Cowboy 12 Pack

by Cynthia D’Alba, Paige Tyler, Elle James, Donna Michaels, Shoshanna Evers, Randi Alexander, Cora Seton, Beth Williamson, Sabrina York, Sable Hunter, Lexi Post, Becky McGraw

  Thief in the Night didn’t need synthesizers and loud electric guitar, it needed feeling.

  He sat his guitar down beside the stool and shoved a hand through his hair, as the control room door opened and Leigh came inside. It opened again, slamming against the wall, before swinging shut behind Bobby Gillis, who stopped beside Leigh to put an arm around her back. There was something going on between those two that Jase didn’t like.

  Maybe that’s why he was so damned distracted himself. No sooner had they walked into the studio than the man had planted a long kiss on her, and she hadn’t brushed him off. Since then Bobby Gillis had been stuck to her side like glue, and they were working together to manage the session. Jase wasn’t consulted or even invited to participate.

  “We’ve got to get this wrapped. These guys are almost out of hours,” Bobby growled, and Leigh tensed.

  “We need to rethink the arrangement,” Jase said shortly. “It’s too busy.”

  “Who are you? Tim McGraw?” Bobby asked with a snort. He shook his head and looked down at Leigh. “Where’d you get this guy, sweet cheeks?”

  Jase’s fists clenched as he edged off of the stool to stand. Leigh stepped around Bobby to put herself between them. She turned her back on him, and put her hands in Bobby’s chest to push him back toward the door. “Give me a minute with him, Bobby. I promise we’ll get things moving.”

  “You better, or this joker can clear out of my studio,” he said as he reached behind him to open the door, pinning Jase with a hot look. “I don’t have time to waste on fools.”

  “Neither do we, and we’re thankful you gave us this studio time for free,” she growled, shooting Jase a glare over her shoulder. The door shut and she rounded on Jase. “Get your act together, Sutter. Just sing the damned song like we discussed!”

  Jase swallowed his anger, and sat back on the stool to study her. “We didn’t discuss anything, Leigh. You decided with that joker how my song should be cut,” he corrected, trying like hell to keep the anger from his voice, but failing. “I have a problem with that.”

  “Well I have a problem with you being a butthead to Bobby. He’s doing me a favor here, and he’s doing you a favor,” she ground out.

  “He’s not doing any favors to my song, Leigh. The added elements aren’t making it better. We need to scale them back.”

  “He’s a professional, Jase—you’re not. He knows what he’s doing, and you need to trust him. Trust me.”

  “This song is special to me, and I don’t want it messed up. I don’t want the message lost in the fireworks,” Jase said calmly.

  “What are you having a problem with?” she asked with a huffed breath.

  “The second bass guitar, and the riffs the lead is doing in the chorus. Get rid of it. Tone down the backup vocals. That’ll save you money, anyway.”

  “Let’s have them lay the track then, so we can get them out of here. You come into the booth with us, and let’s get it done, then you can add the voice.”

  Jase stood and tipped her chin up to look into her eyes. “Great plan, boss lady,” he said with a smile, then leaned down to drop a kiss on her unsmiling mouth. Take that Bobby Gillis, he thought, biting back a laugh as he followed her out of the vocal booth.

  An hour later, one fucking hour when they’d been working on this for four, they had a perfect background track for the song. A sense of accomplishment settled in Jase’s chest as he turned to a sullen Bobby and smiled. “That is what I’m talking about.”

  The man rolled his eyes, as he slid off of the stool at the control panel to storm out of the room without a word. Leigh just laughed, as she walked over to him from the corner of the room where she’d been the whole time. “Bobby hates being wrong.”

  “Well, Bobby was wrong, wasn’t he?” Jase asked, turning toward her to pull her between his knees, his arms looped loosely around her waist.

  “Sounds that way,” she admitted. “Now, we just have to lay the vocals and we’ll have a song.”

  “We have six hours tomorrow. If I can’t make the vocals just as perfect in that time, then I don’t belong here.”

  “Oh, you belong here,” Leigh said, staring into his eyes. “If you want a job, I think Bobby might hire you.”

  “I wouldn’t work for him. He’s like Leo,” Jase replied, and her eyes dropped to his chest. He thought he knew why. “Did you make that call yet?

  “Um, no—I didn’t have time with you acting like a diva,” she said.

  “I’m no diva, but I’m not a pushover either, Leigh. What we were doing wasn’t right, and you know it.” He tipped her chin up. “We’ve got one shot at this, baby.”

  “I know that, and that’s why I trusted a professional to guide us.”

  “Gut instinct is better than experience sometimes, and that’s what I trust,” Jase replied, tipping the end of her nose with his finger. “That’s the only reason I decided to team up with you.”

  The control room door flew open, and Bobby stomped back in with a few sheets of paper in his hands. “If you two are done with the love fest, I have something to talk to you about.” He shoved the papers into Jase’s chest, then stepped back. Jase looked them over, but only got as far as realizing it was a song.

  “This is my song,” Bobby announced. “I’ve already got the track cut for it, but can’t find the right artist to record the vocals. I’ve tried three singers, but they’re not right. It’s country soul, and your voice is raw enough to do it justice. We have an hour left on today’s session, you want to mess around with it?”

  Jase laughed. “You want me to sing your song?”

  “Yeah, asshole, don’t get a big head,” he grumbled, as he shoved a CD into the dashboard, then pushed a button. He plugged in a headset and handed it to Jase. With a grin, Jase put the headphones on and read the lyrics as the woman on the track sang them. The music was amazing, but Bobby was right, the female vocalist wasn’t. Her voice was too clear and melodic, not an ounce of soul in it. But at least she had a good rhythm, so he could follow along and get the tune in his head.

  There were a few places he’d change things up a bit though. He ripped off the headphones. “You have an ink pen?” Jase asked.

  “What you gonna change my song now too, Tim?” Bobby asked angrily.

  “No, but I am going to change the phrasing some,” Jase replied firmly.

  Bobby chewed the inside of his cheek, then turned and walked to the desk in the corner to rifle through the drawers until he found a pen. He handed it to Jase, then stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest.

  Jase raised an eyebrow, as he slid the headphones back on. “Start the track again, jackass. We haven’t got all night.” Even with the headphones on, he heard Bobby’s growl and Leigh’s laugh. A half-smile lifted the corner of his mouth as he turned back toward the dashboard. He could be just as abrasive as Bobby Gillis. More, when given incentive. Obviously, abrasive was this guy’s comfort zone, so Jase had incentive.

  The feeling of control he had right at that moment was actually kind of fun, liberating. Between chasing rainbows in the midst of his mother’s illness, and the multitude of jobs he worked to make ends meet, being in control wasn’t something Jase had felt in a long time. Bobby leaned over his shoulder to start the track again, and Jase made notes on the paper where he thought the song should be sung differently.

  A few times, he waved at Bobby to back up the recording, so he could listen again. After about ten rounds of listening, Jase thought he had it down enough to give it a try. He pulled off the headphones and spun on the stool. “Let’s give it a shot and see what we come up with,” he said as he stood. He looked at Leigh, and his smile faded. Pointing a finger at her, he walked to the vocal room door and opened it, then said, “Go call your daddy!”

  Leigh watched the door swing shut behind Jase Sutter, and her heart melted in her chest. Their rocky start this morning had sure done a one-eighty this afternoon. Even though they’d wasted a lot of time today, she felt
exhilarated at the progress they’d made. She had no doubt that the vocals he produced tomorrow would be as golden as the background music they had now. This song was going to be a hit, she felt it in her gut. And now, if things worked out, they were going to have two songs to pitch instead of one.

  “That dude is a tool,” Bobby said with a shake of his head. “What’s the story with you two? And why does he want you to call Leo?”

  Panic shot through Leigh, and a knot formed in her throat. Bobby and her father were long-time friends. “Oh, nothing, just contract stuff,” she said with a wave of her hand.

  “Bullshitting a bullshitter never works, babe,” Bobby said.

  “Uh, he’s not signed with us yet, and, ah—”

  “And you have him here recording a demo? Didn’t you learn anything from Wade Lawson?” Bobby asked with a snort. “Saw that bastard the other day. He was laughing his ass off at you. I wanted to put his lights out.”

  “Oh, yeah? Where did you see him?” Leigh asked, her heart sinking in her chest.

  “I was over at Twang trying to pitch my song, and he was there with that twerp Glen Parsons, strutting around like a banty rooster. I asked how you were doing, and he started crowing about how he stuck it to you. I wanted to punch his lights out.”

  Leigh sighed. “He’s not worth the jail time, Bobby.”

  “You’re good to be rid of him, and so is Leo. But I know he’s pissed about the situation. Is he giving you hell?”

  As large as it was, the music industry was a very small world. Everyone knew everything, so it didn’t surprise Leigh that Bobby knew what went down, or that he knew Leo was upset with her. “Yeah, he’s pretty pissed off. That’s why I’m here on my dime.”

  “Your daddy is a smart man, one of the smartest in the business sometimes, but he’s blind too. Can’t see past the end of his nose when he gets zoned in on something.”

  Comments like that out of Bobby surprised the hell out of Leigh. She’d never heard him say a bad word about Leo. But even though Bobby was ten years older than her, they had a past too, one that was a lot closer than he and Leo’s friendship. They’d just never discussed Leo before, even in pillow talk.

  She dragged her eyes down to her hands. “Yeah, you’re right, but he’s been like that all my life. He’s never going to change.”

  “You deserve better,” Bobby said, with genuine affection in his tone. He nodded toward the vocal booth. “You never did answer me, darlin’. What’s up with you two? You going out on your own?”

  It looked like her daddy wasn’t the only one who was smart. She thought about it for a minute, then said, “I’m thinking about it. Jase heard our conversation this morning about Wade, and he says I should just tell Leo that I’m tired of his crap and move on.”

  “I’d say he’s a smart man too then. That’s what I think you should do too, and I’ll help you if I can. You still haven’t answered me about Sutter though.”

  “No, we’re not. He’s just a new artist I want to sign. I just haven’t decided whether that will be with Leo, or if I’ll go out on my own yet. He says he won’t sign with Leo, but I could probably convince him.”

  “You can’t ride the fence, Leigh. You’ll get splinters in your pretty ass,” Bobby said with a chuckle. Knuckles rapped loudly on the control room window, and Leigh looked up to see Jase throw up his hands, his eyebrows pinched over his angry brown eyes.

  “Your boyfriend is impatient,” Bobby said with a laugh. “I think he knows we used to bump uglies, and I don’t think he likes us talking.”

  Bump uglies? Leigh cringed. “He’s not my boyfriend, Bobby.”

  “Can’t bullshit a bullshitter, darlin’. You want to do the horizontal tango with him. It’s written all over your beautiful face. I know you in the biblical way remember?” Bobby winked at her, as he sat down at the dashboard and put on his headphones. “Go call your daddy and tell him to kiss your ass.” Bobby waved Jase back to his stool, and twisted the mic on his head toward his mouth. “Don’t slaughter my song, Tim, or I’ll kick your ass.” Leigh watched a sexy, determined grin lift the corners of Jase’s mouth, as he sat back down and put on his headphones.

  Leo could wait. She was too damned curious to hear this to leave the room and make that call. Instead, she sat on the desk in the corner and listened to Jase and Bobby have a short discussion about the tempo and added effects, before he pressed a series of buttons on the dashboard and gave Jase a thumbs up.

  Closing his eyes, Jase leaned forward over the microphone and swayed to the music. The hair on the back of Leigh’s neck raised when he started some bluesy humming that sounded almost like moaning. His opening note, a draggy vibralto, sent those goosebumps dancing over her scalp.

  Bobby smiled, cranked the volume higher, and Leigh’s breathing hitched. Leaning back against the wall, she closed her eyes and let Jase’s sexy voice drip like honey through her veins. The words he sang, those damned lyrics, were sex on sheet music, and his voice was perfect to deliver them.

  Angel, let me take you back to heaven where you belong. Heaven tonight, God’s name on your lips, my body in yours, just one night to love you like I want. One night and I’ll be ready, ready for the fall. Just give me tonight inside those golden walls.

  At that moment, Leigh wanted nothing more than to give Jase Sutter exactly what he was asking for in that song. Good God—her body was on fire, every hair stood on end, and she fought the urge to touch herself. His words, the phrasing, was just like he was singing those words to her, whispering them in her ear while they were in bed. That is what made a hit song, the feeling he was putting behind those words, and Leigh had that feeling that is exactly what she was hearing. A new hit song—a multi-platinum song.

  Jase started the chorus again, and she bit back a moan as her scalp tingled, and a wave of pleasure flooded through her. A raspy chuckle jerked her back to reality, and heart pounding, Leigh sat up and opened her eyes to find Bobby staring at her.

  “Thought I was about to see you come,” he said roughly.

  She probably would have if he hadn’t interrupted her. “I was just enjoying the music,” she croaked, and knew the hoarseness in her voice was a dead giveaway to the man she’d slept with that she was definitely turned on.

  He looked back at the control panel. “Your boyfriend has something special.”

  Jase Sutter definitely had something special, magical. The man was a star waiting to shine, and Leigh was going to polish him up and make sure that happened. “Yes, he does. How much for the song, Bobby?” she asked.

  He laughed. “With him singing it? Nothing up front, just give me a bigger cut on the royalties.”

  “You got it. I’ll get Clem to draw up a contract on Monday,” she said.

  “With Hearts Afire?” he asked, glancing back at her.

  Leigh held his gaze for a minute, swallowed down her fear, then said, “No, with Cupid Records.” First thing in the morning, Leigh was calling Leo and telling him to kiss her ass, and she was getting Jase Sutter’s name out to the people who mattered. “Wade who?” she asked with a laugh.

  “Leo who?” Bobby volleyed with a grin.

  Leigh slid off the desk as Jase burst through the door into the control booth. Buzzing with energy, he strode over to her wearing an ear-to-ear grin on his handsome face. “Now, that was magic, baby,” he said jubilantly, putting his hands on her waist to lift her in the air. He spun her in circles laughing, which dragged one out of her.

  When she got dizzy, Leigh patted his shoulder. “Put me down, Jase!”

  Jase stopped spinning, but he didn’t put her down. His heated gaze scorched her as he slowly, deliberately, slid her down his body until her toes touched the ground. His fingers dug into her hips to hold her against him, and there was no way Leigh could miss the very obvious sign that the song had the same effect on him that it had on her.

  He leaned down close to her ear to growl, “We need to get out of here.” When he pulled away, his eyes fell to her
mouth and her lips tingled.

  Leigh licked them, and glanced at Bobby, who was fiddling with dials on the control board. “Bobby, do you still have that apartment behind the studio? Is it vacant?” she asked quickly, before she could change her mind. This was a very bad idea, the worst, but the way she was feeling right now, she really didn’t care.

  “I use it for storage now, but the bed is still in there, if that’s what you’re asking,” he replied. Obviously, he’d heard Jase’s whispered words. “You’re welcome to it, but I’m warning you it’s not clean,” he said spinning around to face them.

  Jase glanced at her. “Has to be cleaner than the No Tell Motel we stayed in last night.”

  Bobby’s eyebrows shot up and he grinned. “Y’all stayed at the Nortell?” he asked, his eyes shooting to her.

  “Yeah, I remembered it being cheap and clean. It’s still cheap, but definitely not clean,” she admitted with a shiver, wondering if that roach had found his way to freedom.

  “Well, I can guarantee you, even dirty, the apartment is better than anything over at the Nortell. That place is only fit for drug addicts, dollies and dogs now.” Bobby shoved his hand into his pocket to pull out his keys, worked a key off of the ring and handed it to Leigh. “Now, let’s get the hell out of here. It’s almost ten now, and my girlfriend already says I live here. She could make that true if I piss her off.”

  “Girlfriend?” Leigh repeated in astonishment. Like Leo, Bobby usually had flings, he didn’t have women he kept around long enough to stick. He liked his freedom and swore he’d never give it up. Her mother had been trying to trap Leo into marriage when she got pregnant with Leigh. That hadn’t worked out really well for her. Since then, Trudy had found plenty of men to marry her though, and was evidently working on number five right now. The example they’d set her whole life told Leigh she was better off alone.