Jacob's Ladder: Gabe

by Katie Ashley

  “Whoring around?”

  “That’s one way to put it.”

  “I’m not naïve, Gabe. I’m aware of the type of lifestyle you have.”

  “Had.”

  “What?”

  He took his gaze off the road again. “It’s the life I had. I don’t have it anymore.”

  Immediately, the gravity of what he was saying hit me. The lovesick teenage girl in me wanted to clasp her hand to her heart. Of course, the adult Rae, who had been burned too many times before, rolled her eyes at the teenage girl part. I was way too wise to merely take his word. “Old habits can be hard to break,” I murmured.

  “I agree, but it helps if you have a reason for making the change, and you’re my reason.”

  Turning in the seat to face him, I countered, “While that is immensely flattering, I would argue that it’s easy to utter the words, but it’s the actual action of changing that speaks louder.” When Gabe opened his mouth to argue, I wagged a finger at him. “Don’t even tell me your actions speak for you. It’s not like you’ve had any temptation holed up here in Hayesville.”

  Gabe shook his head. “That’s where you’re wrong. I’ll have you know, I’ve had other offers, and not just from Rejune.”

  “Ew.”

  He shrugged a shoulder. “Hey, I’m just being honest.”

  “And so am I.”

  “What exactly do you think is going to happen? I’m going to go back out on the road and start banging women left and right?”

  Just the thought of Gabe looking at another woman, let alone having sex with one, turned my stomach. It wasn’t just about the fact that I had yet to have sex with him, but it was more about my growing feelings for him. “Maybe.”

  With a grunt, Gabe replied, “Wow, I’m glad you think so highly of me.”

  “I do think highly of you.”

  “Could have fooled me.”

  “I know you’re first and foremost a man, and men have urges. You’re also an extremely good-looking man who is surrounded by beautiful women who want nothing more than to fuck you.”

  “Yeah, and that’s it.”

  “Which part?”

  “The part about the women who just want to fuck me.” Gabe threw a glance at me. “They only want me because I’m Gabe Renard of Jacob’s Ladder, or they want me for my money, but you”—he gave me an earnest smile—“you want me for me.”

  “Yes, I do,” I replied softly.

  “And that right there is worth turning away every stray piece of ass who throws herself at me.” Taking one of his hands off the wheel, he reached out for mine. “I don’t want to destroy what’s between us before it even has a chance.”

  I dropped my gaze from Gabe’s eyes to his outstretched hand. Nibbling on my lip, I weighed his words along with the sincerity with which he had spoken them. Deep down, I knew nothing he had just said really soothed my fears of his infidelity. The fear of being cheated on and abandoned was deeply rooted in my childhood, and nothing that had happened in my adulthood had managed to lessen it.

  “Don’t take your past out on me,” Gabe murmured.

  Sucking in a breath, I replied, “How did you know I was thinking about that?”

  “Because I know you, and I know your past. I can understand why you don’t want to trust me.”

  I shook my head at him. “I want to trust you. It’s just hard.”

  “Then just promise me you’ll try.”

  I slipped my hand into his. “Okay, I’ll try.”

  Gabe turned his head to smile at me. “Good.” After bringing my hand to his lips, he kissed my knuckles. As his breath fanned against my skin, I battled the annoying romantic in me that wanted to swoon at the gesture.

  After dropping my hand, Gabe motioned to a sign above us. “There’s our exit.”

  “I can’t believe we’re already here.”

  “Me either. The drive from Jake’s farm usually feels like it takes forever, and it was even longer this time.”

  “It’s totally cheesy, but I’m going to say it anyway: I guess it was the company this time.”

  Gabe grinned. “I totally agree with that one.”

  Once we exited off the interstate, Gabe made a turn onto a side street then we pulled into the parking deck of a high-rise office building. It was exactly the kind of place I expected to house a recording studio.

  “Are you sure they won’t mind that you brought me along?” I asked as he eased the Jeep into a parking space.

  “I don’t give a shit if they do.”

  “But this is important to you and your band.”

  Gabe turned to stare intently at me. “You’re important to me.”

  Slowly, I shook my head back and forth. “Once again, is this real life?”

  With a laugh, Gabe replied, “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, am I really in the car with a handsome and famous musician who considers me his muse? Things like this just don’t happen to girls from Hayesville. Surely I’m going to wake up to find this has just been a dream.”

  “You think I’m handsome?” Gabe asked, batting his eyelashes teasingly.

  Holding my finger and thumb slightly apart, I answered, “Just a little.” When he playfully swatted my hand down, I added, “Okay, okay, I think you’re very, very handsome.”

  “Damn straight. And sexy?”

  “Very sexy.”

  “And well-hung?”

  I cocked my head at him. “Sadly, I can’t answer that one.”

  “You could take my word for it.”

  “I think it’s better if I get firsthand knowledge before commenting on that.”

  Gabe leaned across the console. “What does firsthand knowledge entail?”

  “Hmm, I think both visual and physical contact would be necessary for me to do a thorough investigation.”

  “I see. I’d be happy to oblige.”

  Grinning, I said, “I’m sure you would.”

  Just as Gabe dipped his head to kiss me, his phone dinged. When he glanced at it, he took my hand. “Come on, we gotta hurry. Eli is asking where we are.”

  “Great. Not only am I going to be crashing your session with the label, I’m also the reason you’re late,” I protested as Gabe dragged me over to the elevators.

  “Once again, I don’t give a shit.”

  “You’ve really got to work on your professional attitude.”

  Gabe laughed as he punched the up button. “Trust me, the minute they hear the songs I’ve brought them, they’ll forget all about me being a little late.”

  “And bringing some random chick.”

  “You’re not a random chick to me. You’re Reagan Hart, miracle muse.”

  I grinned at his summation. “Let’s just see if the record execs think the same thing.”

  The elevator dinged on our floor, and we stepped out into the lobby.

  A beautiful blonde practically leapt at us. “There you are. We thought you might be stuck in traffic since the Falcons are playing today.”

  “Sorry. It took a little longer to pack up and get here than I thought.” Gabe glanced over at me. “I’d like to introduce you to someone. Abby, this is Reagan Hart.”

  When Abby turned away from her brother to focus her curious gaze, I could see the questions rolling in her blue eyes. Since my name didn’t seem completely foreign to her, I assumed Gabe had mentioned me, but from the extreme surprise on her face, I didn’t think she’d expected to see me in person. After recovering from what I imagined was intense shock at my presence, Abby extended her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you, Reagan.”

  “Actually, it’s Rae, but thank you. It’s very nice to meet you, too. Gabe has told me a lot about you.”

  “Oh he has?”

  “Yes.”

  Abby grinned while eyeing her brother. “I hope it was all good.”

  I laughed. “Yes. It was all very complimentary.”

  “Phew, that’s a load off my mind. I’ve heard very good things about you as w
ell. Gabe told us how wonderful you’ve been for him creatively.”

  “Although I still don’t quite understand his process, I’m really glad I could help.”

  Motioning with his hand, Gabe said, “We better go. From his text, Eli’s inside keeping the execs company, and God knows what he’s saying to them left to his own devices.”

  I followed Abby and Gabe through the lobby’s heavy oak door, and a long hallway stretched out in front of us with different rooms on the left side. When I peered inside, I could see a small sound booth in each one. “This is where a lot of voiceover work is done,” Gabe explained.

  “This is amazing,” I murmured. Even though I wanted to play it cool like I hung around recording studios every day, I was sure the mesmerized look on my face told the truth.

  Gabe opened the door to a large office. When we walked inside, I saw three men and a woman sitting around a glass-top table. At our appearance, they rose from their chairs, and it took less than a second for me to spot Eli. As he strode over to us, it was like looking straight at Gabe.

  “Glad to see you could finally bless us with your presence, bro,” Eli said teasingly.

  “Why don’t you get off my dick?” Gabe shot back with a grin.

  While the two of them hugged, I oh so eloquently remarked, “Wow, you two really are twins.”

  “Didn’t Gabe tell you we’re identical?” Eli asked.

  “He mentioned it.” I shook my head. “But it’s not the same as seeing the two of you side by side.”

  “There are some small differences between us when you look really hard,” Gabe said.

  Eli winked at me. “Don’t tell her that. If she looks too hard, she’ll realize I’m the better-looking twin.”

  While I laughed, Gabe gave his brother a playful smack on the arm. “Keep dreaming, bro.”

  One of the men cleared his throat. “If you guys are ready, we’d love to hear what you have for us.”

  With a forceful nod of his head, Gabe replied, “We’re ready, Pierce.”

  “Should I wait out in the lobby?” I whispered.

  “If you went back to the lobby, you wouldn’t be able to hear the songs.” He stared intently into my eyes. “I want you to hear what you inspired.”

  His words sent my heartbeat accelerating, and I found myself unable to respond with anything other than, “Okay.”

  Taking my hand in his, Gabe led me over to a smaller room. Inside was what I assumed was the sound booth. The record execs had already taken a seat on the couches and chairs to the side. Instead of steering me over to them, Gabe took the extra chair and pulled it up beside the guy manning the soundboard. “Hey Johnny, how are you?”

  “Doing pretty good. How about you?”

  “Pretty good. This is Rae.”

  As I waved, Johnny said, “I’ll take good care of her while I’m making you guys sound good.”

  Gabe laughed. “You do that.”

  After I sat down, Gabe kissed my cheek. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

  I nodded. Since I didn’t know exactly what to say to wish good luck to musicians, I said, “Break a leg.”

  With a grin, Gabe replied, “If I do that, I can’t play the drums, and we’re screwed.”

  “Whatever. You know what I mean.”

  “I do, and I appreciate it.”

  He then hurried out of the room and into the recording booth to join Eli and Abby. Since they weren’t actually recording, he would be playing guitar instead of his usual drums. He handed the sheets of music to his bandmates, and they spent the next few minutes warming up and harmonizing a bit. Apparently, over the last week, he’d faxed them the songs he had been writing, and they’d even rehearsed once over FaceTime.

  When their voices and instruments were once again silent, Gabe glanced through the soundproof glass to the execs. “I think this is the single we should lead with on the album.”

  He and Eli began strumming the opening of a slow song. During the time we’d spent together, Gabe had educated me enough about music that I knew to call it a ballad. Abby’s beautiful voice filled the booth, and as her hand gripped the lyric sheet in front of her, her expression changed to reflect the emotions she was emitting through the song.

  Trapped inside these walls,

  I made a prison all my own

  As I listened to the words, it amazed me how differently they sounded coming from Abby and not Gabe. Although his sister had a much better vocal range, I still preferred Gabe’s singing. Maybe it was the rough, masculine quality of his voice that spoke to me both emotionally and physically.

  Closing my eyes, I imagined myself back in that room with Gabe…the way the sunlight streamed in through the windows, basking him in an almost angelic light…the way his voice delivered the range of emotions the lyrics contained.

  When the song ended, I popped my eyelids. My thought process immediately went from listening to the song to wondering what the execs thought. Glancing over my shoulder, I surveyed their expressions. When I saw that they appeared to be very satisfied, I exhaled the breath I’d been holding.

  A tall, lanky man, who was the definition of California cool, stood up and came over to the soundboard. After holding down a button, he said, “I know we still have a lot to hear from you guys, but I’m really feeling that one as the first single, too. I should know by now to trust your judgement.”

  Gabe grinned. “Glad to hear it.” Turning to his siblings, he said, “I’d really love to call the album Ray of Light.”

  “Works for me,” Eli replied. He then gazed out of the sound booth at me and winked. I couldn’t help smiling back at him.

  “Abs?” Gabe asked.

  Abby bobbed her head enthusiastically. “Not only do I love the song, I love the message the title would convey for the album.”

  A pleased expression came over Gabe’s face before he glanced out at Pierce. “Then Ray of Light it is.”

  Pierce nodded. “I agree with Abby on liking the message.” After the other execs murmured in agreement, Pierce said, “All right. What else do you have for us?”

  “Two more ballads and then three upbeats.”

  “Okay. Take it away again.”

  As Gabe and his siblings played through the rest of the songs, I remained on the edge of my seat. I knew I was witnessing something special. I mean, how many people could say they’d seen the inception of a band’s new album? I couldn’t help feeling honored considering what an intimate moment it seemed to be for the band. Sure, they had an audience of execs, but there was something very pure about the process. It was three artists uniting to weave together the many pieces of a song.

  After they played each song, I held my breath for Pierce’s opinion. It felt like I was watching an episode of American Idol and waiting for the yes or no from each judge. Maybe it was because Pierce’s British accent made me think of Simon Cowell.

  Out of all the songs they played, there was only one Pierce and the others weren’t too thrilled with. Even then, they only asked for the song to be reworked, not completely scrapped. From the light dancing in his eyes and his beaming expression, I could tell Gabe was on cloud nine. I couldn’t imagine how proud he must be. It was like the old saying that after the darkness comes the dawn. He had trudged through the worst writer’s block of his life to pen some truly amazing songs. I was so very proud for him and of him.

  When Gabe and the others came out of the sound booth, I hopped off my stool and hurried over. Before he could ask my opinion, I blurted out, “That was amazing—you were amazing.”

  The most adorable blush fanned over his cheeks, one I’d never seen before. It was quite a difference from the usual smirk he wore whenever someone complimented him. “If anyone should be giving praise, it’s me. Without you, none of that in there would have been possible.”

  Slowly, I shook my head back and forth. “It still floors me that I had any effect on your creative process whatsoever.”

  “Never doubt the effect you have on me.” His
voice had taken on a husky tone that caused goosebumps to pop out on my arms. Even though we were in small room filled with people, it felt like it was just the two of us. As the tension crackled, I inched closer to Gabe.

  Just as my body was in reach of touching him, Eli popped up beside us.

  “Hey guys, you wanna grab something to eat?” Eli asked.

  Without taking his gaze from mine, Gabe replied, “Sorry, we have plans.”

  After glancing between us, Eli grinned. “Yeah, I can imagine what kind of plans you have and what you’ll be eating.”

  While I didn’t find the innuendo insulting, Gabe growled, “Watch your mouth.”

  Both Eli and I widened our eyes at his reaction. Holding up his hands, Eli said, “Easy now. I was just joking.”

  “Yeah, well, don’t joke like that in front of Rae. She’s not one of the guys.” Gabe turned his gaze from Eli to me. With a smile, he said, “She’s special.”

  Holy swooning hell. I fought the urge to melt into a puddle at Gabe’s feet. Sure, I knew he felt that way about me, but it was extremely sexy hearing him say it to his brother.

  “I’m sorry for being offensive, Rae,” Eli said sincerely. If I hadn’t already liked him before, I especially liked him now. Even though Gabe hadn’t demanded an apology, Eli was willing to give me one.

  “Thank you, and it’s okay. I’m surrounded by men on a daily basis, so I’ve certainly heard worse.”

  “Gabe told me you run a collision business back home.”

  “I do. I mean, I run the business side. I’m not actually welding on bumpers or anything like that.”

  Eli grinned. “It would be pretty cool if you did.”

  I laughed. “I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

  “Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m totally impressed that you run your own business, especially one that’s so male-dominated.”

  I fought the urge to smile as I thought about how Gabe had been right when he’d called his brother a smooth talker. It was somewhat charming. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”

  “I’d love to hear more about it. Although you guys are busy today, maybe we can get together for drinks or dinner while you’re in the city.”