Whisky Lullaby: Rock Star Romance, Step-brother New Adult Romance (Tennessee Romance Book 1) (7 page)

Inside this box was an impressive assortment of goodies including gum, Chap Stick, aspirin, hair ties, and candy. There was even a set of ear plugs with a note that read, “Kaylee snores.” Ashley chuckled as she read the note. There was a gift card to the campus bookstore, with a note that read, “In case you need supplies.” There was also a card to Vaughn’s Music Store in Nashville, with a note that said, “Feed the need for music.”

As far as aunts went, Ashley had to admit that her Aunt Dee was pretty cool. And as much as her mother had complained about how different she and her sister are, Ashley could immediately see, they weren’t so different at all. They just didn’t see eye to eye.

Ashley picked up the boxes and carried them down the long hallway to her bedroom. She put everything away in its place, took a glance in the mirror and played with her hair. It was so thick, sometimes she was tempted to cut it short. But always talked herself out of it. She made a mental reminder to herself to call her mom and her aunt later to thank them, but now she had a boy to meet.

No matter how she tried, she just couldn’t shake Logan’s sexy smile from her mind.

Follow You Down to the Red Oak Tree

Logan waited under the red oak tree. He checked the time on his phone as his fingers nervously tapped against the chrome of his bike. “Two fifty-seven. She’ll be here.”

He desperately tried to keep a cool look, but it wasn’t such an easy feat when social butterflies ripped through his body. He shook his head. He didn’t get nervous. He could step on a stage in front of people and not bat an eye, but this… this waiting for a girl was a whole new thing.

Thankfully, five minutes later Ashley came meandering out of the double doors of McCarron Hall. Dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans, a pair of knee high riding boots and a black lacy blouse, Logan couldn’t believe how beautiful she was. She had gorgeous hair. He wondered what it would feel like to get his fingers tangled up in it. She wore little makeup, just enough to bring out her natural beauty. The result was striking. Logan had to refrain himself from staring at her as she approached him.

Ashley strolled along the stone pathway seemingly lost within her own thoughts. He had the perfect spot to watch as she tossed her keys in her purse, and continued to walk up the path, her fingers playing with her hair and then her blouse. Suddenly, from across the quad, Ashley’s eyes met his and held his gaze as if time had stopped, just an instant, for them.

Then the moment broke and both seemed precipitously bashful, as if they had never done this dance before.

He told himself to get a grip, but something deep inside begged him not to. His heart, or whatever it was, wanted to go on a wild ride that would take his breath away and lose all coherent thoughts, like when he got lost in his music. He took a deep breath as he watched Ashley slowly walk towards him.

He leaned coolly against his bike as her lips curled upwards into a beautiful smile. Her eyes mimicked her mouth, as excitement poured from her gaze. Finally, Logan gave himself to the moment.

With a teasing sarcastic tone, Logan called out, “You’re late!”

With a musical laugh, she waved him off. “I’m right on time! I show up everywhere three minutes late. Class… dates… funerals… you name it.”

“Fashionably late. I see.” Logan raised an eyebrow and leaned forward on his bike.

“You got it, mister! By the way, you’re probably the only person on earth to ever refer to me as fashionable.”

He had a cheesy grin on his face, he knew it. He let his eyes appreciatively scan Ashley’s frame up and down, and when he had fully drunk her in, he replied, “Looks pretty good to me.”

Ashley’s mouth fell open and he heard her breath catch. She looked like she didn’t know whether she wanted to kiss him or die of embarrassment. Recovering, she pressed her lips together before nodding toward the bike. “So where are you taking me?”

“I was thinking a ride, maybe some dinner and then see where the night takes us.” Logan swallowed, his mind picturing images of where the night could take them.

Ashley stared down at the bike. “I’ve never been on one of those before.”

Logan smiled proudly as he reached behind him for a black helmet. “You scared?” he asked as he passed the helmet to Ashley.

“A little.”

He winked. “I’ll keep you safe. I promise.” He reached to help her with the helmet. “You’ll need to wear this if you want to go anywhere. Safety first.”

“Safety first,” she repeated as she let him fasten the buckle and tighten the strap, securing the helmet on her head.

Logan then grabbed Ashley’s left hand, catching her off guard. Pulling her towards him, Logan double-checked the strap of her helmet to make sure it was good and secure. Unhappy with how loose it was around her chin, he pulled it a little tighter. He liked how her body pressed against the side of his as he did so. “There…”

Ashley hesitated before stepping back, watching his face closely. “There are flecks of amber in your irises, swallowed up by the chocolate brown.”

He stared at her, not sure how to respond. Had she meant to say that out loud? He gave her a sexy smile, liking the way she’d described his eyes. Gently, he guided her by the elbow and assisted her onto the bike. “Straddle close to me, as tight as you can. It’ll be easier to ride, and more comfortable.”

Ashley grabbed onto his leather jacket. He could feel her anxiety and adrenaline rush through her body. “Where do I put my hands?”

He pushed his sunglasses on, straightening and then reached behind him for her sexy long fingers. “Around my waist. Hold on as tight as you’d like.”

He tightened his abs as she clasped her hands together around his stomach and pressed against him. He felt her warm breath just before she sucked it in sharply. It drove him deliriously crazy.

“I’m ready,” she whispered.

He didn’t need to be told twice. Revving the engine of the bike loudly, he accelerated out of the parking lot leaving the quad behind them. He imagined Ashley’s hair whipping behind her as she clasped onto Logan for dear life. She was obviously not a thrill junkie, but when she laughed in his ear, Logan couldn’t miss her excitement.

He grinned. He couldn’t help himself.

Logan’s bike tore through the narrow streets of the campus. People passing by on the sidewalk glanced their way as they chatted. Several young women’s faces fell when they saw Logan was not alone atop his Harley.
Not Logan, but Logan Murphy of the band Whisky Lullaby
. Much to their dismay, Logan had the company of a very pretty young woman.

Ashley continued to clasp onto him tightly, even as they waited at a stop light for the light to turn from red to green. “Look right,” she told him. A particularly voluptuous blonde woman gawked their way. She wore skin tight jeans and a black Whisky Lullaby t-shirt. She didn’t look happy.

“I think someone pissed in her Froot Loops this morning,” Logan commented. “Nice shirt, though.”

“
She has to be at least thirty-five,” Ashley whispered just loud enough over the bike’s engine for Logan to hear.

They couldn’t miss the blonde’s voice as she began to complain to her friend. “What does she have that I don’t?” Blondie jabbed her elbow at the girl standing beside her. “Gina?! Are you listening to me?!”

Her friend Gina, a woman with short black hair and dark brown eyes, shrugged and said facetiously, “Better luck next time, Becky! Looks like the oh-so-delicious Logan Murphy is off the market!”

Becky glared at her friend as laughter exploded from Gina’s body.

Trying to stifle her amusement, Ashley rested her head against Logan’s shoulder.

Logan chuckled and glanced back at Ashley. His gaze met hers.

There was a moment. He swore there was.

A connection. Their instincts spot on. Like a storm rippling beneath the surface.

He turned around quickly, not sure he was ready for the tempest to take control of him. Thankfully he had his sunglasses on. Maybe he’d misread it.
Yeah, that’s probably what happened
.

Resting her chin against Logan’s shoulder, Ashley whispered softly into his ear, “Well, aren’t you the popular one?”

Her voice ticked his ear and made all the hair on his arm stand on end. There was a charge of energy he simply couldn’t shake off. Ashley was electric. A serious look took over his beautiful face and he was glad she couldn’t see it. “Other women don’t interest me, Ashley. Don’t you worry your heart on it.”

The light turned green and he revved the engine. This girl drove his mind and body crazy. He wanted to know her, be familiar with every part of her, body and mind. He tried to shake the feeling off. This might be a first date for them, but there was this feeling he couldn’t figure out. Everything fit together like a puzzle. Like two old lovers who had spent years apart, and no matter the time and the space between them, their relationship stayed the same. But they weren’t old friends and he knew next to nothing about her.

Ripping down the road, Logan navigated the motorcycle across the border of Nashville and darted for the highway. He showed her landscape of the state as it changed from the inner city of Nashville to the countryside of central Tennessee.

He smiled, thanks to the noise of the bike forcing them to not have to talk. She didn’t know where Logan was taking her, but she seemed to be enjoying the adventure.

After forty-five minutes on his bike, Logan brought the Harley to a stop in the dirt parking lot of an old dining car. “It’s an old dining car from the Nashville Express line,” he told her as he pulled his helmet off. The train car gleamed brilliantly under the hot Tennessee sun. The aluminum frame appeared hot under the warm rays, and inside it appeared to be bustling and busy.

“This is different!” Ashley finally loosened her hold on his stomach as she straightened.

“It’s not much, but it’s quiet and they have really good food.” Logan parked the bike and slipped off it. “My mom used to bring my stepbrother and sisters and I here when we were kids.”

“We don’t have restaurants like this back home. It’s really cool.” She sounded excited and it made him smile. “A train car restaurant in the middle of the hot Tennessee countryside? It’s right up my alley.”

He slipped his hand along her elbow, savoring the feel of her soft skin as he helped her off the bike. “Sorry it’s not a five-star restaurant like in NYC,” he teased.

“I wouldn’t know what the inside of a five-star restaurant would even look like,” she admitted. “I believe casual’s better.”

“Really? I pegged you for one of those fancy Fifth Avenue girls. Big fancy house, nights out on Broadway…” He was pushing the envelope, trying to learn more about her.

“You’ve got to be joking!” Ashley quipped. “My mother and I live in Brooklyn.”

“No accent?” Logan said with a laugh.

“It’s kind of a long story.” She glanced at the restaurant and when he didn’t move to go inside, she continued. “We lived near Princeton when my parents were together. Then my mom and I moved to Brooklyn. We’ve lived in a two-bedroom apartment since the divorce. Dad, on the other hand, does actually live on Fifth Avenue.”

Logan nodded.
There’s some history there. I believe I’m stumbling into some murky territory.
“Someday you’ll have to tell me about it.” Not first date material, he figured.

“Sure. Someday.” Ashley pressed her lips together, a cautious look on her face. “What about you, Logan?” she asked, quickly changing the focal point of the conversation from being directed at her and putting it right on him. “You seem to be music royalty in this town.”

Logan looked back at Ashley as they walked towards the restaurant. Laughter boomed from his mouth. “This is Nashville. Whisky Lullaby, and me, for that matter, are just a teeny tiny blip on the map.”

“But you are so popular,” she pressed.

“We do a lot of shows, on and off campus. We’re forever playing at the Cave. It’s a campus town.” He grinned, hearing the pride in his own voice.

“I heard about that place, the Cave.”

“The Cave’s awesome. I also work there part time in the stock room.”

“I should check if they’re hiring.”

He stared at her in surprise. “Actually, they probably are. They’re always looking for waitresses.”

“Cool. Maybe if we have time tonight, we’ll stop by,” Ashley said.

She was serious. She wanted to work. If she did, she’d be there when the band played. He smiled. “You’ll get to see me in action.” He led her to a booth and sat down across from her.

“I like seeing other musicians do their thing,” she said with a wink.

“Other musicians… So you are a musician. I had the feeling you were, considering you had a case big enough to be a body bag.”

“I sing, play the cello, harp, violin and flute. I’m here mainly because of the cello.” Ashley grinned sheepishly. “I also compose my own music.”

Logan stared at her in complete bewilderment. “Holy crap! You write your own music?”

“I trained at Juilliard for years under the direction of Victor Von Chaumbers.” She grabbed a chip out of a bowl that the waitress set down on the table with some menus.

Logan screwed up his face in confusion. He must not have heard her correctly. “Wait. Did you say Juilliard?”

“Yeah…” Ashley said nonchalantly, as if every musician on earth got into that school.

“Uh… As in the Juilliard School? The foremost prestigious music school in the country?”

“Yup. That’s the one. My mother teaches guitar there.” She grabbed for another chip.

“So if you were trained at Juilliard—excuse my stupidity—why the fuck are you here in Tennessee?”

Ashley laughed. “Well, I needed a change of scenery for one. I already had the New York life. I wanted to experience something else. So I started looking at other cities that were known for their music. It was either Philadelphia, Seattle or Nashville. Nashville won.”

“I’m glad it did,” Logan said, then realized he’d just admitted it out loud. He felt his face burn red. “So you’re saying you’re something of a musical prodigy?”

“Nah…” She shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know. I started with the flute when I was really little, so I took more classes, and eventually branched out into other instruments. Then came singing and composition. When it came time to pick a college, I wanted something different. I have the certifications from Juilliard. I wanted the degree from somewhere else.”