AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Bryce raised an eyebrow but fortunately Nancy missed it.
* * *
She’d chosen to sing an acoustic version of one of her earlier hits. A song that had always resonated with her fans. The promotions team at Royal Resorts had wanted Chloe to sing her recent hit, but she’d held out.Summer Flamewas her signature piece, a song that only true members of Chloe’s Garden understood.
These were the people she wanted to have come to Vegas and enjoy her shows, not the tourists on an all-inclusive package deal. As far as she was concerned, those people would be better to spend their money on seeing the long running Legends in Concert show and playing the slots. Her original reluctance to play in Vegas still held.
Alone on the stage, microphone in hand, Chloe sang. Her voice filled the auditorium. From out of the corner of her eye, she caught the looks of amazement on the faces of the press gathering. She was singing live and unaccompanied, something which many major artists refused to do. But there’d been no one playing along with her when she’d performed on the streets, no back up tracks. Just her voice. Her gift. When the song ended, a reverent hush filled the room —quickly broken by loud applause.
I still have it. And no one, and nothing, can take it away from me.
“Chloe, singBitter Babe!”
Grinning Chloe shook her head. “If you want to hear that song, you will have to buy a ticket and come see the show. Thank you, see you back here at the arena in a few months!”
She handed the microphone to a stagehand, then with a bow and a wave headed off the stage.
If Nancy and Bryce hadn’t been standing near him, she would have gone straight to Jordan. Over the past few days they had barely seen one another. Jordan had been busy with preparations for the concert series announcement, while she and Camille had spent most days holed up putting the finishing touches to Chloe’s Vegas capsule collection. Tomorrow, there would be more press engagements and some virtual appearances on morning TV shows.
But today, with the residency announcement now official, all Chloe wanted to do was to get out of town.
She and Nancy embraced. “Your voice is amazing, Chloe. And the fans will be ecstatic when they hear the news of the concerts.”
“It will be good to get back on stage.”
Bryce Royal, ever the gentleman, offered Chloe his hand. “So, what are your plans for the rest of today? Would you and Nancy like to come and dine with our executive team?”
Jordan’s brother was a really nice man. So she gathered was his father, from the brief moment when she and Edward had been introduced just before she went on stage. But there was only one member of the Royal family Chloe was interested in spending time with, and that was the sexy, green-eyed man standing a foot or so back from the power gathering.
“I’m actually going to take the rest of the day off from people, if that’s alright? I have a huge amount of promotion work coming up for the rest of this week.” She turned to Jordan. “And Jordan said he would take me out into the desert to see the night sky. I was promised a billion stars, and I’m going to hold him to that promise.”
CHAPTERFIFTY-ONE
“I think Nancy is suspicious of me,” said Jordan, tossing an overnight bag into the back of the SUV. Chloe handed him her bag, and he carefully placed it alongside his, which for some silly reason made her smile.
Chloe had been waiting all week for this day. To get out of Vegas and finally, finally, see the desert house. “Do you have any real food at the house?”
He raised his eyebrows. “You’ve become a bit of a foodie, Ms. Fisher. And I’m pleased to see it. Yes, the refrigerator is fully stocked.”
No more protein shakes ever.
She’d had a recent epiphany. The whole time Marta and her cohorts had controlled Chloe’s diet, she’d never understood why she was always hungry, always craving junk food. Now she was out from under them, and able to make her own choices she was really enjoying food. Apart from the occasional snack attack, she was eating well. Good food.
She’d even managed to cook a curry one night from one of the prepared meal kits, silently watching as Jordan ate every bite. It had been a private moment of domestic bliss.
They were in the private VIP section of the resort parking garage, a secure area that allowed them to come and go from the hotel without using any public spaces. After leaving the arena, Chloe and Jordan had returned to her sky villa and changed into their casual clothes.
With Camille Royal flying home to New York City with Bryce and Edward later today, Jordan’s suite was now vacant and ready for his return. Chloe didn’t want her hot roomie to leave.
How do I ask him to stay?
The scorching kiss they had shared in the dressing room still hung silently between them. Neither seemed game to raise the subject. Hopefully this time away from everyone else would bring some clarity between them. Chloe wanted nothing more than for her and Jordan to finish the conversation they had started on the desert road on their way to Nevada.
“Are you ok if we cook something? I mean … we could order in, but … but,” she stammered.
Her head was in a strange place. They were finally going to spend some time together, just the two of them, but Jordan’s mood was guarded. She couldn’t read him.
He opened the passenger side door of the SUV and motioned for Chloe to climb in. “Cooking would be nice. I tried doing a few stir fries when I was back in New York last year, and I think I got the hang of them. Well sort of …”
