Rock Hard (7 page)

But then everyone
knew he deserved the superstar treatment. Tickets for the tour had sold out
within fifteen minutes of going live. And on getting to their first venue in
New York, Kate felt like one could easily get trampled to death by the sheer
number of fans waiting at the packed arena for their favorite rock star. There
was talk by Gage’s management of booking more dates and Kate had to fight down
the urge to scream.

She was
already finding the schedule harrowing. The month-long trip was to involve
two-night engagements in New York City, Chicago, LA and Seattle. Anyone in her
position would think she’d be over the moon to be spending more time on tour
with a well-loved rock star.

But for Kate,
it wasn’t all about Gage’s magnificent, powerfully delivered performances.
 
It
was also about the hard partying, the brazen groupie chicks, and the booze.

Kate tried to
stay objective as a journalist but she had to admit it hurt to see Gage in that
image. It was one that she knew the public expected of him. And yet, she’d always
thought she knew the real Gage, the man behind the façade. But he never let her
see a glimpse of that man she’d fallen in love with years ago.

* * *

Now Kate got
to discover that Gage was controlling and dominating on top of everything else…

A new city.
Countless fans lining up for autographs before the night show. Kate met a
charming venue intern named Carl. He was very good looking; an enthusiastic
rock music fan in his mid-twenties. He was always glad to help no matter how
silly Kate’s request might seem. For one thing, Kate had zero sense of
direction and always seemed to be getting lost in the massive grounds around
the arena being set up for the show coming up later. They both got to talking backstage
and he’d shyly asked her out for drinks after the show ended.

Kate had been
looking forward to spending some time with a local, and away from the band’s
entourage and travelling groupies. She gladly agreed and Carl’s youthful face
breaking in a happy grin was a nice reward. He was just a few years younger
after all, so she didn’t feel like some shameless cougar. Besides, what was one
date? She’d be on the road again with the band tomorrow to the next stop so
what was wrong with a little harmless flirting with a gorgeous intern who
obviously liked her?

Looked like
the date thing was never going to happen. It was an hour to the show and she
couldn’t seem to find Carl anywhere around. She asked one of the roadies
putting finishing touches to the stage, and he told her Carl was gone. Fired.

“What? Who’s
responsible for that?” Kate asked, aghast.

The roadie
shrugged. “You’ll have to ask Gage.”

Kate was
bristling. Why on earth would Gage have anything to do with it? Confused and
angry, she found her way to the band lounge where Gage was having beers with a
few of his band mates, obviously relaxing before their upcoming show.

“We need to
talk,” she said shortly, eyes pinned on Gage as she stood in front of him
defiantly. His eyebrow rose triangular-fashion at her stance. His mates took
one look at the situation and decided to give them some privacy. The guys had
probably caught on to the tension between Kate and Gage since the tour began.
Kate had done all she could to avoid anyone ever knowing about their past
relationship, or how hard it was working with Gage knowing what she still felt
for him. Sharing the tour bus, being in close proximity with him for hours on
end and yet knowing he was out of her reach…it was a strain she’d borne well
over the past few weeks but now she’d had enough.

“So talk,” Gage
said once they were alone, sitting back casually and looking at her.

Kate drew in
a breath for calm. “Did you get Carl fired?”

Gage tilted
his head. “You mean that geeky intern?”

Kate rolled
her eyes. She’d known Gage had noticed them chatting all through yesterday
which was day one of their two-day stop in the city. And so what if Carl was
geeky? Sure he wore spectacles and had dressed like too much of a preppy type
for her taste, but Kate liked geeky. Especially when it came packaged in a
charming, handsome frame as Carl’s. But of course she couldn’t tell Gage that.

“Yes,” she
bit out. “Please don’t tell me you’re one of those insufferable diva-type rock
stars who take pleasure in just offing minions. What did he do? Spill coffee
over your designer leather pants?”

Gage huffed,
taking a swig from his beer can. “Maybe I just didn’t like seeing him getting
fresh with my press aide. He had a job to do and need I remind you that so do
you. I think you should focus on that instead of thinking of getting some dimple-faced
intern into your bed.” He smirked as her cheeks burned.

“Wow! You’re
the one to talk!” Kate said with an affronted gasp. “I’m not the one fucking a
handful of groupies at each stop!”

Christ, he
made her so furious! And she hadn’t forgotten about the two well-groomed
hostesses he’d demanded to be available at each venue – supposedly to
assist in serving food at band meals but whom she knew very well served Gage’s
other needs when required.

“Is that what
this is about?” he mused, eyes narrowing speculatively. “I mean, you’re a grown
woman; obviously you’ve got urges like anyone else. And lord knows that a week
or two constantly on the road can take its toll on one’s hormones…”

“Get real,”
Kate snarled, unable to fess up and tell him that her hormones were well used
to getting neglected – thanks to her several months’ celibacy. No…it was
her constant exposure to
him
that was getting her “urges” into
overdrive.

“Carl just
wanted to be friends and you had no right to make him lose his job!” she said
angrily.

“Friends?”
Gage snorted. “Oh well, obviously you couldn’t have heard of Carl bragging to a
few of the roadies earlier that he fully intended to get lucky at his date with
the “juicy journalist” he was taking out after the gig. Obviously, he meant
you. So I guess you should be thanking me – unless you did intend to make
his night,” Gage said with a smirk she so longed to smack off his handsome
face.

Her cheeks
were burning pink but she lifted her chin in defiance. “And what if I did? He’s
cute. I kind of liked him. There’s no saying where the night could have led. I
do have a thing for dimples, as it happens. It would have been winning
situation all round; getting to let off steam from my travels. Carl would have
served my purposes very well now that I think of it.”

Kate knew
she’d pissed him off by the way his eyes gleamed and his nostrils flared, and
she smiled thinly, about to turn smartly and leave. She didn’t expect him to
suddenly grip her arm and yank her down to land unto his laps, where he pinned
her with a powerful grip.

“Let me go!”
she snapped with fury, squirming and trying to free herself from his hold but
he wasn’t about to release her anytime soon it seemed.

“Not an
option,” Gage murmured, arms closing like steel bands around her frame,
effectively imprisoning her.

Kate was
almost in tears from annoyance and from her exertions. No matter how much she
struggled, he was much too strong for her. “You’re such a…dictator!” she
finally exclaimed, eyes flashing as she turned her head to him. “That poor guy
is now without a job because of you! I’ll be sure to add that to my article
come the end of this tour.”

He smiled,
not perturbed by her threat. “For one thing, I’m not a dictator. For another, I
didn’t get him fired. I simply asked that he be taken off duty for the
remainder of my stop at this venue. From what I hear, Deftone’s holding a
concert here in three days – your cute Carl will be back in a job by
then.”

Kate deflated
somewhat at this revelation, but she was still angry. Especially since she was
very much still trapped on his lap. “That still didn’t give you the right to
get rid of him,” she muttered.

“I couldn’t
have anyone distracting you…not when I want you all for myself,” Gage said
plainly, lifting a hand to run the back of his knuckles down her bare arm.

Kate racked
in a breath and stiffened, all the more conscious of the situation; alone with
Gage and virtually trapped against him. His touch, silken and possessive,
trailing along her skin.

Her eyes
jumped to his devilishly handsome face, his dark hair framing his features like
a satiny cloak. How she longed to run her fingers through that tempting mane
and just
indulge
in the sensation.

“You can’t be
serious,” she said with difficulty, trying not to shiver as his face drew closer
to nuzzle at her neck.

“Oh, you bet
I am,” growled Gage. “Wanting you is a knee-jerk reaction for me, Kate. And
it’s not about to go away. I’ve decided it’s time to stop fighting it and just
go with how it feels.”

Kate’s eyes
closed and her head almost fell back as his lips pressed warmly to the pulse at
the base of her throat. His hand fell on her chest, just above the spot where
her heart was going a mile a minute.

“And of
course, it’s always got to be all about you. I guess whatever Rockstar god Gage
Stevens wants, he gets.” Despite herself, her tone was chagrined. It irked that
he would just assume that just because he desired her, he could automatically
get her.

And then she
almost forgot how to breathe when his fingertips brushed over the low neckline
of her top, tracing the curve of her cleavage.

“Not always.
Sometimes, I get to face rejection like everybody else. But you’re not going to
say no to me, are you? You’re aren’t going to stop me when I do this…and this.”
In turns, he kissed one swell of breast and then the other, the firm flesh
rising from the daring bodice of her corset worn for the big show – which
was just an hour away or less.

And yet…Kate
couldn’t deny he was right. He no longer held her down, and she could easily
pull away if she wanted to. But she didn’t budge. Not even with his hands
reaching for her perfectly round breasts, which he squeezed through the corset.
Kate gasped; body tingling as he buried his face within the scented cleft of
her mounds and groaned deep in his throat. His fingers tugged down hard on the
bodice, freeing a fat pink nipple. Kate bit on her lip as he rolled his tongue
around the budding tip, sending volts of pleasure through her system.

Her fingers
involuntarily clutched into his messily sexy hair, a whimper of bliss coasting
her lips as Gage sealed his mouth around nipple. The result was almost
electric, jolting her with shockwaves that made her convulse.

From
somewhere deep inside her senses, Kate tried to reason out why this shouldn’t
be happening. Not here, not now. Not with him.

“We can’t do
this, Gage,” she gasped, while her hands all but guided him closer to her rigid
teat, which he pulled from his mouth with a sensuous ‘pop’.

“And yet we
are
doing it,” Gage murmured, his tone reassuring yet firm. And filled with an
incredible hunger, blended with scorching raw heat. Warmth seeped into her
pores and she forced herself to meet his smoldering gaze.

“Come on,
babe. Kiss me. Let’s go wild. I’m rock-hard enough for you already and damned
if I’m going on stage while I’m in fucking heat. Open your mouth, Kate,” Gage
growled against her trembling lips.

Shamefully,
helplessly, Kate’s lips parted. His thighs shifted beneath her curvy ass that
now ground into his very evident erection. Moaning, Kate opened wide for his
rampaging kiss. There was no teasing, no warm-up. He swept his tongue into her
moist crevice and plunged in deep. His mouth crushed against hers, lashing that
sin-laced tongue against hers as they dueled with sensual abandon.

Gage pushed
his hand beneath her corset and palmed her breasts; kneading with such raw
hunger it made her moan into his mouth. He showed no restraint there as well as
his fingers tugged on her nipple so hard she felt it deep in her pussy. It had
been so long for her…and his rough, taking touch was just what he needed. She
could cum right then from just his kiss and his hands on her tits.

Kate knew she
didn’t want to spend another night lost in dreams of Gage’s lovemaking. Not
another lonely fantasy where she wished he would claim her, thrusting his
hardness into her mouth before sinking his face between her welcoming thighs.

Urging him on
by her whispers of pleasure…begging him to take her with his untamed, consuming
passion. To make her explode and then leave her shuddering and shrieking her
release…

And here he
was, offering her the real thing. A part of him that would last only for a time
– but Kate knew it would be worth it.

His mouth
peeled from hers before he kissed his way down her arched throat. From
somewhere in her lust-filled mind, she heard herself mumble about the show…and
of someone coming in and finding them.

“We still
have time,” Gage rapped, impatiently shoving down the corset and exposing both
her swollen-tipped breasts. He let out a groan of delight even as he muttered,
“And no one is going to dare interrupt without knocking.” With that, he latched
his mouth to her nipple, and Kate immediately forgot whatever other protests
she might have thought up.

Gage used his
mouth on her breast like no other man she’d met ever knew how to do. He made
her arch and keen as he suckled her with tongue, lips and teeth manipulating
the sensitive bud with animal hunger. She felt his hand lift up the layers of
her short skirt, sweeping the panel of her panties aside and touching her sex
with bold intent.

Kate gasped,
shocked with ecstasy as he strummed her pussy with deft, seeking fingers. Those
expert digits rubbed on her folds before easily finding her clit and jockeying
it till she was soaking his fingers in juice. The room filled with her moans as
sounds from her slippery cunt joined in the concerto.