Logan Kade (Fallen Crest #5.5)(23)

I glanced at Nate. Was he going to chime in? But he just lifted his beer to take a sip and turned to watch the bar. He didn’t seem to care about Logan’s question.

I shrugged. “I need a job.”

“Bullshit. I’ve seen that house you live in. You guys have money.”

Nate glanced at Logan then, a small smile on his face. Logan saw it, and his own lips curved, but neither said a word to the other.

Logan arched an eyebrow at me.

I shook my head. “I don’t know what you want me to say. I need a job. That’s it.”

I needed something to do outside of school and my studies. I didn’t want to depend on Jason and Claire to always be there to entertain me, and I didn’t want any other friends. I wasn’t ready to wade into the drama friendships sometimes brought.

Logan leaned back, raising his beer again. “I call bullshit, but whatever.” He glanced around. “This is a good place to work. Beer isn’t too watered down. We get free snacks.” He gestured to the popcorn machine. “And good tunes.” He nodded to the stage where a band was setting up, then to the jukebox.

Nate chimed in, a low, smooth baritone, “It’s far enough from school that you don’t get a lot of sorority chicks either.”

Logan nodded in agreement.

“Is that normally a problem?”

Both guys looked at me.

I shrugged, feeling a little intimidated. “I mean, don’t guys want drunk sorority girls at a bar?”

Nate grunted. “Sure, if you want a cheap lay. I’d rather have a sober girl at the end of the night, or at least one who knows who she is, not someone so insecure she’ll do anything I ask of her.”

“You guys are reverse snobs.”

They both frowned at me, confused.

“What do you mean?” Logan asked.

“Guys like wasted girls.”

Logan shook his head. “Insecure guys want wasted girls. I’ve got a rep. I know that. But none of those girls were wasted. No way.”

Eric always liked getting me tipsy. He didn’t care if I was drunk or not. This made me look at Logan a little differently. Something close to respect had started to form in me.

I needed to go. That was dangerous. I already looked forward to his jokes, but if I respected him, too? That was just bad all around. Those things could lead to something more, something deep, so I had to go.

I grabbed my purse and slid off my stool.

“Where are you going?”

“I, uh...”

Nate wasn’t paying any attention. He watched the band setting up on the stage. But Logan almost seemed disappointed. I grabbed the application, crinkling it into a ball.

“I have to go home.”

“You’re not going to apply now?”

“No.” My tongue lay heavy on the bottom of my mouth. I turned to go. My hand rested on the table.

“Hey.” Logan scooted off his stool and came around to me. He crowded in, moving closer so I could feel his body heat. He rested his hand next to mine and his finger grazed against mine. He barred me from slipping out and asked, “What’s wrong?”

He cared. I didn’t expect that from him. I reminded myself that I didn’t really know him. A week ago, I hadn’t known him at all.

“Taylor?”

“Use my last name.” I moved him back a little so I had some breathing room. I tried not to notice how good he felt, or how strong his arm was under my touch. “It’s more appropriate.”

“What?”

There it was again. Genuine confusion. He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t getting defensive. He was just confused.

“What’s going on here?” He edged back one more step. “You okay?”

“No.” I waved my hand at him. “It’s you.”

“Me?”

“Because you’re bad.”

He smirked. “I know I am.”

I gave him a dark look. “You’re bad news. I can’t handle you.”

He groaned, throwing his head back and closing his eyes. “Do you know how many directions I could take that? Seriously, Tay—Bruce. Watch your words if you don’t want me hitting you with one-liners.”

I paused. “What?”

“Nothing.” He forced out a breath. “Go on. I’m bad news. Why?”

“Because I can’t hand—” I started to repeat my words, but Logan let out a closed-mouth half growl. “I can’t deal with the attention that follows you around,” I offered instead.

He let out a breath he’d been holding. “Thank you. I didn’t think I could hold back anymore if you didn’t stop.”

I pressed my lips together. I was trying to ditch him, and he was crafting his Loganisms, even if he wasn’t delivering them. Of course he was, and he was amused by the whole thing. The more his smile grew, the more I wanted to forget that I needed to stay away. Part of me wanted to stay. I wanted to hang out with him and Nate. They didn’t care. I didn’t understand, but I liked it, whatever it was they didn’t care about. I needed it.

Logan studied me, and it was like he could read my mind. He threw an arm around my shoulders, and a rush of warm emotions swept over me. He turned me back to the stool and patted my hip. “Okay. Hop up there.”