Taste of Love

chapter Thirteen




As 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."

Madison blushed and started eating, putting an end to their conversation, or at least the heavy part of it. Cameron took the hint and changed the subject. He gave her the rundown of their next few days in Chicago. There were a couple of appearances to make that night, then they could go to a club if she felt up to it. The next morning he had a few radio shows to do, then a rehearsal at the venue, with the concert the following night. They would stay in Chicago after the concert and head to St. Louis the next morning for a show that night. The day after the show, she would be heading back to her life in New York.

Madison wondered how he could keep it all straight, playing in so many cities, each one having different schedules and events. It was giving her insight into his touring life, and explained why he was so tired. She also knew that he had cancelled a few appearances because she had come to visit him, so this wasn't even the true version of his usual schedule. The cancellations were something she had overheard Cameron and Riley fighting about on the phone, but she didn't let on that she knew.

After lunch, they walked around some more, shopping at some expensive boutiques that Madison never would have entered before. Any time she picked up something black, Cameron took it out of her hands and replaced it with something vibrant. She laughed at his antics and ended up with a rainbow of different colored clothes. This time she played it smart and made a point of buying one more piece of luggage to carry all the clothes she had purchased on the trip.

When they returned to the hotel, Cameron went to his room to prepare for the appearances he had committed to for the evening. When he asked Madison if she wanted to go, she politely declined so that she could relax for a while in their hotel room, and maybe even make use of the hot tub.

Once he left, Madison had plenty of time to herself to think on their conversation. Had she really given him her heart already? Did she really trust him? Her first thought was to call Austin, but she knew he had an extreme dislike for Cameron, and would be biased. The only one likely to be honest with her was Chase.

Chase's number rang through her cell phone, and just as she was about to hang up, he answered. He sounded out of breath. "Hey Mary! How's vacation?"

Madison laughed. "It's great! Exactly what I needed." She smiled dreamily. "What took you so long to answer?"

Chase giggled. "I was a bit pre-occupied, saying goodbye to a hottie at my door. And you will never guess who said hottie is!"

"You're right, and you know I hate these games, so just tell me who it was." She went to her room and put her bathing suit on as she talked, then grabbed her cover-up and her room key as she headed down to the hotel's hot tub and pool.

"It's someone you know quite well, and he is an absolutely fabulous kisser!" he gushed.

"Chase! Tell me for God's sake!" she yelled, the sound echoing in the elevator.

Chase laughed, playing his schtick to the hilt. "Remember how I told you that Thomas boy was a closet queen? Well, my gay-dar was right! I ran into him on the street yesterday, we went out for a drink, and well, he just left."

He sounded so pleased with himself. Madison's mouth dropped open. Thomas? Really?

"Wow...you called it!"

"I did indeed. The queen always knows," he reminded her.

"Good for you! Are you going to see him again?"

"We're supposed to meet up again tomorrow. It's hard because he hasn't come out yet and I'm not sure if I want to deal with that or not." He sighed a long, drawn-out sigh. "Are you upset with me? I know you were kind of dating him."

"Not at all! That's kind of what I called to talk to you about."

"Do tell?"

Madison looked through the glass door to where the indoor hot tub and pool were, happy that it was completely empty. She walked in and shed her cover-up, sinking into the extremely hot water with a moan of delight. "So, you know I'm touring with Cameron at the moment, right?"

"Uh, duh."

"Well, we got into this intense conversation today about how he wants to be with me, but that it won't happen until I trust him. Then he said that he already has my heart, I just need to realize it and let it happen. I don't know how to trust him when I know that he's on tour and all these hoochies want to get with him, even though when we're together, he's never given me a reason not to trust him. Actually, when we're together, I trust him more than I trust anyone aside from you. I trust him more than I trust Austin now! It's just when he's gone that I'm not sure about."

It felt delicious to be able to tell someone all the thoughts that were tumbling through her head and heart. Chase, true to what she expected, turned from his usual fun self to a serious giver of advice in an instant.

"I have to admit, I wasn't too sure about him at first, but I'm really starting to think he's a stand-up guy, Madison. And sexy as hell, but that's beside the point."

Madison laughed.

"I know that what we saw at his concert wasn't a good thing, obviously. He was kissing another woman. But did it go further than that? And had you committed yourselves at that point?"

"No, it didn't go further than that, and we hadn't even talked about how we felt about each other at that point. And he told me that he hasn't even kissed another girl in the past few weeks, even though they seem to attack him as he walks through the crowd."

"Well, my dear, the way I look at it, you're never going to know unless you give it a try. Just relax and let yourself go, and see where things lead for once. You're OCD in every other part of your life, so just this once, be impulsive and stop over-thinking every aspect of it," he suggested.

Certain that he was right, Madison thanked him and hung up her cell phone after wishing him luck with Thomas. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the back of the hot tub.

A few minutes later, she had decided. She would let Cameron know tonight that he was right, and she wanted to try a relationship.



Cameron returned from his engagements looking tired and worn out. Madison felt for him, knowing that she had rested, something he didn't have the luxury of doing. He gave her a sleepy smile and led her to the couch.

"Let me just take a shower and I'll take you out to dinner," he told her, followed by a yawn.

"I have a better idea. You go lay down for a little while, and I'll order room service. Deal?"

"Are you sure?" Seeing her nod, he agreed. "On one condition. Once we order room service, tell them to deliver it in an hour, and you come and lay down with me. I'm in the mood to cuddle."

"Ok, but only cuddle!"

He smiled at her innocently. They ordered their dinner and went to lie down in his room. Once under the covers, he turned on his side and pulled her body close, so that they were spooning. His arm wrapped around her stomach tightly, feeling how perfectly she fit beside him. Just before he drifted off to sleep, he promised himself that he would show her that she could trust him, and that he was the man that would make her happy.



Cameron awakened to a knock on the door, feeling more rested than he had in a while. Madison stirred next to him. She moved to get up, but Cameron pulled her back to him. She looked at him to protest, but he shut her up with a soft kiss to her lips. "Thanks for napping with me. I didn't realize how much I needed that."

He got up and went to the door, leaving Madison sitting in bed, touching her lips and smiling.

Over dinner they decided to stay in for the night and watch some movies and relax. They cuddled together on the couch, watching one of the pay-per-view movies the hotel offered, when Madison snatched the remote and put the movie on mute. She sat up and looked at Cameron, who was instantly on guard. He eyed her suspiciously, like she was going to say something he wasn't going to like.

"You were right," she stated simply.

"I usually am, but what was I right about this time?"

"You were right when you said you already had my heart, and you were right to say you already have given me plenty of reasons to trust you." The words rushed out of her mouth.

He smiled. "And this means?"

She exhaled slowly. "This means that I want to give 'us' a try, but I don't want to rush things, especially when you're touring."

Cameron's heart thudded with joy. He was beyond happy that she had come around, and frankly, it had happened sooner than he expected. Not that he was complaining!

"I knew you'd see things my way eventually," he laughed, and was promptly tackled on the couch. They playfully wrestled until he got her body beneath his. He kissed her deeply, savoring the taste of her mouth, the feel of her tongue dancing with his, the soft moan that vibrated in the back of her throat. When they finally came up for air, he smiled in relief.

She returned his smile and sat up. "We're missing the movie." She rolled on her side and he lay down behind her, taking the television off mute. He played with her hair and lightly ran his hands up and down her arms while he tried to watch the movie. However, the only thing he could concentrate on was the woman in his arms, the one he never wanted to let go.

Madison was having the same thoughts. Every time she felt his touch, shivers ran through her body, and she knew she had made the right decision. Even if she knew it all along, it felt great to have it out in the open.

When the movie ended, Madison yawned. She had been fighting to keep her eyes open the last half hour, but she didn't want to be out of Cameron's arms. Seeing her yawn, Cameron sat up and got off the couch. He pulled her up so she was standing in front of him and he placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"Will you sleep with me tonight?" he asked.

Madison was suddenly wide awake.

"Just sleep, I promise!" he added when he saw her uncertain look. She nodded silently in agreement, and went to her room to change into her pajamas. Cameron was waiting for her in bed when she got there, and once she was under the covers, she turned on her side so that she was face to face with him.

"Thanks for making me take this vacation. Looks like I needed it for more reasons than I realized," she admitted.

"I am so happy with you here. I'm tempted to kidnap you and not let you go until the tour is over."

She laughed. "Austin's already pissed at me for leaving. I guess I've been leaving him in charge a little too much."

"He's your employee. If he can't handle what his boss tells him to do, maybe it's time to find a new job?"

"I know, but he's more than an employee, he's a friend too. Maybe I need to promote someone else to help out."

Seeing the stress start to settle on her face again, Cameron closed the space between them and kissed her. What started out as a sweet and gentle kiss soon turned passionate. His hands reached out and rubbed the nipples that were poking through the thin tank top that she was wearing, and her hands were slowly making their journey from his chest to places further south.

Just before her hand touched his hardening erection, his hand shot down and stopped hers. She backed up with a questioning look in her eyes.

"If you do that, I'm going to break my promise of us just sleeping," he panted.

"I'm comfortable with that," she told him, and tried to reach down again.

"Madison, I promised, I'm sorry." He saw the hurt in her face and put a hand on each of her cheeks. "Baby, there is nothing more I want right now than to make love to you. But we are going to take this slow, and I'm not going to break my word for anything."

She nodded, looking at him sheepishly as he got out of bed. "I'm just going to go take a quick shower. I'll be right back."

Madison rolled onto her back as soon as he shut the bathroom door and put her hands to her flush cheeks. She didn't know what had gotten into her! She had never acted like that before. But she was also sure that whenever she was near to him, the heat returned.



Cameron woke early the next day to get ready for his radio interviews. He softly placed kisses all over Madison's face and neck, making her smile as she woke up.

"Mmm, what a way to wake up," she moaned as she stretched.

"And so is that," Cameron commented as she stretched, his eyes watching her every move. Getting out of bed before he acted on his impulses, he gathered some clothes together and dressed in the bathroom.

When he came out, he asked, "Do you want to come with me today? You can come to the radio interviews or the sound check, or all of them. It's up to you."

"I can't think of anything I would rather do than spend the whole day with you." She winked at him as she got out of bed and went to her room to get ready. Cameron shook his head in appreciation and bit his lip as she walked out.



The radio interviews were interesting to say the least. Some of them were really lame, the hosts trying to make dumb jokes, amateurs that didn't know how to do their jobs. A few were actually funny, and didn't miss a beat when they saw Madison show up with Cameron. They asked point-blank if he had finally changed his playboy ways and finally settled down. As diplomatically as possible, he told them that only time would tell.

The last radio station reminded Madison of a Howard Stern show. The host was vulgar, pushing the limits of what he could say, but Cameron took it all in stride. It was a battle of wits, and Madison was glad to see that Cameron held his own against the guy without losing his temper. It was an interesting thing to watch and reminded her of the first good fight they had - but this time, the memory of it made her smile. Who would have dreamed they would come so far since then?

After a quick meal, they all drove to the venue for the sound check and rehearsal. Cameron went through his whole show, changing it up a bit from his Indy show, in the hopes of satisfying the fans that attended more than one show. Madison stood off to the side to watch him, as impressed with him as she had been the first time she saw his show. If he didn't like how the song sounded, he did it again and again until it was right. Usually it was the band that messed up, but he always took responsibility for it. It took longer than Madison thought that it would, but she understood Cameron's need for perfection.

After sound check and rehearsal, it was getting late, so they went back to the hotel and got some sleep; they had a long day ahead of them the next day, the day of the concert.



Cameron lay low the day of the concert, trying to rest and get plenty of fluids so he didn't get too dehydrated during the show.

Madison gave him some time alone as she went out on the town and did some tourist-y things. Her favorite place was the Shedd Aquarium. She spent a couple of hours in there, just wandering among the tanks. It gave her such a peaceful feeling and was a perfect bookend to the excitement of the concert preparation.

By the time she returned to the hotel, it was time to get ready. Not sure about what Cameron would want her to wear, she decided on the retro Rolling Stones tee, along with a short denim skirt and a studded black belt that slung low around her hips. To complete the outfit, she slipped on some black studded biker boots. She left her hair down, and instead of leaving it naturally wavy, she took forty-five minutes to straighten it. Her make-up was a little heavier than normal again, but she didn't fell like portraying the sweet and innocent girl if word had leaked that she and Cameron were together. She didn't want to ruin his image.

When she finished getting ready, she found a note on the table for her to call Riley when she was ready, since Cameron had to be at the venue early. Riley would have her ticket and backstage pass. She dialed the number he left for her, and fifteen minutes later, she was in a car with Riley on the way to Cameron's show.

Riley didn't say much to her, and she figured he didn't like her too much. But it didn't matter. She was Cameron's girl.



After the show, it was the same scene as every other time: crowds of people, mostly women, all waiting for Cameron to make his appearance. Madison used her head, and stood near the door so that she was one of the first people he'd see when he came in. And true to form, she was, and he didn't hesitate to sweep her into his arms and kiss her silly.

She could hear a lot of the girls groan behind her, and some of them even left. The ones that stayed gave new credence to the phrase "If looks could kill." They hated her, and they wanted her gone. It was plain to see that they saw Cameron as a competition, and they were more than happy to get their names and pictures in the papers.

But Cameron didn't leave her side, and when they had put in a sufficient amount of time, they left and headed for a club he had promised an appearance while he was in Chicago.

They were ushered to the VIP room, where they had a private table waiting for him, and a couple of his 'people', which included Riley and a few of his band members.

The drinks started flowing, and Madison felt the urge to dance. Cameron was more than happy to comply with her wishes as they made their way to the VIP dance floor. Both of them danced as if they were the only ones in the club, creating so much heat between them that they ditched the club much faster than they had anticipated. They didn't even bother to tell anyone in their entourage that they were going, but their intentions couldn't have been clearer to anyone who saw the way they danced together.

The driver of the town car got an eyeful as he drove them back to the hotel. They couldn't keep their hands off each other. They had promised that it would be slow, but damned if the heat was too much for both of them.

The stripping started in the elevator as Madison unbuttoned Cameron's shirt and pulled it from his body. They fumbled to their suite, and after a few tries with their lips locked together, the door finally opened, and the rest of their clothes were shed.

"I can't go slow anymore," he said, even as he reached between her legs and felt the wetness there. Madison dropped her chin and moaned, arching into his hand.

"I can't either..."

"Where..."

"Right here."

They didn't make it to the bed, not even to the bedroom. He simply picked her up with his broad hands planted firmly on her ass and held her against the wall, at just the right angle to slide into her. One long thrust and they both moaned together. The long days of agonizing desire were finally being sated.

"I'm so glad I'm not too drunk this time," she said, and he laughed hard.

He took her against the wall, right next to the door. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held on, pressing her feet into his ass, rocking with him in a rhythm that threatened to make him come if he didn't slow down. He finally pushed hard against her, giving her no more room to move. His hand snaked between them as he looked up into her eyes.

Neither of them said a word as he played her as easily as one of the instruments on his stage. She panted with pleasure, her eyes bright with passion, until she suddenly arched her back so hard he stumbled backward. She came with a shout. He watched as her whole body flushed with red, as though she was blushing from head to toe with the power of her orgasm.

"Let's see if you can do that again," he said, and didn't let up with his hand. His cock was throbbing with need, but what he had just seen was too hot to have just once.

By the time she was at the second orgasm, he couldn't hold back any longer. His valiant effort abandoned, he thrust into her again, hard and fast. She was so close that this time, all it took was the pounding pressure of his body against hers to get her off. She didn't even try to be quiet - this time she squealed so loudly that Cameron was certain all the other hotel guests heard them.

Not that he cared.

He pushed into her one last time and came. He bit down on her shoulder to stifle his own cries; she would have a neat line of bruises there in the morning. Madison wrapped her body tighter around him and held him against her until the last of his orgasm shuddered through him.

When it was over, sheer exhaustion overtook both of them. Cameron's legs started to shake. He lowered her feet to the floor, and she kept going down, pulling on his hand as she did. They both wound up on the floor, on top of a pile of discarded clothes.

"That was...insanely good," she said, and yawned.

Cameron laughed weakly. He wasn't sure he could stand up anytime soon. He felt dizzy and euphoric, sleepy and happy all at the same time. He turned and spooned into Madison, feeling her breathing as it slowed, his hand pressed against her heart.