||24 Karat Gold|| Lindsey Buckingham & Stevie Nicks

16.

His eyes closed as soon as his forehead pressed against the wooden surface of room 202, his right hand thumbing the hotel card in the palm of his hand.  He was so close to unlocking another night of infidelity. Yet, it did not feel as though he had strayed and become dishonest as a husband. This whole situation had almost become normal, as though it was inevitable that something would happen with his former lover sometime down the line. Of course he was fully aware of how wrong it was, he knew that it couldn't develop into anything else, how could it? He would break so many hearts if this series of lust turned into something deeper, his heart and Stevie's heart was included in the fragility. 

"You can control this" he whispered to himself , fully convinced that he had complete power of his emotions. His palm held the key up to the card reader, a click of acceptance enabling him to push down on the handle, quickly glancing to the left and right to ensure the corridor was empty before he made his move, slipping into the living area of Stevie's suite. 

It hit him instantly, his back pressing against the door he had shut behind him, the smell of memories, that smell of those scented candles she had dotted around the room. Had he closed his eyes, he knew he would be transported back to their first apartment together and that scared him, for the small twinge he felt on his heartstrings as he battled with himself to keep his eyes open only made him yearn for that smell, that apartment and that woman even more. His eyes scanned the living area, small flames of tea lights dancing to the soft music she had playing through the bluetooth speaker that sat on the coffee table in front of the inviting sofa. 

Oh, she most definitely had plans for him, there had been no intentions of this being a quick stop off to hand her back her lingerie as requested earlier on. The more detail he took in, the more he realised she had done this with him in her mind. If she wanted this to be a trip down memory lane, he was most definitely prepared, for once the show was over he had rushed back to his room to freshen up with a shower. Instead of doing his hair, he had scruffed it up with a towel, letting it sit down across forehead messily. His stubble too, had grown in slightly and he was now sporting that 5 o'clock shadow that she had always commented on, a subtle hint of admiration in her voice when really, it was just that he had been too rushed to find time to shave. She had been the only woman he had been with who complimented the roughed up look and now, he was trying to push out all the times she used to purposely mess up his hair with her fingers during a moment of intimacy. His heart made itself known, thudding within his chest while he walked further into the room, the sound of The Beach Boys from the speaker drifting into his ears. 

He even took the effort to hunt high and low in his tour suitcase, just knowing he had packed a specific cologne he only really wore during special occasions. It had always driven her wild, her nose smearing against the crook of his neck as discreetly as she could anytime they would casually greet each other with a hug during a band night out. She was probably the only reason he was still buying Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male, for his wife had always commented that it was too overpowering, that it would stick to her skin and clothes, ruining her own perfume. But that was exactly what Stevie wanted and he just knew it, she wanted to smell of him, she wanted the power and freshness of mint and lavender, she longed for the afternotes of shaving foam and vanilla that would take her back to his embrace long after they had parted and he was more than happy to provide that for her. 

His last surprise for her, was the black leather cord necklace he had slipped around his neck, resting upon the skin just above the V of his usual Black t-shirt. He carried it everywhere on tour, not that she or his wife had known that. During the first day of meeting as a band for the Say You Will sessions at the rented mansion, she had presented him with this necklace. It was meant as a truce, a keepsake to remind him that she wanted the making of this album to be full of love, respect and honesty. She wanted him to wear it during the entirety of the recording process but he had taken it a step further for her and wore it consistently during the tour that followed the launch of the 2003 album. He even wore it when he invited her up onto stage with him during one of the most special moments of his solo career, the soundstage concert. Backstage before the show was due to start, he had taken her in his arms, his eyes signalling down to the necklace around his neck. He explained to her that this was such a delicate moment for him and that he would not have done this show without her agreeing to join him up on that stage for a couple of songs, that the necklace was his way of telling her how much he loved her without physically being able saying it. He could still remember how her eyes had glazed over, his lips pressing into her forehead, no words needing to be spoken before a member of his stage crew interrupted the embrace to signal that it was show time. 

He dropped the hotel card onto a side table, his thoughts interrupted by the sound of her voice gently singing along to the music as she stepped into the room. Her singing stopped as soon as he turned around to face her, she stood with a half glass of red wine in one hand while the other held onto the doorframe of what he presumed was the bathroom. She hadn't realised he had entered her suite and if she was being honest, she needed a moment to take in the sight in front of her. He smiled gently, his skin wrinkling up at the corners of his eyes from age, yet his eyes were still so bright and full of colour. 

"Lindsey I-" she started, he was nervous, his hands instantly went to the back pockets of his jeans while he rocked back and forth on his feet. She too, couldn't stop the fluttering of her heart the longer she stared at his attire, his messy hair and stubble outlining his prominent bone structure was absolutely stunning. 

"God, you look incredible, Linds..." 

Lindsey kept the smile plastered on his face, his eyes closing for a quick moment while his head nodded in acknowledgement. He was glad she had approved of the look he had gone for tonight, he just wished he could pluck up the nerve to speak without his jaw dropping to the floor, for she looked absolutely gorgeous. 

Her hair was curled, flowing down the front of her dress, it looked remarkably similar to the one she wore during his soundstage performance the more he stared, the button detail on the front causing him to question if it was actually that same little black dress. If it was, then there was most definitely some kind of magic in the air tonight, why had they both worn items that would remind each other of such happy moments that only they shared together years ago? Were they really that subconsciously linked to each other? He was no longer doubting it, his feet walking towards her as she sipped on her glass of wine, the deep red of her lipstick marking the rim of the glass. He licked his lips, hoping that soon, his entire body would receive the exact same treatment, the evidence of her lips taking in his whole body. If he could show the world exactly what she would soon do to his body, his heart and his soul, he would.