Rock Bottom

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 hips 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 breasts
and hips 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.

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.