Whisky Lullaby: Rock Star Romance, Step-brother New Adult Romance (Tennessee Romance Book 1) (5 page)

“Oh, shit…” Gavin shook his head. “Yo Dale, pop open a beer for ‘em.”

“Logan! Back so soon?” Zip didn’t get up from the couch but nodded at Logan.

“Yeah, looks like you have a new roommate for definite,” Logan said in a dry voice.

“Shut up!” Gavin laughed, trying to act like he didn’t see the dark look in his buddy’s eyes.

“You told your mom?” Dale handed Logan a tall, cold can of beer.

“Yup and her grease monkey husband.” He popped open the can and slugged half of it back before dropping down onto the sunken plaid couch that had clearly seen better days.

Gavin followed suit, giving his friend a nervous look. “Wanna talk about it?”

“Hell no!” Logan took another swig of his beer, effectively dropping the subject and his dreary attitude. “But you can restring this for me.” He opened his bag and passed Gavin the banjo.

“What the hell did he do to it?!”

“Snipped it with a pair of scissors.”

“Jackass! Mother-fucking jackass!” Gavin shook his head. “No worries. I’ll get you fixed. Have another beer while I do it.”

What He Wrote

Ashley hadn’t realized how exhausted she was until her head hit the pillow last night. She slept soundly, a rarity for her, not even getting up once to use the bathroom. The sun had already peeked its bright rays through her sheer curtains. As her paisley blankets rose and fell, her alarm clock squawked loudly, effectively alerting her from a deep sleep.

“Already?” she griped as she sat up in bed. Rubbing her face, she shielded her eyes from the blinding light shining through the window. She stretched as a ferocious yawn ripped from her mouth. She felt well-rested but disoriented, only then remembering where she was.

“What time is it?” She looked around her room in confusion. Reaching for her cell phone, she glanced down at the face, and nearly jumped out of her skin. The clock read 8:01 A.M.

“Shit!” Throwing her blankets off her body, she scrambled out of bed and hurried to get dressed. Her first class started at 8:30 and from studying the map last night before falling asleep, it was located clear across the campus.

“Crap! Crap! Crap!” she muttered as she rushed into the tiny kitchen. Kaylee and Charlie sat on the barstools sipping coffee, looking utterly put together. Kaylee wore jeans and a cute pink t-shirt. She looked like she’d just come from a modelling gig. Charlie too, except he just had jeans on and his muscular bare chest seemed chiseled to perfection. Ashley pretended not to notice.

“I was going to wake you up, but…” Kaylee said as she watched her cousin rush through the suite.

“Next time you have my permission.” She looked around for her backpack. She’d grabbed it when she left her room, right?

“I figured you didn’t have class yet. You’re supposed to be the responsible one, remember?” Kaylee laughed.

“My brain must’ve forgot.” Ashley ran back to her bedroom and rolled her eyes. Not the right morning to be funny. She ran the warm faucet water onto a dry wash cloth. She quickly scrubbed her skin, promising herself to a fresh shower after class, when she had more time. She ran a brush through her long hair, pulled on a pair of skinny jeans, a cute pair of brown boots and an ivory top. Thankfully she’d picked her clothes out last night before going to bed.

Sweeping the wash cloth across her face one last time, she grabbed her mascara. It was all she had time for… and maybe a touch of lip glass. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. She looked fine, smelled sweet thanks to her perfume, but inside she felt like a big gooey mess.

It would have to do.

Fully dressed and beautified, she grabbed her book bag still sitting in her room and slung it over her left shoulder. She raced through the kitchenette, grabbed a bottled water and mumbled, “See ya!”

“Hey, don’t you want a Pop Tart or somethin’?” Charlie called, holding an unopened silver foil wrapper.

Rushing back, she snatched the Pop Tarts from Charlie’s hand and ripped it open. “Thanks! I’ve got class at 8:30!” She took a moment to stuff two giant bites in her mouth.

“Shit, so do we, but we’re not having a heart attack.” Charlie laughed.

Kaylee tutted and nodded at Ashley, her eyes still on Charlie’s. “She’s from New York City.”

A look of understanding crossed Charlie’s face. “Oh…. It’s all starting to make sense now.”

Kaylee laughed as she pushed on Charlie’s chest. “Be nice, she’s family.”

“I know a thing or two about family.” Charlie snorted. “Look at my stepbrother. We’re like night and day.”

Kaylee stroked her finger down along Charlie’s stubble jawline. “Glad I found the handsome, fun one.”

Stuffing another bite in her mouth, Ashley waved and raced out the door. What did Charlie mean about family? She and Kaylee were night and day different but similar in some ways as well. The mention of Logan brought a clear image of him to her mind. He was cute, but not like his stepbrother. She wasn’t interested. Plus, she didn’t have time to think about guys. She had a scholarship to keep.

Shrugging it off, Ashley ran down the hall and pressed the down elevator.

***

Logan slumped down in a seat in the backrow of English Composition 101. He’d arrived right on time with a Red Bull in his hand, a marble composition notebook on the desk and a single sharpened pencil behind his ear. He didn’t recognize anybody else in the class, and figured it was a good thing. No need to make conversation.

Last night, he settled into the other half of Zip’s room, tossing and turning most of the night. It took Gavin a while to restring the banjo and then forever to get it back in tune to the way Logan liked it. They practiced their songs most of the night, accompanied by enough beer to quench the nation. Zip decided that if they wanted to ace the audition at Rock Star Royale, they needed some new songs and an extra oomph. When asked what the hell he was talking about, Zip shrugged his shoulders, took a drag on his cigarette and said through the smoke, “I dunno. I’ll know when I hear it.”

Breaking Logan from his momentary train of thought, Professor Belinda Cassidy strolled through the door in a black business suit, with a serious look on her face to match. “Good morning everyone.” Her cool tone of voice did not match her outfit. Logan pictured her more comfortable in a pair of jeans and something casual. She placed her briefcase on the desk along with a tall cup of coffee or cappuccino. Her heels clicked against the linoleum floor as she went to close the door.

Just as she shut it, the door flew open and an apologetic female slipped in.

“Whoa! Hey there!” Professor Cassidy jumped back. “Where’s the fire?”

Logan recognized the girl. Amber, Angela, A-something! The girl Charlie had knocked down yesterday.

She fidgeted nervously and then held her hand out to the Professor. “So sorry. Ashley Slater.”

The class laughed when the Prof hesitated before finally shaking Ashley’s hand. With a polite smile on her face, Professor Cassidy replied, “Pleasure. Please take your seat and remember my class begins at 8:30. Fire or no fire.”

“Sorry.” Ashley ducked her head down and turned for the classroom. Quickly scanning the room for an empty seat, the only empty desk was at the back beside Logan.

Logan pulled his pencil from behind his ear and began tapping it against the desk, working out a rhythm playing in his head.

He was stunned by how beautiful Ashley was. How had he missed that yesterday? Her long hair, the curves of her body. The rose color on her cheeks made her appear vulnerable. For some reason he liked that. Not that he wanted her to be embarrassed. The thought just made him wonder if she would blush like that if she was naked. Not in class, but like, naked in a bedroom with him. Like if he unbuttoned her blouse and brought his lips to her breast. Would she blush?

He straightened suddenly when she dropped down into the empty desk beside him. He tried to push the image of her naked from his mind and then realized he was staring at her.

As she looked up past her long raven tresses, her eyes met with Logan’s penetrating gaze. He watched as a sweet smile creased her face, and something hidden began to burn inside of him.

“Shit!” Logan mumbled and turned his head toward Professor Cassidy, his eyes still caught in Ashley’s web of prettiness.

He tried to focus on the lesson, but it was impossible. He couldn’t stop his eyes from darting over to her. Occasionally, Ashley would glance at him and give him a bashful smile.

Towards the end of class, Ashley’s eyes darted down and across the sheet of paper he had been scribbling on. With a smile he folded it up and passed it to her. She smelled unbelievable. He’d never sniffed perfume as pretty as her.

Ashley took the note from him, but before she had the opportunity to read it, he leaned over and whispered into her ear. “Meet me on the quad by Old Trinity Hall at three.”

“How will I know to find you?” Her breathy whisper back sent a hungry shiver down his spine.

He grinned and winked at her. “I’ll be the one with the Harley.”

“Oh yeah?” Ashley whispered back and straightened when Professor Cassidy stopped talking. When the Prof resumed her lesson, she leaned over to Logan. “Where you taking me?”

“You’ll see.” Logan wanted to brush his lips against her ear and then down her neck. He let out a hot breath and moved his head away before he did something killer-embarrassing right in class.

A moment later class dismissed and Logan hurried toward the door, not waiting for Ashley. He didn’t want to be standing by her when she opened the note. He had no idea if she would even recognize what was on it. He chewed the inside of his cheek. It had been a stupid idea to give the girl a note. Nobody did that these days.

He watched as Ashley finally unfolded the note. As her eyes scanned the page she smiled, probably at the doodles Logan had drawn. Slowly her eyes moved back and forth at the words on the page.

He’d written the lyrics for “Stubborn Love” by The Lumineers word for word.

Ashley’s face gave away nothing. He couldn’t tell if she recognized the song or if she thought he’d written them himself. He just stood at the door, waiting to see what she would say, unable to walk away.

Ashley walked over to him and in the sweetest of song voices sang, “Keep your head up… My love.”

Logan grinned. Fuck that, he knew he was beaming, like a little kid who’d just gotten a puppy for Christmas. He slapped the wainscoting of the door as he shot Ashley one last glance.

She winked at him as he slipped out of the room. Suddenly English Comp at 8:30 was going to be his favorite class of the day.

22

“Man alive!” Kaylee groaned loudly as she flopped down into a metal cafeteria chair, breaking Ashley from her thoughts. “This day has sucked ass. Royally!”

“Thor’s hammer! You scared the crap out of me!” Ashley laughed.

“Thor’s hammer?” A single eyebrow rose on Kaylee’s forehead. “Never took you for the comic book type.”

“I’m not. Really. But if Chris Hemsworth can play Thor, I’ll call on him whenever I can.” She pushed her half eaten sandwich away. “Why’s today sucking? It’s only half over with.”

“Spanish at 9:00 is not my idea of a good time,” Kaylee complained with a roll of her eyes. “Charlie has class at 8:30 and he never goes. And still passes.”

“Well, my first class was great,” said Ashley with a grin, thinking of the note in her bag.

Kaylee raised an eyebrow. “Ash, you left the dorm looking like you were ready to have a heart attack.”

Ashley laughed. “I don’t like being late. Especially on the first day.”

“You need to let loose and have some fun. I figured you being from New York would be upper class, not upper tight.” She stared at Ashley as if trying to read her thoughts. “What’s your first class?”

“English Comp.” Ashley wasn’t giving away her secret quite so easily. Kaylee was going to have to work for her dirt.

“Yawn City!”

“The class is boring, but it’s not the class, it’s who’s in the class.”

“Ooooh, do you have English with Dylan McCloud? That dude is a dreamboat.”

“Dreamboat?” Ashley giggled, liking Kaylee better when Charlie wasn’t around. “Are you from the 50s? Our grandmother uses that word.”

“I’m bringing it back!”

“It’s all yours.” Ashley smiled and checked her watch. She had no intention of being late for another class. “I’ve no idea who Dylan McCloud is, by the way.”

“Just some human Adonis walking around campus. NBD,” Kaylee said non-chalantly.

“NBD. What’s NBD?”

“WTF? Don’t you use lingo in NYC?” Kaylee laughed. “NBD means no big deal!”

“Hey!” Ashley teased and tried to look tough and not laugh as she teased her cousin. “We can toss attitude up in New York just as well as you southern girls can.”

“So I see! C’mon! Are you going to tell me about who you had English with or are you gonna make me suffer?!”

“Make you suffer,” Ashley said with a laugh. She was glad she’d chosen TSU, and staying with her cousin. It might be a fun year after all. She brought her soft drink to her lips as she took a sip.

“Not cool, man.” Kaylee took a bite of her slice of pepperoni pizza.

“Oh, fine! I’ll tell you…” Ashley drawled her words out slowly.

“Okay, out with it then!” Kaylee urged with an eager look on her face.

Ashley laughed, as if she had the biggest secret in the world. Finally, she blurted out, “Logan Murphy asked me out. We’re meeting up later today.”

The smile fell from Kaylee’s sunny face.

“What?” Ashley tried to figure out why Kaylee didn’t like Logan. He was Charlie’s stepbrother after all. What was it about sweet and talented Logan that her cousin clearly didn’t like?

“Nothing. It’s just…” Kaylee continued but her voice trailed off.

“It’s just what?” Ashley pressed with a serious look on her face.

“He’s got a reputation…”

“A reputation for what?”

“He’s in a band and his stepbrother was telling me stories about him. Logan doesn’t let people get close to him. He’s got a groupie of gals following him because of the band. I guess they’re decently good.” Kaylee forced a smile. “Just be careful. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’ll be careful.” Ashley tried not to laugh. Blonde Kaylee worried about this New York girl? She spent a lot of time behind her cello, but she wasn’t immune to people. She did go out. A lot. Well, sorta a lot.

“It’s not just that,” Kaylee continued, “Charlie says Logan’s kind of a hothead. Always going head to head with his stepfather over nothing.”

“You know Charlie’s parents?”

“Hell, no! Charlie’s never brought me home to meet them. We’re just keeping it casual.” She popped a pepperoni in her mouth. “You, my dear, are not the casual kind.”

“Logan seems sweet.” Ashley thought about how he’d helped her up yesterday. “I think it’ll be fun.”

“Yeah, he’s good with fun. He’s not so good with serious,” Kaylee warned.

She sure seemed to know a lot about Logan
. She wondered if Charlie hadn’t been Kaylee’s first choice of brothers.

Ashley glanced at the clock on the cafeteria wall and jumped up. “I’m running late again!” She grabbed the wrappers from her lunch. “I’ll see you back at the dorm tonight.”

“Later, cuz!”

“Bye!” Ashley slung her bag over her shoulder.

“Oh, and Ash...” Kaylee’s voice came out low.

“Yeah?” Ashley turned back to her.

“Be careful,” Kaylee said in nothing more than a charged whisper.