Jacob's Ladder: Gabe (Jacob's Ladder #1)

As Gabe teasingly shook a finger at me, I rolled my eyes. “Today’s the bake sale at Linc’s school. I had to stop by there.”

“Well, we’ve got an insurance adjuster here to look at that totaled Suburban.”

“Okay, I’ll be right there.”

“See you in a few, sweetheart.”

“Bye.”

When I turned back to Gabe, he smiled at me. “You have to go.”

“Unfortunately.”

He swept a loose strand of hair back from my face. “It’s okay. I didn’t expect for you to be able to stay. You do have a job and a life.”

Something in the way he looked at me made me sad. “I wish I could.”

“I know.”

After nibbling on my lip, I said, “You could come by later, if you wanted to. I have to go work the bake sale from noon to one, but after that, I’m free the rest of the day.” I laughed. “Well, as free as one can be at their job.”

Surprise filled Gabe’s eyes. “I thought you didn’t want me hanging out at the shop because I would stir up the men and confuse them about what’s going on between us.”

“They can say what they want to.”

He grinned. “I see.”

“Does that mean you’ll stop by?”

With a bob of his head, he replied, “Just as soon as I catch a nap.”

I grimaced. “Once again, I’m really sorry you lost sleep last night.”

“Trust me. This”—he motioned between us—“made it all worth it.”

“I hope so.”

When I started to get off the couch, Gabe pulled me back down against him. Cupping my face in his hands, he leaned in and kissed me. Although I could tell he wanted it to be more just as much as I did, he somehow managed to maintain his restraint. When he pulled away, he smiled. “See you later.”

“Sweet dreams.”

“They will be if they’re about you.”

Sweeping a hand to my hip, I said, “I said sweet dreams, not sex dreams.”

Gabe laughed. “Someone is pretty sure of themselves if they think I couldn’t have a dream about them without it being about sex.”

“I’m just speaking from experience.”

When Gabe’s eyes bulged, it was my turn to laugh. He popped off the couch like a jack-in-the-box. “You had a sex dream about me?”

“Maybe.”

He growled. “Don’t be coy now.”

“Fine then. You were very good in it. Does that make you happy?”

“Like how good?”

I waggled my brows at him. “Like I came in my sleep kinda good.”

A cocky smirk curved Gabe’s lips as he puffed his chest out. “So I was that good?”

I am so not answering that. “Now don’t go getting a big head. Just like with morning wood, women can have orgasms without any sexual stimulation.”

Gabe’s hand reached out to slide around my waist. As it started to dip down over my ass, he said, “I’m going to call bullshit on that.”

Pushing out of his reach, I wagged a finger at him. “It’s true. You can Google it.”

“I’m not saying the orgasm thing isn’t true—I’m calling bullshit that it wasn’t me who made you come.”

“Maybe. I guess we’ll never know.”

“We’ll just have to rely on the orgasms I give you when you’re awake.”

Yes, I’d be really happy to rely on those too. “I guess so.”

Tilting his head at me, Gabe asked, “You don’t sound so certain about that.”

“Oh, I’m certain about the orgasms you’ll give me.”

He grinned. “Okay, then what’s the problem?”

You, Gabe. But really, it wasn’t him—it was me. I hadn’t slept with anyone for the sake of sex alone since I was in my early twenties. I’d grown not only older since then, but also wiser. I wasn’t sure I could transition back to those early days, although Gabe had brought me awfully close to no-strings-attached sex—pun intended. I didn’t know what was the right way to tell him that while I wanted to slow down, I didn’t want to turn him off.

“I’m just not so sure I need them any time soon.”

“Ah, I see. You’re talking about putting the brakes on any more sexcapades.” Bingo.

I giggled. “Sexcapades? Seriously?”

“I’m pretty sure what we did on your kitchen counter last night would be considered a sexcapade.”

“Hmm, you’re probably right.”

“Of course I am.”

“Okay, Mr. Cocky, you still haven’t said whether you’re okay with slowing things down.”

“While I would prefer for us to stay in the fast lane, I’m totally fine with easing up a bit.”

The breath I’d been holding whooshed out of me in relief. “Thank you.”

With a wicked grin, Gabe waggled his brows. “You’d really be thanking me if I made you come.”

I rolled my eyes. “And on that note, I’m out of here.”

Gabe responded by playfully smacking one of my ass cheeks before pulling away. “I’ll see you later.”

After giving him a quick peck on the lips, I hurried out of the room. When I got to the top of the landing, Rejune scrambled off the bottom step where she had apparently been craning her head to eavesdrop.

When I passed her to go to the last landing of the stairs, I faked zipping up my jeans. “Have a good one, Mrs. Paulson.” I winked. “I know I will.”

Rejune’s face flushed blood red, and I had to duck my head to keep from laughing. I wondered if I would even make it back to work before people in town heard the latest gossip of how Reagan Hart was fornicating with the out-of-town country star in broad daylight—and on a Tuesday.





Three days later

I was in the middle of a hot-as-fuck sex dream about Rae when my phone woke me. At first, I thought it was my alarm since I was getting up early to have breakfast with Rae, but then I realized it was a call. “Hello?” I questioned drowsily.

“Good morning, Gabe. It’s Pierce.”

The mere sound of the label’s exec had me shooting up straight in bed. “Hey Pierce, how’s it going?”

“Good. I’m sorry to bother you so early, but I’ve just touched down at Hartsfield-Jackson. I was hoping to sit down with you and the band to hear your album’s progress before I head back to LA this evening.”

Fuuuuuck. This could not be happening. We weren’t supposed to meet with Pierce and the other execs for at least two weeks. While I might’ve had the songs written, it wasn’t like Abby, Eli, and I had gotten the chance to have any rehearsals. Sure, we’d done a few FaceTimes over the phone, but it was not the level of preparedness a perfectionist like me would like to have.

“Well, I don’t know. I’d have to speak with the others—”

“Xander and Paula have already been in touch with your brother and sister. They said they could be there, but I would need to check with you since you were out of town.”

“Yeah, I’m up in the mountains. It’ll take me a few hours to get back into town.”

“Would noon be enough time?” Like noon in two weeks’ time? Sure. Noon today? Hell fucking no.

“Sure. I could make it by then.” Yeah, I was a spineless asshole.

“Good. I’ll see you then.”