Series Starter Firsts in Series Collection - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,256

might have had for him, are gone. I left them in the bathroom stall that day. I’m sad for what I lost. Three years of my life I spent with him, dreaming of a future that he never wanted.”

“Now he sees the error in his ways and is harassing you.”

“Not harassing, just text messages and phone calls. He’s never been mean or threatening, just adamant that what we had is not over. He’s wrong.”

“Good. If he gets out of hand, or even if he doesn’t, and you want me to step in, you let me know. If I’m not around, talk to the guys.”

“Honestly, Kacen, it’s more of an annoyance than anything. He’ll eventually get the hint.”

I nod, letting her know I agree. “You mentioned something else, something that I have no right to ask of you, but you brought it up.” I wink at her. I’m hoping to keep this easy banter going between us so she will not balk at answering my next question.

“Three,” she replies.

My mouth falls open, again causing her laughter to fill the room.

“Are you shocked at the number or at the fact I knew what you were going to ask me?” she asks.

“Both,” I say with no hesitation. “Logan, you’re an attractive girl. How is that even possible?”

“Well, Mr. Rock Star, I was in a long-term relationship with Daniel for three years, regardless of breaks between us, I was faithful to him. I believed he just needed room to breathe. My first was my date to my senior prom. It was more of a pull the Band-Aid off kind of situation. We both wanted to. There were no expectations of love or forever, just two kids who had gone to school together their entire lives not wanting to head off to college as virgins. Number three was this guy who swept me off my feet while on vacation with my best friend Stacy. It was a fling that gave me memories I will always cherish,” she says shyly.

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

I open my mouth to speak, but I can’t. We’ve not really discussed that night much, but here she is throwing it out there like a casual greeting. I’m floored even more so by what it meant to her. I’m relieved I’m not going crazy when I think about the connection we seem to share.

“So, Kacen, what about you? Care to give me a number?” She smirks.

My eyes meet hers and I hold her stare until I get the courage to speak. “My number is higher than yours. Not outrageously so, but compared to yours, yeah, it’s higher,” I confess. I cannot believe we are having this conversation. She’s my PA now. This should not be happening.

“So what are we talking fifty, one-hundred?” she prods.

“Fuck no!” I say, my voice louder than what I expected it to be. Did she really think that of me? “You were number ten,” I say, my tone quiet.

“Ten, hmmm . . . not so bad. Of course, it shouldn’t matter what I think. You’ve already sampled the goods.”

“Jesus, Logan! Would you stop talking like that.”

“What? It’s the truth. You could have said one thousand and it would not have made a bit of difference. We’ve already been down that road.”

“Five of them were long-term relationships, and five of them were casual one-time things,” I confess.

I watch her as she raises her hand. “Put me in the casual column.” She grins.

She can tell this conversation is uncomfortable for me, and she’s loving every damn minute of it.

“It didn’t feel casual,” I say and the smile falls from her lips. Take that. Only it’s the truth. Nothing from that week with her felt casual.

The iPhone lying on her desk rings. Picking it up, she says, “This is Logan.”

“Sure, I’ll be right out,” she says to the caller as she hits end and places the phone back on her desk.

“Who was that?”

“Gavin, they’re hungry. I told them I would make lunch.”

“Just call something in and have it delivered.”

“Nah, I’m good with cooking. Are we good, or did you need something else from me?” she asks.

No, we are not good. I need . . . Fuck! I don’t know what I need. “No, we’re good,” I grumble and follow her out of her office and into the kitchen.

My mind told me to go hang out with the guys, but my feet carried me right along behind her. Speaking of behind, I’m sitting at the island watching as Logan is bent over in that