“I’m fine with whatever Kace wants,” Brett says.
“You would be,” Chad says with a sneer.
“How many of the shows would we have to do?”
“All of them,” Marv tells me.
“I can’t commit to that right now.”
“So take it one show at a time,” Stella tells me, rubbing my back.
I look up into her eyes. She’s going to get me through this. I can do anything—including getting up on stage with the guy who blackmailed me—if she’s with me. “Okay. But when we’re not on stage or doing press, I don’t want him anywhere near me. And every copy of those pictures—and that tape—better be destroyed.”
“Fine. I guess I should say thanks,” Chad says.
“Don’t. I’m doing this for Wayne and Brett. I could care less about what happens to you.”
Everyone finishes eating in silence. After, we go back out to the stage, but none of us are into it now. We decide to just quit for the day and rest before opening night tomorrow. Stella and I go back to my suite.
“How are you holding up, K?”
“I’m not.”
“What can I do? Or I should say, is there anything I can do?”
“Just be with me.”
“Always.”
A few hours later and we’re naked on the couch. I realize that I need to apologize to her. “I’m sorry about Cameron.”
“You don’t have anything to apologize for. You couldn’t have known she’d been so obsessed with you for all these years.”
“She pulled a gun on you.”
“It’s not the first time I’ve had a gun on me. And all your fans would love to do it, so it probably won’t be the last.”
“I don’t want you to be in danger because of me.”
“I’m not going anywhere. Unless you want me to.”
She sits up, her hair falling over one shoulder as she leans on her hand. God, she’s so beautiful. I don’t know what I did to deserve her, but I’m not letting her go.
“I don’t want you to leave. That’s the last thing I want.”
“Good. Now stop worrying and kiss me.”
I smile as I pull her back down to me. I do more than kiss her. All night. I know I should be resting for my show tomorrow, but I need her. All of her. Because I have a bad feeling about letting the show go on. And despite recent events, my instincts tend to be spot on.
Chapter 12
Stella
I’m getting ready in the suite while Kace finishes some interviews. I wanted to look sexy, but not over the top for tonight. I chose a sleeveless white top that’s high in front, but drapes low in back. Rhinestones drape over my shoulders on each side. I paired it with a short black skirt that has a fringe overlay in different lengths. Sexy, blinged out high heel boots with a peep toe are on my feet, and my hair’s in a messy bun with strands hanging down all over.
“Hello, gorgeous,” Kace says, walking into the bathroom.
“Hi rock star.”
“You look amazing, love.”
He puts his arms around me and kisses the nape of my neck. I lean back into him and we smile at each other in the mirror. “I can’t wait to see you up on stage tonight.”
“You’ve seen me on stage all week.”
“Not with hundreds of girls screaming for you.”
“You want to hear that?”
“No. But I want to be able to sit there and know you’re going home with me.”
“Sit? You’re going to sit through the concert?”
“What do I get if I stand?”
“Hmm…an extra orgasm?”
“Just one?”
“You’re so greedy—but I love it.”
“And I’m standing without the extra ‘o’ so no worries there. I just had to mess with you.”
“I love you so much.”
“I love you more.”
“Not even possible.”
“We could be here all day, so let’s just say we love each other equally.”
“That works.”
I turn in his arms and we kiss for several minutes. Until Nate knocks on the door, letting us know we need to leave in five minutes. I put on my lipstick—I knew better than to put any on before Kace got back—and grab my clutch. We hold hands all the way down and through the crowds again.
I make sure everything’s set for him backstage. My mom’s handling his changes, along with Brett’s for tonight so I can be in the audience. I thank her again, and go out to my seat in the front row.
“Oh look, it’s the slut who thinks she can keep Kace,” the girl to my right says to her friend.
I ignore her. And the girl to my left. And then the ones behind me. Oh yeah, this is going to be a really fun night.
They’re forgotten when the lights go down and the show begins. I stand up with everyone else, and sing along. Kace catches my eye and smiles as he sings to me. I smile back, and continue to sing right back to him.
When the first song is about to end, he grabs a white rose from a stage hand and brings it to me. I take it from him as he sings the last note and then leans over to kiss me. “Lots of extras tonight, Stell. Lots.”
I laugh as I step back and he goes back over to the other guys. They talk to the crowd and launch into another song. I hold onto my rose. I know if I set it down, one of the girls will grab it.
Kace surprises me with another rose and kiss after this song, too. I’m sensing a pattern, which lasts through the whole show. When the last note is played, I have eighteen roses and eighteen kisses. I can feel the glares of every woman in the theater, but I don’t care. I’m feeling loved and cherished by my man. Who could ask for more?
I carry my flowers to the backstage entrance, past all the girls lined up trying to convince the guards to let them in. I see a young teenage girl with her mother. She’s not yelling or screaming. Just hanging back, waiting patiently.
“Would you like to meet the band?” I ask her.
“You’re Kace’s girlfriend, Stella.”
“I am.”
“She’d love to meet them,” her mom tells me.
“Let’s go then.”
I lead them to the front and tell the guard that they’re with me. We walk back and into the large green room. Kace runs over as I walk in the door, picking me up and spinning me around.
“Hi, love. Did you like the show?”
Before I can answer, he notices my companions. He raises an eyebrow at me. “I brought this beautiful young lady back to meet you and the guys. And I loved the show.”
“Hi. I’m Kace,” he says holding out his hand.
“Hi,” she says timidly.
“Oh give her a hug for God’s sake.”
Her eyes widen as he does just that. “Guys, come on over and say hi to our fan. What’s your name, honey?”
“Kayla.”
“Come say hi to Kayla.”
All three guys come over to hug her and take pictures. They also sign the tour shirt she bought and give her some extra merchandise.
“Thank you so much,” her mom tells me.
“You’re welcome.”
“That was very sweet of you,” Kace says, nuzzling my neck as he hugs me.
“She wasn’t acting crazy out there. She was just waiting for a glimpse of you.”
“The girls were pretty mean to you, weren’t they?”
“Nothing I couldn’t handle.”
“You shouldn’t have to ‘handle’ anything.”
“You forget that I grew up around rock stars and pop stars. I know this life, Kace.”
“And you still want me?”
“I do. I want you very much. I love you very much.”
“I thank God for you every day, Stella. I really do.”
“Same here, K.”
“Aww, isn’t this sweet. You two lovebirds are so freaking adorable,” Chad says, putting his arms around us.
“What part of stay the fuck away from me did you not understand?” Kace
asks him through gritted teeth.
“Smile pretty for the cameras,” he replies just as a flash goes off. “Catch you later.”
I pull Kace into me again, and rub his back. “Don’t. He wants you to react. He never got what he wanted from you. He’s going to keep baiting you, hoping he can get you to snap. But you’re not going to because you know what he’s doing.”
“Sexy brain.”
“Throat.”
“Tits.”
“Magic cock.”
“Delicious pussy.”
“Biceps.”
“Ass.”
“Abs.”
“Eyes.”
“Smile.”
“Best girlfriend ever.”
Before I can respond, his mouth is on mine. We stay wrapped up together as flashes go off around us. It’s not until a reporter clears her throat several times that we pull our mouths apart. We don’t let go of each other, though.
“Yes,” Kace says to the woman with a glare.
“I want to interview you, Kace. We had such an amazing interview last year in Houston.”
He slept with her. I’ve never been a jealous woman, but I want to scratch her eyeballs out. Instead, I just grip Kace’s hair a little harder. He smirks at me before turning back to her.
“I’m busy. Go see one of the other guys.”
“You’re turning me down?”
“Yeah, I am.”
She storms off as Kace looks back to me with that smirk placed firmly on his face. “Jealousy looks good on you.”
“I’m not jealous.”
“You shouldn’t be, but you are. And it’s sexy as hell.”
“You’re mine.”
“I am.”
“And I’m not interested in sharing.”
“That’s good, because neither am I.”
Kace does a few interviews, but doesn’t leave my side. Photographers ask for pics of him alone, but he tells them we’re a package deal. I tell him he doesn’t have to do this, but he says that he wants it to be very clear that we’re together.
We sneak out as soon as we can. We’re both horny as hell and he takes me against the wall as soon as we clear the door of his suite. It’s hard, fast, and dirty with me bracing myself on the wall as he fucks me hard and whispers naughty things in my ear. After we both come hard, he carries me into the shower and I face him when he takes me this time.
By the time we collapse into sleep, I’ve lost count of how many positions we’ve been in. All I know is that I got all those extras he promised me, and I may be crawling for a week. But it was so worth it.
* * *
Kace
Stella had to go into her real work today, so I’m here at the loft for our recap meeting on my own. Well, my mom and Sheila are here, too. I know they’re on my side. Everyone else is up in the air. Except Chad. Chad definitely hates me. The feeling’s mutual.
“What the fuck was that with the roses and kisses last night? We’re a boy band. The fans are pissed.”
“You wanted more fans for yourself, Chad. Maybe mine will all go to you now.”
“Actually, for as many angry social media posts there were, there were twice as many posts that thought it was romantic and sweet,” Marvin says. “And bringing that girl backstage was brilliant on Stella’s part.”
“She didn’t bring her back for publicity,” I tell him with a glare.
“Well, it worked out well for you, and us. The fans saw she’s not just a gold digger, and they like it.”
“Un-fucking-believable. How does everything always work out for you?”
“I’d say things are working are pretty well for you, Chad. I mean you’re sitting here with us instead of in a jail cell.”
“Marvin and your mom don’t want me in a jail cell, do you?”
“Those tapes are supposed to be destroyed.”
“Oh, they are. But I still know what’s on them.”
“You are a sick bastard.”
I mean, seriously? What’s he going to do, tell everyone my mom and Marvin had some BDSM sex. Would people believe him? I guess it really doesn’t matter. It would hurt my mom either way, so I have to suck it up. I don’t have to listen to him run his mouth, though.
I stand and start to walk away. “Where are you going, Kace?” Marvin asks me.
“I’ll come back when Chad learns how to act like a decent human being again. Until then, I’m out.”
“Wait up, man.” I turn to see Brett coming towards me, with Wayne right behind him. “We’re with you.”
“Yeah, totally,” Wayne adds. “No one should be messing with your mom.”
“Thanks guys. You wanna order some crappy food and play video games like we used to?”
“Yeah. That’d be cool,” Brett says.
We all go upstairs and chill for the rest of the afternoon. We eat and play games, but we also talk. About everything. I tell them about how into Stella I am, and they tell me what I’ve missed in their lives the past couple of months. It’s really nice to get back to just being friends again, without all the fame bullshit.
We all head down to the theater together, and that’s when I realize that I haven’t heard from Stella all day. She probably had a lot to do at the foundation. I still can’t believe I get to go to sleep every night with a spy in my bed. I realize that she’ll have to keep secrets from me, and that I’ll have to be okay with that. I will be. I love her enough to know that she’ll tell me what she can.
When we get backstage, we all split up to go to our dressing rooms. I walk into mine, and know something’s wrong immediately. Stella’s there, but she’s not. She’s wearing a loose Storyside t-shirt and sweat pants—I didn’t even know she owned sweat pants. Her hair is messy and she has no make-up on. And then there’s her feet. She’s wearing flip flops. Something’s really wrong.
“Stella, love, what’s wrong?”
“Oh hi Kace. Nothing’s wrong. Why are you asking?”
“You’re…umm…dressed down.”
“Yeah. I wanted to be comfortable while I’m backstage.”
She’s not meeting my eyes, and so I know whatever’s going on has to do with me. Is she bored with me? Are we done? No. She said she loved me, and I know she meant it.
“You won’t even look at me. I need you to look at me, Stella, and tell me what’s wrong.”
“I can’t tell you, Kace. That right there is the problem.”
“You would if you could though, right?”
“Yes. In a heartbeat. I swear I would.”
“Then it’s okay. We’re okay. I know what you do for a living, and that it means you have to keep secrets from me.”
“It’s not okay, Kace.”
I pull her to me, and hug her close. “It is. I promise you it really is okay. I love you, Stella.”
“I love you, too.”
“I need to get dressed and go out on stage in a few minutes, or I’d stay here and hold you all night.”
“I know.”
“After the show, though, it’s cuddle time. Okay?”
“I’d like that.”
“Me too.”
I’m not lying. Yeah, I want to ravish her every time I see her, but I also love to just hold her in my arms. I can tell that’s what she needs from me tonight. So that’s what she’ll get.
I have to do after show interviews and take pictures with high rollers from the hotel, but I get back to my girl as soon as I can. I saw her during wardrobe changes and gave her quick kisses, but I can’t wait to have her in my arms. Even though I’m still sweaty from the show, she hugs me tight and doesn’t want to let go. Whatever she’s keeping from me has to be bad. But I’ll help her through it.
We make it upstairs without too much trouble from my fans, and I carry her to the couch. “Are you hungry?”
“A little.”
“You want your usual?”
“Yes, please.”
“So formal. Where’s my dirty girl?”
That gets m
e a smile. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Being sad and emotional. You just had another great show. You should be celebrating.”
“Any time I’m with you is a celebration. And I don’t expect you to be happy all the time. We’re for real, Stella. That means I’m here for good, bad, and everything in between. Always.”
“Me, too.”
“You can do one thing for me, though, if you don’t mind.”
“Sure. What do you need?”
“Can you leave that shirt on? It’s all kinds of hot to see you in my band shirt.”
“Yeah. I can do that.”
She leans up and kisses me softly, before settling back into the couch. I order food and then wrap myself around her as we wait. The night is quiet and sweet, and honestly, there’s no place I’d rather be.
Chapter 13
Stella
The secret I’m keeping from Kace is eating me up inside. It’s been a week since I found out. A week of me trying to act normal around him, and failing. He’s been amazing through it all, which makes me feel even worse. After the first night where he just held me, we’ve gone back to making love. But it’s slow and sweet now, nothing like how it used to be. He’s treating me like a piece of china that might break, and honestly, I feel as if I could.
This secret is too much. It’s too wrong. I begged Reina, and then Jane, to let me tell him. I know they sympathize with me, but since he’s not our client I can’t tell him. His mom needs to do it. She’s been avoiding me since the day we told her we’d seen the whole tape and we knew what she was hiding. She can’t hide forever, though. Kace needs to be told.
All within a matter of weeks, I almost quit my job and then was worried about being fired. I was being rash then, but I’m not now. I will tell him soon if Vivian doesn’t. I have to. There’s no future for us if he doesn’t know.
“I know what you’re thinking, Stella,” Mallory says as she walks into my office. “You cannot tell him.”
“They called you in to convince me, huh? You’ve been racking up the frequent flier miles with me lately.”
“I’ll be here whenever you need me. For anything. You know that.”
I do know that. Mallory has been like a second mom to me since I was recruited. I love her, and I hate to disappoint her. But I know I’m going to.
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