Dissonance (26 page)

Behind Logan’s head, Tim brushed off the comment with another sleazy look my way and an over-emphasized wink. Usually, that kind of treatment was too much for me, but there was a playfulness about it that told me he’d never cross any lines. Logan had already made it clear that he had the utmost trust in both of them.

Their bassist, however, was another story entirely. When Eli left, they needed a replacement fast. A few auditions landed Tyler my brother’s spot. He was talented, but Logan said he didn’t fit quite as well with the guys. I hadn’t really understood why until I realized that he was noticeably absent from the rehearsal. When I asked Logan about it, he responded that Tyler would “show when he showed.”

It ended up being over an hour before he came strutting in like he was a half hour early. They guys had been engrossed in developing harmony lines for a new song and it was just beginning to meld together when the sound-proofed door burst open and a man that exuded nonchalance entered.

“What’s up?” he tossed out to the room at large as if they hadn’t been in the middle of something. His dusty blonde hair had the appearance of just having rolled out of bed.

I hated him on instinct. That careless, self-centered air about him had a sickening feeling swirling in my gut. It reminded me of the six months Derek and I had been together my junior year of high school. At first, I had envied that about him. That had never been my reality. My life was defined by my anxiety. Nervous jitters and sleepless nights were familiar to me, even as a child. It took a while before I saw past that carefree exterior to the real person underneath. By that time, it was too late.

Tyler’s dark eyes landed on me, making a slow trek up my body. The leering smile that followed had my lungs closing up. I knew that leer. I’d seen it before.

I fought back against the panic that I felt pulling at me. The voice was back, whispering in the corners of my mind, trying to drag me down.

“You’re nothing.”

No, I wouldn’t listen. I had Logan. He thought I was worth so much more. He cared about me.

Somehow, Logan must have sensed my discomfort. When I looked up, his astonishingly bright eyes were on me. There was worry darkening them. Was he really so attuned to me? Seeing the evidence of his feelings for me right there silenced the haunting voice. When I looked into his eyes, everything else dissolved away. The fear was not so strong when I had Logan, only the familiar warmth he sparked inside of me. The first tug of his full lips into that sexy smirk that I’d grown to love had my own lips tugging upward.

While Tyler got himself set up, Logan sauntered over to me. He bent down, pushing me back until I feared I would tip backward. My eyes closed as he leaned in. His warm breath against my ear had goose bumps blanketing my skin. His lips danced against the shell of my ear as he whispered, “I’ll have you alone again soon enough.” His lips moved delicately against mine before his retreat.

That decadent promise had me so distracted I hardly heard a thing until Logan was asking if I was ready to go.

Alex, of course, was beside herself with excitement over my burgeoning relationship. That meant a Girl’s Night. She wanted me to dish, and her method was to pump me full of alcohol until I started talking. It was a technique that had worked out for her in the past.

She was less than thrilled by how long it took to set up, but Logan kept making plans for us. I could say it was irritating, that I had been making a concerted effort to get together with Alex and that he was getting in the way of that, but I would be lying. Being the center of Logan’s attention was addicting, and I could hardly deny him my time when he had been so sweet about planning dates for us. He’d been taking me all over the city, making me feel like Seattle was my home. Only Alex’s repeated berating phone calls and texts made me give in.

“I know you’re in the honeymoon phase, but you can carve out one damn night for me,” she’d complained.

“I seem to recall coming home for a weekend my freshman year of college not long after you and Eli got together and not being able to get five minutes of attention from you or my brother,” I had retorted.

She had no response to that, but that did nothing to stop her constant insistence. If anything could be said of Alex, she was certainly persistent. Eventually, I gave in and told a sour Logan that he would have to let me go for a night. He was less than thrilled, but gave in. Alex and I had planned to meet Leo and Justin for dinner, then go for drinks. The boys were going up to Portland the next morning for Leo’s niece’s birthday, so they weren’t going to join us for the grilling I was no doubt in store for once Alex loosened me up with a few drinks.

While I was getting ready, hoping to avoid Alex’s scrutiny for once, Logan snuck into the bathroom. The moment I caught sight of him in the mirror, I set down the flat iron. His arms wrapped around me from behind, just as I knew they would. Logan loved to hold me that way. It was the same anytime he could get my back to him, his arms would be around me immediately and his face would nuzzle my neck beneath my hair. I squirmed from his grasp. His arms flexed to pull me in even tighter.

“No getting away,” he murmured. As if I wanted to.

After a minute of dizzying kisses up and down my neck, he released me and leaned against the counter. He was dressed for another show. Tight black jeans and a well fitting plaid button-up. He was too sexy for his own good. I was seriously regretting agreeing to go out with Alex.

“I hate that you won’t be there tonight,” he pouted. How in the hell did he make pouting attractive? His plush lower lip invited me to pull it between my teeth. The glimmer that sparked in his eyes told me he knew exactly what I was thinking. He knew I could hardly keep my hands off of him, and he exploited the fact frequently. This time, I wasn’t giving in.

Nudging the delicious-looking lip with my knuckle, I gave him a devilish grin. “No pouting, Mister. You’ve had me to yourself all week. Tonight you have to share.”

He was on me in a second, pressing me against the counter and cupping my face in his hands. “I’ll never share you, angel,” he replied huskily. Mush, I’d turned to mush in his hands. He held me up as my knees gave out. “But for tonight, I guess I can deal with girl’s night.”

His lips were on mine in a searing kiss as soon as the last words left his mouth. His tongue lightly teased my lips until they opened for him. Then he was inside, kissing me with all the fervor that I loved. He tasted of spearmint, and I realized he was chewing gum. When the minty substance made contact with my tongue, I couldn’t help myself. I snatched it up and pulled away from Logan’s kiss before he could stop me.

With a smirk, I made a show of noisily chewing the gum like a movie cheerleader. Logan’s eyes gleamed like a wild animal stalking prey.

“So, you want to challenge me, baby?” he murmured silkily.

Biting down on my bottom lip, I nodded. I was afraid that if I tried to speak, he’d hear my nerves. He leaned in so slowly, I had to swallow to keep from shaking. I could swear my heartbeat was loud enough for him to hear. The blood pooling beneath my cheeks surely gave me away.

Logan’s hand moved to the middle of my spine and pressed me to him so tightly that I was arching backward over the counter. I was completely at his mercy, and we both knew it. His lips drew closer to mine until they touched. He wasn’t kissing me, he was driving me crazy. Suddenly, his tongue pushed into my mouth. I was too far gone to stop him. I never wanted this to end.

“Hey, soul sister–”

My ringtone echoed through the room, causing me to jump. Why, of all moments, did it have to be that one?

Logan’s groan of frustration sounded strangely erotic to my worked up mind. “Damn her,” he muttered. “Better answer, we both know she’ll just keep calling.”

Of course, she would. Alex never gave up, on anything. Sometimes it was endearing. Right now, I cursed her and her unrelenting tenacity.

“Yes?” I answered, too frustrated to pretend otherwise.

“Bad timing?” she sounded anything but repentant.

“You have no idea,” Logan grumbled, still pressed against me.

“Tell the sexy boyfriend to back off. I’m hopping in a cab now and you better be ready when I get there.”

“Yeah, I’ll be ready,” I answered.

It wasn’t until I hung up the phone that I noticed Logan’s jaw working slightly, and I realized he had managed to get his gum back. He noticed my attention on his mouth and one side rose into a smirk.

“Sorry, angel. I win this time.”

Damn him and his cockiness. I’d best him somehow.

Alex was vigorously ringing the buzzer just seconds after I finished getting dressed. Logan let her in as I walked into the living room.

“You’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?” I looked up from where I had been checking the contents of my purse. His hungry gaze as he took me in told me all I needed to know. The little black dress and red heals I’d chosen had his approval.

“You like?” I did a quick turn for him.

“Oh yeah,” he said as he came over and rested his hands on my hips. “I’m not sure how I feel about other guys seeing you like this when I’m not there.”

“Whatever, Mr. Overprotective,” Alex jeered. I hadn’t even heard her walk in, but I wasn’t surprised she let herself in. Alex liked to think that what was mine was hers. “She’s not going home with any of them, so what’s the big deal? You men are such Neanderthals.”

Knowing that allowing Alex and Logan to go at it would keep us all stuck here, I stepped in. “Alright you two, we have places to be.”

Logan grumbled something indistinctly before pulling me against him and laying on a kiss that had me ready to tell Alex to get back in a cab and go home. Not that it would have worked. Alex would threaten to stay and watch. Logan may have caused me to lose my head a little, but I was not going to have an audience for our first time. Or any time, for that matter.

“Call me when you’re done, I’ll come get you,” Logan gave me a look that told me he was not playing around.

“What,” I teased, “you have a problem with cabs now, too?”

He gave me a droll look before leading us out the door. As Alex and I climbed into a cab without him, I marveled at my utter lack of trepidation over him performing without me there. There would be plenty of women more than willing to take him on just about anywhere, particularly after seeing the way he commanded the stage. Somehow, though, he had managed to convince me that he had no interest in that lifestyle. Somehow, Logan had gotten me to trust him.

Four hours later, Alex and I were buzzing pretty hard. Somewhere between casually drinking one cocktail at dinner, and tossing back my fifth dessert-flavored shot at the club Alex dragged me to afterward – I think this one was meant to be cherry cheesecake – had been the appearance of the scantily clad waitress that really got the night going. She’d come up to our table in a tank top that looked like it was better suited to for a twelve-year-old, not straining to contain D-cups. Of course, I doubt most parents would outfit their child in a tank top that read “Rock Me” across the chest. On top of too much cleavage, she’d come baring a tray of all the featured dessert shots. Alex was getting us one of each before she’d finished telling us the available flavors. One more of the shots sat before me. Strawberry shortcake, maybe? I couldn’t tell anymore. I could hardly remember all of the flavors, let alone the order in which they’d been placed in front of us.