She pushed against his chest, her green eyes flashing. “What do you think you’re doing? This isn’t what I came for.”
“Oh, I know what you came for, Kate Preston. You just haven’t figured it out yet.”
Gage slanted his head and seized her lips in a hard kiss before she could even blink. She gasped against his mouth, giving him access to probe deeper with his tongue.
Her taste…fuck. It sent a beam of lust right down to his cock. Five years and she still tasted like all his favorite things…like ginger spice and f**king chocolate coated caramel. How the hell was that even possible?
His lips molded moistly to hers and he felt her hands flatten against his chest. For a moment it was a shove but the next, her fingers were sliding up to link around his neck. Gage groaned, deepening the kiss and running his hands down her back to cup her ass. He palmed the succulent apple-shaped flesh and squeezed hard, making her whimper. His hardened c*ck pillowed against her stomach and it was all he could do not to rip her out of her clothes, spin her face down on the dressing table and mount her. Damn she set him off like a freaking time bomb and right now he was about ready to explode…
“Hey, Gage, we’ve got you the…”
Suddenly the door bust open and several people spilled in laughing and boisterous. Gage reluctantly pulled away as Kate seemed to jump out of her skin. A few guys from his band were now in the spacious dressing room, followed by four or five skimpily clad young beauties, obviously groupies. His bass guitarist, Sheldon stopped short and then grinned when he saw the woman in Gage’s arms.
“I was about to say we have the chicks covered for the party and all but it seems you’ve got your hands full already buddy,” Sheldon said goofily, and Gage tried to give him a warning look but it was too late. The giggling ladies were already screeching with joy and two broke off from the group to launch at Gage. He let out a surprised laugh while Kate promptly tore herself away, stepping back while the two girls, who looked to be just a bit older than twenty one, skipped all over him.
“We’re so glad we got the backstage pass and we can’t wait to get to the party!”
“The show was awesome! You were so out there! Just, in another stratosphere! “We love you, Gage!”
Gage felt his face get plastered with cherry glossed lips and had to make an effort to peel the girls off him. “Glad you’re joining us, erm…?”
“Hayley,” one said, her blue eyes dancing beneath her blonde bangs. “And this is my cousin Ann-Marie. We won backstage passes to your concert! And then Sheldon said we’re invited to the after-party too.”
“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.