"A Single Yellow Rose" – Chapter Twenty Seven
Unexpectedly Dynatos Mia nuzzled at Philip's neck and both he and Chloe started to laugh.
"I think your horse is jealous of me," Chloe said.
Philip grabbed her hand and brought it up to his mouth placing a kiss on the ridge of her knuckles. "He's got reason to be. I haven't spent too much time with him lately."
"No wonder he doesn't want you kissing me."
Philip offered a final pat to his friend and started to back away taking Chloe with him. "Well, I want to kiss you so I guess we will just have to go some place where we are out of his sight."
"Philip…where are you taking me?" Chloe asked, as he walked backwards down the center of the building.
"Shhh…don't ask so many questions. In fact, I should be the one asking questions." Philip said stepping into an empty stall filled with fresh, sweet smelling hay. "How was your trip?"
"Oh, it was wonderful!" Chloe said allowing Philip to draw her into the shadows of the empty stall. Perching on the edge of on one of the bales of hay stacked in the corner, she removed her scarf from around her neck and unzipped her jacket. "I was really nervous at first but everyone was so nice!"
Philip stood in front of her and copied her actions with his own jacket as he smiled wistfully at the excitement that shined in Chloe's eyes making her even more beautiful. "So you went to your aunt's?"
"No, actually she is my mom's aunt and her kids were there with their kids. It was crowded and noisy and it took me a while to warm up to them but things were so crazy and hectic on Thanksgiving Day that I kind of forgot about being nervous and I had a lot of fun!"
"Well, just think," Philip said as he moved around mounds of loose hay with the toe of his boot. "This time last year you thought you had no family at all and now you've got them coming out of your ears."
Chloe smiled. "Yeah…if someone had asked me last November where I saw myself in a years time I never would have said living in a small town with my mother! And I never pictured myself sitting in a barn with the best looking guy at my school."
"Stables," Philip said, correcting her, dropping his gaze and not seeing Chloe's puzzled look as he started pacing back and forth in front of her. "Did you get into the city at all?"
Chloe perked up at Philip's question. "We spent the entire day there yesterday and Craig surprised us with a room at the Plaza last night! After we checked in, we just drove around everywhere in taxies taking in the sights. Of course, Nancy wanted to shop more than anything so we did that for a while and then Craig and I dragged her away for a carriage ride through Central Park. We then spent a few hours in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. By the time we got out of there it had just enough time to get back to the hotel to get ready for dinner and then…a night at Lincoln Center!"
"It sounds like it was a pretty special day."
"Oh it was!" Chloe answered, still so excited about telling Philip about her trip that she failed to notice his quiet tone. "Craig had reservations for us at this restaurant called the Sea Grill so of course it was a seafood place and it was just wonderful! Then onto an evening of opera!"
"Which one did you see?"
"Ours."
Her answer stopped Philip in his tracks as he looked up at Chloe, confusion written on his features. "Ours?"
"It was 'Carmen'…remember? Right after the ground breaking for Mimi's house? We were talking and you said that thanks to me, you listened to opera for the very first time and it was 'Carmen"…so I've always thought of it as ours."
"I remember holding your hand that night and wanting to kiss you at that moment more than I've ever wanted anything else in my life."
"I was so nervous." Chloe confessed.
"Really? I didn't notice." Philip answered as he again started to pace.
"Yes you did and you teased me too!"
Philip smiled at the memory. "I was just trying to get you to relax."
"Well…I'm relaxed now." Chloe said. "Buy you certainly aren't. Philip what is going on?"
"What?"
"Do you have to go to the bathroom?"
"What!"
"Well you are pacing back and forth back and forth like an expectant father!"
Philip froze and then turned, staring at her, his eyes reflecting an emotion that Chloe couldn't put a name to. But the scant second that his eyes dropped to her belly before he looked away stole her breath away.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said.
"Philip, I've been sitting here going on about New York and everything I did there and you haven't said hardly anything. You know I would love it if we could go to there someday together…and maybe take Shawn and Belle too! Belle would just love Macy's and Bergdorf's and maybe we could take in a show. I know Shawn would love-"
"How come you didn't tell me about Brady?"
Chloe stopped in mid sentence as she tried to figure out what Brady had to do with New York. "What about Brady?"
"He came by to see you Tuesday before you left for your trip."
"Yeah…I know that."
"And you didn't tell me about it?"
"Philip…its not like I purposely didn't tell you. He came by the house late and wanted to talk to me. At first I didn't want anything to do with him but I didn't want Craig or my mom to starting asking me a lot of questions so I agreed to listen to what he had to say. We talked on the front porch-"
"The front porch?"
"Well, where else do you think I would talk to him? He said he wanted the chance to apologize for what happened out at Nick's party and that it was eating him up inside that he might have scared me or hurt me. So I listened to what he had to say, accepted his apology and told him I wanted him to talk to you too. I guess he did?"
Philip shoved his hands deep into his jacket pockets. "He tried."
"Don't tell me he set off that hot Kiriakis temper of yours?"
"I didn't hit him…again if that's what you're asking."
Chloe reached out, grabbed at the corner of Philip's jacket, and pulled him over to where she sat. "You've got to let this go Philip."
"You have no idea what it did to me to walk around the corner of that house and see you struggling to get away from him…" Philip looked down at Chloe, cupping her cheek with his hand. "I felt such an anger inside of me. It was something that I've never felt before."
Chloe leaned into his touch, enjoying the warmth of him against her face. "He didn't mean to scare me…or hurt me. I think Brady was acting on repressed feelings and loneliness and adding alcohol to that mixture only made it worse."
"I can't believe you can dismiss his actions so easily."
"I'm not dismissing what he did…it was wrong and it shouldn't have happened but it did and I have learned to see it for what it was and to let it go. With everything else I am dealing with right now I need to pick and chose what I want to spend my energy on. My music of course and schoolwork…that's a given but my sessions with Dr. Meadows take a lot out of me too."
"Well, I hope you've got some of that energy left for your boyfriend."
"Boyfriend…boyfriend," Chloe pretended not to know what he was talking about. "Oh yes… him…well he is quite a hand full."
Philip smiled at the teasing tone of her voice. "Well, do you think you can handle him?"
"I don't know…I mean, take right now for example. He went to a lot of trouble to lure me-"
"Lure?" Philip interrupted.
"Hush…this is my story." Chloe tipped her head to look at Philip but a dark shadow covered his eyes and all she saw was his smile. "Where was I…oh yes, he lured me into a shadowy, quiet, empty stall in a semi warm stable and he hasn't kissed me once since he got me in here. Now, what do you think I should do about that?"
Dipping his head lower, Philip's voice dropped to a hushed whisper. "Well maybe you should just grab him and-"
"Kiss him?" Chloe interjected. "Good idea."
Chloe felt his smile against her lips before he joined her in a kiss that was warm and sweet. He let her controlled the pace as she pulled back to nibble at his bottom lip before tracing her tongue across it. Lacing her hands behind his neck, Chloe pulled him closer and when Philip nudged at her knees she naturally opened them so he could move nearer to her. He moved his hands to her shoulders and slowly he claimed ownership of the kiss, deepening it as he pressed her back against the bale of hay.
"Philip…" Chloe broke free of his searing kisses, "wait…"
But he only covered her mouth with his with a renewed passion and Chloe twisted her head to the side. "Philip…we are going to…" Before she could get the word out of her mouth, she felt her backside slip off the edge of the bale.
"What the-" Philip turned sharply and fell into a pile of hay first with Chloe landing directly on top of him. "What happened? Chloe…are you okay?" he could feel her body shaking in his arms.
"I tried…" Chloe couldn't get the words past the giggles that erupted from her throat. "I tried to tell you we were slipping…"
Philip relaxed when he realized Chloe wasn't hurt and soon he joined her laughter. "Well who ever said hay was soft was dead wrong."
"Oh I don't know," Chloe said, propping herself on his chest and gently began pulling hay out of Philip's hair. "It felt pretty soft to me."
"Thanks," he deadpanned, "I think."
"No! That's not what I meant…I didn't feel a thing when I landed on you!"
"Oh that makes me feel even better!"
Breaking out in another fit of giggles, Chloe buried her head against Philip's neck and he tighten his arms around her the sensation of her warm breath on his skin was having just as much an effect on him as kissing her did.
Finally able to control her laughter, Chloe started to lift herself off of him. "Here…let me help you get up."
Philip managed to swallow the groan her innocent words created as he quickly flipped her over so now she was the one enveloped in the hay. He stared at her for a quick moment but all he really saw was her lips and the desire to kiss overwhelmed him.
"Hey!"
"Hey what?" he asked.
"I agree with you…this yellow stuff isn't very soft and it's sticking into me!"
Philip laughed roughly as Chloe squirmed beneath him since his choices were either laughter or moaning at the way she moved against him. Pulling away, he looked around and saw exactly what he needed hanging over the stall door. Reaching up he grabbed the blanket and quickly flipped it open, laying it next to them.
Moving away, Philip crawled over to the blanket and gently patted the empty spot beside him as he offered Chloe a raised eyebrow. Raising herself up on one elbow, Chloe eyed the blanket and Philip suspiciously. "That was pretty convenient."
"Total coincidence I swear."
"Yeah…right." Chloe looked over and Philip immediately dropped his head a notch. Chloe held her hand up in front of her face. "Oh no you don't! Don't try that 'puppy dog' look with me."
"What 'puppy dog' look?"
Peeking between her fingers, Chloe watched as the corners of his mouth started to curve upward. "No! And don't try using those dimples on me either Mr. Kiriakis! I bet you've been getting you own way with those things since you were an infant."
"Ahhh…come on Chloe," Philip tried to pout but his grin wouldn't allow him to carry it off. "It's much softer on this blanket than it is over there in that rough, scratchy hay."
"Umm hmm."
"You know," Philip ran his hand through his hair, shaking out any remaining hay. "I wonder if Ben remembered to set out those mouse traps before he left for his holiday?"
Chloe was next to him in a heartbeat, her eyes darting nervously around the interior of the stall. "That was dirty pool Philip."
"Hey…I tried to ask nicely." Philip said as he started picking out strands of hay from Chloe's long flowing curls. Chloe pulled her hair over her shoulder and started to do the same as Philip leaned over and tried to get her to look at him. "Are you mad at me?"
"Yes!" Chloe answered, looking away but not before Philip saw the beginning of a smile on her lips.
"I'm sorry," Propping an elbow on his bended knee and tucking his other leg underneath, Philip leaned against his closed fist. "What can I do to make it up to you?"
Chloe turned and Philip saw an intense longing in her eyes. "Kiss me," she said.
"Well I think I can manage that." Leaning forward Philip gently placed a kiss on her lips as his hands moved to her shoulders before traveling to encircle her neck. Slowly he wedged his fingers under the edge of Chloe's jacket, began to push it off her shoulders, and down her arms as his lips moved to place kisses along the long line of neck.
"Philip…"
"Shh…it's okay," he whispered his breath hot against her ear. He felt Chloe soften as he continued to remove her jacket. She shivered and Philip backed away, deliberately rubbing his hands up and down her arms. "You cold?"
"I don't know if it's the cool air or if it you."
"Well I'll take that as a compliment."
Scooting closer to him, Chloe reached out and tugged at the zippered edge of Philip's jacket. "Turn about's fair play isn't it?"
Philip smiled as he reached up and started to pull his jacket off his shoulders.
"Wait…" Chloe tightened her grip to stop him. "Let me."
The intensity of Philip's stare caused Chloe's breath to catch in the back of her throat and her heart hammered against her chest. After he nodded and let his hands fall away Chloe gripped the edges of his jacket and slowly pushed it off his shoulders never breaking away from Philip's gaze. He straightened his arms for her when her hands reached his biceps.
"Hey…what's wrong with this picture?" he suddenly asked.
Chloe froze. "What? What are you talking about?"
"Something just isn't the same here," Cocking his head to one side, Philip tapped at the side of his neck with his index finger. "Something seems to be missing…"
Chloe smiled as she got his not so subtle hint and leaned close pressing her lips over the pulse of his heartbeat before continuing to push his jacket down his arms. Philip reached behind his back and grabbed the cuffs of his jacket, pulling it off completely as Chloe's lips moved down to his collar while her hands came to rest on his chest.
He felt a shudder course through him as she slowly traced the edge of his shirt with the tip of her tongue, nudging aside the material and Philip dropped his head back giving her greater access.
"You cold?" she whispered against his collarbone.
"Hmmm…I think I have to give that a negative," came Philip's ragged reply as he suddenly felt Chloe's fingers slip the top button of his shirt open. Closing his eyes, he sunk his fingers into her luxurious curls welcoming her uninhibited behavior. When he felt the next two buttons give way, Philip fell back against the blanket dragging Chloe up the length of his body and seizing her lips in a demanding, fervent kiss.
Amazed at her reckless abandonment Chloe threaded her arms around Philip's neck cradling his head as she returned his kisses with a never before felt sense of passion. She could feel his hands skimming the sides of her breasts and continuing down her body until they reached the edge of her cropped sweater and slipped underneath to caress the hollow of her spine. She never thought it could be so easy to be this way…that she could even experience the feelings he was creating deep inside of her.
Spreading his fingers wide, Philip wanted to touch as much of her silken skin as possible. The weight of her melted into him and even through the denim material of their jeans he was sure she could feel the evidence of his arousal. Longing to press her even closer but afraid he might scare her, he settled for grazing his fingertips over back. When she rotated her hips against him, Philip groaned deep in his chest, marveling at the thunderous emotion that poured through him. He knew this…all of this…was brand new to Chloe and to have her respond so passionately filled him with a sense of amazement and responsibility.
He knew she'd never been like this is anyone and the feral sense of possessiveness emerged in him and he knew he never wanted her to be this way with anyone else…ever.
Rolling to his side, Philip moved Chloe to the blanket partially covering her with his body, one hand trapped under her back the other bracketing the curve of her hip. He felt Chloe rock against him as she threaded her fingers through his hair. Slipping his fingers back under the edge of her sweater, Philip trailed them across her taunt stomach.
Chloe felt her stomach muscles clench as Philip's fingers hovered over her skin, barely touching but creating a heighten sense of awareness that danced through her. He traced large circles with his flat palm over her body. Finally accepting the need to breathe, Chloe broke free from Philip's kiss arching her neck when she felt the wetness of his tongue there. His fingertips grazed the edge of her bra causing her breath to catch and it disappeared all together when his touch brushed lightly over her lace covered breast.
"Oh baby…" Philip whispered in her ear. "You feel so good."
Chloe turned to his voice, seeking him as Philip reclaimed her lips. He held her tenderly as his thumb brushed across the harden tip his kiss swallowing the moan she couldn't control. Gripping his wrist through her sweater, Chloe pulled and Philip obeyed her command and allowed her to move his hand back down past her ribcage. She pressed it hard against her concave stomach and his fingers slipped under the waistband of her jeans. Seconds later Chloe felt the metal button of her jeans give way.
to be continued….