Maybe then he could finally knock her down from the pedestal he had put her on for so many years and get on with his life.
* * *
Gage’s cockiness reached new heights if his latest demands were anything to go by. They’d just finished another successful concert and Kate was busy conducting interviews from staff and crew. With so much happening all at once they hadn’t had another chance to be together and it was now going on three days. Surprisingly, and of much concern to Kate, Gage hadn’t even attempted to get her into his bed again but she was hell bent on hiding her disappointment. She had a job to do, after all, and a lot to prove to both herself and to her boss. Lusting after her sexy ex-boyfriend wasn’t going to get her to where she needed to be.
But now there was a dinner being held by one of the biggest DJ’s in Europe and Gage wanted her to accompany him – as his date.
“We’ll leave once I’m done with signing autographs,” he told her lightly. “One of the road crew will take you out back to the limo where you’ll wait for me.”
“Do I really have to?” Kate said with a stony expression. “It sounds like a private event and I wouldn’t want to be…”
“It’s true that Chase Stone is an old pal but he’s also a professional acquaintance. He wants to discuss a compilation of all of my top singles. I’m not sure if you’ve ever heard of him but Chase is known in the business for making killer mixes. Sometimes, the release actually tops sales of the original release. It’s always great to keep the fans happy with fresh spins of their favorite songs from my albums.”
“Wow, it sounds great, Gage. I just thought that maybe you’d be better off seen at the event with one of those socialites. You know, the type of girl your band mates keep sneaking into your dressing room as if no one notices,” Kate said with derision.
Gage’s eyes narrowed. “Really, Kate? I think it’s about time that you stop believing that I’m everything my lifestyle portrays me to be. Most of it is just created by my PR agent. People expect it of me – doesn’t necessarily mean I actually live by that creed.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry, Gage…but you don’t need to explain anything to me. It’s really none of my business.”
His lips thinned for a moment before his hand slipped around her elbow. “I think I made my point clear the other night, didn’t I?” His voice was low and rough as he added, “On this tour, I’m expecting you to do exactly as I ask. No more, no less. Otherwise the whole agreement is off. I had people from Rolling Stone magazine wanting exclusive coverage of the entire tour, but I turned them down so that I could offer it to you instead, and why? Not just for old times’ sake, sweetheart. But for the chance to have you whenever and however I want. So if that means that I want you to be my date for a damned dinner party, then whether you like it or not, that’s what you’ll be.”
Kate tried to tug her arm from his grip but it was too strong. Gritting her teeth, she snarled, “I could walk away from this right now, Gage. If it costs me my job, so be it. I’m getting tired of you thinking that you have the right to use me however you please. I really don’t need this.”
Kate turned to leave him but was startled when he reached out and pulled her against him, his hand sliding up her thigh, brushing over her hip to grip the curve of her waist.
“What you need was never part of the agreement,” Gage snapped, his eyes stormy, his jaw rigid. “We both know you stopped needing me a long time ago, Kate.” His eyes and smile were fused with hurt and anger and it made her bristle. “Right now, what should matter to you are my needs. And you may like to think that you could walk away from it all so easily, but we both know that’s not true. Your career is everything to you and from what I’ve heard, while you’ve worked hard to get to where you are, your industry is just as cutthroat as mine is. One mistake, such as losing out on an exclusive with me, and you’ll be quickly replaced with the next celeb-chasing hound dog that’s all too eager to be thrown a bone. So, tell me Kate Preston, do you really want to do this?”
Kate’s eyes were glistening and she felt her body quiver beneath his strong grip. She swallowed down the lump that had formed in her throat as painful memories of the past rose to the surface like air bubbles. His words pricked her pride because they were true. She could be easily replaced if she didn’t deliver, and she wondered how much he really knew or how closely he had followed her career. Swallowing nervously, she raised her head to search his face for clues as to how far he was willing to go with this, yet his expression gave nothing away. She thought about how this all came to be, and how she had been working so hard for a job that could easily be swept out from under her feet, without a moment’s notice. She had only been given the chance to interview and follow Gage’s tour not because she was some in-demand journalist, but because of her connection to him. There were many other seasoned reporters her company could have sent to do the job – and her bosses had never let her forget it.
Kate had worked hard at her career from the very beginning, but the truth was, her heart had never really been in it. She’d pursued the journalism path out of necessity because it had offered solid prospects at a time when she wasn’t really sure what she wanted to do with her life. She’d always believed that hard work and dedication would bring you success even if it were for a career that she didn’t feel she was destined for. Still, having grown up in a family where she felt the sting of watching her parents struggle just to make ends meet, she wasn’t one to turn down an opportunity, even if it led her away from her dreams.
But now Kate thought about how Gage had once told her, many years ago, about success and happiness being all about passion and zest for life, not just going through the motions and certainly not living a lie. His words had never rung more true till now.
Watching him perform in front of screaming fans, doing what he loved to do…what he was born to do, had opened her eyes to the truth. She wasn’t happy with her career and while she had always been the type to do the responsible, practical thing, she envied Gage’s free spirit and how despite all odds, he pursued his dream and now it was his reality.
She wished she had done the same…had the same faith in herself that he once had in her. Faith that she had never returned to him when he was begging her for only one thing - to believe in him.
His lips now pressing against her neck snapped her back to reality, and she looked up at him to see desire crinkling the corners of his eyes.
“So, what’s it gonna be, Kate?” Jaw flexed, his lips curled into a smile that sent a burst of heat to the apex between her legs. That bad-boy smile would have melted even the most frozen of hearts and Kate found herself simply nodding, not trusting herself to speak.
“Good,” he replied in a gentle whisper, his lips grazing her forehead, his warm breath fluttering across her cheeks to her neck.
Shivering in delight, she simply allowed herself to curl against him, her head nestled in the crook of his broad shoulder, her hand pressed tightly against his chest.
Oh yeah, she was under his spell all right, and she knew there was no going back.
* * *
When he caught sight of her, dressed in a short, black leather skirt that hugged her ample h*ps and showed off her shapely thighs, matched with a fitted low-cut turquoise t-shirt that emphasized her oversized br**sts, he found himself fighting the incredible urge to rip her clothes from her body and ravish her like a wild animal in heat. She was absolutely stunning, and he tried to stop the powerful torrent of emotions and memories that washed over him but he couldn’t stop his c*ck from stiffening at the alluring sight of her and the seductive way she moved toward him.
“You look amazing”, he had said, desire jolting through his body, but he simply took her hand in his and guided her to the waiting limo. Before long they were pulling up to the gated drive.
Chase Stone owned a sprawling three-story condo in the heart of the city – just the kind of home one would expect from an internationally acclaimed DJ who’d worked with the top recording artists in the music industry. Everyone either wanted to know Chase, or be Chase. Just one look at him, and it was clear that he was also incredibly good looking with his flaxen hair, piercing blue eyes, and hot as sin Australian accent.
By the time the band arrived at the party it was already in full swing, with celebrities huddled in corners gossiping, party girls and socialites drinking up a storm and men from different sectors of the music industry throwing back shots, followed by a constant roar of laughter.
A self-conscious Kate appeared on Gage’s arm. She prayed that there wouldn’t be any paparazzi lurking in the shadows eager to snap their photos, as she wasn’t so sure she could possibly handle the burning eyes and barrage of questions that would follow should the public discover them together. Besides, the last thing Kate wanted was for her picture to be splashed all over the tabloids, the headline screaming out to the public that she was nothing more than Gage’s latest conquest. Although she had to admit, in her tight shirt and short leather skirt complete with platform peep-toe heels, she certainly looked like a woman befitting of a rockstar.
Chase Stone was a fantastic host and he proudly opened his beautiful home to his friends, grinning from ear to ear as each guest arrived. When he saw Gage, his smile widened and he greeted him with a quick hug, leaning in close to whisper something that brought a roar of laughter from the two men. His jovial demeanor, impeccable sense of style, undeniable good looks and a bank account that would impress even a real estate mogul, it was a surprise to many that he was still single. One of the most eligible bachelors in the country, his status certainly wasn’t for lack of options.
Women lined up everywhere he went, eager to meet the man that had led countless artists to the top of the charts. Some called him the “Magic Man” because he could take even a fledgling artist and transform them into the who’s who of the music industry. And to top it off, not only did he look like Adonis, with his flaxen hair and bright, clear eyes, he seemed to have the Midas touch in all aspects of business. Always on top of his game, he was eons ahead of other DJ’s in his industry and while his chiseled face would quickly soften at the sight of a beautiful woman there was no mistaking the incredible power behind his bluish-steel eyes that glistened with a shiny darkness that made her think the devil lived somewhere in them.
Gage introduced her as his companion, but the way in which his hand slid around her lower back as if he wanted to make sure Chase knew that she was his, wasn’t lost on her and she found herself slinking closer to him, allowing herself to feel what it was like to be a beautiful, desired trophy.
“It’s very nice to meet you.” Chase’s voice was a low growl, his bright eyes searing down at her with genuine interest.
Clearing her throat nervously, Kate smiled at the handsome stranger and watched as he gallantly kissed her hand, gently, carefully, his silk lips barely touching her skin before brushing over her curled knuckles.