The Album: What happens when you fall in love with a rock star? (Cruise Control Book 1)

by Sian Ceinwen

  As their limousine pulled up to the red carpet and the driver walked around it to open the door, Gabriel turned to her, blocking the view of any nosy paparazzi who might be able to peek in through the dark windows and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

  “I’ll see you in there, sweetheart,” he whispered as the door opened behind him.

  He turned again and got out of the limousine amongst cries of “Gabriel!” and “Gabriel Knight!” Ariana even heard one person yell, “Mister Cruise Control!” and she had to smile.

  As Gabriel walked farther away from her, she briefly considered just staying where she was. The driver could shut the door, and she could stay safe and sound inside. She couldn’t do that to Gabriel, though, so she mustered up every ounce of courage she had and carefully stepped out of the limousine, ensuring that nothing was revealed as she exited.

  She thanked the driver, who shut the door behind her and went to drive the limousine away. She walked as quickly as she dared in her heels up the red carpet, pausing for a moment as she passed Gabriel. Their hands brushed as she passed him, and a small smile crossed his face, though he didn’t turn to look at her knowing that would be the kind of sign the paparazzi would be looking for.

  Ariana reached the entrance fairly quickly and paused just inside the door to try and calm herself down. Her heart was racing a mile a minute. She had entered a room with a coat-check area to the left and large double doors directly in front of her that opened into a nightclub that was packed with bodies. She moved farther into the room and turned to face the entrance so she could watch Gabriel run the Gauntlet.

  He looked so relaxed, so in his element as he answered the questions thrown at him, smiling and posing for the cameras. This was the side of Gabriel that she hadn’t seen. She had seen him perform as Gabriel Knight, the rock star, and he was spectacular. She had seen him as Gabe, the regular guy, who liked to laugh and flirt and play pool.

  What she hadn’t seen was him as Gabriel Knight, the verifiable celebrity, whose life the media and people worldwide would pick apart at the seams given the first opportunity. She had definitely made the right decision in not walking down the red carpet by his side. It was this side of his life that terrified her.

  As he got closer to the doors, Ariana could hear some of his conversations.

  “How long have you and April Conway been friends?” one journalist asked.

  “We’ve known each other for a while now,” Gabriel replied. “She’s pretty awesome and incredibly talented.”

  “Are you looking forward to going on tour?” another asked.

  “I can’t wait, it’s going to be great performing our songs live in front of our fans.”

  Ariana was amazed, there was no trace of any self-doubt in his voice, but she knew from their conversations that he was definitely worried about the tour.

  “Have you started working on a new album yet?” the first journalist asked.

  “I’ve written a couple of songs, but nothing is fully formed yet, these things take time,” Gabriel replied.

  “Are you seeing anyone at the moment?” a reporter who looked like she might be reporting for one of the teen magazines asked.

  Gabriel’s eyes involuntarily darted towards the entrance. Their gazes locked for an instant before he turned back to the reporter.

  “Not at the moment,” Gabriel answered her and gave an incredibly dashing smile. The lie came so easily from his lips, but it definitely stung Ariana to hear it even though she knew why he’d said it.

  “When the right person comes along, you’ll be the first to know. Maybe she has already!”

  With that, he winked at the reporter, waved one last time to the crowd, and walked through the entrance towards Ariana. They walked side by side through the doors and into the crowded room.

  As soon as they were out of the view of the paparazzi outside, Gabriel placed his arm around her waist, and she felt the tension easing from her body. Ariana surveyed the room; she felt entirely out of place here. People were everywhere, dancing, chatting, some were at the bar getting drinks.

  Most of the people in the room were household names. Ariana saw the child star of a show she’d loved watching when she was growing up. In another corner was the lead actor in the current number one movie at the box office.

  Gabriel led her over to the bar and got himself a beer, while Ariana ordered a vodka and orange. As they waited for their drinks, Gabriel pointed out Hayden Vega to Ariana. Hayden was Cruise Control’s drummer, and he was dancing with an incredibly hot guy on the dance floor. He also pointed out Sebastian, who was sitting in a booth in the corner of the room with Harrison Fletcher, who was Cruise Control’s bass guitarist. Harrison was here with his girlfriend, Heather York.

  They got their drinks as the song that was playing ended and arrived at the booth at the same time as Hayden, who had left his dance partner behind.

  “Hi, guys!” Gabriel called over the sound of the pumping music.

  “Hey, how’s it going?” Hayden asked as they took their seats.

  “Not too bad didn’t get stuck outside for long. What about you?” Gabriel asked.

  “We were stuck there for a while, weren’t we Sebastian?” Hayden replied, and Sebastian nodded his agreement.

  “I see you already found yourself a friend,” Gabriel grinned at Hayden.

  “You know me; I’m a friendly guy.” He laughed.

  “How are you, Ariana?” Sebastian asked her.

  “I’m fine,” she replied stiffly, remembering their last encounter.

  “It’s good to see you again,” he said. “Gabriel’s been telling us a lot about you.”

  Ariana raised an eyebrow at Gabriel.

  “All good things, of course,” Sebastian clarified.

  “I’m glad to hear it,” she replied a little more warmly. “I’d hate to have to rough him up if I heard he’d been slandering me!”

  Everyone laughed, and Ariana relaxed a bit. Sebastian was obviously making an effort, and Ariana wondered if Gabriel had told him that he had a lot to atone for.

  “Hi Ariana, I’m Hayden, since Gabriel is obviously not going to introduce us.” He shook her hand with a laugh.

  “I’m Heather,” a blond woman told her with a smile as she shook Ariana’s hand as well.

  “And I’m Harrison,” the man who was sitting with an arm around the blond woman said.

  Ariana was slightly stunned to be sitting with them. These people were all so beautiful. Hayden and Harrison were both brunettes, Hayden with green eyes and Harrison with brown, while Heather had blond hair and blue eyes, like Gabriel. All of them looked like they belonged on the cover of a magazine, and Ariana realized that the guys, at least, often were.

  “Gabriel told us that you’re a recent college grad, what are you up to now?” Hayden asked her.

  “I’m kind of floating, for now, applying for jobs, the usual. Probably going to try and get an internship somewhere.”

  “I hope you find something soon,” Harrison said with a kind smile at Ariana.

  “Thanks. What about you? Are you guys excited about the tour?” Ariana hated that she sounded like your average fan, but it was the only thing she could think of to ask and get the topic off herself and onto them.

  “Yeah, we’re all really excited; we can’t wait to get started. Only two weeks left to go,” Harrison told her.

  “Your first concert is here in Chicago, isn’t it?” she asked them.

  “It sure is. Hey, have you got a ticket?” Hayden asked.

  “Nope, they sold out too quickly for me to get one.”

  “Don’t worry, Gabriel will be able to get one for you, won’t you, Gabriel?” Hayden turned to Gabriel, who was in discussion with Sebastian.

  “I’ll be able to do what?” He asked Hayden.

  “Get Ariana a ticket to our Chicago gig.”

  “Oh, of course.” Gabriel smiled at her. “I was planning on making it a surprise for you, but trust Hayden to let the cat
out of the bag inadvertently. Big-mouth that he is,” he said as he punched his friend on the shoulder in jest.

  “Thank you,” Ariana said as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

  She was ecstatic. She had secretly hoped that Gabriel would be able to get her into the concert and would’ve actually asked him herself nearer the time.

  “No, thank you, because, in payment for the ticket, you have to come and dance with me!” He grinned at her.

  “Hey, you didn’t have to bribe me,” she told him as he stood, and they started to leave the booth. “I love dancing!”

  “Shall we dance, too, honey?” Heather asked Harrison, and when he nodded, they followed Gabriel and Ariana as they made their way toward the undulating masses.

  Ariana began moving with Gabriel in time to the beat of the song that was playing. He moved his body, sinuously, against hers. She turned around so that she was facing away from him, and he put his arms around her, then pulled her close to him.

  She could feel his hard chest against her back as she ground her butt against his crotch. They swayed side to side in time with the music, and he slowly lowered his hands down her body, brushing the sides of her breasts until he crossed them across her stomach, holding her close.

  They danced this way for a long time; Ariana wasn’t sure quite how long, but time flowed past them with no meaning. The rest of the people disappeared from her view, all she could concentrate on was Gabriel and the feel of his arms around her, his muscled body against her back, and the aching between her thighs.

  She turned to face him and placed her arms around his neck. He put his own arms around her waist and pulled her roughly against him. She could feel his erection pressing against her and wanted nothing more than to drop to her knees in front of him and take it in her mouth.

  They stopped dancing and began to kiss one another. His hands moved down to her behind, and he pulled her impossibly closer to him. His mouth was moving expertly against hers as she reached her hands up and curled her fingers into his hair.

  They both came crashing down to Earth as a bright light flashed behind Ariana. Of course, it was a camera; of course, no celebrity party would be complete without some asshole paparazzo sneaking in to snap guests in compromising positions. Gabriel was a quick thinker and held Ariana’s head against his chest.

  “Don’t look up, sweetheart,” he warned her. “Keep your face hidden, and they won’t get your picture, they can’t find out your name.”

  “Okay,” she mumbled into his shirt.

  Adrenaline rushed through her. She couldn’t see how she would get out of this without the entire world seeing a picture of her making out in a public place with a rock star.

  “Sebastian! Hayden!” Gabriel called, his voice loud even over the music.

  They both looked up from where they were still seated in the booth, clocked the situation immediately, and they were at Gabriel’s side in an instant. They stood side by side with their arms crossed in front of the man, a human barrier, shielding Gabriel and Ariana.

  “Hey buddy, you’ve got your picture, it’s probably time to leave now,” Sebastian growled at the photographer.

  “Who’s the chick?” the man asked in reply.

  “She’s none of your business,” Gabriel interjected.

  “Come on, Gabriel,” the man sneered. “Surely, you know that your business is my business?”

  “Be that as it may,” Gabriel told him, “we won’t be telling you her name.”

  “Hey girly,” the man addressed Ariana, “show us your face, babe!”

  She held herself as firmly against Gabriel as she could. She could smell the aroma that was attributed only to him, a mixture of his cologne and a musky scent of man. Despite the current situation, she found herself melting further into him, her body wanting to be as close to his as she could get.

  “I want to leave,” she whispered into his chest.

  “I know, sweetheart,” he muttered back. “I want to leave, too.”

  “What’s that you’re saying?” the journalist pestered Gabriel with a sleazy smile on his face. “Just give me a name, and I’ll leave you alone.”

  “It’s April Conway,” Hayden told him. “She doesn’t want to ruin her image.”

  “April Conway is blond,” the man countered.

  “She’s wearing a wig so she can be less conspicuous,” Hayden replied.

  “I don’t believe you. Why would she do that when it’s her party?” he spat at them.

  “Well, it’s the best you’re gonna get,” Hayden said.

  The photographer weighed his options. He could stand here wasting his time arguing with them, or he could go try and get a picture of some of the celebrities snorting cocaine in the toilets. He had a name, and true or not, it was an insider’s claim, and that was something he could run with. He shrugged and walked away from them.

  “I think you’re safe now,” Sebastian told them.

  “Okay, we’re leaving,” Gabriel said. “Keep your head down, Ari.”

  Gabriel moved so that he was next to her but kept his arm around her. Sebastian flanked her on the other side, and Hayden was bringing up the rear. She was looking at the floor but was surprised to find that they weren’t heading towards the exit but rather going deeper into the club.

  “I thought you said we were leaving?” she squeaked in alarm.

  “We are leaving, sweetheart,” Gabriel told her. “What we don’t want to do is leave through the main entrance and have our pictures taken on the way out.”

  Sebastian was on the phone to the car company, organizing to have a limousine brought around. They were now standing at a door with a green “exit” sign hanging above it.

  “Okay, you can go.” Sebastian nodded at them as he hung up the phone.

  “All right, thanks for all your help, guys. Have a great night.”

  “Will do. Take care.”

  “Now, Ariana, there are still likely to be some paparazzi outside this door, so keep your head down and let your hair hang down around your face, it should keep you fairly protected. I’ll go out ahead of you, so if you stay close to me, they shouldn’t be able to get a picture of your face.”

  She did as she was told and looked at the floor once again. Gabriel opened the door, and the limo was there in front of them, only about five yards away, but it felt like it was fifty.

  As soon as the doors had opened, the flashes started. Nowhere near as many as on the way in, but enough to concern her. Gabriel moved forward, and she followed closely behind. When they were nearly there, the driver opened the door to the limousine.

  Ariana followed Gabriel inside, practically landing on his lap in her attempt to keep as close to him as possible and ensure that her face wasn’t revealed. The driver shut the door behind her, and Gabriel held her head against his chest again as they drove away. Once they were moving, she sat up.

  “Can you make sure no one is following us?” Gabriel asked the driver after he slid the partition down between them.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I’m going to drop Ariana off first,” Gabriel said. “Maybe you could take the scenic route, though?”

  “Not a problem, sir.”

  “Thank you,” Gabriel replied and slid the partition back up.

  It was the first time since they’d officially started seeing each other that there was this kind of awkward silence between them. Ariana’s brain was a mess. She’d always known Gabriel’s life was different than hers, she’d even been a fan before they met, but this was the first time that she’d really faced the reality of what being involved with him would do to her life.

  Tonight had been a major shock to the system, and she needed time to process it, which was hard to do with Gabriel sitting right next to her and waiting for her to say something. She’d been terrified of what being involved with Gabriel would mean before tonight. This had confirmed all of her worst fears.

  “Ari?” he said her name softly, like a question.


  “Yes.”

  “Are you okay, sweetheart?” His tender concern soothed her frayed nerves, but the issue was still there.

  “It’s always going to be like that, isn’t it?”

  He paused before answering, considering the question.

  “You mean it’ll always be like that if you’re seen with me in public places?” He obviously knew where she was going with this.

  “That’s exactly what I mean.”

  “Yes, it’s probably going to be like that. It would’ve been slightly easier if you hadn’t minded having your photograph taken, though.” He sounded tense.

  “Does that upset you?” she asked.

  “That you don’t want to be seen with me?” He frowned. “A little bit, but I can understand why you don’t want to.”

  “I don’t think you really understand, though.”

  She sighed, but she knew that she had to explain properly, even though it would mean revealing secrets that weren’t really hers to share. Gabriel needed to know what was behind her fear of the celebrity lifestyle.

  “Do you remember my Aunt Susan from the night we met?”

  “Vaguely. She was worried about her Porsche seats.” His grin dropped as he saw her face and could tell this wasn’t the time for witty quips.

  “My dad is an only child, and my mom just has the one sibling. So Aunt Susan is one of my favorite people in the world, and I’m certain you’ll know of her husband, Darius Thompson.”

  “The Darius Thompson?” Gabriel asked, looking shocked.

  Ariana was used to this response on the rare occasion that she dropped her uncle’s name in a conversation. Many years ago, her aunt had married the man who was probably the most famous movie star on the planet.

  “The very same. I’m also sure that you’ve heard the rumors about him.”

  “Well…yeah. I’ve heard some.”

  Gabriel looked uncomfortable as a look of understanding started to cross his face.

  “The first time I knew about those rumors, I was nine. I came home, and my aunt was at our kitchen table with my mom and crying into a bucket of ice cream. I didn’t know at the time, of course, but the media had just found out and published that he was having an affair with his co-star on the movie he was filming at the time.