Cover Me(ROCK GODS)(9)

Tommy needed her.

But try and she might, she could not see a clear way out of this. Mostly because she wasn't sure she even wanted to.

Just give in.

"Come on girl, it's time to get ready."

"Okay."

Kat followed them into the theater. Tonight was her professional debut. Everything else she had done was semiprofessional at best. She wouldn't let her worries about the future ruin this. If that's one thing she'd learned from being the mother of a kid with cancer, it was that.

Seize the moment. Enjoy every second of life, especially on a night like tonight.

And by God, she would.





**********





Bruce was pacing back and forth like a caged lion. The show was going well- incredibly so. Almost every show had a glitch at one time or another, but not tonight. But the duet was coming up soon and he was starting to second guess his plan with the lights.

What if she didn't want to kiss him?

No, she did. He knew she did. He could always tell when a woman wanted him, even if she didn't want to want him.

And Kat definitely did not want to be feeling what she was feeling. But that was just too damn bad. She wasn't the only one caught up in this off the wall attraction they had for each other. He wasn't going to let her hide from him or slip away.

He just couldn't imagine his life without her in it.

He stood stock still for a second as that little tid bit sunk in.

He didn't just want to take her to bed. He wanted her in his life. Permanently.

The chime sounded, signaling the audience to regain their seats.

Bruce struggled to regain his composure as the crowd started to settle. The moment they were ready for him, he felt it. He stepped out onto the brightly lit stage and they went wild, screaming for him. He didn't have much of an ego about his music or abilities, but he had to admit he loved this. They wanted what only he could give them. And he wanted to give it.

Bruce raised his arms and unleashed his primal rock star.





**********





Katrina pressed her fingertips against her lips. She could still feel Bruce's touch there. Linda handed her a drink. Non-alcoholic this time. She didn't trust herself to be around him after a few drinks. She might just throw herself at him and ask him to continue what he'd started.

The show had been fantastic. Bruce was fantastic. She'd felt the stirrings of a serious fan girl crush creeping in, seeing him in all his glory like that. And then they'd sung together- this time the words had more meaning somehow. This time when he kissed her there was a glitch or something and the lights hadn't gone out.

So he'd kept kissing her.

And dear Lord, the man could kiss.

The crowd had gone wild as he bent her backwards in his arms and taken her mouth in a tender but ravaging kiss. It was just a stage kiss. It was just part of the show. The way she'd clung to his shoulders had been for the audience's benefit.

Liar.

She clutched her Shirley Temple and sat on one of the low lounge seats next to the rest of the band. Everyone was chattering happily, interacting with fans who approached and the rest of the road crew. The hotel investors were there as well.

Harry had paraded her out in front of a bunch of very wealthy looking men in suits. She'd cringed at the way their eyes had crawled up and down her legs, looking extra long in her stiletto ankle booties. Why had Bruce bought her so many mini skirts and dresses? This one was a Herve Leger Bandage Dress. It clung to her figure but the stiff fabric was oddly comfortable. The dress felt like it was giving her a hug.

Lord knows she could use one.

Kat was almost wishing she hadn't gotten the job right about now. No matter what happened, she knew that she was going to be thinking about Bruce for a long time. He would be impossible to forget once he'd moved on, or even if she followed her instincts and cut and run.

But she'd never get another job if she did that. Not as a singer anyway. Not in LA.

She felt eyes on her and glanced up. Bruce was over by the bar, surrounded by scantily clad women. Fans by the look of it.

No, not fans. Groupies.

He laughed at something the woman on his right said as she grasped his arm, playfully feeling his muscles.

A hot knife of jealousy sliced through Kat. She looked away and found herself staring right into the eyes of one of the suits. This was the youngest, he looked to be about her age. Mid-twenties at the most. Michael. His name was Michael. He was ogling her and not in a respectful way. She inhaled sharply and stood up.

Time to call it a night.

Kat slipped into the crowd, hoping to escape unnoticed.

As she stepped out into the street outside she felt someone grabbing her arm. She turned to see Michael bearing down on her.

"Where are you off to?"

She smiled benignly and tugged her arm from his grasp.

"I'm tired."

He didn't seem impressed with that so she used a line that always seemed to work. She sort of rubbed her throat and sighed dramatically.

"You know, still recuperating."

He grinned and leaned forward, eyeing her tits.

"Recuperating from what?"

"From the change. You know. Snip snip."

She watched as the look in his eyes changed from lust to shock. As she’d predicted, he backed away pretty quickly, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Yeah… okay you should definitely rest then."

She smiled smugly. Kat had known a few transexuals in her time. Some of them incredibly gorgeous women. You really could not tell they'd ever been men, which made sense since they all said they'd always felt like women inside. She felt a bit guilty using something like that to get the guy to back off but it had worked. Much better than the fake wedding ring she used to wear.

The sound of slow clapping made her turn around.

Bruce was leaning against the wall of the hotel and watching her.

"Impressive."

She tossed her hair in annoyance. His timing sucked. She really did just want to be alone. Alone to go back to her room and lick her wounds.

"I'm not in the mood Bruce."

His eyebrows shot up. In her annoyance she'd used his real name. He smiled at her triumphantly.

"What are you in the mood for?"

"I just want to be left alone."

He tilted his head and gave her a wry smile.

"That's going to be difficult for two reasons. Number one being that you were a sensation tonight. You are going to have a long career in the public eye if you keep this up."

She sighed. He was being kind but she knew it was true. The audience had loved her. They'd loved them together even more.

"What's the second reason?"

He crossed over to her and lifted her hand to his lips.

"The second reason is that you are driving me absolutely insane."

She gasped at the feeling of his lips against her hand. Then he turned it over and kissed her wrist. Hot spirals of lust started to pool in her belly.

"Bruce…"

He pulled her into his arms and lowered his mouth to hers. Gently he nudged her lips apart. The moment her mouth opened he delved inside, tasting of ginger ale and something else indefinable. Something that was pure him…

She moaned as he maneuvered her into the shadows, pressing her up against the wall. His larger than average arousal pressed firmly at her juncture. They both moaned as his hand closed over her breast. He started kissing her neck, using his hands to pull her hips into him. Kat stared blindly into space as he rocked his turgid erection against her.

Before she knew it he was tugging her dress down so he could touch her breasts. Then he was kissing them, making her moan and run her hands through his hair.

Sharp laughter pierced the air as she saw a group of girls cross the courtyard to the club. They hadn't seen them but the effect was still like a bucket of ice being dumped on her head. She pushed her hands against Bruce's shoulders. His head snapped up and he looked at her with his heavy lidded eyes.

Kat swallowed and shook her head.

"Please- stop-"

He cursed and pushed back, leaving his hands on either side of her head where he was braced against the wall. He was visibly struggling for control.

"Kat- please- you are leaving me in a state of constant frustration."

If she'd been hoping for love words, she was clearly going to be disappointed. He hadn't said anything remotely romantic. He just wanted to screw her, that was all. At least he was honest. She had to give him that.

"Maybe you should work that out with one of your groupies."

The hurt look on his face was the last thing she saw as she brushed past him and ran into the hotel lobby. She promised herself she could cry when she got upstairs. Cry once, and then put Bruce out of her head and heart forever.

As soon as she got into her room though she noticed something.

The light on her phone was blinking.

She had a message.





11





Bruce took a big gulp of the bourbon the busty waitress had brought him. He stared around the club without seeing anything. Most of the cast and crew were gone now. Only Harry was sticking around to keep an eye on him.

Harry looked worried.

Bruce sneered and downed another mouthful. After seven years, getting buzzed felt amazing. Hell, he was more than buzzed.

Bruce was drunk.

Anything to numb out the empty feeling inside. She'd rejected him. More than that, she'd inflamed him beyond reason and then abruptly left him standing there alone, wanting her.

He was still in a state of unrelenting lust, even after he'd been drinking steadily for hours. Ever since she ran off on him. The way she'd responded to him had lit his whole body on fire. And she had responded to him, no matter what she'd said.

He thought about what Kat had said about groupies and grimaced. Then again, there had been something about the way she'd said it that he couldn't quite put his finger on.