Rock Hard (3 page)

“Then let’s
go party,” Gage said, grinning. Sheldon and the other guys started leading the
girls out while Gage turned to Kate who was clutching her bag to her.

“So, you
coming?” he asked once more, tilting his eyebrow at her. Her cheeks were
flushed with embarrassment and anger. He could tell when she was angry; the
black irises in her green eyes would glow like coals and her cheeks were
flushed. Gage liked to think it was his kiss and not her fury that put that
blush there.

“I don’t
think…”

“You want the
interview or not?” Gage growled, holding out his hand. “We don’t have to do
this if you don’t want. You can go back to your magazine people and tell them
you couldn’t get one measly interview with Gage Stevens all because you didn’t
want to attend the after-party. One-time opportunity, Kate.”

She seemed
undecided still, before finally saying curtly, “No offence, Gage – but if
I come with, you’re not going to treat me like one of your cheap groupies. This
is just for work.”

His lips
curved humorlessly. “And you were always about that, weren’t you? Focused,
ambitious Kate Preston. I’m glad that’s paid off for you at least, since you’re
obviously some hot shot reporter if you could get this interview with me.”

Her eyes
flashed emerald fire, and he sucked in a harsh breath. Fuck she was so
beautiful. Maybe the most beautiful woman he’d ever known. But she was also
cold, single-minded – and she’d dumped him when he’d needed her most.

Dropping his
hand which she still ignored, he shrugged nonchalantly and grabbed his jacket
off the back of a chair.

“You can drop
your high-handedness, Kate. As you can probably tell, there’s no need for me to
throw myself at you or any chick. So if you really want me answering any questions
for your magazine, I think you’re better off doing what I say. So shall we go?”

* * *

If Kate had
ever considered a worst case scenario about how everything would go, then this
was it.

The shock of
actually meeting Gage again had been more acute than she’d foreseen. Even worse
was being kissed by him and then being unable to resist. She’d melted into him
almost the same second their lips touched. If that wasn’t borderline needy and
pathetic, Kate didn’t know what else was.

The drive
down in Gage’s limo had been a quick one across town to the hotel. Kate had
never seen so many screaming people racing after them as they’d rode out of the
arena. Everyone recognized Gage’s gleaming red customized limo. The driver had
to speed down a few back roads before they finally got rid of the convoy of
fans. A few more twists and turns and they were on the road to the hotel.

The drinking
started right from the limo ride, of course. Apart from Kate there were other
people riding with them; a PR assistant, Gage’s personal aide and a couple of
his guys from the band and they were all in a boisterous mood, drinking
champagne and laughing.

Kate felt
swept up by the tide as they got to the magnificent hotel where the bar had
been set up for the after-party. Kate had never seen so much booze in her life.
The music was pounding through the speakers and people were dancing and
chatting. Gage drew her to his side and started introducing her to a few key
people. Someone pushed a mixed cocktail in her hand and she was almost afraid
to try it. She wasn’t much of a drinker and when Gage glanced her way, he told
her, “It’s just rum and black coffee liqueur. It’s great, you’ll like it.”

She did,
right from the first sip. She’d never tasted anything like that before and it
seemed to zip straight through her system.
Whoa
. She had to remember to
take things easy on the alcohol, which she didn’t handle so well. She couldn’t
help wondering how long she’d have to hang around to get him to actually spare
a few minutes to answer her questions.

The party
venue had the same buzzing atmosphere as the live arena but with a more
cramped, head-spinning intensity. There was a lot of wild dancing, and girls
crawling all over any member of the band or anyone connected to the band. Kate
had to beat off two or more zealous roadies who thought she was one of the
happy-go-lucky groupies.

She looked
around the crowded room for Gage. At some point they’d been separated by a few
of his adoring group and she wondered if he’d probably forgotten all about her
and the interview. He’d probably been stolen off by the two gorgeous blonde
twins she’d seen clawing all over him just ten minutes ago. Kate coughed
slightly as the mist of cigarette smoke and lord knew what else finally reached
her nostrils.

These folks
sure knew how to party, Kate thought as she backed into a corner, gulping some
of her cocktail in the hope of calming her nerves. and Kate would have tried to
have fun if it wasn’t for the fact that this was meant to be an assignment
– and Kate of all people knew she’d better not mess things up…

“You don’t
fit in very well, do you?” A familiar voice said in her ear, and she whipped
around to find Gage standing there in the shadow of the heavy drapes. His hand
circled her elbow and he drew her even further back.

“What are
you…”

He lifted a
finger in the air as if to silence her, and she scowled at him. He merely
grinned. “If I didn’t know who you were, I’d have been intrigued. I’d think to
myself, who’s this stunning redhead? But it wouldn’t be what you are that would
catch my eye – it would be what you
weren’t
…such as overdressed,
gushing, drunk or heavily made up,” Gage said softly, his eyes lowering as he
looked down at the lock of her hair he’d caught between his fingers.

Kate held her
breath, wondering what he was up to now. But he went on in that same quiet
tone, “All the other girls privileged to make it to this party are flirting,
giggling and shrieking every time they catch sight of a famous face. But
you…you keep yourself aloof; retaining that graceful air about you like
fluttering wings. You don’t care much for rock stars, do you?”

“I told you,
I’m here on a job,” she said firmly, telling herself she wasn’t in the least
stirred by being in a hidden, intimate corner with Gage, hidden from the rest of
the partying crowd. “So when am I going to actually get down to it?”

He gave her a
lop-sided smile. “When we get up to my hotel room.”

Gage saw the
look on her face, and his chuckle deepened. “Relax; it’s not what you think. My
mates and I are taking the party up to my suite. If we don’t sneak out now,
we’ll never leave. You and I will have a better chance to talk without the
smoke and the nosy photographers.”

Lifestyle of
the rich and famous…thought Kate as she begrudgingly left the party with Gage
who was able to make it out without getting noticed, thanks to his guards
making a diversion. They were at least eight cramming into the lift up to
Gage’s suite. His band mates and their hangers-on were as rumbustious as ever,
and some had even brought along bottles of liquor along.

Gage sent
Kate an expressive smile. “We’re just so happy the gig was so successful. It’s
our last one before we go on tour,” he said just as the lift doors opened and
they all piled out. Kate straightened her outfit which had been rumpled when
she’d been practically sardine-packed with the others in the car.

“I never
asked if you enjoyed the show,” he said mildly once they were inside the
massive suite. Almost at once the environment was filled with music as someone
turned on the system. Kate couldn’t help staring around in awe. The suite had
to be made up of at least five luxurious sections, including two bedrooms, living
room area, office and bar.

Kate was
struck by the sheer opulence of every item in the suite and the fact that her
whole apartment could fit into these accommodations at least thrice.

Turning to
Gage, she replied, “You must know how well you did, Gage. There’s no doubt
you’re the master of putting up a great performance. It was very…stirring.”

What she
couldn’t tell him of course was how he’d positively oozed sensuality on stage
and through his music, causing frenzy among the fans especially the females who
had shrieked with adoration and lust through the whole show. Kate certainly
couldn’t tell how much her mouth had watered – and her heart had ached
– as she’d watched her ex give a magical live show in front of hundreds
of thousands.

Gage smiled
at her reply, holding a frosted bottle in his hand from which he filled a glass
for her and then himself. Kate took it reluctantly, taking a tentative sip and
felt the sensation that this was the kind of drink that could go straight to
her head if she let it. Other than that, she had Gage to worry about. He was
still the same – yet so different.

Here, in his
fantasy world of opulence and fame. Surrounded by his admirers and fellow band
mates, successful in their own rights and popular for their role in the band.
It seemed almost incredible to picture Gage in the midst of all this, but then,
looking at him now, she couldn’t deny that it suited him well.

He didn’t yet
have the dissipated look that some rock stars had; his youth was undeniable and
he had a great shape still. At age thirty-two, his body was lean like a pro
swimmer’s, as well as ripped with manly hardness. He grew his hair much longer
than he used to and there was a sleekness to him that she’d never got to see
years ago when he was just gorgeous yet slightly scruffy Gage.

Now, the
polish one could get only from making several million dollars per show was
evident in everything about him. His expensive yet stylishly understated
clothes, his mega-star looks and his demeanor reminded her that Forbes had
listed him as making twenty five million dollars last year alone.

He was
regarding her with a speculative look that put her on her guard. Standing next
to him made it easy to forget the other people mingling in the rooms; laughing,
chatting and necking. The drummer who Kate knew his name as Chan, an Asian with
dyed blue hair had one of the giggly groupies from down in the bar draped
around him and they were giggling together like they were high on something.
Kate forced herself to meet Gage’s eyes and at once, it was like being sent
back in time.

Kate really,
really wished Gage wouldn’t look at her like that. The last thing she wanted to
do was remember…and regret.

“I always
wondered what you’d think of me – that was, if you ever did think of me,”
he said wryly. “Now that I’ve achieved all I set out to do, and much more.”

“I was happy
for you,” Kate said promptly, sincerely. “There wasn’t a day that I didn’t
think you deserved it – all of it. No matter what may have happened or
the things I said, I always wished you well, Gage.”

His lips
tilted in a crooked smile as he placed his glass on the nearby bar. “I believe
you,” he said quietly. “In a way, I owe you some thanks. This all became
possible because of you.” He waved his hands expansively.

“What…what do
you mean?” Kate asked in a voice hushed with confusion.

“After you
left me,” he said with a shrug, his tone bland. “It was like I was lost in a
black hole. And during those dark weeks afterwards came my greatest
inspiration. I wrote a whole bunch of songs that would later become my best
selling debut album.”

Kate felt
realization dawn as she remembered that very first album that had gone on to
win Gage countless awards for album of the year and song of the year and new
artist of the year.

The songs had
been gritty and heart-felt, filled with depth and melodic agony. At least, that
was what the reviewers had said. She remembered reading an article where Gage
had confessed that a personal trauma had got him writing those songs with so
much emotions running high in them.

Well, those
‘emotions’ had sat well with the public and Gage’s songs became the top
downloaded and sold songs for two years running, breaking the major charts
around the world.

“My success
story is hinged on you walking out that door, Kate,” Gage said with a mild
twist to his smile. “I always promised myself that if I ever saw you again, I’d
thank you for being so instrumental to the success you never believed me
capable of in my music career.”

Kate wasn’t
sure what to say. ‘You’re welcome’ just didn’t seem appropriate, and he’d only
made her feel worse, not better, with his confession.

She’d never
believed she’d truly hurt him when she’d left. They’d been together barely a
year, after all. She’d been so sure he’d forgotten all about her almost the
minute she’d walked away. And then, seeing him in all those magazines with a
different beauty every time, had shown her that with his fame came the choice
that he could have any woman he wanted. No woman would ever think of walking
away from Gage Stevens
now.

Not when he’d
become the groupie king; with girls throwing their underwear at him and
flashing their tits at him at concerts. He had a massive following in all the
social media. He even had his own “fan base” known as “Gagers” who were the
equivalent of the “Beliebers” and “Directioners” of this world. Anytime there
was an awards show, or whenever a new single or video of his came out, his
“Gagers” always came out full force to give him support and spread the word.

This meant,
of course, that Gage was hardly out of the media whether on the web or on TV
and print. Anything he did drew a news crew’s presence. Kate began to feel that
everywhere she looked; there was something about Gage even up to what he did in
his private life. From who he had on his arm at the last red carpet event; to
his latest tattoo.

There were
even rumors of him getting his very own reality show, and Kate just knew it
would be another money spinner for him too.

He had houses
in numerous choice parts of the country and the world. Had his own private jet
and ultra-fitted tour bus. A single two-hour performance on any major stage
earned him more money than Kate could hope to earn in five years. It was
staggering to think of. Gage Stevens
was
a rockstar god. And he used to
be hers.