15. Chapter 15

This has to be a dream.

Logan just took me over my desk, talked me into secretly hooking up with him, and now, Sawyer is standing right outside my office door.

I can't seem to breathe. It's as though the air around me has grown thick and heavy and is suffocating me.

"It's not what it looks like," Logan mutters, as he faces Sawyer.

His back is to me, but I can see from his rigid stance that he is just as shocked and nervous as I am.

Sawyer peers into my office, her eyes cast low as she takes in my disheveled look. I know my hair must be messy and my lips swollen from his kisses. And fuck– my panties. I realize, at this moment, that I'm not wearing my thong anymore. I do a quick sweep of the floor and don't see them.

"What is it then?" Sawyer asks, arms crossed over her chest.

She doesn't look mad. Maybe disappointed? I can't seem to read her expression.

"We were just going over the schedule. Coach Carl told me to come up here and find you, but I saw Ashlynn first," Logan stutters out.

He angles his body so that he's between both of us and I can see his face. Damn, I wish he had stayed turned away from me. His chiseled jaw and striking eyes draw me in, and that body– I'm definitely a sucker for muscles now. His arms look so strong in that shirt.

"I had to go meet with Topher, and when I came back up to the office…"

Sawyer doesn't finish her sentence. It's obvious what she heard when she returned to the office. Even though I tried to be quiet, I know we weren't. I didn't think anyone else was still up in the offices, or I would have stopped Logan and not had sex in my office.

Shit. If my dad or anyone else finds out, my life would officially be over. I screwed up and got sent here. What will happen when I screw up here?

Rubbing the bridge of her nose, Sawyer moves toward my office. She grabs Logan by the arm and ushers him inside, too. She closes the door and I swallow down a lump in my throat.

"Look, whatever is going on between the two of you is none of my business. We all have our relationships and it's yours to explore. I just want you to both be professional when you are here." She pauses and looks at me. Even though Sawyer is only a year or so older than me, I look up to her as a role model or older sister. I never had siblings growing up, and all my friends have been superficial and surface-level. Having someone care and look out for me is new. "Ashlynn, you are doing a great job learning your role in the PR firm. I don't want you to jeopardize your place here. And Logan, you can't handle any more scandals or give Coach Carl any other reason to bench you."

Her words weigh heavy on me. She's right; we were careless today and being together could destroy so much for both of us.

Logan turns to me, and I can see the turmoil in his eyes. "Ashlynn, I know we messed up today, but please don't let this stop us from pursuing what we have. Sure, Sawyer knows, but we can still see where this goes in secret." He's pleading with me and I can't stand to see the worry etched on his face.

I should tell him to leave me alone.

I should tell him that I can't risk my life here.

But I can't.

"I promise, Sawyer, we won't cause any problems. We are just having fun. It's not serious or anything yet."

"Yet," Logan reiterates, his eyes drinking me in.

"Just keep it out of the office. If and when you decide to make it serious, be careful and honest with those who care about you. But for now, I think I am going to head to my office, do some work, and have a stiff drink," she chuckles nervously.

"I swear, this won't happen again," I reassure her.

Logan looks my way, and all I offer is a small smile. Sawyer finally leaves us, and Logan pauses in the doorway.

"I respect your need to keep everything private, but this doesn't mean I'm going to back off. I will just be more careful in the future. I will see you later," he says, winking at me.

***

An hour later, I find myself taking a long, hot shower as I try to scrub all traces of Logan off of me.

I believed I was a strong woman until the day I met Logan Blake. He has this strange effect on me that causes me to lose all sight of common sense. His body calls to me, and I become a glutton for his touch.

Walking back into my room, I hear my phone ringing. To my surprise, it's my dad calling me.

"Hello," I answered warily.

"Ashlynn, it's Dad," he says awkwardly.

We rarely call one another and having an actual conversation feels strange. I tug on my wet hair as I adjust my phone to my ear.

"Yes, I know," I say a little too rudely.

"Right. Well, I wanted to see if you wanted to have dinner with me tonight. We could talk about how you are doing with work and school," he offers.

I'm honestly taken aback. I can't remember the last time I sat down with my dad for a meal or a real conversation. I wonder if this is a ploy for him to see if I'm screwing up or if he wants to mend our relationship. Either way, I'm hungry and tired of eating alone, so I agree.

"Sure."

There's a brief silence on his end. He's probably shocked that I agreed. He clears his throat and then rattles off the name and address to a local steak house.

"Should I get an Uber?" I ask, wondering how far the restaurant is from my dorm. I'm just about to pull up my Google Maps, when he shocks me once again.

"No, I've taken care of transportation. I realize you need a vehicle to get around when you need to leave campus. I spoke with your mother and stepfather, and we agreed to get you a car. It should already be outside in the parking lot. It's a red Jeep Wrangler."

I'm speechless as I rush over to my window and search the parking lot. Sure enough, there is a shiny red Jeep sitting in a parking spot. Tears blur my vision. I've never really appreciated the gifts my parents have given me. Back in Miami, I had a Mercedes and Range Rover. I shopped 24-7 and never paid attention to anything other than myself. Now, in Sunnyvale, where I've been given real responsibilities, I realize how blessed I am, and that I've been a huge brat for the last few years.

"Thank you," I gush, my voice breaking. "I didn't think you all would be getting me anything," I admit. Guilt over my actions washed over me. I slept with one of his players, twice now, and almost ruined my relationship with Sawyer at my first job.

I hear him sigh and the sounds of the arena are loud in the background. "Well, you've surprised us by sticking with your classes and Sawyer says you are working hard. Look, I need to finish a few more things here. I will see you at the restaurant at seven." He ends the call and I'm left standing in shock in my dorm room.

Checking the time, I realize I need to get ready. I'm about to have dinner with my father. I feel like in the short amount of time that I've been in Sunnyvale, I've made a huge transformation, and I hope I can keep up the progress. If not, everything I have achieved may blow up in my face.