Stripped (16 page)

Emily skipped the bathroom and went back to her room to find the tape recorder.

Outside, she saw the limo and scoffed.  For a man so emotionally troubled who wanted to be hidden, he certainly had no problem flaunting his success and wealth.

Three steps towards the limo and the window slowly came down, just enough so Emily could see his eyes. 

Fuck, they were perfect.

She continued to walk and when close enough, Gunnar opened the door and waited for Emily to step inside.

She didn’t.

She stood in a position of power, knowing she had something Gunnar wanted.  Herself.  She looked down at Gunnar as he sat in the limo.  He wore a fresh change of clothes, a white t-shirt that hugged his body and a pair of black pants that gave him the real deal rockstar look.  Then again, it was Bryce Gunnar.  He could wear anything he wanted and make it rock n’ roll.  His arms were outstretched on the top of the seat, looking annoyed that he had to wait.

Maybe Emily’s power wouldn’t last long at all. 

She resisted though, standing at the open door.

“I’m not getting out,” Gunnar finally spoke.

“Maybe I’m not getting in.”

Shit, why did she have to say
maybe
?

Gunnar looked at her and smiled.  “Then I guess I’ll just wait.”

“You’re not going to order me into the limo?  Maybe break a window if I don’t listen?”

Gunnar’s smile faded. He turned his attention from Emily.  “Why don’t you get in the limo, Ex?”

And there it was.

The name.

Ex.

Emily liked it.  A lot.  A real lot.  Especially coming from the lips of Gunnar.  Those same lips that just a short time ago were between her legs, exploring her body. 

“Fine,” Emily muttered and climbed into the limo.

She pulled the door shut.  “Are we leaving?”

“Oh, Ex, we’re already gone.  Long gone.  You have no idea where you are right now.”

“Looks like a limo.  With a man who’s afraid of himself.”

“Listen to me,” Gunnar said.  He moved his hand down, casually, and touched Emily’s shoulder.  “Ex, listen.  Last night was about you.  Not me.  Not your friend.  Not some fucking interview about me.”

“It wasn’t about an interview,” Emily said.  “It was just a passing thought...”

“Why was your mind focused anywhere but your body?”

“I don’t...”

Emily had nothing.

Point taken. 

She saw what looked like hurt in Gunnar’s eyes. 

“You know, it’s funny how things can just happen in life.  How the lyrics we write, the chords that create our songs... how it just comes together.  I can have a line scribbled for a year before it finds a song that it works with.  If it were any other woman, Ex, I would have been gone for good.”

“So why me?  What did I do that’s so special?”

Gunnar looked at Emily, overpowering her.  “Because you make me want you.  In a way I’m not sure I understand.  Your worry, your fear, your desire to hate yourself... it drives me mad.”  Gunnar slid towards Emily.  His left hand came across his body, touching Emily’s leg.  Gently, he moved to her hip, squeezing at her, appreciating her curves.  “I can’t turn my urges off, Ex.  And you make me want to open myself.”

“I’m right here,” Emily said.

Emily watched as Gunnar moved his eyes to the window.  The tinted window left everything a dark haze.  She knew what he was looking at. 

The apartment building.

Thinking about...

“Ann,” Emily whispered.

“Again, your friend makes an appearance.”

“I’m sorry,” Emily said.  “But it’s the biggest story of her life.  And it could be for you.  Talking to your audience in interview.  Putting mystery to rest.”

“Why?  What do I have to say or offer?”

“The same thing you offer in your music.  Your soul.”

“You want a piece of my soul on paper... written by someone else... for their benefit, not mine.”

“You know what?  I don’t care.  I really don’t care.”  Emily threw the tape recorder to the floor of the limo.  “I have no benefit in this.  You trashed a dressing room last night because of something I said.”

“It was the moment,” Gunnar growled.  “That was your moment.  Your body freeing.  I wanted you to be lost in yourself, appreciate yourself, but instead, you’re too worried...”

“No...”

“Yes.  And not just because of your friend - Miss Annie Crossfire - but because of yourself.”

“Of me?”

“You want to know,” Gunnar said.  He moved closer to Emily.  Close enough that she could feel her warm breath on her cheek.  “You want to know, just like the rest of the world.”

“I don’t know about that...”

“Yes you do, Ex.  You want to know all about me.  What makes me tick.  What makes me lust.  What makes me create so many things.  My music.  My body.  My... tongue...”  Gunnar flicked at Emily’s ear and laughed as he pulled away.

Emily’s heart raced, her body back to the same state it had been the night before.  She tried to control her breathing and her insane thoughts.

I want him... I need him... I can’t control myself...

“Tell me what you want to know,” Gunnar said. 

“I want to know why you really won’t do interviews.”

Gunnar laughed.  “Look at that.  Again, not worrying about yourself.  Asking about me.”

“Maybe I can benefit.”

“How so?”

“Because I care too,” Emily said.  She reached out and touched Gunnar. 

He looked at Emily’s hand, then to the tape recorder.  Emily hoped she had found a crack in Gunnar that she could expose.  Something to dig her finger into and twist, to find out more about him. 

Gunnar looked at Emily, his blue eyes shining with delight.

“You care.  Okay.  I believe you, Ex.  You care about me.  And I care about you.  And somehow in the mix of it all, your roommate is involved.  I’ll give her what I want.  Under my terms.”

“An interview?” Emily asked.  She had to fight the urge to smile.

“An interview,” Gunnar said.  He leaned forward and grabbed the tape recorder.  He looked at it as if it were a foreign object.  “Without this.”

“Fair enough.”

“Everything you need to know you’ll remember.”

“Everything I...”

“Oh, yes, Ex.”  Gunnar pulled at Emily, forcing her body close to his.  “You’re going to interview me.”

Gunnar’s tongue flickered along her lips and then searched the inside of her mouth.  The erotic kiss melted Emily in many ways and her hand that had been placed on Gunnar’s leg to show care now sought another purpose.  She cupped between his legs, feeling him.  She squeezed and felt her fingernails move up the zipper of his pants.

She wanted him in the limo.

Gunnar’s hands held Emily tight.  He moved the kissing from Emily’s mouth down her chin, forcing Emily’s head back.  The tip of his tongue slid down the middle of her throat, to where her shirt began, and then to the side of her neck and up to her ear.  He moved with such confident precision. 

“You.  Me.”  He whispered between breaths.  “You can ask me anything you want, as long as you listen to me.”

“Okay,” Emily said.  Her fingers tried to pull at his zipper. 

Gunnar reached down and forced Emily’s hand to his bulge. 

She groaned, wanting more.

“My, aren’t we feeling a little wild today?” he asked.

“I learned from the best,” Emily said.

“Oh, Ex, don’t forget who I am...”  Gunnar slid his cheek along Emily’s.  Their eyes connected and Gunnar’s right hand touched along Emily’s wide side.  He couldn’t get enough of her body, her curves.  Her body was something to explore, with plenty to touch, taste, and hold. 

“And who are you?” Emily asked.  She smirked and added, “I’m just practicing for the interview.”

“I’m everything,” Gunnar said.  “Not just in the limo and not just for this interview.  But to you.  To the thousands who follow Down Silent.  We’re playing a show tomorrow night at the biggest venue within a hundred miles.  Tickets went on sale at eight and already sold out.  Six thousand tickets in a matter of six minutes.  Strange, isn’t it?”

“Not at all,” Emily said.  She sensed a vulnerable side of Gunnar.  “You speak to people who want to listen.”

“No.  I speak to those who don’t want to listen.  I speak to those who need to listen.  They need to hear something to help them reconnect to the world and to themselves.”

Gunnar pulled Emily, forcing her to move closer to him, eventually making her straddle him.  When she came to a rest, after a moaning gasp, her lower half hovered over Gunnar and her hands were on top of the seat.  Gunnar’s hands slipped under Emily’s shirt and went for her breasts.  He held Emily.  She slowly lowered herself, allowing her body to touch his. 

“Gunnar,” she whispered, “I need...”

“Of course you do,” Gunnar said.  “Everyone does.  Come see me tomorrow afternoon, before our show.”

“Are you commanding me?” Emily teased.

“I speak and people listen.  It’s how this works.  If you want the interview, you’ll be there.”

The change started to occur again in Gunnar.  His hands pushed at Emily, moving her away from him.  She sat back down and watched Gunnar, noting how uncomfortable he looked.  How annoyed he looked. 

It didn’t take much... just like last night.

“Gunnar, I didn’t mean...”

“You can go now,” Gunnar said.  “You heard what I said.”

Emily took a breath and leaned forward to get the tape recorder.  Before she could get within two feet of the recorder, Gunnar’s foot flew forward and kicked the recorder.  It hit the other side of seats.  Nothing happened to the small device but the message Gunnar sent was received.

“No recorder,” Emily whispered.

“No recorder,” Gunnar said.

Emily opened the door and her heart felt strange.  She was stuck between emotions.  She wanted to forget about Gunnar and enjoy the erotic memories of his hands on her body, his tongue tasting her, and she tasting him.  But when she looked back at him, catching him looking at her, there was a dark beauty within his eyes.  Something Emily wanted to explore. 

Not to mention... this was it.  A chance for Emily to help Ann.  To get the interview that could change Ann’s career. 

“Ex,” Gunnar called out.  “Just because you’re asking questions does not mean I don’t control the answers.”

Emily nodded and the limo began to move, with the door open.  As it drove away, she watched Gunnar reach out of the moving vehicle and close the door. 

She stood for a few minutes, absorbing it all.