5. Chapter 5

My new home was lonely.

Sitting on the bed, I glance around my new dorm room. My father managed to get me a private room, which I am grateful for, but I had no idea how quiet and lonely I would feel. The plain white walls feel like they are going to close in on me at any second. The sounds of laughter and slamming doors echo through the halls, only adding to my misery.

If I were home right now, I would be getting ready to go out partying with my friends. My life consisted of private jets, lavish parties, and wild vacations. Now, I'm sitting in a small campus dorm room with no plans in sight.

Sighing, I check my phone, and just to add more pain to my misery, I check my social media accounts. All my friends are posting from electrifying nightclubs and restaurants in Miami and Paris. It makes my stomach ache to realize that none of them have called or texted to check on me. As soon as I told them that my mom and stepdad were cutting me off and I was moving to a small town in California, they ghosted me.

Real friends, right?

Feeling an ache to get out of this room, I decided to suck it up and go out. Maybe I will meet some new people. Maybe I will have some fun on the streets of Sunnyvale. Hell, who am I kidding? I'm going to go set up at a bar, drink until I forget how angry I am, and then crash and hope to sleep until next week.

Grabbing my phone, I leave the boring room with boxes piled to the ceiling. I'll unpack eventually, but tonight, I just want to forget my worries.

Even my dad couldn't be bothered to text or call after I left his office. I knew it would be like this, but I didn't realize how much everything would hurt. Walking out of the dorm, I allow the cool night air to wash over me. The campus is crawling with students, all cheering and rowdy over the Hawks' win. Ugh, the last thing I need is a reminder of the Hawks. I find myself walking farther away from the school and the sea of people sporting Sunnyvale attire. I don't want to think about hockey. I despise the sport.

Finally, I find a small bar tucked away from all of the madness. It's around the corner from a small Italian restaurant and not as crowded as the rest. Walking inside, I'm met with soft music and a rustic bar. This is just the vibe I needed. Moving to the bar, I find an open seat next to a guy in a ball cap. He watches the game playing on the television screen above the bar and slowly picks at a plate of fries. Sitting down, he slightly turns his head, and I can only see his sharp jawline. His hat covers too much of his face to see much more than that. My eyes deceive me and I gawk at how his black t-shirt hugs his large biceps, and he smells so fucking good – like soap and cedar. It's a strange mixture but alluring all the same.

"Can I get you anything?" a young bartender asks. He is busy but still manages a polite smile.

"Anything with tequila that will get me drunk. Fast," I say.

"Rough night, huh?" the bartender asked with a knowing smile.

"Something like that," I sighed.

He chuckles and nods as he walks away. Moments later, he brings me a large red drink. "Strawberry margarita," he announces, placing the frozen goodness in front of me.

My mouth waters as I bring the fruity drink up to my mouth. This is so good and exactly what I needed. I was here to forget, to lose myself in the blur of faces and laughter. Yet, even as bodies swayed and voices melded into one another on the small dance floor in front of a live band, I felt oddly detached. My gaze wandered, landing on the flickering screen of a muted sports channel, where highlights of an old game were played.

"This is better than sex," I moan out.

The guy next to me chuckles, and this time, when he turns to me, I see stunning blue eyes that I could easily get lost in. Damn, he's hot.

"That must be a good drink," he says, his eyes locked on my lips. My tight shirt reveals my cleavage, and I watch as his eyes slowly trail down to my chest.

"It is," I agree, sucking on the straw.

I see him tense as I suck the drink seductively. At first, I didn't mean to be flirtatious but about halfway through the drink, I couldn't seem to help myself.

An old highlight reel of a Bulls basketball game featuring Michael Jordan plays above us and I can't help but get lost in the game when I order a second margarita. The guy orders another beer, and we both yell out as the Bulls score.

"Are you here with friends?" I ask after a few moments of silence.

He swivels in his seat and shakes his head. "Nah, my buddies are either out getting wasted at one of the campus bars or in bed with their girlfriends," he explains.

"None of that sounded exciting?" I ask, taking another drink. I can totally feel the tequila working its magic as my cheeks heat and my stomach flips with butterflies.

"It did, but I sort of wanted a more chill night, you know?" he asks.

"I get that. I had a rough day. I just wanted to get drunk and forget about my worries," I told him.

"Looks like you are doing a good job," he chuckles. "How about a game?"

"Sure," I agree.

"Every time Jordan makes a shot, we drink."

Sounds like a great way to get wasted, which is my endgame, so I agree. "I bet you could make even the most boring basketball game exciting," I laugh as Jordan hits a three, and the crowd around us cheers.

It's funny how people are still excited about a game that is a re-run, but people love sports regardless of the date. That alone causes me to take another drink. Damn, sports.

"Looks like this game is going to get us drunk," he scoffs.

"Oh yeah. I'm totally wasted, but it helps sitting next to a cute guy," I admit. I can"t believe I"m flirting with a stranger at a bar. I must be drunk now.

Leaning in close to me, I can feel his warm breath on my neck. "Well, sitting next to a gorgeous woman with luscious lips just made my night even better." He winks, and I feel my panties grow wet.

"You like my lips?" I question, licking the sweet taste off my lips.

His eyes drank me in, and suddenly, I wanted to reach out and kiss him. I've never wanted to kiss a stranger before. I've never been attracted to someone like this before, especially not someone I just met at a bar.

"I love your lips. From the moment you sat down, I've thought of what I would like to do to those lips," he admits, his voice deep and sexy as hell.

Hot damn. Watching his blue eyes darken, I feel myself wanting to make bad and reckless decisions with him.

"I don't even know your name." I watch him closely as he stares back at me.

"My name is Logan," he says, pushing his ball cap up a little more. I can finally see more of his face and holy shit. Logan is undoubtedly the hottest guy I've ever seen. He's tan with wavy brown hair, striking blue eyes that seem to darken when he's drunk, and sharp angles to his face. Plus, he has ridiculous muscles peeking out of his tight shirt. My eyes slide down, and I almost cry out when I see a large bulge in his jeans.

"My name is Ashlynn," I say, forcing my eyes back up to his face.

I scoot closer to him, body heat and sexual tension radiating off him in waves. "You make me want to do bad things, Ashlynn," he growls out.

The way my name rolls off his tongue has my body shivering. I came out tonight to forget my worries, but hooking up with someone might be exactly what I need right now.

"I am very good at doing bad things," I whisper, running my hand over his large muscles.

I feel electricity as my fingers touch his warm skin. Logan moves in closer and grabs my face between his large hands. I don't even have time to react before he crushes his lips to mine in a hot and needy kiss.

"I can"t believe I"m making out with a stranger at a bar," I giggle, as his tongue invades my mouth.

My hands wrap around his neck as he deepens the kiss. He tastes so good, and all I want to do is touch and feel every inch of this delicious man. In the shadowed alcove of the bar, the world narrowed to the space where we sat. The raucous laughter and clinking glasses from the main area became distant echoes as he leaned in, his lips finally capturing mine in a kiss that ignited an unspoken fantasy.

"Your lips taste like tequila and mischief," Logan breathes when he finally breaks the kiss. We don't notice the other people around us in the bar. He's staring at me like he's trying to read my soul. "You have really pretty eyes, you know. They"re like pools of amber."

Good God, this man knows exactly what to say. I almost tell him that he doesn't need to lay on the sweet talk – I'm ready to take him to the alley and fuck him silly.

"Logan," I murmured against his mouth, my grasp on his shirt growing tighter.

"Been wanting to do that since I saw you," he confessed, his voice rough with desire. His hands roamed over my back, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us.

The kiss deepened and grew more urgent as Ashlynn's fingers tangled into Logan"s hair, holding him to her like he was the anchor in her tempestuous sea. He tasted the sweetness of her lip gloss and the lingering tang of their shared drinks, a combination that drove him wild.

Our lips melded together, and the noise of the bar faded into the background. Logan"s lips pressed against mine again, and I moaned as his hands brushed against my breasts. He pulled back and asked, "Want to get out of here?"

Breathless, all I can do is nod. I've never had a one-night stand before. Sure, I'd hooked up with guys I had known for only a few days, but they were always guys I knew through friends or acquaintances, not someone who I had known for an hour.

"Yes." I panted, my eyes searching his lips.

"Anywhere," he replied, the heat in his gaze matching the fervor of his words.

Without another word, Logan took my hand in his, and we stumbled into a dimly lit area just off the bar—a private sanctuary where the thump of the music was muffled, and the air was thick with anticipation. Still, everything inside of me screamed to do it. We quickly paid our tabs and rushed out of the bar.

"I would take you back to my place, but my roommates have girls over." Logan looks conflicted, and I worry he may back out of this deal.

"We can go back to my dorm. I have a single room," I slur.

Taking my face once again in his large hands, he kisses me. "That sounds perfect."

We stumbled down the street to my dorm room, struggling to keep our hands off each other. When we finally reached my dorm, we kissed as I struggled to get the main door unlocked. Thankfully, the elevator is empty, and no one is around on the second floor when we get to my dorm room.

Clothes were discarded, and our bodies intertwined, lost in the throes of passion as he walked me backward toward my bed. A box fell over, and I heard something shatter, but neither of us seemed to care.

"I can't stop kissing you," Logan breathed, as we fell onto my bed.

I had only placed a sheet over the mattress and hadn't bothered to add any other decorations, for which I was now thankful.

"Then don"t," I sighed, grabbing the hem of his shirt and lifting it over his head. My hands trailed down his ripped abs, loving the feel of his muscles under my touch.

Logan lifted my shirt over my head, removed my bra, and threw it somewhere in the room. With the lights off, only the silver glow of the sunlight filled the room with a soft glow. I could only make out small features of Logan, but what I could see was enough to drive my desire for him. His shirt carelessly discarded, and we continued to find new ways to explore each other with eager hands and hungry mouths. Logan"s skilled touch drew moans from me that were almost animalistic, and that reverberated through the small room. My response to him—fierce and unguarded—was more intoxicating than any liquor could ever be.

At some point, my jeans were pulled off, and Logan slid down his pants. His lips began nipping and biting at my skin, sending sensational shivers down my spine. I could feel his dick rubbing against my leg, and I almost begged for him to hurry up and get inside of me.

"I know we are drunk, but I want to make sure you are okay with this," Logan states, as he hovers over me.

Arching my hips, I bit my lip as I pulled him closer to me. I needed this man. I craved him.

"I want you inside of me," I cried out, just as Logan pushed his dick inside of me. He filled me fully, and I let out a scream of pleasure as he began rocking in and out of me.

Everything about his touch brought me to the brink of climax. The way he kissed me as he moved inside of me made me feel wanted like I never had before.

Our movements were wild and needy yet sweet and caring. It was the most incredible experience I had ever had, and I never wanted it to end. However, as my own release roared out of me, I felt Logan climbing to his own climax. When he moved out of me and came, he fell next to me on the bed, panting.

"Wow, that was amazing," Logan breathes, turning his head to the side to look at me. He traced lazy circles over my bare skin. With my head on his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat, I almost felt safe for the first time in a very long time. Logan felt like home, and that was a terrifying thought.

"Didn"t know I needed that," Logan admitted softly, a smile playing on his lips as he gazed at the ceiling, lost in thought. Something about Logan felt familiar. Almost as though he was a little lost, too.

"Me neither," I said, my voice sleepy. I propped myself up on one elbow and met his eyes. "But I"m glad we did."

"Me too," he replied, capturing my lips once more in a tender, lingering kiss.

Smiling, I watched his features in the moonlight. I was glad that this was a one-night stand. I could fall for a man like Logan, which is the last thing I need right now in my life. My goal is to get through college and find a way to get back to the lifestyle that was taken away from me.

Exhausted and spinning from too many drinks tonight, I quickly went to my ensuite bathroom and cleaned up. When I returned to my room, I expected to find Logan gone, but to my surprise, he was still lying in bed. Only the sheet lay over his legs, and his body was on full display.

Climbing back into the bed, I lay next to Logan.

"Do you care if I crash here tonight? I think I'm too drunk to get home," he asked.

"Sure," I agreed, not sure what else to say. He was really sweet, and I didn't want to be rude and tell him to go.

The night had brought unexpected pleasure, a blissful escape from reality, even if only temporary. I had achieved my mission.

Besides, by morning he would be gone, and I would never see Logan again.