A shy smile formed on her lips that were swollen from my earlier assault. “Can we at least take baby steps to the whole mauling me in public?”

I threw my head back and laughed. “Sure we can.” I rubbed my thumb along her cheekbone. “I never, ever want to do something that makes you uncomfortable. So, I’ll try toning it down.”

“Mmm, my hero,” she murmured before kissing me again. We were just about to get hot and heavy again when the car pulled to a stop in front of the studio.

“Ready to go make some music together?” I asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”

I laughed. “You’ll be fine.”

After I helped Abby out of the car, we headed inside. Pinpoint Productions was a smaller studio than what the guys and I usually recorded in, but it was the intimacy about the place and the production team that I loved. Gio, the head producer, came out of his office and shook my hand. “Good to see you, Jake.”

“Good to see you too. This is Abby Renard. She’s the one singing the duet with me.”

“Nice meeting you,” Gio said.

Abby smiled. “Nice to meet you too.”

“We’re thrilled and honored that you wanted to cut you first duet with us. That was some amazing music you and the guys laid down yesterday for the track.”

“Thanks, man.”

Gio glanced between us. “So who wants to go first?”

I chuckled. “I would say for Abby to go ahead and get it out of the way since she’s so nervous, but I guess I better.”

Abby furiously nodded her head. “Yes, you first.”

I took her hand and gave a reassuring squeeze as Gio led the way back into the recording and sound booth. “You can sit right here.” I motioned to a chair at the soundboard.

“Thanks,” she murmured as she eased down. I could tell from her wide eyes she was taking in every aspect and detail around her. I went inside the recording booth and shut the door. After I put on my headset, I waved at Abby. She grinned and waved back. Although the lyric sheet was laid out before me, I didn’t need it. The lyrics were emblazoned on my mind.

Gio’s voice came through my headset. “Okay Jake, let’s try Take One.”

“Sounds good.”

The opening guitar melody played out in my ears, and I began singing. I closed my eyes and focused on the emotions of the lyrics. When I finished, I opened my eyes to see Abby wiping the tears from her eyes. “Good, huh?” I joked.

She nodded while Gio gave a thumbs up. His voice rang in my ear again. “That was kickass, Jake. You’re good, but you’re never one-take good. Let’s try it again.”

I laughed. “No problem, man.”

We did about ten more takes to me sure that we had it just like we wanted. When I was finished, I exited the booth and went to Abby’s waiting arms. “That was fantastic!” she exclaimed.

“Thanks, Angel. I’m sure yours will be too.”

“Ugh, I doubt that,” she moaned.

“Come on. Go in there and kick some ass, okay?” At her skeptical expression, I added, “I’ll be right out here, okay?”

She gave a brief nod of her head before she stepped into the booth and shut the door behind her. I watched as she reached for the headset next to the microphone. With shaky hands, she put it on. Through the glass, I gave her a reassuring smile and a thumbs up. She bobbed her head before lowering her gaze to the lyric sheet. “Okay, Abby, let’s go for Take One,” Gio instructed.

“All right,” she replied in a small voice.

When the music started in the booth, Abby looked like she might puke instead of sing. She started out evenly, but then when the notes climbed an octave, she missed the note. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

“No problem. Let’s try it again.”

The second and third takes were even worse. Even through the glass, I could see the tears shimmering in her eyes. I leaned forward and patted Gio on the shoulder. “Hold up. Lemme try something.”

I walked through the door and into the booth. Abby reached up to take off her headset. “I’m sorry, Jake. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I thought I could do it. I’m so sorry.”

“We’re not stopping.”

Her brows rose in surprise. “We aren’t?”

“Oh hell no. You’re going to sing your ass off right now like I know you can, and we’re going to record this song together.”

Her face crumpled. “But I can’t! You heard me earlier. I’m awful. You need to find someone else.”

I took her face in between my hands. “Where is the kick-ass-and-take-names, Abby that I know?” When she shrugged, I shook my head. “The Abby I know wouldn’t fall apart right now. She’d sing the hell out of this song just like I know she can.”

“You really believe in me that much?”

“Yeah, I do.”

She drew in a deep breath. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

I grinned at her. “Good. I’m glad to hear it.” I took her hands in mine and squeezed them tight. “And I’m going to stay right here while you do it.”

A determined look spread across her face that was both cute and at the same time sexy. “Okay, let’s do this.”

I gave a thumbs up to Gio. As the music started, Abby’s gaze locked with mine. She didn’t even glance down at her lyric sheet. Instead, she sang her fucking heart out to me and only me. When she finished, I blinked a few times in disbelief.

“Holy shit, Angel. I think you nailed it.”

She grinned. “You think?”

We both looked to Gio who was making a perfect sign with fingers. He leaned in to the microphone. “That was fantastic, but let’s do a couple more just in case.”

Abby bobbed her head in agreement. “Think you can do even better?” I asked.

“I sure as hell can try,” she replied.

After five more takes, we stayed around the studio listening to them merge our two vocal tracks. “That’s a number one right there,” Gio said with a grin.

“I never had any doubts,” I replied.

Abby’s blue eyes widened. “To have my first ever song go to number one would be amazing!”

Gio grinned. “Just wait until this drops. People are going to go batshit, especially with Jake singing a duet. He’s never done that before. You couple that with the emotions, and bam, solid gold.”

With a squeal, Abby did her happy/victory dance around the studio before jumping into my arms and wrapping her legs around my waist. She then proceeded to lay a hot, lingering kiss on me right in front of Gio. It was in that moment I knew I fucking loved Abby Renard with all my heart.

After we finished at the studio, we headed back to the hotel to join the others for a late brunch. As we sat down, Brayden said, “We waited to order until you got here.”

“Aw, that was so sweet. Thank you,” Abby replied.

As soon as we had all ordered, everyone wanted to know how the recording session had gone. With animated gestures, Abby filled them in on every single detail—including her freak-out. My heart swelled with pride when she told them how it was me that helped her overcome her stage fright. Leaning over, I planted a kiss on her lips. “You were amazing all on your own. I didn’t do anything.”

“You did everything,” she argued.

AJ rolled his eyes. “God, you guys are positively sickening,” he groaned.

“You’re just jealous.”

“Whatever,” he grumbled as he raised Jude onto his lap.

Our food arrived, and after we ate, I caught Abby gazing with a wistful look at Brayden and Lily. While Melody slept soundly on one of Lily’s shoulders, Brayden nuzzled Lily’s neck and spoke softly to her. Lily’s eyes closed while a serene smile filled her face. I had a pretty good guess that Abby was envying what she saw of the perfect rock-star family.

When she caught me looking at her, Abby smiled. Motioning her hand towards Brayden and Lily, she asked, “Are they always like that?”

I chuckled. “Pretty much. During the tour, they don’t get a lot of time together, least of all alone time. When they finally do see each other, they act like two horny teenagers.”