by Kaylee Ryan
I cross my arms over my chest and square my shoulders, letting my eyes linger on each of them. “I need to hear it,” I tell them. I need to hear them each agree that she’s untouchable.
“Got it,” Gavin agrees.
“Sure, man,” Tristan follows suit.
“Yeah,” Cole says.
I nod once and turn to go. I just need a minute to process this shit.
“Wait!” Cole calls for me. “We need to hear it.” I raise my eyebrows in confusion. “We need to hear you say that you understand that Logan is off-limits,” he smirks.
“It’s my rule, jackass.”
This causes Cole to grin. “Let’s hear the words, Kace.”
Fuck! I’ve already been inside of her; this rule should not apply to me. But I know that it does. She’s now my employee. “Fine. I get it,” I say, storming off down the hall.
I find myself outside of the office that is now hers. I rap lightly against the doorframe. Her head pops up. “Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I talked to the guys. I made sure they knew to leave you alone.”
She nods. “Thank you, that wasn’t necessary. I can handle them. They’re harmless really.”
I have no doubt, just from the small amount of time I’ve known her, that she can, indeed, handle herself, but I don’t want them messing with her. She’s here to do a job, which is already strained due to our . . . rendezvous in Hawaii. “I’m sure you can, but I figured a little reminder wouldn’t hurt.”
She stands from her chair. “Okay, well if you don’t need anything else, I’m going to head home. I just talked to Cassidy, and she’s tied up, so we’re going to meet here tomorrow morning at nine.”
I watch her as she gathers her purse and slips her cell phone into the outer pocket. “I’ll walk you out,” I say, stepping aside, allowing her to walk in front of me. Her legs look incredible in those heels and that skirt. A memory of what it felt like to have those legs wrapped around me flashes through my mind.
Fuck!
I stand on the front steps and watch her as she drives away. Yesterday, when I woke up and she was gone, I was disappointed. I wanted more of her. Today, she’s here in my house, working for me, and I still want more of her. It’s going to be a true test of my willpower to keep my hands off her. Not only mine, but the guys.
I find the three of them in the living room. Gavin and Cole both have their guitars while Tristan holds a pair of drumsticks that he uses to tap out a beat on the arm of my couch. All three of them have notebooks sitting in front of them.
“Hey, man, you up for writing?” Gavin asks.
Hell yes! This is the part of music that I love. The creation. “Let me grab a quick shower and I’ll join you.”
Taking the stairs two at a time, I grab some clothes and head to the shower. I’m eager to get started on this next album. The guys have been working off and on since I’ve been in Hawaii. They all opted to come home instead of visiting paradise with me. It was nice to get away from everything and everyone. Well, not everyone. If I hadn’t gone, I would not have met Logan. I guess that’s not true either. I would not have slept with Logan, but she would still be here as my assistant.
Even though I know I have to keep my distance now that she works for me, the time I spent with her, being inside of her, is an experience I definitely do not want to forget. It hits me that if the guys would have come with me, they would have met her at the same time as I did. I can’t help but wonder if she would have fallen to their charms instead of mine. I don’t play games. I’m more of a see what you want and go after it kind of guy. Then again, they make a game out of it because they can. When you have girls falling at your feet willing to do anything you ask, making a game of it is mandatory. Girls like Logan are few and far between.
After throwing on some basketball shorts and a t-shirt, I grab the notebook from my nightstand and my guitar. As I reach the living room, I can hear the guys discussing a new beat.
“Where are we?” I ask as I take a seat next to Tristan on the couch.
“Just trying to work out the beat for the one you sent us last week,” he tells me as he continues to tap his sticks against the couch.
I glance over at his notebook and see it’s the ballad I had been working on in Hawaii. We don’t do a lot of them, but we want this next album to be eclectic. Wrapping my arms around my guitar, I close my eyes and begin to sing the lyrics, which are already memorized.
Reality is closing in
Is it me or is it you
The lines are blurred within these walls
How do I know when to take the fall?
Just like that, I’m lost in the music. We stay in the same spot until the early morning hours. We make it through the entire song with lyrics and rhythm that we’re all pleased with. I’m exhausted when I reach my room, but sleep evades me as I think about her. This extraordinarily fucked-up day turned out better than I expected.
Chapter 11
Logan
As soon as I clear the gates and steer my car onto the main road, I take a deep breath. Today was . . . unexpected, to say the least. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that my vacation fling would end up being my new boss. That’s why I steer clear of situations like this. If I hadn’t given in to the desire, then today would have been a hell of a lot less awkward. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I’ve slept with my new boss. I had myself convinced that Kacen was going to fire me on the spot. He surprised me by saying we can give it a shot.
He’s worried about his bandmates. I wanted to tell him that it was still him that I felt between my thighs and he had nothing to worry about, but instead, I bit my tongue. That would have been unprofessional, and that’s what our relationship has to be from here on out.
Nothing but professional.
I’ve kept myself from texting Stacy all day today to fill her in. I didn’t want to be glued to my phone on the first day. I know she would have been blowing the damn thing up until she had all of the details. As if she can read my mind, my phone alerts me to a text. I have no doubt it’s my best friend, so I wait until I’m stopped at the next traffic light to read it.
Stacy: Hey! What time will you be home?
Me: On my way now, about 15 minutes.
Stacy: Great! I ordered pizza to celebrate our first days.
The light turns green, so I end the conversation with a quick “K.” I decide to stop and pick up a twelve pack of Angry Orchard. After the day I’ve had, pizza and hard cider sound amazing.
I find Stacy sitting on the living room floor with the pizza box, paper plates and napkins spread out on the coffee table. Kicking off my shoes and ridding myself of my purse and keys, I wave a quick hello as I pass her for the kitchen. Tearing into the twelve pack, I grab us both a hard cider and place the rest in the fridge. I have a feeling we’ll be needing a few more before the night is through.
“Hey! How was your first day?” she asks, bringing the bottle to her lips.
“Good, but you first. I’m starving.” It’s the truth. I am starving, but I’m also using it as a stall tactic.
“I really think I’m going to like it. I’m shadowing with another rep for the next four weeks, and then they’ll give me my own territory.” She stops to take a bite of pizza. I shove in another bite as well, hoping she’ll keep talking.
“We take lunches to physicians and their staff and meet with them about the medications. We visited about twelve offices today, and Lisa, the girl I’m shadowing, said that’s low, but she was taking her time to introduce me at each place and explain the process. I was worried at first, but if today is any indication, I’m really going to love it.” She beams.
She takes another bite of pizza and looks at me expectantly. Shit, stalling is no longer an option. “My day was good. You’ll never guess who I ran into.” I decide to string her along a little.
“I got nothing,” she says, taking a swig of her beer.
Damn. She’s not even going
to try and guess. “Funny story, you remember Michael, right?”
“Michael? From Hawaii Michael?” she asks, confused.
I nod. “Yeah, Michael from Hawaii.”
“Logan, that was two days ago, of course I remember him. What does he have to do with your job?”
“He’s my boss.”
Stacy coughs. I guess I should have waited until she swallowed her drink to put that little bit of information out there for her.
“Are you freaking kidding me? No way!” she exclaims.
“Yep. Turns out I’m not actually working for the record label. I’m his, well his and his band’s, new personal assistant.”
“Holy shit! What band? Did he mention Hawaii? What did he say? Do you still have a job?” She fires off questions one after the other.
“Soul Serenade, yes, that we would see how it goes, and yes,” I address each of her questions. “Turns out his name is Kacen not Michael.”
I watch as she starts to speak, and then clamps her mouth shut. I take another bite of my pizza to buy some time. I’m still on the fence with how I feel about this, and I know she’s going to ask.
“We haven’t really talked about that night. You were really quiet on the way home, and I was giving you time. All you’ve told me is that he ruined you for other men. I can only assume that means you did, indeed, sleep with him and it was life changing. So my question is, how do you feel about all of this? Can you work for him? Can you keep your hands off him?” She winks.
Tilting back my bottle of beer and taking a big drink, I ponder her question. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I mean, I know I can be professional, and yes, I can keep my hands off him. I will not, however, be able to not think about them touching every inch of his body every time I see him, but I can keep that to myself. I guess a lot of it depends on how he acts toward me. If he’s an ass, it will make it easier, but if he’s nice and flirts at all, it’s going to be hard to not . . . want him.”
Kacen gave me a night to remember, one that we both thought would be just that, a memory. Seeing him every day is going to be a constant reminder of the night we shared. I know I can remain professional, unless he uses his charms on me. If that happens, I’m going to be looking for another job. It might be a good idea to put a few feelers out, just in case. Working for him, regardless of how he treats me, could turn out to be more than I can handle. More than I’m willing to deal with.
“I say have some fun with it. If he gets all flirty, you flirt right back. Let him know what he’s missing, not the other way around. If he wants to play games, make him want you.”
“And if he decides that he does?”
Stacy shrugs. “Then let him have you. It wouldn’t be the first time a boss slept with his PA. Worst-case scenario is it doesn’t work out and you need to find another job. As long as you leave giving them proper notice, there is no way he would give you a bad reference, regardless of how things turn out. Besides, it could also turn out in your favor and you all could live happily ever after.”
This has me throwing my head back in laughter. “You remember Daniel, right? I was fooled once into believing fairy tales existed. I was sadly mistaken. I will not make that same mistake again.”
“Logan, Daniel was a mistake. There is someone out there who will love you like you deserve to be loved. You have to be willing to open up to the possibility for that to happen. Maybe it’s Kacen, maybe it’s not. Regardless, you have to put the past and Daniel behind you. Not all men are like him.”
“He’s a fucking rock star, Stacy!”
“And he would be damn lucky to have you as a permanent part of his life. Don’t doubt that, Logan. Don’t let Daniel’s bullshit convince you that you are not worthy of that kind of devotion.”
Hot tears prick the back of my eyes. She knows me so well. I nod, letting her know I hear what she’s saying and take another bite of pizza, which now tastes like cardboard. My appetite has gone. I guess only time will tell how Kacen and I get along. If we can make this working relationship work.
Chapter 12
Kacen
It’s four in the morning before I finally make it to my room to crash. It’s been a long-ass day. I’m exhausted, but instead of falling asleep, my mind wanders to Pai—Logan. Fuck! I cannot believe she’s my new personal assistant. Talk about being a small world. After I got over the shock of seeing her standing in my living room, I wanted to haul her over my shoulder and bring her to my bed. I wanted what she deprived me of in Hawaii, one more chance to be inside of her. I had accepted that the hottest sex of my life was gone, a mere memory, but now she’s here and I have to keep my damn hands off her.
I knew how much she was looking forward to this job. We didn’t talk specifics, but I remember a conversation we had one night while walking on the beach. I could hear the excitement in her voice about the new job she was starting. There was no way I could take that away from her. I’m just going to have to remind my dick on a daily basis until he gets the message that she’s off-limits. I see lots of cold showers and nights with Rosie Palm in my future.
Speaking of Rosie, I slip my hands under the waistband of my boxer briefs and slide them off. Gripping my cock, I begin to stroke my length to the image of Logan burned in my mind. She’s under me and those brown eyes are filled with so much passion. That’s the only image I need; two more swift pumps and I find my release. Dear Lord, please help me find the strength to resist her. I climb out of bed and take a quick shower before setting the alarm and falling into an exhausted sleep.
The annoying beep of my alarm wakes me up. Forcing open one eye, I groan when I see it’s eight-thirty. I’m pissed until I remember why I set my alarm in the first place.
Logan.
She’s supposed to be here at nine. That’s all the motivation I need. Throwing the covers back, I make my way back to the shower to wake my tired ass up. I shouldn’t have stayed up so late with the guys, but I just couldn’t resist. I love writing music. That’s my passion. Really, it’s that way for all of us. None of us are much on the fame. The fortune is nice, but I guess you have to take the good with the bad.
I’ve just cleared the bottom step when the front door opens. Logan walks in wearing another skirt and a sleeveless black top. The material looks sheer from where I’m standing. Her brown hair is pulled up in a ponytail and her lips shimmer with a light pink. She doesn’t cake on makeup, and she doesn’t need to. Logan is one of those girls, who, at first glance, you view her as a Plain Jane. When you take a second look, you see she is anything but plain. That’s how it happened for me. I saw the two of them on the back deck and decided to be neighborly. My momma would put her foot in my ass if she knew I didn’t offer to help. I took a quick glance at both of them, and then a second glance. I couldn’t look away from Logan. She’s totally the girl next door, and that in itself is a breath of fresh air.
I’m used to being around women who wear way too much makeup and not enough clothing. Anything to get noticed. Some of them are hot, beautiful even, if you can look past all the war paint. None of them can hold a candle to Logan. She’s not out to impress anyone. She’s just herself, and I got to be me, just Kacen, during our time in Hawaii. I got to pretend the fame of the band didn’t exist and spent time with the beautiful girl next door who wanted nothing from me but my time.
“Kacen,” Logan says my name, waving her hand in front of my face. “Are you okay?” she asks.
I can hear the concern in her voice, and that turns me on even more. How long has it been since a woman, other than my mother, was actually concerned about me? Years, if ever. We started the band in high school, so even then the female attention we got was because we were in a band. I don’t know if I’ve ever been on the receiving end of genuine affection.
Smiling at her, I say, “Yeah, I’m good. Just tired. The guys and I had a writing session that lasted until the wee hours of the morning.”
A genuine smile crosses her face. “That’s awesome. They told me how excited
they were for you to be back so you all could dig into the next album.”
God, this girl! “Yeah, it was nice to jam with them.”
“Okay, well, let me put my stuff in my office and I’ll start some coffee. Cassidy will be here at ten, so I have some time.”
I watch her walk away, her hips and legs looking incredible in that skirt. Hell, who am I kidding? She looks incredible. Every damn inch of her.
Needing a minute to get myself under control, I step out onto the front porch. It’s already a muggy day with the promise of warmer temperatures.
Walking back into the house, the smell of fresh brewed coffee leads me to the kitchen. I find Logan at the counter rolling out dough. “Hey, what’s all this?”
Without looking at me, she continues to roll out the dough. “I thought I would make biscuits and gravy for breakfast.”
“It sounds amazing. You could have just gone out and picked something up.” It sounds odd saying this to her. My gut instinct is to tell her to stop, that it’s not her job to wait on us, but then I’m reminded that it is. It’s going to be a struggle for me to separate Hawaii Logan and Tennessee Logan in my mind.
“Nah, this won’t take long. Besides, the guys said you all only get home-cooked meals when you go home to see your mamas. I enjoy cooking, so it’s a win-win for everyone.”
“Can I help?” I offer, biting back the urge to take over.
“Nope, the coffee is ready, and this”—she points to a cookie sheet full of homemade biscuits—“will be ready in about fifteen minutes.”
I make my way to the coffee maker and pour myself a steaming cup. Instead of retreating back to the island or the living room or, hell, anywhere else, I turn and rest my back against the counter, crossing my legs and sip on my coffee. Logan is beside me at the stove, browning sausage.