Risk Worth Taking: Music For The Heart - Book Three

by Faith Starr

Apprehension registered on her face.

  “Don’t worry. I totally respect your wishes. I would never force you to do anything you’re not ready for. Now go ahead, turn around, lean forward, and hold on to the wall.”

  She took a deep breath and did as I requested.

  “Good girl.” I zigzagged my finger down her back. She shivered at my touch.

  I got on my knees. The surface underneath me wasn’t forgiving, the tile cold and hard. I didn’t care. I wanted her warm and soft pussy inside my hungry mouth again.

  After inching forward, I swiped my tongue between her folds and up to her hooded clit.

  She bit back a sound. Oh, I would get her to verbalize more of them very soon.

  Spreading her lips gave my tongue better access. I lapped and kissed her sensitive flesh.

  She bore down, wanting, needing more. I could easily take care of that for her.

  The angle posed a challenge, so I got my hand involved, a finger entering her while my tongue danced across her and up to her clit.

  I held on to her outer thigh to keep her body where I wanted it, encouraging her to widen her stance, because my tongue wanted to get more involved.

  Rhythmically, I slid my finger in and out, cradling it deep in her channel, my mouth feasting on the outside. I wiggled my tongue around, making circles and figure-eights, and gently sucked the tip, having the time of my fucking life. Her body shook.

  “Yes, right there! Keep doing what you’re doing.” She held my head.

  Enough said.

  Her pussy swallowed my finger, drawing it in as much as it could. She ground herself against it, sporadic moans making their presence known, coming steadier, louder.

  I continued to kiss, suck, and finish her off by paying ample attention to her clit, and fuck, did I ever. She clamped down on my finger and her knees buckled. I assisted in keeping her upright.

  Her body pulsed, my tongue remaining steadfast, my lips kissing her sweetness. I wanted her to go as long as she could.

  “Yes, Logan… Please!”

  Being she asked so politely, I continued to feast on her, causing her body to convulse for minutes on end. Did this woman have any clue how fucking sexy she was? I certainly did.

  Her legs wobbled. I kept a firm grasp on her so she wouldn’t fall.

  She lifted her upper torso into an upright position, her head angled down with eyes closed. She giggled. “I’m so dizzy.”

  Me too, but not from the sex.

  After rising, I wrapped my arms around her until she got her bearings.

  “Wow.” She sighed.

  Wow.

  I had to repeat it to myself.

  Once she was stable, I stepped out of the shower, grabbed two towels off the shelf, and wrapped one around my waist before assisting her out and drying her off.

  She flipped her head over and towel dried her hair. She tied the towel up on her head. And when she bent down to do this simple act? Shit. I had to swallow my tongue and restrain myself.

  While moseying back into the bedroom to retrieve my clothes, I wondered whether I should have my testosterone level checked, because whenever I saw Drew bend over, walk, cross her legs, or anything else, my cock stood at attention. What the fuck? Something had to be wrong with me medically. I didn’t lack pussy. I had women throwing themselves at me left and right. But my body never reacted to them with such fervor as it did to Drew. I felt somewhat humiliated by my dick’s newfound unpredictability. If she thought me fucking her topped my priority list, she couldn’t have been more wrong. Like I’d said, sure, she had the entire package going on, but that was only a small part of what I wanted from her. I selfishly wanted the entire fucking thing.

  14

  Drew

  Ooh, I shivered when I stepped out of the bathroom, the air chilly.

  Logan already had his clothes on in the bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed, studying me, while I gathered something to wear from out of the dresser drawers.

  “Susanna’s going to be mad. We keep showing up to the dining hall during off-hours.”

  “Don’t worry about Susanna. I’ve known her since I was a kid. She runs a tight ship with the guests, but I’m not considered one of them. Since you’re with me, you get to bend the rules along with me.”

  His eyes ate me up watching me dress, which made me feel somewhat self-conscious. I shielded myself as best I could with my towel and stood with my back to him. I slid on my undies and slipped my arms through my bra straps.

  His warm breath against my neck surprised me.

  “Please allow me to assist you with that.” He clasped the hook closed.

  Feeling more comfortable now that I had my privates covered, I didn’t care if he watched me put on the rest of my clothing.

  Inside the bathroom, I brushed out my hair, adding a smidgen of eyeliner and lip gloss to finish off.

  He observed from the doorway. “You don’t need makeup. You’re prettier without it.”

  “How would you know? You haven’t seen me in full makeup in forever.”

  “I have a good memory. Besides, I don’t think you could be any more beautiful than you already are.”

  This man threw me off balance when he made those types of comments. He made me believe he wanted more. I couldn’t allow myself to get sucked into the fantasy of us being alone together at the ranch, something so easy to do when we didn’t have everyday life getting in our way.

  “Thank you. That’s kind of you to say.” My gaze met his in the mirror.

  “There’s no need to thank me. It’s the truth. And furthermore, I should be the one thanking you for giving me the opportunity to spend time with you after how things ended between us.”

  “Please don’t remind me.”

  My stomach grumbled loudly. We both looked down at it and laughed.

  “Come, I must feed you.” He put his hand out.

  We left the cabin and leisurely strolled to the dining hall in the dark. I had no clue of the time. It had to be late, though, because the sun had set long ago.

  Guests were sitting around a fire. One of the staffers played a guitar and hosted a sing-along. Brian caught sight of us and signaled for Logan to come say hello. He rose from his chair and greeted us.

  “How about playing a few tunes for the guests?”

  “I’d love to, but Drew and I are starving. We’re going to get something to eat.”

  “Okay, bro, another time.” He patted Logan on the back and gave me a slight wave. He returned to the guests.

  I wasn’t sure if I had read the situation correctly, but it seemed to me Logan felt uncomfortable with Brian’s request.

  Logan placed his palm against my back and led me inside the dining hall. Two kids were sitting on the couch playing on their tablets. Kids these days and their electronics. Even out here in the woods, they couldn’t part with them.

  “Have a seat, my lady,” Logan gestured, pulling out a chair for me. “I’ll go check out what’s left from dinner. I’ll be right back.”

  I sat tight and waited. My stomach’s gurgling reminded me about feeding it.

  The two girls from the couch excitedly rushed over to where I sat.

  “Are you dating Logan Trimble?” one of them asked, full of enthusiasm.

  “Logan and I are old friends,” I replied graciously.

  “You’re so lucky. Did you know him before he became famous? What was he like? Did you know he has lots of girlfriends?” The other girl tossed questions at me, her eyes just as wide with interest as her friend’s.

  Lots of girlfriends?

  Fangirl one nudged her friend’s arm. “Don’t speak about other girls in front of her. She might get upset.”

  She spoke as if I didn’t exit, as if I wasn’t sitting right in front of them.

  “Upset about what?” Logan had come out of nowhere. He set a few plates of food in front of me and considered the two girls standing next to the table.

  “Your fans over here have been asking me qu
estions about your fame, your girlfriends, you know, celebrity stuff.”

  His eyes locked on mine. He had to see my disappointment.

  The two girls hooked their arms together and stared at him in awe, gawking, clueless about the tension rising between me and Logan.

  I should’ve handed them napkins to wipe up the drool spilling from their mouths.

  Stop it!

  I shook my head at my horrible thought. I couldn’t be angry at his fans. These girls were mere teenagers with an obvious celebrity crush.

  “Girls, if you don’t mind, I appreciate your interest, but I’m here on vacation and would prefer to hang low.”

  “Sorry, Logan.” Fangirl one pouted.

  “How about later I take a picture with both of you, so you can show your friends when you get home?”

  Her frown reversed. “That would be great. Thank you so much.”

  Fangirl two jumped up and down, clapping her hands.

  The two of them hurried back to the couch, bubbly and giggling.

  “I wasn’t sure what you wanted, so I brought a variety of samples of what I could scrounge up in the fridge. I’m sure it tasted better fresh instead of microwaved, but beggars can’t be choosers. Besides, everything Susanna cooks is delicious, no matter how it’s heated up.”

  He sat next to me and dove in to his food. Did he really think I’d ignore the scene that had just taken place?

  “I’m more interested to hear about all these girlfriends you seem to have.”

  I hated to sound so jealous. But here we were, trying to rebuild something that had ended due to a lack of trust, and I had the feeling he wasn’t being completely honest with me.

  He placed his elbows on the table, steepled his fingers, and rested his chin on top of them. “First of all, let me start by saying I do not have lots of girlfriends. They’re one-night stands, never to be seen or contacted again. There’s a huge difference between the two.”

  My eyes widened. “You must be very proud of that accomplishment.” I had to make an effort to tone down my bitch level, but I couldn’t help it. Anger filled me. Did he consider me the same as these one-night stands he spoke about?

  “Hey, it is what it is. I told you before I have fun with groupies. I didn’t lie or keep it from you. I don’t understand why you’re putting me on the defensive or why I feel the need to explain my behavior to you. We’re not in a relationship.”

  Bam!

  What a blow to my heart.

  His words hit so damn hard. A huge part of me wanted to run out of the room, tears pooling in my eyes, but I didn’t. Being an adult meant I had to communicate my feelings. And I planned to do exactly that.

  “I’m not asking you to explain anything. I guess there are a lot of things we don’t know about each other anymore.”

  “You want the deal on my life? Okay. Here it is. The guys and I got picked up by a label. Fast forward a year or two, and our songs are steadily climbing the charts. We sell out stadiums, we require security when we travel together as a band, girls hang posters of me and the guys in their bedrooms, fans wear T-shirts, hats, and pins with Steam photos on them, and our social-media channels are exploding.”

  Sure, I knew he had become famous, but maybe hadn’t realized precisely how much. I had made an active attempt over the years to avoid anything Logan Trimble, including his band’s music and newfound popularity.

  “That’s incredible. I’m truly happy for you.” I’m sure my countenance said the complete opposite of my words. But I was happy his dreams had come true for him, unlike mine. Then again, I had no idea what my dreams were. Two things I did know: I loved to write, and I loved Logan Trimble.

  “Spill it, Drew.”

  Between Logan and Kate, I’d had about all the drama I could handle for one day. I pushed my dinner plate away, my appetite all but gone.

  “I have nothing to spill. If all you expected was for us to hang out and fool around this week, I’m sorry to say you can go fuck yourself. Actually, I’m not sorry at all. I should’ve known this week together wouldn’t mean or amount to anything with you. My bad for having unrealistic expectations.”

  I stood and stormed out of the dining hall, running back to my cabin as fast as my legs would take me. Not an easy task in the dark.

  Once inside, I locked the door, a first since arriving at the ranch. I felt like pulling a Kate, packing up my shit, and getting the hell out of this place, not dealing with the situation at hand or the aftermath.

  A loud banging at the door had me shutting myself in my bedroom. But even with my door closed, I still heard Logan yelling my name, continuing to pound on the thin door. He banged so hard, he’d probably make a hole in it. I didn’t know whether to cry or scream, wanting to do both.

  His voice got louder. I didn’t understand how. I had locked the door. He couldn’t get inside. But his voice sounded awfully close.

  Shit, he knocked on the frickin’ window in my bedroom.

  “Please open up! Don’t shut me out again! Let me explain!”

  Grrr.

  I shuffled out of my room, unlocked, and opened the front door. I sat on the couch, placing a throw pillow next to me to create distance if he decided to sit as well.

  “Christ, what the hell, Drew?”

  His clenched jaw and harsh tone only made me angrier.

  “Back at you. What the hell, Logan?”

  He sat on the other side of the couch, his body facing me. He brushed his hand through his hair.

  “As I was saying, the band has become well-known. We can still ride solo without mobs chasing us, but when all of us are together, it’s a totally different story.”

  “Your life is so different from mine. Swarms of women trail after you. It’s hard to process.”

  “I’m still the same person. Just because strangers know who I am doesn’t mean I’ve changed. Sure, they only see the part of me I show them, and I don’t act like myself for the camera, but inside, my core values are the same.”

  Values? Hello, cheater!

  He brushed his hand through his hair again. “Please don’t look at me with such skepticism. You know deep down I have good morals. I fucked up with you. I get it. I’m sorry. I can’t rewrite the past. Let me clarify by saying that other than the guys, you’re the only other person who knows the real me. The women I sleep around with couldn’t give two shits about me. All they care about is fucking a rock star or trying to gain some sense of fame.”

  The reality of his present lifestyle was overwhelming. I rubbed my forehead, tension filling it.

  “I get approached by fans a lot these days which is why I love coming to the ranch. I savor being a regular guy here, especially with you, without the need to try and impress anyone, other than you, of course.” He swallowed hard, his shoulders hunched.

  My heart hurt. “You’ve never had to try to impress me. You always have.”

  He sighed heavily. “It means a lot to hear you say that. I know you’ve never judged me, something hard to find in people the guys and I meet these days. Which is why being here with you has been so fantastic. Do you know how crazy it is to have strangers taking pictures of you everywhere you go, posting shit online for the entire world to see?”

  I shook my head. I had no clue about living that type of a lifestyle.

  “Eventually, I started hamming up my negative behaviors. It became my method of telling everyone to fuck off, that Logan Trimble could do whatever the hell he wanted. The worst part is our label encourages my deviant behavior because it gets us more views.”

  His attention drifted elsewhere. I watched him, keenly interested in hearing what he had to say.

  “I’m considered the bad boy of the band. I’m the guy everyone points at whenever there’s trouble or when shit goes down.”

  His gaze met mine again. “It gets old real fast. As far as the band goes, the guys know I would never do anything to jeopardize or compromise their integrity. As far as the public goes, I give my fans what t
hey want, a cocky son of a bitch who doesn’t give a shit about anyone or anything. The fucked-up part is that my asshole behavior only makes me more popular. So when you originally asked me why I come to the ranch, it’s to get a mental break from all that shit. It can really wear on you if you let it.”

  He rubbed his chin, the sadness in his eyes affecting me. I wanted to reach out and touch him, offer him comfort, but couldn’t. I still had my own internal shit to deal with.

  “Being out here in the quiet helps me get back in touch with who I am at heart. It grounds me, keeps me humble. The Addison family treats me no differently than they did when I visited as a kid, the only difference being requests for tickets and autographs for their family and friends.”

  “The rock and roll lifestyle doesn’t sound as good as it’s cracked up to be.”

  I couldn’t imagine living my life that way, not being true to myself. But when push came to shove, was I? I attended classes I had no interest in, I still worked for my father, and I lived at home. Those were not lifelong aspirations.

  “Listen, I’m not complaining. I’m more than grateful for how far we’ve come. There’s nothing else I could see myself doing other than performing, playing for thousands of fans. It’s the greatest fucking feeling in the world. And the paychecks aren’t bad either.” He smiled. Finally some lightheartedness entering the conversation.

  “I didn’t get into discussing band stuff with you because I wanted to hold on to the normalcy with you for as long as I could.”

  “The only Logan I know is the guy sitting across from me, the one being honest with me about his feelings right now.” I angled my body toward him and hiked my knee up on the couch, tucking my foot underneath my other leg.

  He sighed, probably because I hadn’t kicked him to the curb.

  “The same goes for you. You’re a master at pulling back. The communication has to go both ways.”

  Sure, I nodded, but agreeing to his terms would be easier said than done.

  “So let me get this straight. When I get home, if I search your name, you’re going to burn out my computer screen?”

  He put his hand out, smirking. “I have to say, I’m a little hurt you never did.”