Taste of Love (18 page)

The concert went very well. The crowd knew his music, and Cameron was in his zone. She stood at the side of the stage, watching his every move. She now knew why he liked what he did, why he loved the rush of performing live. She wasn't even on stage, but she could feel the electricity of the fans.

After the show was over, Cameron went to his dressing room to shower, leaving Madison to fend for herself in an area where dozens of groupies were anxiously waiting for him. She had a drink in her hand, which was almost gone due to the setting. Being nervous always made her drink far too fast. She didn't know what to expect when Cameron made his entrance.

A door finally opened, and she instantly knew that Cameron was in the room. The thrill that ran through the crowd was unmistakable. He made his way through the crowd, humoring a few girls who stopped him for a kiss, cameras flashing from all sides. She saw that Cameron was trying to be polite, but that he wasn't enjoying the girls breaking into his space.

He made his way over to where Madison was standing and kissed her lips. She could feel the scornful eyes of the groupies sizing her up. She carefully avoided looking anywhere but up into Cameron's eyes.

"Glad you actually stayed this time," he grinned.

"I have no choice, my ride isn't ready to leave yet," she teased back. "You were great out there."

His eyes sparkled at the compliment, and he was glad to know she enjoyed herself. "We aren't going to stay long, just long enough to say I was here, then we can make our escape."

Madison nodded, anxious to get out from under the watchful eyes of the groupies. They were staring at her as though she was a strange mold growing on the end of their impossibly high heels. She understood; they were jealous. She pointedly ignored them and got another drink, then waited patiently for Cameron to tell her it was time to leave. She watched as he mingled, laughing and talking with some, politely brushing off others. The women were surrounding him, vying for attention, but he gave them none. What a difference from the last time!

Half an hour later, he saved her, and led her to the bus.

"We'll be in Chicago in about three hours. You want to change into something comfortable, and come in back to watch television with me?" he asked.

"Sounds great," she told him. Cameron got two pair of athletic shorts and a t-shirt and sweatshirt out of his closet near his bunk. He handed the sweatshirt and a pair of shorts to Madison to change into while he took the other shorts and t-shirt. He gave an apologetic shrug.

"Sorry, didn't want to dig your luggage out right now," he said. "Besides, I think you will look so damn cute in that."

Madison blushed and looked around, wondering where she could change. "Bathroom is right there, and I'll be in the back when you're done."

She changed her clothes and met Cameron in the back. He was sprawled out on one of the couches, already watching television. He looked up when she came in and patted the spot next to him. She went over and cuddled up next to his body, feeling his warmth. Cameron pulled a blanket from the back of the couch and covered them both, then wrapped his arm around her waist.

It was the most comfortable spot in the world, with the sound of the wheels underneath them and the warmth of their bodies lying together. They were soon asleep, rushing through the night toward the lights of Chicago.

A
s she stood in the shower, letting the hot water cascade down her shoulders and back, Madison could barely remember getting to the hotel in Chicago the night before. She remembered falling asleep in the back of the bus with Cameron, and there were vague images of him carrying her through the lobby to the elevator, then laying her on the bed in her room.

She smiled at the memory. He was being so sweet with her, giving her all the things she really needed, without having to hear what those needs were. He just seemed to instinctively know.

After she finished her morning rituals, Madison wandered out into the common area of the suite. It looked a lot like the one in Indianapolis, only a bit larger. She picked up the room service menu and began to formulate a list of what she wanted to order when Cameron's door flew open. Madison looked up and smiled.

"Good morning!" he boomed.

"Good morning! I was just going to order some brunch. What're you in the mood for?" she asked, trying to keep her eyes from roaming all over his body. God, he looked good enough to eat for breakfast.

Cameron walked over to Madison and took the menu out of her hand. He kissed her forehead. "Nothing from here. I'm taking you out to eat," he told her and led her to the door.

"But wait!" Madison put on her brakes. "I need my purse, and you need your disguise."

Cameron smiled at her. "Today is my treat, but if you need your purse, get it." He let go of her hand. "I'm not wearing any disguises today. This is Chicago. We'll blend right in on the streets."

Madison quickly got her purse from her room, and the two of them headed out for the day.

It was a beautiful day in Chicago. The sun was shining, the temperature was perfect, and there was a light breeze. Cameron and Madison walked through the downtown, admiring store fronts, talking, and looking for an outdoor cafe that served breakfast.

Cameron's cell phone rang, and seeing that it was his manager, he told Madison he needed to take the call. She wandered away to give him some privacy, and wound up at an outdoor newsstand. She looked through the various magazines, not seeing any that she liked, and made her way to the newspaper section. She saw a few with Cameron on the cover, and she couldn't resist picking them up. She looked over at him, and seeing that he was ending his call, she handed the newspapers to the cashier and bought them, instead of just browsing through them.

Cameron joined her as the cashier handed Madison her purchases. "Sorry about that, Riley was tinkering with the schedule for later." He put his arm around her shoulder. "What'd you get?"

"Just some of my favorite reading material." She patted the bag. "All about the famous Cameron Rome."

Cameron groaned. "Great. Can't wait to see what they say this time."

Just around the corner, they found a cute little cafe with a few tables on the sidewalk. It was exactly what they had been looking for. They were seated and had their orders placed in minutes. Waiting for their food, Madison took out the first gossip rag.

"Oooh, this is one of my favorites, they always seem to like you," she told him, showing him the cover of the paper.

Cameron snatched the paper out of her hand, smiling the whole time. "Let's see what I've been doing." He flipped through the paper until he found the pages he was on. His eyes scanned the pages, then a scowl crossed his face.

"They sure don't waste any time!"

Madison looked up at him from the paper that she had opened, her face a little pale. "Are these the papers you've been reading to keep up with what I'm doing?" he asked her, then frowned. "What's wrong?"

Madison nodded, not quite trusting her voice. She knew she'd been naive in trusting what those papers reported, but she honestly hadn't known what to make of 'Cameron Rome, Rock star'. Before her trip, the only thing she knew of that side of his life was what she had seen firsthand, after that first concert. In her mind, what she saw and the papers she read all fit together.

But confusion was playing with her mind as she looked at the morning papers. She wasn't sure if she should laugh or cry. The look on her face told Cameron all he needed to know.

He sighed. He wasn't happy that she had been initiated like this, but he also wasn't surprised.

"I should have warned you," he murmured, and reached over to touch her hand. She looked up at him with wide eyes.

"This is...they made this up!"

He just nodded.

"But...how can they do this?"

"Well, I'm glad this came up now, rather than later," he told her and exchanged papers with her. It seemed as though they all had the same pictures, so there was really no need.

Madison looked at the pictures taken after last night's concert. Cameron was shown 'making out' with various girls, Madison being one of them. Not only did the pictures blow her mind, but the stories they spun were even worse. Most of the girls had grabbed Cameron and kissed him quickly as he passed, but by looking at the pictures, you would never know they were quick kisses. A picture truly is just a snapshot of a fleeting moment in time, captured by a lens. Madison understood that now more than ever.

"Wow, I didn't realize you left with this girl for the night," Madison told Cameron, pointing out a picture of him with a blonde girl that was barely dressed. The caption had said they were 'hot and heavy' all night and that they were spotted leaving together.

"Yeah, she was a great lay." He laughed while rolling his eyes. Cameron took the papers from Madison and stuffed them back into the bag. He then discarded it by his feet like the trash it was. They sat in silence for a long moment, looking at each other. Madison was contemplating this shift in perception.

"Is that how you see me, as that guy in those papers?" he asked quietly.

Madison sighed. "I don't know, Cameron. I don't know how to see you, or who to see you as; 'Rock Star Cameron' or 'Sweet and Sexy Cameron'." She paused for a moment. "I'd like to believe that you are the Cameron that watched movies with me when I got out of the hospital, the one that has swept me away from my over-worked frenzied life for a few days with him."

"But?"

"But I see the papers and I see how the girls are all over you after your concerts, and quite honestly, it freaks me out a bit, and I believe that both guys exist and enjoy who they are," she admitted.

Cameron nodded at the waiter as their food arrived, and waited for him to leave before he spoke again. "I've told you before that I love what I do. I love being out there on stage and making music, playing to those huge crowds. It's in my blood now, and I'm addicted. And yes, when I was younger, I got a rush out of how the girls were all over me too. But I'm not that cocky kid anymore. I'm not looking for random groupie hookups that only pursue my fame and my check book. I haven't kissed any girls since the last time we talked, and before that, it was part of my image."

He raised his hands, spreading them out to his side. "This is me, Madison, the real me. For better or worse, this is who I am. I'm the guy who makes up reasons to dine at your restaurant hoping to get a glance at you. I'm the guy who cares, even though I try not to show it. I'm the guy who loves his mother as much as she drives me crazy. And I'm the guy who would do anything to see a smile on your face."

He reached over and took her hands in his. "I'm also the guy that wants to be with you exclusively, but I know I will never be that guy, until you trust me."

"What?" she gasped.

He smiled at her with patience in his eyes. "You heard me."

Madison's eyes drifted to the ground where the gossip papers had dropped. She took a few deep breaths and tried to calm her racing heart. "Trust doesn't come easy to me. Logically, I know that those photos don't always paint a true picture, but a part of me wonders if the temptation for the hot girls that throw themselves at you might be stronger than your desire for me."

Cameron studied her face as she looked down at the table.

"Well, I don't know what else I can do to show you that I'm not the rock star whore. I've told you before that there is an image that I need to live up to for my career, which means that I have to go to the backstage parties and look like I'm having a good time. If I could give it up to show you how serious I am about wanting to be with you, I would," he sighed. "But that just isn't possible. And I understand that trust is something you have to earn, but please look at the past and see if it can lead you to believe in trusting me."

Madison bit her lip then went for honesty. "I'm afraid if I give you my heart, I'll get hurt."

Cameron laughed, but not unkindly. "Baby, I already have your heart. I'm just waiting for you to realize it." He reached over and brushed his finger along her cheek. "And I'll be here waiting when you do."