something, some kind of change, was in the air. Her instincts weren't telling her anything though. Just like it was not quite dark and not quite light outside, she was not quite unsettled, yet not quite hopeful. She was just waiting.
A/N: A little shorter chapter, but when I got to this point, it felt like the right stopping point.