KADE: A Second Chance Rockstar Romance

by Jane Anthony

  One night. No Rules. No strings.

  She pokes the swell of my breast with her bony finger. “Damn girl, your tits are fierce in that top!” If anyone ever spied on us in private, they would think she and I were either lovers or crazy. Jenny suffers from what she likes to call “boob envy.” Basically, she’s jealous because I have them, and she doesn’t.

  I swing back toward the mirror to double check my look. She’s right; my boobs are practically in my throat. He’s already laid his cards down on the table. I don’t need to try so hard. I start loosening the ties on the red corset top to tuck the girls back inside, but Jenny stops me. “No, leave it the way it is! When you got it, flaunt it!”

  Sitting at the edge of the bed, I pull on the same tall stiletto boots I wore last night. The sky-high heels do little to match Kade’s towering stature, but at least they give me enough lift to give off the illusion of height. The shaking in my hands makes it difficult to lift the zipper. The bravado I had this afternoon has deflated, making me wish I hadn’t opened my big mouth. Kade Black’s list of lovers is miles long, and those are the ones I know about. Mine is a lonely list of one. I talk a good game, but when push comes to shove, I’m going to end up disappointing Kade just like I disappointed Bob.

  Jenny sits on the bed next to me, taking my trembling hand in hers. “Are you sure you’re going to be able to go through with this?”

  “Yeah. I’ll be fine. It’s just . . . what if I’m bad at it?”

  Jenny looks at me as if I have lobsters crawling out of my ears. “Bad at it? Lovie, it’s not like you’re a virgin.”

  “I know. But if I were good at it, Bob wouldn’t have had to look elsewhere.”

  Jenny rolls her eyes. “That’s ridiculous, Ainsley. He didn’t cheat because you’re bad in bed. He’s an asshole who has no idea how good he had it.”

  I wish I could agree, but I still can’t help but think if he were satisfied at home, he wouldn’t have strayed. The adjective I’d use to describe our sex life is nice. Not that I had any basis for comparison, but I wasn’t unhappy.

  Real life isn’t like a romance novel. I’d pore over the pages of filth, drooling over the fictitious lives of the characters in my books, and try to emulate them, but Bob liked things his way. There are certain things men just don’t do with their wives. Or so I’m told.

  ***

  I’m a hunter you’re my prey,

  I’ll chase you down and make you stay . . .

  The lyrics ooze out of Kade’s mouth, seducing the crowd with a menacing mix of snarls and wails. They swarm the stage and soak up every word with an energy that buzzes like a team of wasps. He stalks back and forth, pausing only when a distinctly evil note causes him to double over to pull the intimidating growl from deep within.

  Standing backstage and watching him move with the grace of a panther, I’m drawn to the edge like a lamb to the slaughter. He strokes me with his words and devours me with every note. His screams arc over the crowd and come back like a boomerang, twisting around me and holding me in their grasp. He’s magic.

  By the end of the show, I’m panting. The guys walk off the stage and saunter past me, talking about where the next after party is going to be. Jenny glances in my direction as I stand off to the side wringing my hands together.

  Maybe this was all a big joke. Kade doesn’t really want me; he just wanted to mess with me. Get my hopes up, see how far he could push me until I finally gave in to his advances. I look away from the crowd, hiding my feelings from sight, when I feel a presence behind me. Heat hits my back, a spicy, masculine scent fills my nostrils, and the breath I didn’t realize I was holding trickles out. “That shirt . . .”

  “What about it?” I look down at the corset then back up at him.

  Kade’s glare drops to my cleavage as his finger traces the zigzag strand of string holding my top together, leaving a trail of tingles following close behind. “I’m gonna tear it off with my teeth.”

  My stomach does a somersault. Unnerved by his bluntness, I nod like a jackass. I’m so out of my league, it’s not even funny.

  “Have fun guys, I’m out.” Kade offers a wave as he walks away from his band.

  Assorted expletives float through the space in the mocking baritones of the other three members, but Kade just keeps walking toward the exit, with me following quietly like a Geisha. Surely, he’s told his buddies about our arrangement. Kade is like Genghis Khan. The type of man who gets to eat first, while the rest of the guys dine on crumbs. The mental image makes me chuckle until I realize the main course on tonight’s menu is me.

  Kade has his hands planted firmly in his pockets as we stroll over to the hotel side by side. There are no sexual undertones, no smug looks, no snarky one-liners. He’s got me in his pocket, too, and he knows it.

  The little light on the door handle turns from red to green as it accepts my keycard with a click. His presence fills the space behind me, close enough to feel his warmth without actually touching. Kade’s a man who knows what he wants, and he wastes no time going after it. Hot breath caresses my skin. His lips searing my neck, his fist in my hair, his hand on my stomach—it’s all too much. I don’t think I can go through with this. I thought I was brave. I thought I’d be able to handle it, but I’m suddenly having a change of heart. Or maybe just a heart attack.

  I shouldn’t do this.

  I can’t do this.

  “Kade . . . I . . . it’s been a while . . .”

  “How long?”

  I turn to face him, but the carnal lust in his eyes makes my gaze drop to the floor. “About a year.” My own confession rattles me. Has it really been that long?

  His fingers catch under my chin, forcing me to look at him. “We made a deal, Ainsley. I’m going to fuck you so hard that by the time I’m done, you’ll ache for my cock to be inside you.”

  Kade licks his chops like a lion preparing to feast on his most recent kill. Taking hold of the string with his teeth, he pulls, loosening the tie, and the strapless corset flutters to the floor. Cold air caresses my bare skin; my nipples stand at attention. A gentle tug at my hair exposes my throat to his waiting mouth. His luscious lips move slowly, each kiss exploding on my skin like cherry bombs. Forget my morals, I want him.

  No, I need him.

  “Lie down.” It’s not a request. It’s an order. Breathless and nervous, I do as I’m told. I’m nothing if not obedient.

  He kneels over me, continuing his slow descent down my chest, teasing one nipple with his tongue before moving to the next, while I squirm and pant beneath him. I can’t believe this is happening. Kade Black is seducing the skirt off me, and I’m loving every second of it. Me, the deserted housewife, is being worshiped by the Stone Cold God of Rock ‘n’ Roll in a hotel suite that probably costs as much as my ex-husband makes in a week.

  My body goes rigid as he comes closer to uncovering my midsection, and my hands subconsciously spring to my belly, shielding the cesarean scar on my lower abdomen. I’ve never been embarrassed by it before, wearing it proudly as a badge of honor, but next to the chiseled perfection above me, my imperfections make me feel less than worthy. “Maybe we should turn off the light.”

  Grabbing my wrists, he forces my hands above my head. “Hands stay up, Ainsley. I call the shots.” The sound of my name followed by his stern demand stirs something deep inside me. Try as I might to deny it, his control turns me on.

  His eyes flare as he takes in the sight of me in my black lace thong and stiletto boots. “You look fucking good enough to eat,” he groans, sweeping his tongue over the troublesome scar then slithering up from my navel to my neck. Everything about it is hot. His mouth, his breath, his skin, it all consumes me like fire.

  “You’re going to come so hard, you’ll forget his name. And when you’re wasted, clinging to the edge of sanity and begging me to stop, I’m going to make sure you do it again until my name is the last one on your lips.” He tears off the tiny strip of lace and buries his face between my
legs. My body bows at the sudden intrusion as he parts my folds and moves his tongue slowly, tasting me like ice cream.

  “Juicy as a peach.” The low growl rumbles deep inside when he talks. Flashes pop behind my eyelids, and another moan rips from my throat, erratic and loud. He goes harder and deeper than I ever thought possible. I can’t see. I can’t think. All I can do is feel.

  He grabs my thighs and forces them apart in a savage and powerful move that reminds me he’s in charge. A thick finger slips inside, stroking me from deep within as my hips rotate, finding a rhythm that threatens to tear me in two. Pleasure twists in my gut like a tornado. Every nerve in my body pulsates. His tongue finds my throbbing clit, tonguing, whirling, and sucking until I plummet over the edge.

  A surge of energy rockets through my body, and my back vaults off the bed. The sound that rips from my diaphragm can’t possibly be mine. A guttural howl comes from deep within that I’d never heard before.

  Kade’s fingers bite into my hips, pinning me to the mattress. “That didn’t sound like my name . . .” The vibration of his voice against me is almost too much. The assault with his tongue continues without mercy, so delicious and aching, I can’t take it. Still reeling and dizzy from the first orgasm, I scream without hesitation as he swirls his tongue around my still swollen nub a second time. “Kade . . . Kade . . . Kade,” I chant, jamming my eyes closed as my body writhes like a snake while squeezing his head between my thighs.

  His presence hovers above me. “That’s my girl.”

  Aftershocks rock my body as I tremble lifelessly on the bed, assuming that’s the end. I came twice for him. Surely, that’s enough.

  The rustling of clothes and the crinkling of foil are the only sounds in the room, other than the noise of the blood rushing my ears. The bed dips all around me, and a strong knee knocks my legs apart again. My eyes drift open and look at him with bemusement. “Don’t pass out yet, sweets. We’re nowhere near finished.”

  When his mouth lands on mine, his kiss is soft and tender, the complete opposite of the tongue-lashing I’d received just moments before. My body hums with renewed life. I feel him pressed against me, and I want more. I want it all.

  “It’s gonna hurt at first, but you’ll get used to it.”

  He fastens his hands to my forearms above my head, locking his gaze on mine as he eases himself inside my body. The combination of pain and pleasure causes me to bite down on my lip as my body stretches around him. I squeak like a high school girl losing her virginity. The monster between his legs should be registered as a lethal weapon. I moan and whimper, but he only chuckles in my ear. Fuck, he’s big.

  With him buried deep inside, my inner walls clamp tight. A groan rumbles in his chest. “You tryin’ to make me come?”

  “I can’t help it. You feel so good.”

  I finally get what the fuss is about. Once with him won’t be enough. All my pain, all my sadness, all the bullshit built up from over the years is being washed away, pulled under the tide of ecstasy that I’ve never had the satisfaction of experiencing before. Kade’s a dealer, his body a drug. He’s not even done, yet I still want more.

  My swiveling hips rise up to match each thrust. He sits back on his haunches, grabbing my hips and tilting them just so. The move seems so basic; I almost wonder what he’s doing, until his shaft rubs against the spot. Oh, that spot! The precise spot that heats and throbs with each rhythmic plunge. “I’m gonna come again,” I whine, my fingers digging into the edge of the mattress above my head.

  A hulking growl rivals my exhausted squeals. Corded muscles flex in his neck and shoulders as he throws his head back and fills the condom with his release. He collapses onto my chest, our sweat-slicked bodies sticking to one another. I’m drained to the point of exhaustion yet still buzzing with excitement.

  That was definitely a first, in more ways than one. All my life I thought I was the problem. Turns out my inability to orgasm wasn’t me. Kade proved it with flying colors. Bold, beautiful, vivacious colors still pouring out of me in a rainbow of satisfaction.

  Propping himself up on an elbow, he strokes the crumpled curls back from my forehead. “You okay, sweets?” he whispers low in my ear.

  I grunt something in response, and his musical chuckle tickles my ear. Kicking off my boots, I roll to my side and get comfortable, as he gets up to discard the condom. With the terms of our deal carried out, I expect him to get dressed and leave, but the bed shifts behind me as he settles back in. “I knew that guy was a loser,” he says, so quietly it’s almost to himself. He nuzzles my shoulder with feather-light kisses, holding me in his art-covered arms.

  Kade’s a cuddler. Who knew?

  Reeling in the memory of what just happened, I lie awake listening to his breathing and feeling the rise and fall of his chest against my back. My body is tired and sore but so, so happy. I’ve been fucked out of my mind by Kade Black. I have no idea how the hell it happened, but it ranks number one on my list of most awesome things ever.

  CHAPTER 7

  KADE IS GONE when I sit up in bed. Conflicting thoughts bounce around inside my head like a pinball game. Everything happened so fast. We’ve only just met, yet here I am basking in the memory of the most mind-blowing sex of my life.

  “Oh hey, sweets, you’re up.”

  The deep sound of his voice startles me. I didn’t anticipate him coming back, yet here he is looking downright edible in my doorway holding two mugs in his expert hands. A sexy guy bringing me coffee in bed is definitely something I could get used to.

  The very sight of him sends a ball of excitement straight through my core. His body is flawless, as if it were chiseled from stone. Every muscle is sculpted, curved, and rippling from his chest, all the way down to the defined V that disappears beneath his jeans. For a split second, I consider jumping from this bed to see how far down it goes, cursing myself for being too nervous to traverse his body the way I should have when I had the chance.

  He sits on the edge of the mattress and hands me the steaming mug. The coffee burns hot on my tongue as I think of something to say. My experience with one-night stands is nil, but I’m pretty sure afterward, the guy’s supposed to leave in order to avoid awkward situations like this. They didn’t coin the term ‘walk of shame’ for nothing, right? Then again, maybe he’s just being cordial. After all, in a few hours, we’ll be stuck together on a tour bus for the next three weeks.

  “You didn’t tell me you had kids.”

  “Kid. Just one, and I didn’t think it was relevant,” I say, lifting the mug to my lips again. Bringing Shay into this fantasy changes things. Kade and I agreed on one night. It was sex, not an interview for my autobiography.

  His blue eyes soften as he sits there, one hand gripping the mug, the other resting gently on my leg. This is weird. It’s too much like a relationship. He’s drifting into my personal space, and it freaks me out how comfortable it feels. “Of course it’s relevant. What’s his name?”

  “Her name. Shay. She’s eight.”

  Again, he stays perched at my bedside, waiting for me to elaborate, but I don’t. Why bother? He doesn’t really care about me or my daughter. Sharing the intimate details of my life with him only cheapens what we had, but the silence is deafening. I want to change the subject, say something cool and confident, but I’m neither of those things. “So . . . should we get breakfast or something?”

  I roll my eyes at my own idiotic question. He doesn’t want breakfast. We are checking out in few hours. He probably has a hundred things to do. But the corners of his mouth tug up in a wicked grin that sends pink spreading all over my skin. “Oh, I could definitely eat,” he says, letting the tip of his tongue slide across his bottom lip.

  The coffee cup still hovers next to my mouth. He plucks the half-empty mug from my hand and sets it on the nightstand then jerks my hips until my back hits the mattress and tucks his messy bedhead under the sheet.

  He’s not actually going to . . . oh, my gosh, he is . . .


  Oh hell, breakfast can wait.

  ***

  Kade quietly slips out of the hotel room just as Jenny’s bedroom door opens. The fat, mischievous grin splitting her face tells me she was waiting for him to leave. “Hey girl, how was your night?” I say, acting breezy on purpose just to watch her sweat. After years of enthralling me with salacious stories of single life and getting nothing from me in return, she’s about ready to spontaneously combust from this one.

  “Dish. I want details.” Wasting no time, she plops down on the couch and gets comfortable.

  “There aren’t words to describe it.”

  “Exceptional? Marvelous? Tremendous? Give me an adjective here, I’m dying!”

  Staring into space, I try to think. What’s the best way to sum up the most erotic experience of my life? “Orgasmically mind-boggling.”

  “So I guess this means you came.”

  “Like he’s the vagina whisperer.”

  “Did he . . . you know . . .” She waggles her eyebrows while sliding her tongue back and forth across her top lip. I could feel the blush rising to my cheeks again. “Heck yeah!” she exclaims, not waiting for my response.

  “Oh my God, I’m a slut!” I bury my face in my hands.

  “Well, you know what I always say.” Jenny laughs. “The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else. Now, come on. Let’s get packed.”

  ***

  The bus depot looms ahead as we approach, and I crane my neck to get a better view of where I’ll be spending the next few weeks of my life. The cacophony of thousands of fans beyond the gate resonates as I step out of the limo.

  The enormous bus embellished with the Black Diamond logo on the side is certainly not what I expected. When they said “bus,” I assumed we’d be taking something like the New Jersey Transit, but this is more like a house on wheels.

  A small kitchenette equipped with a refrigerator and microwave greets me upon entry. There’s even a small dining table with a bench seat. A Keurig on the counter with a box of assorted coffees next to it catches my eye, and I give myself a mental high five at the sight of it. Being stuck on a bus for hours on end is one thing, but being stuck on the bus with no coffee is a recipe for disaster as far as I’m concerned.