ChapterSix
JAYDEN
When Chloe strutted out of the door dressed to kill, there was no way I could sit in her empty villa and simply wait for her to come home. As fate would have it, Aurelia is performing in Dubai tonight.
‘Where are we going?’ Chloe asks as I hail a taxi.
‘The Madinat.’
‘What’s at the Madinat?’ she huffs.
‘Dinner hopefully. I’m starving.’
For once, she doesn’t argue.
When we arrive, the place is absolutely thronged. I’ve been here several times over the years, but its grandeur never ceases to take my breath away. As the largest resort in Dubai, it’s like a mini city within the emirate, composed of lavish five-star hotels, ornate souks and tourist-infused beachfront hotspots.
‘It’s busy tonight,’ Chloe muses, glancing out of the window as the taxi slows to a halt. ‘There must be something going on.’
I slip the taxi driver a wad of notes and he attempts to hand them back. ‘Too much, sir. You overpay.’
‘It’s fine. Thank you,’ I insist. These guys work hard. They deserve it and so much more.
‘Very generous, sir.’ Turning to Chloe, the driver says, ‘Aurelia Arlington is performing at a charity function.’
Chloe’s eyes light up. ‘I read about that. Aurelia Arlington is my absolute idol. I saw her twice in concert last year. She’s such an inspiration, the way she came from nothing to become an ambassador for her country and for women in general.’
‘If only we had tickets.’ It’s a battle to suppress my smile.
As I hop out of the cab, thanking the driver again, I offer Chloe my hand. She glares for a half a second before sighing and accepting it.
Her fingers slip into mine and three thousand volts of sexually charged energy surge up my forearm, raising every single nerve ending in my body. The need to act on it magnifies with every passing second.
Ryan was right about two things. First, she did knock me back at Christmas. Second, I live for a challenge.
Even as a teenager, she had an exquisite, alluring appeal. Her curvaceous figure was all woman, but she was unequivocally underage. I wanted her so badly my balls physically ached anytime she was near.
To obliterate thoughts of all the different ways I could take her virginity, I distracted myself fucking one of Huxley Castle’s lacklustre but obliging chambermaids, Jacinta. Not my finest moment, admittedly. I only did it because I couldn’t have what I really wanted. Chloe.
However stunning she was at seventeen, at twenty-seven, she’s magnificent.
‘Come on.’ I link her arm through mine, leading her towards a starlit entrance. For once, she doesn’t resist.
‘What are you doing? There’s no way we’ll get in there.’ Her footsteps slow, imposter syndrome oozing from her usually confident core.
She might be used to organising events like these, but she’s obviously not used to attending them. I make a mental note to check who Aurelia normally hires for events management and pass on Chloe’s details.
I give my name to four burly bouncers and much to Chloe’s obvious shock, we’re welcomed like visiting royalty.
‘Aurelia insisted you sit at the front. She signed the paperwork you couriered over. It’s at the front desk,’ a security guard says, leading us to a lavishly decorated round table a couple of metres from a huge gold emblazoned stage.
The bouncer pulls out Chloe’s chair, and she sits wide-eyed, drinking in every single inch of the extravagant decor.
Sitting at the table beside us are four British royals, two world famous golfers, and an academy award-winning actress and her twenty-years junior husband.
Chloe turns her awe-inspired gaze to me. ‘How?’
Aurelia emerges from behind the curtain, popping her head discreetly out. ‘Jay, I heard you’d arrived!’ She darts over and I rise to greet her, pressing a kiss on both her cheeks.
