Chapter 10:
"What are you doing?" Chloe whispered in the darkness. Sitting wide eyed in her bed, she watched a nude Brady lift the sheets from her body in one swift motion exposing her to the cool air of her bedroom.
"Doing something I should have done the first moment I laid eyes on you," he gave her body an appreciative stare and ran a hand up the inside of her thigh.
Shuddering under his touch, both rough and gentle, she could barely form a coherent thought. "Wh..." she breathed. "Why?"
"Because," the desire burning his eyes and clogging his throat, made Chloe's stomach do flip-flops. He crawled onto the bed and lifted her face to his, licking his lips, looking so very ready to press his to hers. "Because I. Ding Dong."
"Wh-what?"
He licked his all too soft lips again. "Because I Knock. Knock. Knock."
"Huh?"
"Wake up and answer the damn door, Chloe," he said matter-of-factly.
Knock. Knock.
Chloe groaned as she stretched out on her bed. So that was the door? This time of the morning? Ding Dong. Knock. Knock. "Ugh, I'm coming," Chloe pulled on her robe and slowly made her way to the door.
She blushed as she realized that had all been a dream. What the hell was that!? Having a sex dream about Brady? Okay, so it technically wasn't a sex dream just yet but it damn sure would have been had she not been interrupted. Good G-d, what was the world coming to? And what idiot had decided to interrupt that?
Ding Dong. Ding Dong. Ding Dong.
"Would you hold your freaking horses," Chloe swung the door open, her face scrunched in annoyance. "Brady." she breathed out.
"Good Morning, Mrs. Black," Brady, dressed simply in jeans and a white t- shirt, was leaning against the doorjamb, holding up a bag of fresh bagels.
Hiding behind an angry mask, hoping and praying he wouldn't be able to see how seeing him on her front step had affected her. "Remember rule number one, Black."
"Good Morning, [i]Chloe[/i]," he chuckled.
"Brady, what are you doing here?" She walked away towards the kitchen, as he followed closely behind.
"What do you mean, 'what am I doing here'? It's ten o' clock in the morning."
"You're kidding," Chloe sat, shocked at her kitchen table as he handed her the bag of bagels. After she'd gone to drop Brady off last night, she'd gone home and cried her eyes out, cried her eyes out for what she and Philip had and what they lost. She had also cried because the stress of the day had gotten to her. And a little, itty bitty, teeny-weeny part had cried for Brady, for Brady to hold her and really want her, desire her.
"I was beginning to think something happened to you," he sat across from her. "What took you so long to open the door? Having a sex dream about me?" He grinned naughtily.
"Ha. Ha," she pulled out a chocolate chip bagel, trying hard to ignore the fact that Brady had brought her her favorite bagels.
Brady watched Chloe intently as she frowned at her bagel. It took one look at her red eyes and puffy face to know she'd been crying. Damn that Philip Kiriakis. "Chloe, you look awful."
"Why, thank you," she bit out sarcastically.
"No, I completely meant that in the loving husband sort of way. Honest," he sighed when she gave him an 'are-you-crazy' look. "Look, I think you should just go shower and change. You'll feel better and we have to get me moved in here." He rubbed his hands together. "I rented a U-Haul and drove straight over. So that's taken care of. We just have to drop by my place, pick up my stuff and then it's just you and me, baby." He smiled.
"But my coffee."
"I know how you like your coffee. I'll make it. You just go take care of you, okay?" He practically pushed her out the kitchen door.
****************************
The Salem Inn.
"Brady, I'm tired," Chloe plopped down on his couch. They'd been lugging boxes from his room here all morning after they left her place. Who knew Brady had so much crap? She hoped he didn't think he was going to bung up her house with all this junk.
"You are not tired. It's all mind over matter," he replied, taking a seat next to her.
"Tell that to my aching muscles," she tiredly rubbed her back. "Who knew you had so much crap?"
"Hey, hey, be kind or I won't rub your back for you." He adjusted his place on the couch so that he could face her completely.
"No, that's okay. I don't need you to do that," she visibly stiffened and tried to move away from his touch. "I don't need you to rub my back. Really." There was no way she was going to let him touch her like that, not after that dream this morning.
"Now, now don't argue. I've been told I have expert hands." He rubbed his hands together and grinned.
"By who? Marlena?" She giggled at the disgusted look on his face.
"Okay, here's a rule for you: No dirty stepmother jokes."
"Hmm.I don't know if I can agree to that." She pretended to seriously think it over.
"Then I just won't give you a back rub." He mocked offense.
She smiled. "I don't want one."
"You're getting one, Chloe."
"Brady," she whined.
"No buts."
"Dammit. Fine."
"Now turn around," he commanded her and she reluctantly obliged. Gently, he gathered her hair in his hands and placed it over her shoulder to give him access to her back. Her hair smelled incredible: like honey and water lilies. G-d, only this woman could make a simple white shirt and pair of raggedy gray sweats look incredibly sexy. 'Oh, crap' he thought as he felt himself grow hard. 'Think about anything but that. Think about anything but that,' he repeated to himself over and over. "Your hair. smells really good.Chloe."
"Uh, thanks."
He placed his hands on her shoulders and began rubbing them, easing off a bit when he heard her gasp. "You're so tense." He put a little more pressure on her shoulders, rubbing a little harder, a little faster. "Try and relax."
"I can't," she bit out, completely uncomfortable with his hands on any part of her body.
"Why?" He whispered.
"Because I don't like being touched like that by you," she whispered back.
"Chloe, it's a back rub," he chuckled, using humor to try and ease some of the tension suffocating them both. "Completely platonic. I mean, we're friends, so what's the harm?" he continued to knead her shoulders.
"Are we?" She felt herself start to relax under those oh so expert hands.
"Are we what?" He stopped his task and waited for her answer.
"Friends."
"G-d, I'd hope so," he commenced with massaging her shoulders again. "We are married after all. I mean you can't honestly tell me you still hate my guts."
Slowly, she dropped her head back onto his shoulder, eyes closed. "I [i]do[/i] hate you," she lied through her teeth.
"I hate you too," he grinned looking at her, moving his fingers a little lower to her mid back.
"Mmm." was all she could get out, completely hypnotized by his touch.
"That feel good?" His voice took on a husky edge.
"Mm hmm."
He moved his hand a little lower. "How's that?"
"Mm hmm," her voice barely above a whisper.
"How's this?" he began to knead just above her behind, his hands moving towards her hips.
Chloe's eyes snapped open and she flung her arm out, accidentally hitting her finger on his coffee table. "Ow, sh*t!"
"Chloe,--"
"Ow. Ow wow." Her face contorted in obvious pain as she flung her left hand about, trying to get the pain to cease.
"Here let me see it," Brady spoke calmly.
"No," she whined, still flinging her hand about.
"Come on, don't be a baby." He gave her a look and so, reluctantly, she let him examine her hand. "What the hell did you do that for?" He chuckled.
"I don't know," she lied. She couldn't tell him the truth: that she was so caught up in that damn massage, his hands on her body that she was about to turn around and ravage him on the couch. "Ah, I think it's broken."
"Can you move it?" He watched her try and bend her middle finger to no avail. "Try and.try and bend it like this."
"Ahh, I can't." She felt tears from the physical pain come to her eyes.
"You're right it's broken. It's already swelling." He held her hand up to his face, studying it as it began to bruise.
"Should we go to the hospital?" She looked at him wide-eyed. She needed to be anywhere but here, anywhere but alone with him in this apartment.
"Why? So you can spend six hours in a crowded emergency room for them to give you an Ace Bandage, a Tylenol and a $700 bill to boot?"
"Well, it's broken Brady. What the hell am I suppose to do?" She roughly pulled her hand from his hold and gasped in pain.
"Keep it immobilized and it'll heal by itself. I've broken my finger like six times. You'll be fine."
"But what about at work?"
"What about work? Do you even work," he joked.
"Susan watches 'The Sweet Bar' on weekends thank you very much. One of the perks to being an entrepreneur." She giggled.
"Oh my G-d, Chloe." Brady looked at her pained hand in shock.
"What? What is it?"
"Your finger."
"I know it's broken." The terror in his eyes had her panicking. "What? What's wrong?"
"No, your other finger."
"What? What is it?"
"It's missing something," he said seriously.
"Huh?"
"A ring, Chloe," he smiled. "You don't have a wedding ring."
Relieved it wasn't something serious, she rolled her eyes. Damn this man was so infuriating sometimes. "I don't need a ring, Brady."
"And just how accurate and believable will our plan be if you don't have a ring, hmm?" He raised his eyebrows in question.
"I-"
"Come on. We'll finish this packing later." He grabbed her good hand and dragged her out the door. ************************
"You like that one, Chloe?" He smiled at her. For the passed half an hour, after stopping by the drugstore for a simple splint for her hand, they'd gone from jewelry store to jewelry store in search of a wedding/engagement ring. According to Brady, no ring was right for her. They were too gaudy, too plain or too unoriginal. Chloe had complained the entire time, not interested in receiving any ring from him. But Brady was determined to find her a ring, one that seemed made just for her. And that's when they'd come in here. Immediately he knew Chloe was meant to wear this ring when he saw glittering back at him from behind the case. It was white gold, with a round cut diamond set simply in the midst of a ring of sapphires. It was perfect, just like her. "Well?"
"I don't want a ring Brady." Chloe crossed her arms over her chest.
Brady looked to the shocked and confused salesman and smiled. "She broke her finger this morning. The medication is making her." he put a finger to his head and swung it around a few times. "A little loopy. I'll take care of this." He turned his attention back to Chloe. "Honey."
"I don't want a ring," she punctuated each word with deliberate slowness.
Brady simply plastered on a fake smile and turned to the salesman. "Excuse us." He led Chloe to a corner of the store where they proceeded to quietly argue. "Chloe," he whined.
"No, Brady."
"Why?"
"I just don't feel right with you buying me a ring."
"For G-d sakes, Chloe. We are married. You must a have a ring. It's tradition."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "So far we've been anything but traditional, Brady."
"Well, that changes today." He lifted her chin up with his finger. "And I won't take no for an answer, Mrs. Black." He smiled at her, trying to work her over with his smile.
Damn him and damn those lips. "Whatever," she conceded with a roll of her eyes, her finger in too much damn pain to fight him on this.
"Thank you," he pecked her on the cheek and dragged her back to the counter, more excited than she was. "We'll take it."
*********************
As soon as they were out of the store, Brady pulled out the box containing the ring, letting the bag fall to the floor. "Here, let me put it on you."
"Now?" Chloe's eyes widened, feeling kind of odd and uncomfortable with the entire situation.
"Yes, now." He chuckled, in a kind of giddy mood.
"Ugh, okay."
"Chloe, could you be any less enthusiastic about this? I mean this ring only cost me 3, 000 dollars."
"I didn't even want the damn ring, Brady."
He merely rolled his eyes and gently slid the ring onto her finger, being mindful of her splint on the adjacent finger. "There." He grinned, loving the look of the ring on Chloe's hand, knowing it would look this perfect. "It's beautiful."
Chloe couldn't help but be mesmerized by the lovely ring gracing her slender fingers. It was simple but so unlike any ring she'd seen before. It was just right. "It's gorgeous."
Brady smiled knowingly at Chloe, but the smile fell when he noticed someone over Chloe's shoulder. "Uh oh. Showtime, Chloe. It's Philip at ten o' clock."
"Wha-" but she was silenced when Brady crushed his lips to hers.
"What are you doing?" Chloe whispered in the darkness. Sitting wide eyed in her bed, she watched a nude Brady lift the sheets from her body in one swift motion exposing her to the cool air of her bedroom.
"Doing something I should have done the first moment I laid eyes on you," he gave her body an appreciative stare and ran a hand up the inside of her thigh.
Shuddering under his touch, both rough and gentle, she could barely form a coherent thought. "Wh..." she breathed. "Why?"
"Because," the desire burning his eyes and clogging his throat, made Chloe's stomach do flip-flops. He crawled onto the bed and lifted her face to his, licking his lips, looking so very ready to press his to hers. "Because I. Ding Dong."
"Wh-what?"
He licked his all too soft lips again. "Because I Knock. Knock. Knock."
"Huh?"
"Wake up and answer the damn door, Chloe," he said matter-of-factly.
Knock. Knock.
Chloe groaned as she stretched out on her bed. So that was the door? This time of the morning? Ding Dong. Knock. Knock. "Ugh, I'm coming," Chloe pulled on her robe and slowly made her way to the door.
She blushed as she realized that had all been a dream. What the hell was that!? Having a sex dream about Brady? Okay, so it technically wasn't a sex dream just yet but it damn sure would have been had she not been interrupted. Good G-d, what was the world coming to? And what idiot had decided to interrupt that?
Ding Dong. Ding Dong. Ding Dong.
"Would you hold your freaking horses," Chloe swung the door open, her face scrunched in annoyance. "Brady." she breathed out.
"Good Morning, Mrs. Black," Brady, dressed simply in jeans and a white t- shirt, was leaning against the doorjamb, holding up a bag of fresh bagels.
Hiding behind an angry mask, hoping and praying he wouldn't be able to see how seeing him on her front step had affected her. "Remember rule number one, Black."
"Good Morning, [i]Chloe[/i]," he chuckled.
"Brady, what are you doing here?" She walked away towards the kitchen, as he followed closely behind.
"What do you mean, 'what am I doing here'? It's ten o' clock in the morning."
"You're kidding," Chloe sat, shocked at her kitchen table as he handed her the bag of bagels. After she'd gone to drop Brady off last night, she'd gone home and cried her eyes out, cried her eyes out for what she and Philip had and what they lost. She had also cried because the stress of the day had gotten to her. And a little, itty bitty, teeny-weeny part had cried for Brady, for Brady to hold her and really want her, desire her.
"I was beginning to think something happened to you," he sat across from her. "What took you so long to open the door? Having a sex dream about me?" He grinned naughtily.
"Ha. Ha," she pulled out a chocolate chip bagel, trying hard to ignore the fact that Brady had brought her her favorite bagels.
Brady watched Chloe intently as she frowned at her bagel. It took one look at her red eyes and puffy face to know she'd been crying. Damn that Philip Kiriakis. "Chloe, you look awful."
"Why, thank you," she bit out sarcastically.
"No, I completely meant that in the loving husband sort of way. Honest," he sighed when she gave him an 'are-you-crazy' look. "Look, I think you should just go shower and change. You'll feel better and we have to get me moved in here." He rubbed his hands together. "I rented a U-Haul and drove straight over. So that's taken care of. We just have to drop by my place, pick up my stuff and then it's just you and me, baby." He smiled.
"But my coffee."
"I know how you like your coffee. I'll make it. You just go take care of you, okay?" He practically pushed her out the kitchen door.
****************************
The Salem Inn.
"Brady, I'm tired," Chloe plopped down on his couch. They'd been lugging boxes from his room here all morning after they left her place. Who knew Brady had so much crap? She hoped he didn't think he was going to bung up her house with all this junk.
"You are not tired. It's all mind over matter," he replied, taking a seat next to her.
"Tell that to my aching muscles," she tiredly rubbed her back. "Who knew you had so much crap?"
"Hey, hey, be kind or I won't rub your back for you." He adjusted his place on the couch so that he could face her completely.
"No, that's okay. I don't need you to do that," she visibly stiffened and tried to move away from his touch. "I don't need you to rub my back. Really." There was no way she was going to let him touch her like that, not after that dream this morning.
"Now, now don't argue. I've been told I have expert hands." He rubbed his hands together and grinned.
"By who? Marlena?" She giggled at the disgusted look on his face.
"Okay, here's a rule for you: No dirty stepmother jokes."
"Hmm.I don't know if I can agree to that." She pretended to seriously think it over.
"Then I just won't give you a back rub." He mocked offense.
She smiled. "I don't want one."
"You're getting one, Chloe."
"Brady," she whined.
"No buts."
"Dammit. Fine."
"Now turn around," he commanded her and she reluctantly obliged. Gently, he gathered her hair in his hands and placed it over her shoulder to give him access to her back. Her hair smelled incredible: like honey and water lilies. G-d, only this woman could make a simple white shirt and pair of raggedy gray sweats look incredibly sexy. 'Oh, crap' he thought as he felt himself grow hard. 'Think about anything but that. Think about anything but that,' he repeated to himself over and over. "Your hair. smells really good.Chloe."
"Uh, thanks."
He placed his hands on her shoulders and began rubbing them, easing off a bit when he heard her gasp. "You're so tense." He put a little more pressure on her shoulders, rubbing a little harder, a little faster. "Try and relax."
"I can't," she bit out, completely uncomfortable with his hands on any part of her body.
"Why?" He whispered.
"Because I don't like being touched like that by you," she whispered back.
"Chloe, it's a back rub," he chuckled, using humor to try and ease some of the tension suffocating them both. "Completely platonic. I mean, we're friends, so what's the harm?" he continued to knead her shoulders.
"Are we?" She felt herself start to relax under those oh so expert hands.
"Are we what?" He stopped his task and waited for her answer.
"Friends."
"G-d, I'd hope so," he commenced with massaging her shoulders again. "We are married after all. I mean you can't honestly tell me you still hate my guts."
Slowly, she dropped her head back onto his shoulder, eyes closed. "I [i]do[/i] hate you," she lied through her teeth.
"I hate you too," he grinned looking at her, moving his fingers a little lower to her mid back.
"Mmm." was all she could get out, completely hypnotized by his touch.
"That feel good?" His voice took on a husky edge.
"Mm hmm."
He moved his hand a little lower. "How's that?"
"Mm hmm," her voice barely above a whisper.
"How's this?" he began to knead just above her behind, his hands moving towards her hips.
Chloe's eyes snapped open and she flung her arm out, accidentally hitting her finger on his coffee table. "Ow, sh*t!"
"Chloe,--"
"Ow. Ow wow." Her face contorted in obvious pain as she flung her left hand about, trying to get the pain to cease.
"Here let me see it," Brady spoke calmly.
"No," she whined, still flinging her hand about.
"Come on, don't be a baby." He gave her a look and so, reluctantly, she let him examine her hand. "What the hell did you do that for?" He chuckled.
"I don't know," she lied. She couldn't tell him the truth: that she was so caught up in that damn massage, his hands on her body that she was about to turn around and ravage him on the couch. "Ah, I think it's broken."
"Can you move it?" He watched her try and bend her middle finger to no avail. "Try and.try and bend it like this."
"Ahh, I can't." She felt tears from the physical pain come to her eyes.
"You're right it's broken. It's already swelling." He held her hand up to his face, studying it as it began to bruise.
"Should we go to the hospital?" She looked at him wide-eyed. She needed to be anywhere but here, anywhere but alone with him in this apartment.
"Why? So you can spend six hours in a crowded emergency room for them to give you an Ace Bandage, a Tylenol and a $700 bill to boot?"
"Well, it's broken Brady. What the hell am I suppose to do?" She roughly pulled her hand from his hold and gasped in pain.
"Keep it immobilized and it'll heal by itself. I've broken my finger like six times. You'll be fine."
"But what about at work?"
"What about work? Do you even work," he joked.
"Susan watches 'The Sweet Bar' on weekends thank you very much. One of the perks to being an entrepreneur." She giggled.
"Oh my G-d, Chloe." Brady looked at her pained hand in shock.
"What? What is it?"
"Your finger."
"I know it's broken." The terror in his eyes had her panicking. "What? What's wrong?"
"No, your other finger."
"What? What is it?"
"It's missing something," he said seriously.
"Huh?"
"A ring, Chloe," he smiled. "You don't have a wedding ring."
Relieved it wasn't something serious, she rolled her eyes. Damn this man was so infuriating sometimes. "I don't need a ring, Brady."
"And just how accurate and believable will our plan be if you don't have a ring, hmm?" He raised his eyebrows in question.
"I-"
"Come on. We'll finish this packing later." He grabbed her good hand and dragged her out the door. ************************
"You like that one, Chloe?" He smiled at her. For the passed half an hour, after stopping by the drugstore for a simple splint for her hand, they'd gone from jewelry store to jewelry store in search of a wedding/engagement ring. According to Brady, no ring was right for her. They were too gaudy, too plain or too unoriginal. Chloe had complained the entire time, not interested in receiving any ring from him. But Brady was determined to find her a ring, one that seemed made just for her. And that's when they'd come in here. Immediately he knew Chloe was meant to wear this ring when he saw glittering back at him from behind the case. It was white gold, with a round cut diamond set simply in the midst of a ring of sapphires. It was perfect, just like her. "Well?"
"I don't want a ring Brady." Chloe crossed her arms over her chest.
Brady looked to the shocked and confused salesman and smiled. "She broke her finger this morning. The medication is making her." he put a finger to his head and swung it around a few times. "A little loopy. I'll take care of this." He turned his attention back to Chloe. "Honey."
"I don't want a ring," she punctuated each word with deliberate slowness.
Brady simply plastered on a fake smile and turned to the salesman. "Excuse us." He led Chloe to a corner of the store where they proceeded to quietly argue. "Chloe," he whined.
"No, Brady."
"Why?"
"I just don't feel right with you buying me a ring."
"For G-d sakes, Chloe. We are married. You must a have a ring. It's tradition."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "So far we've been anything but traditional, Brady."
"Well, that changes today." He lifted her chin up with his finger. "And I won't take no for an answer, Mrs. Black." He smiled at her, trying to work her over with his smile.
Damn him and damn those lips. "Whatever," she conceded with a roll of her eyes, her finger in too much damn pain to fight him on this.
"Thank you," he pecked her on the cheek and dragged her back to the counter, more excited than she was. "We'll take it."
*********************
As soon as they were out of the store, Brady pulled out the box containing the ring, letting the bag fall to the floor. "Here, let me put it on you."
"Now?" Chloe's eyes widened, feeling kind of odd and uncomfortable with the entire situation.
"Yes, now." He chuckled, in a kind of giddy mood.
"Ugh, okay."
"Chloe, could you be any less enthusiastic about this? I mean this ring only cost me 3, 000 dollars."
"I didn't even want the damn ring, Brady."
He merely rolled his eyes and gently slid the ring onto her finger, being mindful of her splint on the adjacent finger. "There." He grinned, loving the look of the ring on Chloe's hand, knowing it would look this perfect. "It's beautiful."
Chloe couldn't help but be mesmerized by the lovely ring gracing her slender fingers. It was simple but so unlike any ring she'd seen before. It was just right. "It's gorgeous."
Brady smiled knowingly at Chloe, but the smile fell when he noticed someone over Chloe's shoulder. "Uh oh. Showtime, Chloe. It's Philip at ten o' clock."
"Wha-" but she was silenced when Brady crushed his lips to hers.