Reckless Rock Star (Cocky Hero Club)

by Victoria Ashley

  There’s my clue. That’s how I should’ve known it was Madden on the couch and not his brother.

  He actually didn’t complain about me being too close. If I had been more aware, I would’ve caught that.

  Maybe I should’ve just stayed on the couch where I was at least warm and cozy. In my mind it was Logan at least, and I liked that Logan… a lot.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Madden

  When I rolled off the couch this morning, the first thing I thought about was Natalie crawling into bed with me—or should I say the couch—last night, thinking I was my brother.

  I could’ve had so much fun with that, and given her a reason to agree to come with me tomorrow, but I figured if I let her hand go where we both know it was headed, she probably would’ve kicked my ass and gave me a definite no.

  To be honest, it felt nice having her snuggled up against me with no expectation of sex. She was so warm and soft, and her touch felt genuine, unlike the girls I’ve been with since Alana.

  She might not have known it was me, but it still felt good to just lay there and accept the comfort her touch was bringing.

  I was awake for a good ten minutes before I forced myself to wake her up; before things could get more confusing or Logan came to find us snuggled together on the couch.

  Had that happened, there’s no way in hell he’d still agree to me borrowing her for the trip. Not if he actually saw with his own two eyes how we looked together.

  No fucking way.

  I’m positive the two of us looked hot as hell lying there on the couch, half-naked and tangled up together. It felt hot at least, and she sure as hell looked hot. My brother has been holding out on me.

  When I opened my eyes and looked behind me, she was lying there with her thick strands of mahogany colored hair falling over her delicate face. Her full lips were slightly parted and pressed against my shoulder.

  Would it be wrong to admit that seeing my brother’s girl half-naked when she jumped up and elbowed me made my dick twitch with excitement?

  Yeah, I thought so. It’s probably best to keep that shit to myself.

  It’s half past two, so I’m at the coffee shop getting some bagels and coffee to bring to Logan’s office.

  I want to see him again before I head out to ask Natalie about the trip. I have to make sure he was serious when he agreed to this. Plus, I need him to tell me what time she goes into work so I can catch her, since she was already gone when I woke up this morning.

  With a smile, the blonde cashier slips me my receipt and then a piece of blank receipt paper. She can hardly stand still. “Can I get your autograph?” she whispers excitedly. “I’ve been waiting for you to come back ever since I missed you last time. Everyone here talked about it for weeks and rubbed it in my face. I was so pissed I had that day off.”

  I tilt my head up and lift a brow as she frantically searches for a pen, completely missing the one that’s right beside the register. “Looking for this?” I grab the pen and take the cap off with my teeth, before jotting down a quick message and signing it. “Here you go, Lindsey.”

  I wink and toss the pen down, before scooting the receipt paper across the counter to her.

  With a quickness I haven’t witnessed in a long time, or maybe even ever, she grabs the pen and shoves it into her shirt pocket. “Holy shit! I’ll be keeping this forever. Thank you, Madden! You’ve just made me one happy barista. Everyone else here can suck it, because I’ll be getting them back for last time. Screw them for rubbing it in my face. Wasn’t cool at all.”

  I nod my head, grab for my order, and exit the coffee shop before anyone else takes notice of me being here. I’m thankful for her being quiet, and pretty positive it was solely because she wanted to be the only one there to get to see me this time, since apparently, she missed out last time.

  Sometimes this hoodie is an acceptable disguise, but when someone has the chance to look at me straight on, it’s obvious who I am.

  I’m doing my best to make it through this last day before I finally get to be where I know no one will give a shit about my autograph or taking photos with me. The one place I can be myself and not have to impress anyone.

  There I can be the same ole Madden Parker who plays guitar by the bonfire for the simple fact that I enjoy playing for my friends and have since I was sixteen.

  When I enter the law office Logan works at, a few cute women check me out as I make my way past the front desk and to my brother’s office, but none of them make a show of it, which makes me happy. I’m sure they’ve been told to act professional if I come in, thank God.

  Logan is on the phone when I step into his office, so I quietly shut the door behind me and toss the bag of bagels at him.

  He misses and gives me a stern look as I set his coffee down in front of him.

  “Like I said—I’ll see what I can do. I’m a lawyer, not a fucking miracle worker, John. Yes… I know this, and I always do, don’t I?”

  I stand back with my arms crossed and watch as he paces his office with a flexed jaw. He does this for a few minutes before he finally ends the call and takes a seat on the edge of his desk.

  “Shit, it’s been a stressful day.” He breaks a small smile when he notices my eye. “Who did you get the shiner from?”

  “Your girlfriend.”

  “No shit?” He laughs and reaches into the bag. “I take it she said no then?”

  “Nope.” I grab for my own bagel and bite into it, before continuing. “I haven’t asked her yet.” I point at my eye. “This happened when she accidentally crawled onto the couch with me late last night and then realized she was cuddling the wrong Parker Brother.”

  He narrows his green eyes at me while taking a sip of his coffee. “And that’s exactly why I know I don’t have to worry about her. Now you on the other hand…” He sets his coffee down and stands up to roll his sleeves up. “What did you do to get punched in the fucking eye?”

  “Not let her grope me.” I say teasingly. “She didn’t take it too well, as you can see. Clearly, my body is irresistible.”

  He clenches his jaw, clearly starting to rethink his previous answer of letting her go on the trip. It’s time to stop pushing him before I ruin my chances of him trusting me with her. Without Natalie I’ll be shit out of luck.

  “She slipped her hand under the waistband of my pants and when I woke her up she freaked out and got me good with her elbow. It was an accident. And then she gave me the usual attitude and joined you in bed. Calm your fancy slacks, big brother. Nothing happened.”

  “Yeah, well… I didn’t think so.”

  “When does she go into work? I was hoping to catch her there, so she has a little time to consider it before I leave. I’m heading out tomorrow evening, which doesn’t leave much time for her to agree.”

  He looks down at his watch. “In about twenty minutes. But she gets really pissy if you bother her when she first gets there. She usually has a lot of shit to catch up on from the night before. Trust me, it’s best to wait until later.”

  I grin and slap his shoulder. “Thanks, brother, but I’m sure I can handle her.”

  “You’re lucky I love your ass and want what’s best for you, because this is an extremely fucked-up request. If anyone else asked to borrow my girl I’d probably kill them with my bare hands.”

  “Good thing I’m not anyone else then, brother.” I stop at the door. “Oh yeah. You might want to tell me her favorite dessert, aside from rock hard abs that is…” I lift a brow as I watch him tense up again. “I’m joking. I need to butter her up a bit if I’m going to have any chance of her saying yes. We both know this.”

  “Caramel cheesecake from the bar across the street from the hotel. The one Carla works at.” Clearly annoyed with my mouth, he huffs and rerolls his sleeves again. “You’re going to send my stress level through the damn roof today, Madden. Get out of my office before I change my mind. You’ve got five seconds.”

  I hold my bagel up to him and
say, “You’re welcome for the bagels, dick,” before I disappear out his office door.

  One of the women checking me out when I first walked in flashes me a seductive smile and bites her bottom lip as I walk past the front desk.

  She clearly wants what I’m packing, but unfortunately, right now I’m not in the mood to take some hot secretary into the bathroom and bend her over like the last time I visited this place. It ended messy and I can’t do messy right now.

  Plus, I have something way more important on my mind, so I keep on walking, not stopping until I’m getting into my old truck. Once inside, I head toward Sunrise Motel and hope like hell that getting Natalie some cheesecake from Carla is going to be good enough to make her hate me just a tad bit less than normal.

  When I step into the bar, Carla is wiping down the counter while in conversation with an elderly man. “Take a seat, babe, and I’ll be right with you,” she says without looking my way.

  “How’s my favorite girl?” I take a seat on the nearest barstool and grin when Carla’s head shoots my way, her eyes widening when they land on me.

  She smiles and tosses her towel down. “Holy shit! I was wondering when I’d see my favorite rock star again.” She rushes over to give me a hug, before examining me. “You look good, Madden. Much better than the last time I saw you.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s because it’s been almost a year since I’ve seen that crazy bitch Alana.” I take a seat again and Carla moves back behind the bar. “I can’t say that for long, though.”

  “Shit. It’s that time again, isn’t it?”

  I nod. “Yup. But that’s the reason I’m here. Well, other than coming to see you, of course.”

  Her smile widens. “Let me guess… you need some advice?”

  “What I actually need is cheesecake?”

  “Really?” she questions, giving me a suspicious look. “You don’t even like cheesecake.”

  “It’s not for me. It’s for Nat.”

  She places her hand on her hip and narrows her eyes at me. “Explain,” she motions to my face, “because I’m not sure I like that look.”

  “I’m going to ask Nat to come with me,” I say simply. “As my girlfriend.”

  “Whoa… okay. I was not expecting that.” She leans over the bar, her questioning eyes meeting mine. “I’m completely missing something here. Natalie never told me you two were a couple now. What about your brother?”

  “We’re not a couple,” I clarify. “She’s still with my brother. Nothing about that has changed, Carla.” I stand up and smirk. “Except the fact that Nat is going to be my pretend girlfriend for six days. At least, I hope.” I nod toward the cooler. “So, I’ll be needing that cheesecake to butter her up.”

  Her mouth drops open as she stands up straight. “Do I need to tell you how bad of an idea this is?”

  “Nope. I’ve got it all under control, babe. Now are you going to help your favorite rock star out and give me that cheesecake I asked for? Might want to make it the biggest piece. I need all the help I can get.”

  Shaking her head, she walks to the cooler and grabs the biggest slice of caramel cheesecake she can find and sets it down in front of me. “Just be careful, Madden. The last thing you want is for things to get messy for you and your brother. Pretending to date someone isn’t as easy as it may seem. Feelings sometimes get involved. Are you ready for that possibility?”

  I toss down a twenty and grab the back of her head, planting a firm kiss on her forehead. “Nothing to worry about, babe. Nat practically hates my guts anyway. What could possibly go wrong?” I hold up the container while backing toward the exit. “Thanks for always having my back. I’ll see you when we get back.”

  Once back inside my truck, I set the cheesecake down and make my way across the street. When I pull up in the parking lot of Brightside Hotel, a text from Alana comes through that has me wanting this to happen more than ever now.

  I need Natalie to agree to this.

  3:10 PM

  Alana: I think I should sleep in your room again this time. It’ll give us some private time to talk. I can cuddle and rub you like old times. I miss that more than anything. The way your body feels beneath my fingertips. I miss you, Madden, and I know you miss me too. See you soon.

  I squeeze my busted-up phone, before tossing it into the backseat with a growl, and then reach beside me for the container of cheesecake.

  I have a feeling that Alana is going to be the cause of me having to replace my phone yet again. It’s pretty much on its last leg now, and all it’ll take is one more time of me throwing it for it to die.

  Those shitty cases and screen protectors are nothing compared to my anger, apparently.

  I step out of the truck, already lighting a cigarette to help calm my nerves. I quickly finish it before I walk inside and begin my search for the one woman who can hopefully get me out of this mess with Alana.

  She’s not at the front desk, and since no one else is, I take a seat in the chair and answer the phone when it rings. “Brightside Hotel. What’s up?”

  “Ummm…” a confused female voice says. “You’re not Natalie. What are you doing answering the phone?”

  “It rang,” I say simply. “Where is Natalie, by the way?”

  “Is this Logan?”

  “Do I sound like I have a stick up my ass?”

  “Well… no. Ooh! Ooh! Wait!” her voice turns to excitement. “This is the sexy little brother, right? The lead singer of RISK.”

  “You’d be correct.”

  “Do not leave. I repeat, do not leave! I’m heading down to the desk. Oh my god!”

  Before I even have a chance to say anything the ecstatic girl hangs up on me.

  I look down at the phone and shrug. “Well, all right then.”

  I hear footsteps coming up behind me right before I hear her angry voice. The same one she used on me last night before rushing off in a hurry.

  She’s probably still embarrassed, and I don’t blame her. She almost groped my dick. Maybe I should have let her…

  “What the hell are you doing behind the desk, Madden? Are you trying to get me fired?” Natalie moves around to face me and snatches the phone from my hand with a scowl. I can’t help but to notice once again just how cute she is when she’s angry. “And you seriously answered a phone call? Get up out of that chair. Hurry, there’s cameras for fuck’s sake.”

  She gives me an annoyed look and pushes my chest, until I finally stand up from the chair and look her over. “Is this what you consider foreplay, because I think it’s working.”

  “You’re an idiot. What do you want?”

  “I brought a peace offering.” I smile, sliding the cheesecake across the desk. “Calm down. I’m only messing with you because I know my brother doesn’t know how to have any fun. And I thought you could use this.”

  Her attention focuses on the container as I tap the top of it. “Is some small rodent going to jump out at me if I open it?”

  “No, but I can arrange that if it makes you happy. What would you like? A baby bunny? I don’t think that’s going to fit in this container, though.”

  “What would make me happy is for you to tell me what you want so I can get back to work. Really, Madden, I’m extremely busy and this day is not starting out well for me. I have too much crap to do and I’m close to choking someone. Do you want that someone to be you?”

  Her ice-blue eyes pierce into me as she slams the phone down.

  Shit, my brother was right. I probably should’ve waited a bit to show up. I’m positive she hates me even more right now. The simple act of me breathing seems to be pissing her off more by the second.

  But it’s now or never.

  “I need to ask you a favor and it’s important to me.” I flex my jaw, giving her a serious look. I may joke and mess around with her a lot, but she needs to see that I do have feelings too. “Just promise me you’ll consider it before saying no. Please. I need you to promise.”

  Her blue e
yes roam over my face, softening a bit once she realizes just how hard this must be for me to do. “Yeah, okay. I promise. Is everything okay?”

  I swallow and open the container of cheesecake, hoping that it’ll at least help me out and let her see that I’m considerate when I want to be.

  I just haven’t wanted to be in a while.

  A small smile crosses her face once her eyes move from me to her favorite dessert. “You asked your brother what I like?”

  I nod. “I did.”

  “Go on,” she says softly, before clearing her throat and trying to pretend that I haven’t impressed her. “Ask me, so I can get back to work.”

  “Okay. I need you to go on the trip with me and pretend to be my girlfriend in front of my old friends. Specifically, Alana… my ex.”

  She must be stunned, because she can’t seem to speak for a good ten seconds. “Wait… what?”

  “Be my girlfriend for six days. Please. I need you to do this for me, Nat.”

  She lets out a nervous laugh and begins organizing things on the desk. “You’re insane, Madden. I can’t do that.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I’m dating your brother. That’s why. Can’t you choose some random girl you’ve slept with or something? I’m sure they’d do just about anything to spend time with you.”

  I shake my head and walk behind the desk to get her to look at me. “I can’t ask anyone else. Every girl I’ve slept with has become obsessed with me and hates me for not wanting a relationship. I need someone who won’t fall for me and I know I can count on that when it comes to you.”

  She looks up at me from the desk and laughs. “So, I’m the only girl in the whole damn world who won’t fall for the Madden Parker? Is that what you’re saying?”

  I nod my head. “Yes. You’re the only one so far. Everyone else is blinded by the fame.”