No Stone Unturned (12 page)

“How about this?” Tyler tickled Gemma as he nuzzled her neck.  She giggled as he lowered himself on top of her and planted kisses across her collarbones.  Gemma sighed, closing her eyes and feeling his weight shift across her body.  She wanted to relax and enjoy herself, but she still felt tense from everything that had happened that evening.  Zoe still hadn’t texted her back.  In fact, they hadn’t spoken to each other since the media tour.  In fact, she had begun acting a little distant directly after the Bryan Waterbury interview.

Amidst all her thoughts, Gemma felt Tyler’s hand on her thigh.  She tensed, having forgotten for a second where she was, what she was doing.

As if sensing her tension, Tyler sat up.  He reached for his hair and brushed it out of her face.  “Are you okay?”

“Yes.  I’m fine,” Gemma lied.

“You seem tired.  We can just go to bed,” Tyler said.  He lowered himself beside her, pulling her into his warm body.  She wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep.

~

Gemma shot up in bed.

It took her a second to realize that she was still in the hotel room and not at home.  She had managed to drift into a weird stage of sleep where she wasn’t entirely able to differentiate what was a dream and what was really happening.  Despite that, she was fairly certain that she had heard the front door slam.  The room was pitch black and for a second, she thought Tyler had stepped out, but she could hear him breathing steadily, still sound asleep.  The clock read 3:17am.

Gemma jumped to her feet and switched on the light in the bathroom.  The front door was closed but the safety latch was sticking out, perpendicular to the doorframe. 
Strange
, Gemma thought.  She was pretty sure she had closed the latch right before she went to remove her makeup.  Undisguised, Gemma quickly grabbed a sheer negligee she had left on the bathroom counter and draped it over her face.  She opened the door and peered out quickly down the hall.  It was empty.  At the end of the hall, one elevator door hung open.  The music from within its doors floated out towards Gemma, sending a chill down her spine as she quickly retreated into the room again.

She tore the negligee off of her face and tossed it onto the desk.  She paced back and forth in the front corridor in hopes of getting rid of her frenetic, nervous energy without waking Tyler.  As much as she wanted to believe she had been dreaming, she was certain that something in the room had been moved.  Something in the room was slightly off
.  I always close the latch. 

Back in the bedroom, Tyler’s breathing was tranquil.  Gemma leaned against the wall, listening to its steady pace and watching the outline of his chest rise and fall in the faint light.  She began to walk back to the bed when she noticed the negligee she had tossed aside had caught on something on the desk.  She lifted it to uncover a small crystal paperweight that she had never noticed before.  It sat atop the hotel stationary and was shaped like an abstract angel, appearing as if a soft glow was coming from within.  Gemma felt a chill and quickly covered it again with the negligee. 

The room suddenly felt darker, everything ominous, somehow.  Gemma slid back into bed, her heart pounding.  She pressed her face into Tyler’s neck and his arm instinctively wrapped around her body despite still being asleep.  She tried to steady her breathing to match his.  Daylight couldn’t come sooner.

- Chapter 7 -

It was the absolute perfect time for a visit from Gavin.  With the L.A. weather constantly bright and shining, Gemma had almost completely forgotten that it was December, and that the holiday season was upon them. 

Gemma had arranged a flight for Gavin into LAX, where a car would drive him to their private Christmas Eve celebration at Tyler’s house.  With Tyler seeing his family on Christmas Day, she decided on holding their dinner the night before and just having a simple Christmas with Gavin. 

It was also a convenient day for Damian to attend.  Having heard that Gavin would be in town, he decided that he would have to join Gemma and Tyler in their Christmas celebration.  He was undeterred when Gemma informed him that for security reasons, Nicki could not join.

“So do I need to buy him something?” Tyler asked as he and Gemma strolled along Rodeo Drive.

“My brother? Not if you don’t want to.”

“Not your brother.  I need to buy him a gift.  He’s your family,” Tyler said.  “I meant Damian, your perfume buddy.”

Gemma laughed, eyeing Tyler with amusement.  Since wrapping the media tour, the public’s fascination in pairing Queen Bee with Damian had only grown.  Tyler Chasers supported the coupling for obvious reasons while the rest of the country seemed to find that Queen Bee and Damian were the epitome of physical chemistry.  Among those captivated by the two was Thierry Marc, one of Gemma’s favorite designers, who offered a rather large contract for them to star in his campaign for Wanderlust by Thierry Marc.

“It’s a fragrance, not a perfume,” Gemma corrected Tyler, squinting at him to determine whether or not he was joking with his sour face.

“Sorry, your
fragrance
buddy,” Tyler said with a laugh. 

“Yes, thank you,” Gemma giggled, sighing inwardly with relief.  As much as he had begun to like Damian, Tyler seemed to have reverted to his lukewarm feelings upon hearing about the fragrance campaign.  It dismayed Gemma to think that the friendship that had developed between them could be easily spoiled.  “But back to your question – you don’t have to buy Damian anything if you don’t want to.”

Tyler heaved a sigh.  “I probably should, since he’s coming to our house,” he reasoned.  Gemma bit her smile back, not bothering to correct the way he said “our house” rather than “my house.”  It was an adorable and frankly, delightful, habit that he was falling into.  “It’d be weird if he bought me something and I had nothing for him, right?  Is he going to buy me anything?”

Gemma burst out laughing.  “Tyler, I don’t know! It’s not like we have in depth conversations about his every thought.”

Tyler grinned.  “Alright.  Good.”

“What do you mean, good?” Gemma asked, peering at him.  It was her first time experiencing signs of jealousy from Tyler, and she couldn’t help but find it somewhat amusing.

“Nothing,” Tyler grinned, kissing her neck before making a sharp turn into a lingerie store.  Gemma giggled.

“This would be the wrong place to shop for Damian, by the way.”

“Yeah, this isn’t for Damian, babe,” Tyler said, squeezing Gemma’s hip.  She narrowed her eyes at him playfully, prompting him to give a shrug.  “I’m just trying to get us away from the paparazzi,” he said innocently, though he could barely finish his sentence before breaking into a smile.  They strolled into the sultry shop together, and despite the chorus of snapping cameras, Tyler pulled Gemma close to give her a long and sweet kiss on the lips.

TYLER AND BEE’S SEXY SHOPPING SPREE

Pop Rock Gossip

December 22
^nd

What do you buy for a teen idol who has it all? Sexy lingerie, of course!

Tyler Chase and Queen Bee were both spotted on Rodeo Drive this morning being less than subtle about their romantic feelings! The lovebirds were photographed sharing some serious affection, with Tyler kissing and nuzzling his singer sweetheart as he purchased her nearly a thousand dollars worth of lingerie. 

No purity rings for these teen idols! Guess we can safely say that Tyler and Bee will be sharing a very happy holiday.

Gemma didn’t mind having Tyler’s house to herself for the majority of Christmas Eve.  Gavin’s flight wouldn’t come in until five-thirty, Damian wasn’t set to arrive until six, and Tyler was still at the studio doing some last-minute work for his upcoming album.  It gave Gemma the time to cook and make last minute touches to the holiday décor.  As Dean Martin played over the house-wide speakers, she prepared homemade whipped cream for the spiked apple cider and spruced up the lights and ornaments on the Christmas tree. The simply joy of such activities gave Gemma a sense of peace that had been missing for the past few months.

She laughed aloud to herself upon receiving a text from Tyler.  It was a reminder to buy at least one six-pack of Guinness.  It was Gavin’s favorite beer, and Tyler was hell-bent on ensuring his enjoyment at his house.  Gemma found his concern for her family adorable.  She could only imagine Tyler in the midst of recording when he suddenly remembered the need to stock up on her brother’s preferred drink.  He had been quite obviously nervous about meeting him, which Gemma found both sweet and amusing.

   Once everything in the house was finished and ready to go, she received another text from Tyler, alerting her that he was fifteen minutes away. 
Perfect timing
, she smiled, checking the clock that read 5PM.  She had thirty minutes before she had to worry about any guests.  It gave her time to slip into the red lace negligee that she had purchased without Tyler knowing during their stroll on Rodeo.  Along with a pair of scarlet red heels, she put on a Santa hat.  She delighted in how it looked on her silky hair, which she wore down.  As much as he loved Gemma in her different ensembles as Queen Bee, Tyler was always most excited by her natural look – wavy brown hair and little to no makeup.

   Gemma ran to the top of the steps as she heard the sound of Tyler’s keys in the front door.  “I’m home,” he called out upon coming in.  “Babe?”

   “Up here,” Gemma lilted.  She giggled when his eyes caught her, traveling from her toes up to the rest of her body.  He floated towards her, his eyes unable to look away.  She tipped his chin up and kissed his lips when he finally reached her.  “Merry Christmas,” she said between kisses.  Standing a step below her, he let his lips drift down towards her neck.

   “Are you my gift?” he asked.  Gemma nodded.  He smiled.  “Can I unwrap you now, or do I have to wait till tomorrow?”

“Now would be best,” Gemma answered, letting him easily lift and carry her into his bedroom.  He lay her down on luxurious sheets, his eyes taking her in as he peeled the negligee clean off her body.  He kissed her again, stroking her bare skin with one hand as the other reached for his belt buckle. 

Just as he undid it, the buzzer at the gate rang.

“No.”  Tyler froze, staring into Gemma’s eyes with confusion as he hovered inches above her.  “He hasn’t even landed yet.  I’m ignoring that,” he decided, continuing to undress.

“But who is it then?” Gemma frowned as the buzzer rang again.  The sound was horribly grating to her.

“Who cares,” Tyler murmured, nuzzling her neck.  “Ignore it.”

Suddenly, Gemma’s phone vibrated.  Tyler reached for it, but she grabbed it first.  She read her text message.  “Oh no, it’s Damian.  He’s at the gate.”

“Let him wait.”

“We can’t do that.”

“He can wait fifteen minutes.”

“Tyler!”

“Ten.”

Gemma laughed.  “That’s horrible.”

“He is.  For interrupting us,” Tyler said distractedly, his words muffled as he flicked his tongue across her skin.  Gemma groaned, running her fingers through Tyler’s hair. 

“Baby, we should probably get the door.”

Tyler sighed deeply.  “Alright,” he said with defeat as he rolled off of her.  “You’re gonna have to go downstairs first and give me a minute.”

Gemma laughed.  “Okay.  I’m sorry, babe.”  She buzzed the gate before pulling on a dress and running down the stairs.  Within moments, the doorbell rang.  “You’re here early!” she said as she opened the door for Damian.  He held a bag full of gift-wrapped boxes along with a bottle of champagne.  Gemma eyed the bag curiously.

“Most of those are signed jerseys and basketball stuff for Gavin.  He asked me for them… several times,” Damian laughed, leaning over to kiss Gemma on the cheek.  “But I didn’t forget about you, of course.”  He paused.  “Or your boy.”

Gemma giggled.  “That’s sweet of you.  Come on in.”

Damian stepped inside, admiring Gemma’s dress before he cared to look at the grand foyer of Tyler’s home.  “You look beautiful, as usual,” he smiled.

Just then, Tyler joined them. 

“Hey, Damian,” he called from the stairs.  When he reached them, he discreetly squeezed Gemma’s backside before going in for the one-armed hug with Damian.  “What’s up, dude, how are you doing?”

“Pretty good, thanks for having me over,” Damian said graciously, looking around.  “This place looks really good.”

“Thanks.”

“We should warn you though, that Gavin’s probably gonna tear this house apart once he gets enough alcohol in him,” Damian laughed.

“‘We?’” Tyler cocked his head.  “Oh.  You and Gemma.”  He blinked for a few seconds, a slight frown knit between his brows.  “So you know Gavin?”

“Yeah, we were teammates in high school.  I haven’t seen that kid in awhile though, so this is gonna be good,” Damian said, rubbing his hands together somewhat mischievously.  “I’m gonna give him some grief about this second string position he’s got going on at ‘Cuse.”  Gemma cackled.

“Please, feel totally free to do that,” she said.  “I’m still mad at him for breaking it off with Leah.”

“I know! That was messed up.”

Gemma laughed, still able to find humor in the situation since Leah had texted her about quickly finding “the one straight guy at FIT to rebound with” following the breakup.  As her laugh wound down, she suddenly noticed Tyler who stood beside them silently, looking for once awkward.  She hastily wrapped her arm around his midsection, feeling suddenly guilty about how left out he was.

“So… why don’t we go grab some drinks?” she suggested.  “I’m sure Gavin’s going to arrive at least tipsy, so we should definitely try to catch up to him.”  Much to her relief, Tyler cracked a smile at her joke and the three of them headed into the kitchen.