Not A Hero: A Bad Boy Marine Romance Read online

  “Hey, man!” Rock slapped Logan on the back and lifted his leg over the barstool on Logan’s right, getting comfortable. Charlie nodded at Logan and sat down next to Rock- he had always been the quiet one of the bunch.

  “Where the hell ya been, Logan? Been callin’ ya since Friday! You were banging that girl all weekend, weren’t you?” Dylan joked raucously, slapping the bar as her sat down to Logan’s left. “Bartender! Round of Guinness’ here for my boys! We’ve got some celebrating to do.”

  Dylan didn’t give Logan the chance to respond, which he was glad about. He didn’t want to lie and tell them he had avoided them all weekend. Dylan’s comments brought Gina to the forefront of his mind again and he felt a warmth pass through his body at the memory of her touch. He suddenly wished she was here with him.

  That thought surprised Logan, creeping up on him so easily. He had thought about her a lot over the last two days, but there was no room for her in his life right now. No room to fall into a relationship when he had his parents to care for and a potential new path in life with his music.

  “We are celebrating, right?” Dylan looked at Logan, worry in his eyes.

  Rock and Charlie leaned forward too, eager to hear about the scout and crossing their fingers for good news. He felt sick to his stomach at the excitement on their faces.

  “Yeah, we’re celebrating. The scout loved the performance. He said Haven was good!” Logan told them the truth, even though he was omitting other details. He avoided eye contact and took a few swigs of his beer.

  “Fuck yeah we’re good! The crowd was freaking the hell out on Friday! Did you see my drum solo? I thought my sticks were going to burst into flames!” Dylan championed, puffing his chest out and chugging the rest of his beer.

  “Hell, Logan was the one that had the crowd going nuts. Especially with that last song.” Rock nodded at Logan. “That was a good pick, man.”

  “Yeah, I agree. Friday was the best we’ve ever done,” Charlie chimed in, sipping his beer more slowly than his friends as he was the designated driver.

  Dylan grinned and picked up his second drink that the bartender had just dropped off.

  “What else did the scout say? Tell us about it,” Charlie asked the question Logan had been dancing around. He sighed and looked around at them.

  “His name is Garrett Vile; he wants me to come to New York next week to play for the other record label executives at New York New Music.” Logan looked down at the bar and rubbed the back of his neck.

  “Dude, that’s awesome! We’re going to New York, baby!” Rock pumped his fist in the air and high-fived Charlie.

  Dylan narrowed his eyes and studied Logan’s expression. He had known Logan all his life, he knew what Logan was saying.

  “Rock, shut the fuck up. That’s not what he said,” Dylan’s voice had a low, bitter tone.

  Both Rock and Charlie’s mood deflated and they turned to look at Logan. Everyone was looking at him now, so he stood from his barstool and backed up a few steps. Their glares were boring holes straight through him and he needed to collect himself.

  “Dylan’s right. They want me to come to New York.” Logan looked at his friends, pleading with his eyes for them to understand. “Alone.”

  “And you said that we are a band. All of us make up Haven, it’s not a one man show,” Rock asked.

  “I haven’t given them an answer yet. But, I need to go, guys. I can’t pass up this opportunity. You all know how much I need this.” Logan was pacing back and forth, attempting to figure out a way to explain his decision.

  Dylan stood silently, his face expressionless and still. Not the case for Rock and Charlie who were animated and clearly livid.

  “You need this, Logan? Like we don’t?” Charlie’s fists were balled at his sides; Logan had never seen him angry before. He was always calm and collected, he always had Logan’s back in the past.

  “There were four of us on that stage Friday, man. Haven is a four-damn-person band and it has been for five years. We aren’t just your fucking backup singers.” Rock glared at him, pointing his finger accusatorially. “This is all of us, Logan.”

  “Come on, guys. It looks like Logan has made up his mind,” Dylan said to the other band members and motioned toward the door. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Still scowling at Logan, the two men followed Dylan as they headed toward the exit.

  “Tabs on you, Logan,” Dylan called back to him, as they stuck Logan with the check.

  He pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and threw some cash down on the bar, enough to cover their check and then some. He was angry, furious actually, and could only think of one thing as he yanked out his phone to type out a text.

  I’ll be there in fifteen. You better not be wearing anything.

  He stalked out of the bar and toward his car, replaying the conversation with his friends in his mind. He knew that they would be upset but he thought that they would have understood. They all knew he took care of his family, they had all met his parents.

  He knew it wasn’t fair, he knew that Haven deserved the chance as much as he did, but would any of them have turned it down? He smacked the radio button, turning up the music as he pulled out of the bar parking lot. He felt his pocket buzz and paused for a moment to read the screen, smiling when he saw her response.

  The door’s unlocked.

  7

  Logan broke at least three or four traffic laws in his rush to get to Gina’s townhouse. He ran up her front steps and swung her door open confidently, as if he had been there a million times. Closing it behind him, he started shedding clothes as he walked to the bedroom.

  He wanted to forget all about what happened tonight and be with the woman who made him feel like a different person. Being with Gina was a window into a life he had stopped living years ago.

  He came to a complete halt when he reached the entry to her bedroom, caught off guard by the sight in front of him. Gina was stretched out across the bed, laying on her stomach and facing away from him. She was propped up on her elbows, reading a magazine and her one leg lying flat out behind her while the other was bent and dangling in the air above her. She was, as requested, entirely naked with only her jet black hair splayed across her back with hints of neon colors poking through.

  He dropped his shirt onto the bedroom floor beside him, making a small sound as the fabric hit the wooden floor. Gina looked over her shoulder nonchalantly at him and smiled, knowing from the look on his face that he was enjoying the view of her backside.

  He grinned and came toward her. She quickly flipped over onto her back, leaning on her elbows again to look at him, allowing herself to be on full display.

  “Stop right there, mister!” she said firmly.

  Logan froze in surprise and looked at her, confusion etched across his face.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, his eyes still stuck on her breasts.

  “You can’t just burst in here and take what you want.” She smirked and tilted her head to the side. “I’m not a booty call, Logan.”

  “That would sound a lot more convincing if you weren’t completely nude right now.” He grinned back, purposefully pressing her buttons. She huffed and made a pouting face.

  “Should I get dressed then?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “You left before I woke up the other morning and I haven’t heard from you since.” Her eyes narrowed angrily. “How the hell do you think that made me feel?”

  Logan tried to hold back a smile because she looked very cute when she was angry. Her nose was scrunched up and her cheeks flushed red, making him want to see if any other parts of her blushed as well.

  He stepped forward and climbed onto the bed swiftly, causing Gina to scurry backward in an attempt to be out of his reach. He was faster than her and easily scooped her, pinning her on the bed beneath him. Their faces were inches apart and he saw a tear welling in her eye, which he thought for a second looked somewhat fake, but he brushed
the thought away.

  “I thought about you so many times,” he spoke in a low, throaty whisper brushing his lips against her jaw and kissing her skin softly.

  “Really?” she asked, a timid quiver in her voice as she squirmed beneath him.

  “Fuck yes,” he groaned into her ear as she pressed her hips up against his body.

  “I don’t know if I believe you. I think I need some convincing,” she said, a small smile on her face as she turned her head away from him dramatically.

  He growled at her stubbornness and bit down on her shoulder causing her to yelp. Then he lifted her with one hand behind her back and slid her up higher on the bed effortlessly, pushing her legs apart. He pushed her leg up so her knee was bent and her thigh was against his cheek, then turned to kiss the sensitive skin and alternate between gentle biting and kissing.

  She squirmed and tried to pull out of his grasp because it was too much, she was sure her body was about to spontaneously combust. Her breath was ragged and her skin was instantly damp from the heat coursing through her veins at the feeling of his lips on her inner thigh, inching higher by the second. Logan just grabbed her hips, firmly pushing them into the bed and removing any chance of her escaping him.

  “Stop moving and let me convince you,” he ordered her in a husky and fierce tone.

  She looked down at him and giggled, finally consenting as she dropped her head back down on the pillow, allowing him to convince her time and time again.

  ***

  “Fuck them. You were the reason every person in that bar was on their feet cheering. You, Logan. Not your friends, not Haven. If they can’t be happy for you, then screw them,” Gina spouted off, her head against Logan’s shoulder as they laid in bed together.

  He was looking at the ceiling after telling her about what happened earlier that night, hoping talking about it out loud would lead to an answer.

  “I know, but it doesn’t mean that they aren’t happy for me. It’s just that we have always been a band, I never really thought about going off on my own. We have been together for years,” Logan defended his friends, although he wasn’t sure why.

  “No, not a chance. They are just jealous assholes. You were the star of Haven. You have the talent and you carried the show. My dad wants you and has since I first told him about you,” Gina sputtered angrily, sitting up and looking at him square in the face.

  “Wait, what? Since you told him about me? I sent our record into the label months ago.” Logan looked at her in confusion.

  Gina looked sideways and then abruptly laid her head back down on Logan’s shoulder.

  “Uh, yeah. I mean, sure, that’s how he heard about it, but you know, I’ve heard you guys play at McGinny’s before,” Gina quickly explained.

  “Oh, okay.” Logan still felt a bit confused, but Gina had slid over him and was leaning down to kiss him.

  He loved the feeling of her soft lips on his and he grabbed her hips, pushing her down against him just where he wanted her. She gasped and moaned into his mouth and then began to move with him as they forgot about everything else.

  8

  “Do you have to leave?” Gina whined, pulling his arm in an attempt to get him back in bed with her as she sleepily looked up at him.

  He grinned at her pouty expression and couldn’t stop himself from leaning down and planting a kiss on her lips. Her hands instantly wrapped around his neck and she deepened their kiss, moaning into his mouth as the tip of her tongue ran across his lips.

  “I wish I could stay, but I have to go to work,” he said, muffled from their kissing.

  He finally pulled himself away and grabbed his shirt off the ground. Yanking it on over his head, he looked back at the woman curled up in the sheets. One of her long legs was stretched out across the bed and the sheet barely covered her bosom.

  “You are making this so hard,” he groaned as he stood in the doorway, contemplating skipping work. The sight of her naked body was intoxicating, even though he had already indulged himself more than once tonight.

  “Is that the only thing that’s hard?” She giggled and threw a pillow at him, but he ducked and laughed.

  “Well, now I am definitely going. You are trouble, woman.” Logan winked at her than headed to her front door, carefully locking it behind him with the key she had given him.

  He didn’t know why he had accepted it, it seemed like a huge step and yet he hadn’t even questioned it. He wanted access to her anytime he chose. He couldn’t get enough of feeling her against him, being around her, even talking to her although they often had major discrepancies between their thinking. None of that mattered to him though because Gina had awoken something in him that he forgot existed and it didn’t matter that this was their second night together.

  She completed a piece of him that he hadn’t even realized he had lost.

  Logan stayed lost in his thoughts the entire way to work, daydreaming about being with Gina. He couldn’t even believe the things running through his mind, thinking about a future together with a woman he had just met four days ago. Not even just Gina, but his entire life had changed in the last four days.

  He had a chance to become everything he had ever dreamed of, to take care of his family, and to maybe find love on top of that. Everything was finally falling into place. He couldn’t stop himself from bearing a dopey smile thinking about his life, as he walked into the warehouse office to punch his time card.

  “You’re ten minutes late, Clay. What the hell? Thought you were going to start showing up early like you did the other day,” Joey barked at him from his usual spot behind the counter. Sometimes Logan wondered if his butt was permanently glued to that chair.

  “I told you not to get used to it.” He rolled his eyes at Joey and headed into the main part of the warehouse, ignoring his boss’s complaints.

  Don’t get used to me being here forever either, Logan thought to himself and smiled as he headed over to his work station.

  ***

  The days seemed to crawl by as Logan anxiously awaited his trip to New York. He spent his days working, then he ate dinner with his family and practiced songs on his guitar for his mother, then he headed over to Gina’s and spent the night tangled up in the sheets with her.

  Whatever he had started feeling during the first few days he had known her, had only intensified since then. He loved spending time with his mother after dinner and never cut that short, but he couldn’t help himself from eagerly awaiting the moment when he could have his arms around Gina again.

  There wasn’t much else to do with his time other than focus on New York and spend his down time with her. His friends hadn’t answered his texts or spoken to him since the initial argument at the bar. Logan had even gone to their regularly scheduled band practice in Charlie’s garage, but when he arrived, the door was locked and no one answered.

  So, almost a week and a half later and only one day before his trip to New York, Logan was shocked to walk out of work and see Dylan standing next to his car.

  “What are you doing here?” Dylan asked him when Logan was a few feet away.

  He looked at Dylan in confusion since Dylan was the one out of place here.

  “Uh, shouldn’t I be the one asking that? I work here,” Logan shot back, not trying to hide the irritation in his voice.

  He was still angry at his best friends for bailing on him at the most exciting time in his life. Dylan especially, as they’d been closest the longest. They had started Haven together. Logan shoved past Dylan and opened the driver’s side door.

  “I’m here to talk to you. I went to your house earlier today and your dad said you were at work and that you would be done about now, so here I am,” Dylan explained, circling around his point instead of spitting it out.

  “You know I always work Wednesdays.” Logan turned back to look at him, crossing his arms over his broad chest. Dylan kicked at the ground, shoving his hands in his pockets.

  “Would have thought you quit this place b
y now, or been home practicing for tomorrow,” Dylan said.

  “It’s not a sure thing, Dyl. It’s basically an audition.” Logan felt guilty again.

  “Believe me, it’s a sure thing. They would be idiots to pass you by.” Dylan smiled at Logan, who softened his stance at the compliment.

  “Thanks, man. That means a lot.”

  “No worries.” Dylan looked down at the ground again.

  That was it, they were friends again. They had never needed more than that, because those few words were both the apology and the forgiveness that they both needed.

  “Want to come over for dinner? Dad said he was grilling tonight, I can just have him throw on an extra burger,” Logan asked his friend.

  “Sure, I’m starving. Plus, I took the bus here, so I could use the ride.” Dylan grinned and walked around to the passenger side of the car.

  Logan just laughed. “Ah, so the real reason for the surprise visit comes out.”

  “You got me,” Dylan kidded.

  Logan shook his head at him across the roof of the car before both men got inside. Logan opened up the middle console and grabbed for his cell phone which he normally left in his car since he wasn’t supposed to have it with him at work.

  “Shit!” Logan sat up straight as he stared at the screen on his phone. Dylan turned to him, waiting for an explanation with a concerned look on his face.

  “My dad’s called me like one, two, three... nine times today!” Logan said, counting the missed calls.

  “Fuck, that’s not good. Call him back now before we start driving, dude,” Dylan urged, knowing all about Logan’s mother and her health issues. Logan was already dialing and quickly held the phone up to his ear, waiting for the call to be picked up.

  “Hello?”

  “Dad, I just got out and saw a bunch of missed calls. What happened?” Logan asked his father.

  “Your mother, Logan, her kidney is failing again. Come to Summit Memorial Hospital as soon as you can. I don’t know what is happening yet, they are doing transfusions every hour right now and running a whole fuck load of tests.”