KADE: A Second Chance Rockstar Romance

by Jane Anthony

  “Oh, God.” It’s all starting to come back. The dance, the alcohol. I can barely hear over the sound of my own heartbeat. This is quite literally the second worst morning of my entire life. I mentioned Bob? Kill me, now! “He’s not important.”

  “He sure sounded important. You were wishing death upon him and the ‘home-wrecking whore he’s shacked up with,’” he replies using air quotes.

  I suck in a sharp breath, wincing at how shitty the details of my life sound coming from Kade’s beautiful mouth. “My ex-husband left me for another woman.”

  He lets out a long slow whistle. “Well, that sucks.”

  Could he be more blasé if he tried? What does he know anyway? He doesn’t understand anything about reality. He probably has people wipe his ass for him. I should have known better than to expose details of my personal life in front of someone like him.

  Shifting in bed, I wish I could rewind back to last night and not drink so much. The sheet rubs against my bare skin, and I realize that I’ve exposed myself in more ways than one. “Why am I naked? Did we . . . ?”

  “Relax, nothing happened. You got sick all over yourself. I untied your top and put you to bed.”

  “If I threw up on my top, then where are my pants?”

  That wicked smile crosses his lips again as he scratches his forehead with one finger. “Well, that leather looked a little tight. I thought you’d be more comfortable without them.”

  “How humiliating,” I groan. My head throbs even worse now. I bend my knees and hug them to my chest, resting my head on top of them. I can’t believe this is happening. I’ve been on the stupid tour for less than twenty-four hours, and I’ve already made a fool of myself. It has to be a new record. It’s a damn good thing I’m not an actual employee because my ass would be so fired.

  “No need to be embarrassed; it’s nothing I haven’t seen before. I promise I was a perfect gentleman. Now speaking of perfect . . .” He playfully lifts the sheet to take another look, laughing as I cover myself tighter.

  “Well, since we’re both awake now, why don’t we order some room service? I’m starving.”

  He slips out of bed and walks to the bathroom, wearing nothing but his birthday suit and a smile. Holy cock! I avert my gaze, but it’s too late. I’ve seen it all.

  “Could you get dressed please?” I close my eyes, but the image of his naked ass won’t leave me alone. His back is just as gorgeous as his front. And just as firm. Between my thighs, I’m slick and warm; a reaction I haven’t felt in a very long time.

  “I ain’t shy,” Kade says, taking my hand. I squeeze my eyes tighter, afraid of what he plans to do with it, but instead of hot skin against my palm, I feel the chill of cold glass.

  My eyes crack open. “Thanks,” I mumble, before bringing the glass to my lips and pretending not to watch everything flex as he slips his boxers back on.

  “Whoa, small sips, babe. I don’t need another exorcist moment from you.”

  I roll my eyes. “Why are you here anyway? Shouldn’t you be with Miss Silicone USA trying to see how many indecency laws you could break?”

  “Who?”

  “You know . . . big tits, tiny shorts. ‘I have a shot for you, Kade,’” I chide in a high-pitched falsetto, batting my lashes for added drama.

  “Oh. Her. Don’t tell me you’re jealous?”

  When he smirks, at first I want to kiss it, but then I want to smack it. Goddammit! How is it possible that I still find him this attractive, fully knowing what an egotistical ass he is?

  “No, I’m not jealous. I just figured you’d have better taste.” He lifts a dark eyebrow, still grinning like this is the most amusing conversation of his life. An exasperated sigh huffs from my lips as my arms cross over my chest. He’s the most infuriating man I’ve ever met. “Is there anything you don’t find funny, Mr. Black?”

  “Very few things,” he says before his expression sobers. “And to answer your question, I’m with you and not her because I prefer women to little girls.”

  The blood rushes to my face so fast I’m woozy. My mouth opens to say something, anything in response to that, but my brain, for the second time, has completely stopped working.

  “C’mon, get up and get dressed. Forget room service, we’ll go out to breakfast.”

  One little compliment and I’m supposed to fall at his feet? It’s unbelievable how full of himself he is. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing you’ll be here for the next few weeks then.”

  “What are you even talking about?”

  “When that stick finally comes out, I’m sure it’s gonna be a big one.” I open my mouth to tell him to go to hell, but he cuts me off and continues. “Come on! Get up and get dressed. You owe me one after last night.”

  His hotness at this point is irrelevant. The idea of being stuck with him for three weeks sounds less like the fantasy Jenny promised and more like doing hard time. “You’re not used to hearing the word no, are you?”

  “No.”

  With a pounding head, I drag myself out of bed, clutching the sheet around my naked body. “Well, get used to it. Goodbye, Mr. Black!” I storm into the bathroom and slam the door behind me.

  Reaching into the shower, I turn the handle and step in. The last few days have been bizarre, to say the least. Not that long ago, everything seemed simple. I knew where my life was going, and I was comfortable with that. But now, I’m slugging back whiskey and waking up in swanky hotel rooms with sexy rock stars. Who am I?

  And Kade Black. What the hell is his deal? He can have his pick of any girl he wants. Why is he so intent on annoying me? He’s like a large child. Very large. Arousing. Luscious. With abs for days and a mouth that’s made for sin.

  My stomach grumbles as I step out of the shower. Breakfast sounds like a good idea right about now. I dress quickly and twist my hair into a messy mop of wet curls on top of my head, lacking the energy to make myself up.

  A stab of regret sticks in my gut when I walk through the suite and find Kade gone. Not that I expected him to stick around after I told him to leave, but it would have been nice if he’d tried a little harder.

  On second thought, no. It’s better he left. I already made a jerk of myself once. I don’t need him to bear witness as I kill my so-called best friend for ditching me last night.

  The lock clicks seconds before the door opens, and Jenny tiptoes in, shoes in hand, then slides the door closed without making a sound. I stomp into the living room, guns blazing, ready for the showdown of the century. “What the hell, Jenny?”

  “Oh! Ainsley! I figured you’d still be asleep.” She throws her bag and shoes on the couch and breezes into her room.

  I follow, waiting for an explanation that never comes. “Are you at least going to tell me where you were?”

  The look on her face is incredulous. As if I’d be thrilled she got me hammered and left me in a strange place to fend for myself. “Are you mad at me for something?”

  “I’m not happy! Do you have any idea what my morning was like?”

  Jenny turns with a sympathetic grin. “Kade stayed here last night, didn’t he? I had a feeling he would do that.”

  My eyes go as big as saucers. “You knew?”

  “Yeah, I knew,” she says, pinching her brows together. “Did you think I would just leave you in a night club alone? I tried to get you back here, but you were belligerent. He threw you over his shoulder and carried you up kicking and screaming.”

  My bottom lip quivers like a toddler. She tried to watch out for me, and I was a drunken idiot. Full of trust issues and untapped anger, I’m a therapist’s dream. I have no control over the fury that’s slowly bubbling to the surface. It’s not Jen’s fault, and it’s not Bob’s. It’s mine, and I’m so tired of feeling this way. The weight I carry around with me is backbreaking. It sits on my chest, constricting my lungs until I can barely breathe. It’s become such a part of me over the last year that it never occurred
to me I am the only one who has the power to let it go. I want nothing more than to just open my arms and let that heavy load fall to the ground and never look back.

  Tears stream down my cheeks and fall onto my shirt. I’m sick, embarrassed, and so goddamn angry I can’t take it anymore. Falling to the ground, I clutch my head in my hands, sobbing so hard I can’t catch my breath. Jenny kneels on the ground next to me, taking me in her arms for the millionth time since this whole thing started. “I just want to be over it, Jen. When am I going to be over it?”

  “I don’t know when, lovie. But I know you will, and once you are, you’ll never look back.”

  CHAPTER 5

  “LADIES.”

  The strong voice that filters in from behind us is all too familiar. Jenny and I came to the hotel’s pool hoping for a little relaxation before the night’s events, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.

  “Morning, gentlemen,” Jenny coos. She’s all smiles today, while I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. A six-foot-five, two-hundred-plus-pound truck full of booze and swagger.

  Still reeling from embarrassment, I pretend to be enthralled with the book balancing on my lap. As the morning progresses, images from the night before flash in my mind like Polaroid pictures—fuzzy, yet still able to make out if I try real hard. I don’t want to admit it out loud, but I remember more than I let on.

  Kade wasn’t just a gentleman, he was . . . loving. The memories come in clips and waves, but certain things stand out clear as crystal. Him sitting next to me on the bathroom floor, holding my hair, stroking my back while humming me to sleep; us at the club, before I tossed my cookies, talking, laughing; him whispering in my ear, claiming me as his.

  Even now, a blush creeps up my face just thinking about it. His lips grazed against my ear, causing all the hair on the back of my neck to stand at attention, much like it is right now. I mentally chastise myself for allowing him to get under my skin. We were both drinking. It meant nothing. After all, if he was serious about any of it, he could have had anything he wanted from me last night.

  His shirt and sunglasses hit my lounge chair as flashbacks from earlier this morning invade my brain. Tattoos snake around his arms and come up over his chest, twisting around each sinewy muscle with precision. Board shorts hang low on his hips, showcasing his broad chest, slender waist, and oh my gosh the Adonis Belt. He’s an Adonis, all right. A dark one that’s cocky and covered in ink.

  The Kindle sits forgotten on my lap while I watch the way the cool blue water ripples around his body and drips down his chest and hair as he comes up for air. Being a voracious reader of romance novels, the irony isn’t lost on me that I’m potentially living inside of one at this very moment in time. Kade is the embodiment of a book boyfriend. He’s got the three T’s cornered—tall, tatted, and tough.

  “Wipe your chin, Ainsley.” Jenny’s voice breaks my concentration. I look over, squinting in the sunlight. “Maybe make it a little less obvious that you’re totally eye-fucking the guy right now.”

  “I’m not,” I say, picking my Kindle back up.

  Jenny laughs. “It’s okay; I know he’s like your wet dream come true.”

  I glance in his direction to make sure he’s not within earshot. If he heard us, I’d die. “I can’t believe you don’t think he’s hot.”

  Her gaze flicks at Kade, sizing him up before settling back on me. “He’s too friggin big. He’s, like, well over a foot taller than you are. How would you even go to bed with a dude that size? He’s probably packin’ an anaconda in his shorts.”

  I suck my lips into my mouth, hiding my knowing grin. It’s more like a baby’s arm holding an apple. The only man that I’ve ever fantasized about that wasn’t fictional is Kade. Knowing and dreaming are two very different things.

  Drops of water mark the dry patio as Kade pulls himself out of the pool and squats next to my chair. I try my best to act unenthusiastic; meanwhile, my entire body feels like it’s about to take flight. His rock hard body glistens in the bright sun, and strands of dark hair stick around his neck as drops roll off onto the ground at his feet. “Feeling better?”

  “Yes, thank you.” I feel his blue gaze roaming my body, checking me out in the little hot pink bikini I’m wearing, but my eyes stay fixed on the Kindle. It’s not fair. Why me? There is nothing special about me that would cause this kind of attention from someone like him. I’m just your average, everyday woman. Plain and boring.

  He lingers at my side, watching me with intent, waiting for me to look up and engage him in conversation. I swipe my finger across the screen, changing pages regardless of the fact that I can’t focus enough to read a single word.

  “The feeling of his calloused fingers on my bare flesh was new and thrilling . . . What are you reading?” He grabs the book from my lap and stands up. Mortified, I jump from the chair and try to get it back, but he holds me back with one hand while holding the book out of my reach with the other. “My hips bucked into his hand, but he pulled it out too soon, sitting up and sliding my arousal between the tips of his middle finger and thumb . . . you dirty, dirty bird!” he laughs.

  “Give it back to me!” I demand, standing my ground.

  “Stretched to capacity, he tongue-fucked me mercilessly . . .” he continues. “Oh man, this is graphic! You like this stuff?”

  “You are such a cocky asshole, you know that?”

  “Asshole?” He closes the Kindle and chucks it on the chair behind me, sweeping me up in his arms and jumping into the pool.

  “Oh, you’re a dead man,” I sputter, pushing my sopping curls out of my face.

  The water is cool, but I feel like I’m boiling with him this close to me. His fingers tighten their grip on my hips as he pushes me to the wall of the pool. “You don’t want to kill me. Hating me is far too much fun for you.”

  Against the backdrop, his eyes stand out, pinning me in his smoldering blue gaze. “Mr. Black, I. . . .”

  “Kade.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Cut the Mr. Black shit. My name is Kade, and I want to hear it bleed from your lips the way you said it last night.”

  Unfortunately, the hours between dancing and vomit are still a complete blur. I could have literally said anything to him, and I have zero memory of it. “How was that?”

  His lips move close to my ear again, his masculine smell seeping through the overpowering scent of chlorine. “It rolled off your tongue in a breathy purr when you asked me to fuck you.”

  Could I possibly have been that drunk? His thumb roams across my cheek, caressing the pink circle that I feel growing larger by the second. “Surely, you’re mistaken,” I say, trying to keep up the shield I’ve placed over myself, and hoping he doesn’t hear the waver in my voice. “I don’t purr.”

  Kade shakes his head, with a wicked smirk curling up along the corners of his mouth. “Oh, there’s no way I misunderstood that, princess.”

  This morning’s embarrassment comes flooding back in waves. Like a car accident, I don’t want to know, but I can’t look away from the disaster. I have to know every gruesome detail, every humiliating syllable I said to this man who both irritates and arouses me like no one I’ve ever met. “What did I say, exactly?”

  “Your exact words?” I nod, and Kade moves in closer, his lips grazing gently across my ear as he speaks. “You said, ‘I’m a grown woman who’s never had an orgasm. Please, just fuck me out of my misery already.’”

  My mouth drops open, but I force it closed, still trying to remain unflappable. It’s true. Bob was never able to give me an orgasm. Whenever we had sex, I’d lie there, waiting for it to be over. It’s an embarrassing revelation, but surely, I’m broken. “And your response was?” The question turns my stomach inside out, but I have to know the answer. What is it about me that’s so repulsive that I can’t even get a man into bed when I’m begging for it?

  His tongue darts between his lips, catching a rogue drop of water that’s broken free from th
e raven strand of hair hanging over his forehead. My stomach roils as I wait for his answer for what seems like an absurd length of time. “When I finally fuck you, I want to make sure you remember it.”

  That is not the answer I was expecting.

  “When?” I whisper, dropping the tough act. My heart is beating so fast, I’m certain he can hear it anyway. “You mean if.”

  “Are we still playing coy?” His hands rest on the tile ledge, caging me in. “There is a scorching energy between us, A. Don’t deny it. It floats off you so thick I could practically taste it. So how about this? I scratch the itch I’ve felt ever since last night, and you get back at big bad Bob. Two birds, one stone.”

  I can’t deny the energy. I feel it, too, but I’m not a one-night-stand kind of girl. I’m the epitome of a good girl. Nice to a fault. Bob waited years for me to finally come around. He used to tell me I’m “the marrying kind.” Back then, I never really understood what that meant, but now I realize it’s not a compliment. Girls like me are doomed to be stepped on and taken for granted. We’re only good enough to cook meals and keep house. There’s a reason I’m here, and it’s not to take in the scenic sights of the East Coast. It’s to let loose and find myself.

  Taking a deep, calming breath, I lift my arms from the water and drape them over Kade’s shoulders, threading my fingers together to keep the shaking in my hands at bay. “You think one night with you will help me forget all my troubles, huh?”

  Kade’s smirk grows into a full on grin. His hands slip off the ledge, and disappear under the water, using my ass as a handle to pull me against him. “There’s only one way to find out.”

  CHAPTER 6

  “JEN, WHAT DO you think of this outfit?” I stroll into the doorway doing a model twirl for Jenny’s inspection. In a couple of hours, we’ll be whisked off to another show at the Arts Center, and after that, Kade and I are scheduled to fulfill our agreement.