Once could never be enough.
Kate was angered by Gage’s damned arrogance in thinking he could claim rights to her for the rest of the tour. But then, there was a part of her that knew that if she left him now she would always wonder what it might have been if she had only given him a real chance and saw it through. She already wanted more from him than just a one-night stand or even friendship, that much was certain, but she wasn’t sure if he was willing to give her what she needed or if she were just a distraction, something to occupy his time as the tour led him throughout the country.
Insecurity, nerves and jealousy wrapped itself around her heart, weighing down any hope she might have allowed herself to indulge in that things could ever work out between them.
Why was she even thinking about anything long-term with Gage, anyway? He was a world famous rocker now, a celebrity beyond anything she would have ever imagined. She had her chance with him years ago and she had let it slip through her fingers. Why would he possibly want to settle down with an ex-girlfriend when he could now have any women he desired? She was simply a ghost from his past, a figure from his memory bank that carried only the weight of having known him before he was famous. Then again, she had also been a non-believer, discouraged him from traveling along the very path that had eventually led him here – to stardom. Surely she would never fit into his new life?
Kate had sworn to herself that she wouldn’t give her heart to Gage, and yet she had given her body freely without hesitation. It was as if he could draw her to him against her will, force her to succumb to his every desire with just a gentle touch or a smoldering flicker of his steel-grey eyes. She felt powerless when he was near, as if all of her womanly power had pooled at her feet leaving her as nothing more than a shadow of the fierce, confident woman that she thought herself to be. And now, after a single unexpected night of raw, unbridled passion, she knew that she would be nothing more than a fool to let him have his way with her again, yet she knew herself far too well - if he wanted her, she would be there instantly, ready to be claimed completely, without so much as a moment’s thought.
Kate was still fuming as she quickly touched up her makeup and ran her fingers through her thick, glossy hair, before she headed out to watch the concert from backstage. The crowd was roaring its approval, in full support of their idol that knew exactly what they wanted and never failed to deliver. Gage and his band thrashed through set after set and a loud wave of applause followed every wild performance. Standing in awe, watching his every fluid movement, and the careful, passionate way that he graced the stage as if he were making love to every single woman in the crowd, left Kate star struck and breathless. She had doubted him before but she would never do it again. Gage was born to be a star.
It’s what they call star quality, she thought, thinking about all of the reality television shows that were based on a nationwide hunt to find the best talent in the country.
Look no further, she smiled to herself, her eyes glued to his brawny figure in wide-eyed appreciation as his sexy, low voice rumbled into the mic.
Gage possessed the same magnetism on stage that had easily drawn her back to him after all of these years, allowing him to slide between her curvy legs and take her on a wild journey to one mind-blowing orgasm after another. It was completely out of character for her to be so…easy – and she would never have allowed that to happen so quickly with any other man. Gage made love with as much intensity as he performed on stage – it was a wonder she’d resisted him this long. But was she really going to let him take her at will for the rest of the tour?
Hell no, Kate swore, chiding herself for even thinking with such reckless abandonment. She wasn’t some hormonal teenager who was allowed the luxury of making crazy mistakes. She was a full-grown woman and every decision she made would either help or harm her future in some way. Besides, she wasn’t foolish enough to believe that giving herself to Gage once again would be something that she could easily walk away from if it didn’t work out.
Not this time. The thoughts breezed through her mind, unable to settle into logic for as long as she watched him, her mind and body was under his complete control, and while she knew better to let herself wander into the realm of devilishly naughty fantasies with Gage, it was easier said than done.
Yes, she’d been weak, longing for a piece of him, just one time. He had felt so good…tasted so incredibly delicious, and it had been years since she had felt the way that he made her feel. His kiss had melted all time and distance between them, leaving her to remember the first time they’d ever touched. And when he’d been inside of her, thrusting into the very core of her womanhood, he made her forget every other lover she’d had after him. The way his breath danced across her neck, tickling her throat before his lips pressed down on hers, claiming them as his own, had left her struggling to breathe. The way he had gripped her waist, squeezed her h*ps and lifted her up to meet the burning heat of his chiseled body, he had so easily erased any shadow of passion she’d ever felt for another, and replaced it with his branding sensual fervor. Her body ached from his savage claiming. Forgive me, he’d said. I can’t hold back. It’s been so long…
Gage had been right to say those words. It had been long, far too long since her body had enjoyed such a thorough invasion and he had made her come alive in ways that she had never expected. Every hard thrust had vibrated through her with such bold intensity that it felt as though he were trying to imprint himself within every inch of her soul. It had been such sweet agony to feel him roughly drive his way in and out of her quivering body, and while she wanted to regain control of her senses, she had allowed herself to get lost in the madness, and to give in to her desperate desire to be taken, claimed, loved and wanted so completely.
“I want to feel myself buried deep inside of you,” he had growled into her ear, his low, sexy voice electrifying her body, causing every muscle to tighten.
It was all so deliciously good, yet so very wrong but he’d made it clear that he expected to do it again, and again. For as long as the tour lasted.
But Kate decided that Gage didn’t own her and never had. She knew her job with the magazine hung on the balance – and it was true that they both had a history but Gage obviously didn’t think much of it. If she’d meant anything at all to him in the past, he’d treat her with more respect and not like a sex toy hired for his use.
Gage played his final solo, and the arena filled with the roar of the multitude of fans. He’d since discarded his shirt and now with his hair slick and dark, Kate couldn’t tear her eyes away from him. His torso was like a masterpiece of taut, rippling muscle, golden-toned beneath the lights of the stage. Each ridge on his abdomen was so well defined it made her fingers itch to touch them, trace them, kiss them.
Kate bit on her bottom lip in frustration. That one night together had only served to intensify the hunger that burned in her heart for him and she knew it. She still wanted him – wanted him so much more than she ever thought possible. Her mind went blank for a moment as she allowed her desire to float in the air, thinking only of how badly she craved his touch. She could lie to herself all she wanted to, and she could pretend that she could say no to him if needed – but she knew that Gage was the greatest temptation of her life and she’d never have the strength or desire to resist.
* * *
With a woman like Kate, once could never be enough.
Gage left the stage and all that remained on his mind wasn’t the multitude of fans and the screaming crowd he left behind, but the woman he’d claimed just hours ago. That one time together had proven only one thing – Kate wouldn’t be so easy to get out of his system.
She was so different from any woman he’d dated before or since. He could never forget that first night he had caught sight of her, dancing in the crowd in a small club where he’d been performing with his band. She’d stood out with her curvy, buxom frame and clear, sparkling eyes. It had been obvious to him that she was feeling the songs, not just listening to them and while she far more timid than most of the women he had dated, there was something about her that stood out to him almost immediately, and he hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that they were meant to meet. He couldn’t wait for the set to end so he could seek her out, and then when he had, they instantly connected, as if they had known each other for years. Kate had a wicked sense of humor, not afraid to speak her mind and Gage found it a refreshing change from the women who simply followed him around as if they were nothing more than brainless groupies. From that day on they were inseparable.
His friends and band mates never really understood what he had seen in Kate or how she was able to have such a hold on the wild child who up until then hadn’t been able to settle down with anyone for long.
“She’s quite… curvy,” one had said, nudging him with his elbow as if he were in on some inside joke. But Gage didn’t find any of it funny and while he knew that she would be considered a ‘plus size’ girl by fashion standards, in his eyes she was simply perfect. Every last sultry curve and the fullness of her br**sts and h*ps gave her an allure that few other women had. And she still had every curve in all of the places that he remembered. There was no doubt about it - Kate Preston was and remained a beautiful, confident and intelligent woman and even though Gage was a world-famous rocker, this woman had the power to make him question everything about his life.
He’d told her earlier that he knew he was far from her type – that he knew she wouldn’t want to be with a restless man like him. What, with females throwing themselves at him left and right? The party-animal façade that he was forced to portray and the endless media buzz that followed him everywhere he went, invading his privacy and making it impossible to have anything that was only his? It would be no wonder if she preferred a man more ‘grounded’ who could offer her the good, simple life. Someone who would wake up right next to her every single morning, and who would return to her every night to wrap her in his arms and offer comfort and assurance. She’d be far better off with a serious, settled-down type with a job that brought him home every night than a man caught up in a whirlwind of madness, shuttled from one city to the next, a line of blurry light, where he couldn’t even be sure where he was from day to day.
Anyone else would be perfect for her. Anyone but him, Gage thought as he exited the stage, immediately surrounded by his handlers and followed by his band members and the ever-present groupies. It didn’t really matter to him if Kate still thought he was no good for her, despite the fame and fortune. What mattered was how he felt when he touched her, the way his heart exploded when he was inside of her, and most importantly, the way she made him come alive inside as if the world were suddenly brighter, suddenly clearer.
They had made love expecting nothing more from one another than complete surrender, and no one else mattered when they were together. And dammit, now that he’d gotten her back in his life he was going to get his fill of the beautifully curvy Kate Preston. No matter how long it took – or how many times he had to take her…he’d do it again and again until she would become just another faded memory – incapable of tearing him down.