Reckless Rock Star (Cocky Hero Club)

by Victoria Ashley

  I laugh and toss her jeans on the bed beside her. “Hey, look on the bright side. If we do get lost, I can entertain you with my sexy voice.” I smirk as she rolls her eyes. “Besides, do you know how many women would jump at the opportunity to get lost in the woods with a hot rock star like myself?”

  “Okay, no. I’m definitely staying now.” She plops back down and covers her face with her pillow.

  She says something that’s muffled by the fabric, so I pull it away from her face and yank the blanket down to her feet to get her up and moving. “Let’s go, babe.”

  “Madden! I’m not dressed!” She tugs her small shirt down in an attempt to hide her blue panties, and as much as I know I should look away, it’s a struggle.

  Her body is fucking perfection.

  I grab my baseball cap and put it on, looking away to give her a minute to get dressed. “I thought we were both past that part, Nat. I’ve seen you in your underwear and you’ve seen and felt me in mine. We’re both adults. We know what parts each other has. Now come on.”

  “I really want to punch you right now,” she says out of breath, hopping around behind me to pull her tight jeans up. “Is it too late to change my mind and go back to your brother? The less cocky one.”

  “Yup!” I reach into my bag and grab my leather jacket. “Here.” I toss it to her. “It’s a little chilly in the woods this early.”

  She looks down at it in her hand, before tossing it back to me. “The only jacket I wear other than my own is your brother’s. It’s weird to wear another guy’s jacket. Besides, I have my own.”

  “Does he offer you his jacket, Nat?”

  She turns away for a quick moment, as if to hide her embarrassment. “That’s not the point. I have my own, and like you said, no one is awake right now anyway. Mine will work just fine.”

  I step up to her and grab her arm to stop her from reaching for her own jacket. “When you’re my girl, you wear my jacket,” I whisper against her ear. “And you’re mine for the next six days. Let me treat you how I would if this were real.”

  “Fine,” she says while I slip it on her, not giving her a choice. “You’re much—”

  “Different than you expected me to be with women?” I interrupt. “Or much different than my brother?”

  She nods and adjusts my jacket. “Yeah… I mean… to both. Let’s just go.”

  “Yeah, well, I’ve known since a young age what the most important thing in my life would be, and that’s to find a good woman to love and take care of. Logan was always more consumed with finding a great career and putting it first. That’s the difference between us. I’m not truly happy unless I have someone to love.”

  I tense my jaw and turn away, pretending I’m not letting my emotions get the best of me at the moment, but even the thought of love and what it used to feel like has me wanting to punch something.

  “I’ll wait outside so you can brush your teeth.” I walk out of the room and past Alana’s door, not giving it a second glance.

  If I had any cell service here, I have no doubt that my phone would’ve been blowing up last night with messages from her, and I hate myself for even wondering what those messages would’ve said.

  I hope she’s hurting; not because I take pleasure in her pain, but because I know that hurting her is the only true way of getting her to move on and cut me out of her life. What she did is something I can’t get past. The trust I had in her is gone.

  She did this. Not me.

  As long as I keep reminding myself of this, I should be able to make it through the rest of the trip pretending that Natalie is mine.

  Once stepping outside, I pull out a smoke and place it between my lips, lighting it up. It’s too early to drink right now, and if I break down and get drunk before everyone wakes up, then Alana is going to know that I’m still not over her.

  I can’t have that again.

  I’ll smoke cigarette after cigarette if I have to, but I need to stay away from the whiskey for as long as I can. At least until someone else has a cup in their hand first. I’m counting on that being before one.

  “I’m ready.”

  I look up at the sound of Natalie’s voice, and I can’t help but to swallow due to my suddenly dry mouth at the sight of her in my jacket. I hadn’t gotten a good look of her inside, but holy shit, she makes that jacket look good. Much better than I’ve ever made it look.

  I kick away from the cabin and toss my half-smoked cigarette at the ground, trying my best not to gawk at my brother’s girl. “Let’s get out of here before someone wakes up. I don’t want anyone joining us.”

  I nod at her to walk first, before I place my hand on the small of her back and guide her toward my favorite path. I’m the only one who walks this one since it splits off into three trails and easily confuses everyone.

  We used to get lost out here almost every year as kids, but I’ve taken it so many times now that I know it just by looking at the trees. “What do you and my brother do for fun?” I ask, breaking the silence.

  She looks up from her feet for the first time in minutes. “I don’t know.”

  “Okay…” I say on a laugh. “You don’t know, or you don’t want to tell me?”

  She’s silent for a few minutes, as if thinking. “I’m starting with the easy questions here. Is it really that hard to think of one thing you guys do for fun?”

  “What if it is?” she asks quietly. “Your brother is busy a lot and our schedules don’t give us much time for fun. We barely get to spend more than three hours a day together.”

  I stop walking, not liking her answer. “You don’t need time to have fun, Nat. I could plan a fun activity for us that lasts only thirty minutes if I wanted to. You take what time you do have and use it to make your partner happy. That’s part of being in a relationship. My brother really needs to take lessons from me in the relationship department, because he’s clearly lacking there.”

  “Okay.” She stops walking when I start, so I stop to look back at her. “What kind of activities would you plan for us if we were a real couple? I suppose I should know these as your “girlfriend”.”

  “Axe throwing. I do that sometimes when I’m in California to let off some steam. Doesn’t take long. I bet if you imagined my face as the target, you’d be pretty good.”

  “All right.” She laughs and begins walking again. “I have wanted to try that out for a while now. What else?”

  “Darts. Again, my face could be the target, which I’m sure it was the other night.” I smirk when her lips curve up into an amused smile. I’m trying to loosen her up and it seems to be working. “You’re imagining it again, aren’t you?”

  She ducks under a branch as I hold it up for her. “No, but I find it funny that you think I hate you that much. I don’t. You just drive me crazy most of the time.” She squeezes my left cheek and laughs. “Besides, we both know that your face is too pretty to be a target. I’m sure millions of women would hunt me down and hurt me if I ever messed it up. What else?”

  I should have a smartass remark over her finally admitting that she finds me attractive, but instead, all I can think of is the most inappropriate activity of them all. “I’d take you for a ride on my motorcycle and find a nice, quiet spot to take care of your body. That’s my favorite one.” I turn my baseball cap backward, before turning around and looking straight ahead as I walk.

  She doesn’t say anything more, and I wonder if maybe, just maybe, I’ve taken things too far with the last one.

  It’s not like I was telling her what I’d like to do to her. She asked which activities I’d plan if we were a couple and that’s most definitely something I’d plan for my woman.

  It’s quiet between us for a while, both of us enjoying the peace and quiet of the trail, until Natalie walks over and takes a seat on a fallen tree.

  I take this as my opportunity for a smoke break and pull out another cigarette to help calm my nerves. I can feel Natalie watching me. “When did you learn to play th
e guitar?”

  I smile at the memory. “When I was eight. My uncle used to be in a band, and I wanted to be cool like him.” I snuff out the rest of my cigarette and take a seat next to her. “Don’t get me wrong, the band was horrible. I might’ve been young, but I remember that much. That didn’t matter to me, though. I thought it was so cool to watch him play, and I wanted people to look at me and feel the same awe that I felt while watching him. I begged him for weeks to teach me how to play before he finally gave in.”

  When I look over at Natalie, she’s watching me with a smile. “I can picture a miniature you, holding a guitar way too big for your size, while drowning in that leather jacket of yours.”

  “Cute, right?” I nudge her side and she nods.

  “Don’t like this too much, but yes. I bet you were adorable.”

  I flash her my best ‘adorable’ smile, and with the way her lips curve into a smile, I know I’ve got her. “Were? I still am.”

  “Adorable with a side of annoying.”

  I shrug. “I’ll take it.”

  She’s quiet for a moment, her lips still curved into a small smile as she looks around the woods, looking peaceful and at ease. “It’s nice to have easy conversation in the morning. It helps to start the day out right. Your brother hates talking when he first wakes up. It puts him in a bad mood.”

  “Still?” I ask on a laugh. “I haven’t risked trying since that one time when we were kids and he threw his G.I. Joe at my head for asking him if he wanted to go swimming.”

  She looks at me and laughs. “Ouch. That sounds painful.”

  “It left a huge welt on my forehead that lasted for almost two weeks. It looked like I had a horn attempting to grow between my eyes. They called me uni-boy for months after.”

  She bursts out into laughter, so I keep to myself that I made that last part up. I like seeing her enjoying herself like this, and I want to keep it this way for as long as I can.

  I grab her hand and pull her back to her feet, before I take off walking again. It’s silent, except for the sound of branches and leaves crunching beneath our feet.

  “Does your brother have an ex that he used to bring here?” I look over at her, noticing that her expression is uneasy now, all playfulness gone. “Is that why he hasn’t mentioned me to your friends? Please be honest. I can take it.”

  I shake my head, feeling like crap that Logan is such a douche sometimes. “No. He’s never brought a girl on this trip. I’m not really sure why. Although, he really only had a girlfriend one year during the trip.”

  She looks confused. “What do you mean? You guys have been coming here for years.”

  “His relationships have never lasted long. He was always single come trip time, except for the trip from three years ago and he didn’t invite her along. You’re his longest relationship, Nat. The others have never lasted longer than three or four months.” I let out a sarcastic laugh, thinking back to Logan’s dating life before Natalie came along. “I can’t even count the number of girlfriends he’s had. The women have always loved my brother.”

  The way her mouth drops tells me she’s probably hearing this for the first time. It also tells me that I probably should’ve kept my mouth closed, but I expected her to know these things since they’ve been together for almost two years. “He’s had that many? I can’t picture Logan being the type of guy who hops from one relationship to another. He’s never told me about the numerous women he’s been with. I need some air.” She takes off walking faster, as if she needs to get away.

  “Shit.” I hurry to catch up with her, grabbing her waist to stop her from walking. “Nat, wait.”

  She sucks in a breath at the same time I give her waist a slight squeeze, so I quickly remove my hand, not wanting to upset her more. “I’m sorry. I assumed Logan had talked to you about his past. I didn’t mean to upset you.” I walk around to face her. “Alana and I knew everything about each other. Apparently, my brother isn’t as open as I am. But it was in the past. He’s a good man and he’s dedicated to you, Nat. No need to worry or be upset. It’s clear that he loves you and he’s changed.”

  “I’m not worried, Madden. I’m just pissed off that he lied to me about his past. He told me that he didn’t date much before we met, then I have to hear from you that he’s had too many women in his life to count. I don’t like liars, and I expected him to be truthful with me. I’ve never given him a reason to lie to me. I’ve been honest with him about everything, even the bad things I’d rather not repeat.”

  “That makes two of us.” An ache hits me straight in the chest, and I find myself gripping the closest tree, digging my fingers in as I try to keep my cool. “Let’s not think about liars. It’s not good for either of us right now. We have almost a week to get through. Fuck the negative shit. We don’t need it. Let’s make the best of this, yeah?” I push away from the tree and turn to face Natalie. “Come on.”

  She nods and falls into step beside me as I take us farther into the woods. “How do your parents feel about seeing you all over social media and hearing your voice on the radio?”

  “My father loves it while my mother complains I cuss and drink too much. She’s not wrong.”

  “Definitely not,” Natalie says with a hint of humor. “I’ve seen plenty of videos and interviews, and I’m not sure any of them were profanity free.”

  I stop and smile, causing her to bump into me. “Have you been stalking me online?”

  She clears her throat and pushes my shoulder, before walking past me. “Absolutely not, rock star. Keep walking.”

  “You don’t have to be ashamed, Nat. Most females are obsessed with me. I’m used to it. My brother never has to kn—”

  She elbows me in the side, cutting my words off. “You’re a moron, Madden. I am not obsessed with you like ninety percent of the female population is. I enjoy your music. RISK is one of my favorite bands. There, I admit it. Are you happy?”

  “Hell yes I am, babe.”

  “Must you really call me that in private?”

  “The more I call you it, the more natural it will feel and sound to others, so yes.”

  She rolls her eyes and heads back the direction we came from. I let her lead the way, knowing she’ll most likely get lost like everyone else does. The truth is, I’m enjoying being alone with her and away from Alana. I want to make it last a bit longer, so I continue to follow her even after she takes a wrong turn.

  “I don’t think any of this looks familiar,” she finally says after a while. “What the hell, Madden?” She turns to face me, her expression annoyed. “I’ve been going the wrong way this entire time, haven’t I?”

  I nod and risk a smile, knowing there’s a chance she may physically hurt me. There’s also a chance I may like it.

  “See…” She turns to walk back the direction we just came from, bumping my shoulder in the process. “Annoying.”

  “With a side of adorable,” I point out as I pass her to lead the way. “Don’t forget that part.”

  She rolls her eyes, but I notice a hint of a smile that she attempts to hide as she falls into step beside me. She may never admit it out loud, but she’s having fun being alone with me.

  “How long have we been out here?” she questions once the cabin comes into view.

  “I don’t know. Why?”

  “Just wondering if anyone is awake yet.”

  “We’ve been gone long enough, so I wouldn’t be surprised if someone wakes up soon.”

  “I think I’m going to jump in the shower now so I’m not in anyone’s way when they do.”

  I nod and roll my sleeves up. “I’m gonna stay out here and get some air. There’s soap and shampoo in the small compartment of my suitcase in case you need some.”

  She makes an ‘oh crap’ face and shakes her head. “I knew I was forgetting something when I packed. Are you sure it’s cool if I grab them myself?”

  I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s asking because my brother doesn’t like her goin
g through his things. He’s always been extremely private, even when it comes to his only brother.

  “I don’t have anything in my suitcase to hide, except maybe my underwear, but you’ve already seen them anyway. Considering I gave a pair to a complete stranger once, I guess you could say they’re not secret.”

  She rolls her eyes and begins walking backward. “I won’t be going anywhere near your underwear, so we’re good there.”

  After she disappears inside, I walk to the picnic table that’s setup right outside the trails and light up a smoke. It feels good to be out here alone, taking in the trees and morning air.

  No cellphone.

  No social media.

  No screaming fans.

  No manager barking orders at me.

  And most of all, no pressure.

  “What the hell, Madden!”

  At least, I thought.

  My stomach twists into knots the moment I hear Alana’s pissed-off voice coming toward me, but I refuse to show her the affect she still has on me. “How can I help you on this beautiful fucking morning, Alana?”

  She makes it a point to walk around the table so that we’re facing each other. I was looking forward to keeping my back toward her for this shit.

  Her angry eyes meet mine as her hands go to her hips. “Your favorite jacket? You let her wear it? I thought it was special to you. You told me you’d never let anyone else but me wear it. You lied.”

  I flick my cigarette at the ground and look up to meet her harsh glare. “You also told me you’d never fuck anyone else but me, and you lied about that too. It doesn’t feel good, does it?”

  “It was a mistake!” she yells, coming at me to push me back down when I go to stand up. “I didn’t do it to hurt you, but you did let her wear your favorite jacket to hurt me. That’s so messed up, Madden.”

  “Did I?” I pull out another cigarette and light it, keeping my eyes locked on hers as I take a drag and quickly exhale. “Who said I was even thinking about you when I let Natalie wear it? Despite what you seem to think, I haven’t thought about you in a long time. Have you ever stopped to consider that? Maybe I forced myself to stop because it was killing me. Now back off.”