Series Starter : Firsts in Series Collection

by Kaylee Ryan

  “You know it.” She laughs. “Don’t worry, you’re going to get the call that will change your life.”

  Turns out, she was right. After hours of shopping, we head to our apartment to pack for our trip. Our flight leaves early tomorrow morning. I’m right in the middle of examining the strings I purchased, which the store and Stacy refer to as a bikini, second-guessing my purchase when my cell phone rings. I’ve applied for several jobs, so I answer even though I don’t recognize the number.

  “Hello?” I try to sound as professional as possible in my greeting.

  “Yes, can I please speak to Logan?” The polite voice comes through the line. I fight to keep my voice steady and the excitement clamped down.

  “This is Logan.” I manage to not squeal into the phone.

  “Logan, my name is Cassidy. I’m calling from Stone Records. You applied for a position with our organization.”

  Holy shit! Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I reply, “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Excellent. Mr. Jones reviewed your resume and asked that I call and offer you the position. You will be working as a personal assistant.” She continues to explain details of benefits and salary, which is a hell of a lot more than I ever would have expected. Is this really happening? Hired without an interview? “The position is salaried and often requires long hours and travel. What do you say, Ms. Andrews?”

  I say, holy fucking shit, Batman! “Yes, thank you. That sounds wonderful,” I say instead.

  “Excellent, we would like for you to start as soon as possible,” she gets right back to business.

  “I’m actually flying out for a week’s vacation tomorrow. I’m available the following week,” I explain. I can’t believe this is happening. She just hired me without ever laying eyes on me.

  I’m stunned.

  “That will be fine. I’ll courier over the address of where you and I will meet that Monday morning at, say, ten? I will include your contract, benefits, and salary breakdown in the packet, as well. I look forward to meeting you, Ms. Andrews.”

  “Logan, please. Thank you, I look forward to meeting you, as well.” I hear the click over the line, and just like that, the call has ended and I’m no longer unemployed.

  Gripping my phone in my hand, I squeal as loud as I can before running out of my room heading for Stacy’s. “Stacy!” I push open her bedroom door, not caring about invading her privacy; we’re best friends after all. She’s walking toward the door, I’m sure to see what the hell I’m screeching about.

  I raise my phone. “I just got a call.” I can feel the grin splitting my face. “Stone Records just hired me over the damn phone. No interview needed. I start the Monday after we come back from our trip.” I squeal again, causing her to cringe.

  “I told you,” she says, throwing her arms around my shoulders in a hug. “That’s so freaking awesome. You’re going to kill it.”

  This causes me to laugh. “You don’t even know what I’m going to be doing,” I remind her.

  “Doesn’t matter.” She shakes her head. “I know you, and you don’t do anything halfway. You’re going to dazzle them with your skills.”

  “Okaaayyy. Well, I’m going to be a personal assistant. She mentioned a Mr. Jones, who I’ll be working for.”

  “You’ll have him eating out of the palm of your hand.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence. I honestly have no idea what I’m getting myself into, but I’m ecstatic.”

  “Just think, this time tomorrow, we’ll be stretched out on the beach soaking up the rays. Our freedom is almost over,” she whines.

  “Speaking of, I need to finish packing. Are you done?” I survey her tornado of a room. I don’t know how she finds anything in here. I’m just glad she’s not this messy in the rest of our apartment.

  “Almost, your screams kind of sidetracked me.” She winks.

  “Hey!” I protest. This causes her to laugh. “As I recall, you were cheering right along with me.”

  “Hell yeah I was. I’m happy for you.”

  “Thank you. I’m nervous, but excited. I’m finally gainfully employed.”

  “You got this. Now off with you.” She waves her hand toward the door. “I have to finish packing.”

  I salute her order and head back to my room. I rush through my packing so I can call my parents and give them the news. They’re happy for me, yet disappointed. I think they were hoping I would get a job in Ohio. I’m still only a five-hour drive away, but they would prefer five minutes. Mom cried for days when I left for college, and Dad called more times than I can count, asking if I decided to come home yet. I love my parents; I got super lucky in that department. My little brother chose to stay closer to home. He’ll be going to college in Ohio, just a two-hour drive from my parents. This made them happy.

  “Honey, we’re so proud of you,” Mom says. “I wish you were coming home, but I understand.”

  “I know, Mom.” We’ve been through this before. No point in hashing it out yet again.

  “All right, you girls have a safe trip and enjoy yourself. Call us when you get there, so we know you’re safe,” she tells me.

  “I will. Tell Dad and Jase I said hi. Love you.”

  Lying back on the bed, I close my eyes and take a minute to let it sink in. I have a job, and was hired over the phone, no interview. I’m still shocked, but who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth? I need some luck in my life. It’s time to move forward and do me, focus on my career. Happily ever after just isn’t in the cards for me.

  Chapter 3

  Logan

  “This place is amazing,” Stacy says.

  We just arrived at the beach house. It’s decorated with a beach theme, seashells and a mixture of nautical knickknacks. It has a cottage feel to it, and it’s absolutely breathtaking. Stacy and I dropped our bags as soon as we walked through the door. Like kids in a toy store, we run from room to room to examine our accommodations for the next seven days.

  “Logan! You have to see this view,” Stacy yells from the back of the house.

  I follow her voice and find myself standing in front of a double set of French doors, which lead to a huge multi-level deck. Stacy is leaning against the upper-level railing, staring out at the ocean. I join her, propping my elbows on the railing. Closing my eyes, I tilt my head back, allowing the feel of the hot sun to beat down on me while the gentle ocean breeze washes over me.

  “This place is heaven on earth,” Stacy says wistfully.

  I couldn’t agree more.

  I feel an elbow dig into my side, which puts a damper on my Zen moment. “What the hell, Stace?” I ask her, irritated.

  She grins and motions her head to the beach. Walking down the beach headed toward us is a whole lot of hotness. Neither one of us bother pretending like we don’t see him; instead, we soak up every inch of him, until he stops beneath us.

  “Ladies,” he purrs. His face lights up, showing a blinding white smile.

  “Hey,” we say in unison. Smooth, I know.

  “I’m staying just down the beach.” He points over his shoulder to the only other house within a mile on this private section of real estate.

  “Great! We just got here a few minutes ago. We’ll be here for the next week. I’m Lynn, and this is my friend Paige,” she introduces us using our middle names.

  I raise my eyebrows in question and she responds with a grin. I can’t ask her in front of Mr. Hotness, but I’m dying to know what her game is?

  “It’s a pleasure,” he says in his deep, smooth voice. “I’m Michael.” He raises his hand to wave. “You need help with your luggage?” he offers.

  “No, thank you,” I decline his offer.

  “Well, all right then. I’ll leave you to it.” And just like that, he’s gone. We stare after him as his feet carry him further away from us.

  “Dayum! He was fine,” Stacy exclaims.

  “Why did you give him our middle names?” I ask.

  “Because, my dear, you
and I are going to let loose on this trip. You’ve been with that jerk-off who treated you like shit; you deserve to have a fun vacation. Have a one-night stand. Pretend to be Paige, the carefree college graduate who doesn’t have a gaping hole in her heart from her douchebag ex. We are going to live life to the fullest for the next seven days. I’m breaking you out of your comfort zone.”

  Her words cause a bolt of excitement to shoot through my veins. I’ve been the good girl, the responsible, steady relationship girl my entire life. I gave everything in me to Daniel and what I thought we had, what I thought we were building together. The thought of doing something crazy, something out of character for me is exciting.

  “Let’s change into our suits and hit the beach,” Stacy calls over her shoulder. She’s already headed back into the house.

  I want this to be a trip to remember. Not so sure about the one-night stand, but I want to flirt and wear my barely-there bikini. I want the thrill of being available, nothing holding me back from getting down and dirty on the dance floor, kissing a stranger.

  It’s time to do me.

  Resolve set, I follow Stacy into the house and quickly change into my bikini. It’s way less clothing than I’m used to, but I remind myself this is living, being wild and free, at least for the next seven days.

  “Hurry up, slowpoke!” Stacy yells down the hall.

  I grab my sunglasses, a bottle of sunscreen, and my beach towel.

  “I packed a few wine coolers in here.” She points to a small beach cooler. “Our parents had this place stocked. There’s no need to go to the store. We’re set.” She grins. “I got my Bluetooth speakers too.”

  “Perfect.”

  As we set up for the day, Stacy keeps peering down the shoreline. “You think Mr. Hotness will show his face again?”

  I shrug. “Maybe, not sure though. He might be staying there to get away from people. This is a pretty secluded area,” I remind her.

  “Nope, not buying that.” She shakes her head. “He stopped by to say hello. He doesn’t want to be alone. He might be hiding from people, but he’s not hiding from us.”

  “Only time will tell.” I try to end the conversation. Oddly enough, our sexy neighbor with his hardline muscles and inked-up skin has been on my mind as well. The image is hard to forget, trust me.

  Stacy plugs her iPod into her speakers and we settle in to get some sun.

  The sun is hot against my skin, causing my body to break out in a thin sheen of sweat. It doesn’t bother me, because, well, this is freaking Hawaii. I’m going to soak up as much of the sun’s rays as I can over the next seven days.

  Glancing over, I see Stacy has fallen asleep. Just as I’m trying to decide if I want to do the same, a shadow falls over us. Tilting my head toward the sky, my eyes collide with the tall, toned, tatted piece of hotness that is our neighbor. My breath hitches in my throat just from the sight of him.

  “Are you wearing sunscreen?” he asks.

  Uh, okay. Not sure why it matters to him. “I’m covered, thanks,” I reply, laying my head back on my towel. He may be the triple threat of T’s, but he can take his bossy ass back on down the beach.

  I feel him sit down beside me. He obviously didn’t get the hint. I ignore his presence and keep facing the opposite direction.

  Feeling yet another shadow, I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

  He smells amazing.

  His hot breath hits my ear as he says, “I would hate for that flawless skin to be marred by the harsh rays of the sun.”

  Holy shit! So he just redeemed himself with that statement. Not only that, but he managed to make the girly bits raise their hand for attention.

  Mr. Triple T is dangerous!

  Turning to face him, he’s watching me with a smirk. “You’re beautiful,” he says with a hint of sincerity.

  This guy is hell on my hormones. I feel my flesh flush with embarrassment. I don’t get the chance to respond before his index finger traces the outline of my jaw.

  “Don’t mind me,” Stacy says from her towel beside me. The sound of her voice has me jerking away from him and sitting up. Shit! What the hell am I doing?

  “Nice to see you again, Michael,” Stacy greets him.

  “Likewise. What do you two beautiful ladies have planned for this evening?”

  “Nothing, you got any suggestions?” Stacy retorts, effectively leaving me out of the conversation. It’s just as well. I’m not sure I can find my voice after . . . that.

  “I can throw some steaks on the grill, if you’re interested,” he suggests.

  “What do you think, Paige?” she puts emphasis on my name.

  “I don’t know, Lynn,” I fire back. Remembering my vow to live it up this week and take chances, I turn to Michael. “Are you any good?”

  He smirks and my face instantly heats. I meant at grilling, but by the look on his face, he’s taking it to a whole other level.

  “Trust me, I’m the best you’ve ever had.”

  Holy shit. All right then. This guy is lethal.

  “Great, what time do you want us? We’ll bring dessert,” Stacy offers.

  “Nope, not necessary. I’ve got everything covered. You leave it all to me.” He winks as he stands and pats the sand from his ass. My eyes follow his hands.

  He clears his throat, causing my eyes to travel up his toned body to find his. “See you soon,” he purrs. Yes, he fucking purred, and my body is responding just as I’m sure he hoped or, hell, even knew that it would.

  I don’t take my eyes off him as he makes his retreat.

  “What the hell was that?” Stacy squeals.

  “I don’t really know,” I say honestly. I tell her what happened while she was sleeping right next to us.

  “He wants you, Logan! He’s exactly what you need,” she informs me.

  “Oh, really? What exactly brings you to this conclusion, oh, wise one?”

  Holding up her hand, she begins to tick off items one by one. “One, his body, he’s a sex god. Two, you need a real man to show you how good it can be. Three, you need to let loose and live a little. This guy is perfect for that. We leave here in a week. Take full advantage of what he is so obviously offering and enjoy every damn second of it.”

  She makes a good point on all counts, but that’s never been me. I’ve never been a fling kind of girl. My first was in high school. He was my boyfriend for eight months before we decided to go all the way. It was quick and nothing to brag about. We broke up at graduation, both going to colleges hundreds of miles apart. We weren’t in love, but we did have a . . . fondness for each other. The only other guy I’ve slept with was Daniel. I’ve never had an orgasm during sex. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, and he didn’t care enough to realize I was always faking it. Something tells me I wouldn’t have that problem with Michael.

  “Stop thinking so damn much, just go with it. You’re Paige, remember?” Stacy prompts, trying to get me to loosen up. My mind wanders to Daniel and how he’s done this for years behind my back, when we were ‘taking a break.’ I can do this. What’s the harm in flirting with a gorgeous guy who seems to be interested?

  “Let’s just see how it goes,” I tell her. She knows me well enough to know she’s wearing me down. Her grin tells me so.

  Chapter 4

  Logan

  Michael is on the deck when we arrive. From the smell coming from his grill, he’s already started dinner. Grabbing my hand, Stacy pulls me up the steps. At the sound of our footsteps, he looks over his shoulder and a grin lights his face. He really is beautiful. I’m sure he would scoff at being referred to as beautiful. Just thinking about his response brings a smile to my face.

  “Is that smile for me, gorgeous?”

  Shit! I was too busy thinking about the man himself to notice he is now standing toe to toe with me, his hot breath against my ear.

  “Food smells good,” I respond.

  “So do you,” is his reply before he stands to his full height and walks back t
oward the grill.

  Fighting my body’s reaction to him, I take a seat at the table next to Stacy. “That boy wants in your panties,” she whispers.

  “Pfft. There’s nothing boyish about him.”

  “Trust me, girl. I have eyes.” She licks her lips and winks at me.

  “Ladies . . .” His deep voice flows over me. “ . . . these are just about ready. I’m going to bring the rest of it out and we can eat.”

  I watch his every move as he steps through the French doors and makes quick work of collecting items in the kitchen. A few minutes later, he has two big bowls in his hands and a swarm of other things. I know the polite thing to do would be to ask him if he needs help, but I can’t. His arms are huge and look even more so as they flex to carry it all. I stare at his tattoos gracing each ripple of muscle on both arms. One arm has a full sleeve while the other seems to stop just above his elbow. I can’t pull my eyes from him.

  “Let us help,” Stacy says as her elbow meets my arm. This effectively breaks the spell I’m under.

  Focusing on the task at hand, she and I set up the plates, potato salad, and baked beans. Stacy opens a bag of chips and I finish pouring us each a glass of iced tea just as Michael sets a platter in the middle of the table filled with steaks that appear to be grilled to perfection. My mouth waters just looking at them.

  “Dinner is served.” He winks and begins piling his plate with the feast he has prepared.

  “Did you make all of this yourself?” Stacy asks.

  He laughs. “No. I’m not really much of a cook unless it can be grilled. I actually called a place in town and had them put together the rest,” he admits.

  “So you cheated?” I have no idea why I asked that question.

  He doesn’t reply, but his eyes, the color of the very ocean we are sitting in front of, sparkle with mischief.

  “So what brings you to Hawaii?” Stacy asks.

  He chews the bite of steak he just took and even that is hot. “Just needed to get away. My career is very demanding, so it’s nice to step back from it. What about the two of you?”