Chapter 8
Damon picked up her scent right away. Despite it not seeming like her, Skylar had a faint scent of something floral. It was slightly sweet like honey, but with a dash of what might have been lemon. When the hands that grabbed him included that unique smell, he knew who it was, but he still didn’t quite know how to face her.
Remembering the way he’d exploded in, like, two seconds brought on his stupid blush. Her mention of a walk of shame didn’t help. He might have been with the guys, but he was coming back in the morning wearing the same thing he’d had on the day before. Still, it couldn’t have been thoughts of him with another woman that put that pinched look around her eyes, not when she was also coming back after a night out.
He reached out, smoothing the wrinkles at the edge of her brow with his thumb, causing some of the tension in her eyes to fade as she blinked at him. “So you got little sleep, too?” he asked. Her grip on him felt too tight. He linked their hands together instead and tugged her toward the hotel. “Come on, you must be spent.” He raised a hand in a wave for his fans and thought they escaped into the hotel pretty well.
“I haven’t checked in with Jimmy for a while,” he murmured for Skylar’s ears only. “I take it the buzz got worse?” He scanned the lobby, but his manager wasn’t in sight. That made sense. It was way too early for their lifestyle.
“Why’d you touch my face like that?” Skylar muttered, but she pressed her chest against his arm as she clung to him. “At least grab my ass or something.”
It was for the cameras, Damon reminded himself, but his cheeks weren’t getting any cooler at the feel of her breasts against him. “I can’t go that far.”
She rolled her eyes. “Please, I know what you taste like. I bet that would blow up this little schoolboy image, sweet face.”
He decided he deserved it for running off the jet like his ass was on fire. “We should talk,” he murmured.
“My room it is,” Skylar said, loud enough for anyone around them to hear as she changed their direction, dragging him toward the elevator. Her manager followed.
At least they didn’t have long to wait as the doors immediately slid open. Her manager scanned a key card before pressing the button for the top floor. Once the doors whispered shut again, Damon pulled away from her, leaning back against the mirrored wall. Inside the enclosed space, the tangy sweetness of her aroma seemed stronger.
Her manager handed Skylar the key card before pulling out a second. “Here,” she said.
Damon stared at the one she was trying to hand him. “Mandy, wasn’t it? I don’t need that.”
Skylar took it from her instead, slapping it into his chest. “Unless you want a public breakup, take it.”
He caught it before the card fell, frowning. “Is that a threat?”
“An offer.” Skylar batted her eyes at him. “Remember, I get to be the bad guy. It’ll be fun if that’s what you want for the media already.” Her hands combed through her hair. “Hell, it’s all your fans that give a shit. I don’t think they like the idea of their boy being taken.”
The way she spit out ‘boy’ made him frown. “I tried to tell you before, you’re wrong about me appealing to the younger crowd.”
Skylar shrugged as the elevator dinged. “That wasn’t why I aged you down. Increase your stamina, and I’ll upgrade you to a man.”
Damon flushed, but couldn’t refute the stamina bit. He was still shocked at himself for coming like he had.
Skylar was ignoring him anyway and nodded to the opened elevator. “This is you, Mandy, right? You don’t like to be too high up, but always say the ground floor is dangerous.”
Damon had missed when they had pressed the button for another floor.
Her manager’s gaze moved between them. “Are you sure you don’t want a referee?”
“Nah,” Skylar said, waving a hand toward the exit.
Mandy’s eyes locked on him. “I was asking Mr. Lynch.”
He considered waking Jimmy up. Having both managers there seemed like a good idea.
Skylar’s lips spread in a smirk. “Only if you’re going to join for the sexy bits, too, Mandy.” Her eyes slid down her manager’s skirted business suit. “I admit, the thought of mussing you up a little doesn’t suck.”
Mandy turned away. “Try to at least rest for a few hours.” The elevator doors closed behind her retreating figure.
“Alone at last,” Skylar said. Her finger jabbed at the already lit button for the top floor.
Damon stiffened, preparing himself for her touch, but she stared at the buttons and didn’t reach for him.
“These suites have plenty of rooms for you to crash in one. Appearances and all that. If you want a go, whatever, but I sleep alone.” Her fingers tapped over the elevator button as she continued to stare at it.
“If I want a go?” Damon repeated, not sure what to make of how blasé she was. “Skylar, I really only meant for us to talk.”
“Sure you did.” The elevator beeped again, and the doors opened into the suite itself. Skylar strode past the entry hall and into the living space beyond.
The suite took up the entire top floor. It wasn’t set up as a honeymoon suite or anything like that, thank God, with no flowers or champagne or steaming hot tub. Damon didn’t book the top floors. He didn’t need that much space and couldn’t justify spending the label’s money that way. While his songs topped the charts, they weren’t usually in the number one spots. Despite his success, he knew they had a couple of bands that outperformed him. Besides, he had grown up with less, and the hoarder in him would rather save money.
“It’s nice,” he said, moving across to the glass-windowed wall. His hometown wasn’t a big city. It did have a downtown area that looked nice enough, though being on the fifteenth floor was about as tall as it got. He took in the distance to the nearby park. It looked close enough for a run. If Trenton hadn’t moved out of his downtown condo, they could have run together like in the old times.
“Yeah, yeah.” Skylar moved in front of him. Her hands went to his jeans even as she began herding him back. She was quicker than his tired mind, and his legs hit the back of the nearest couch with his belt, button, and zipper undone, and Skylar following him down to straddle him. “Let’s get this over with,” she mumbled, her hands tilting his head back for her mouth to settle over it.
Having her legs spread on top of him didn’t leave him soft, but all Damon felt in her body was nerves and tension. His own hands sank into her hair, surprised all over again at how soft it was. He lifted her head away from his before she took things too far. “Listen, Skylar—”
“I’m kind of beat, so let’s not drag this out.” She shifted over his erection in a caress.
His dick hardened despite his intentions. Damon didn’t understand why he reacted so strongly to her. He shook his head to clear it as he captured her gaze. “I’m not having sex with you.”
She smirked. “Don’t tell me you’re not into it. I swear you get hard as quick as a teenager.” She shifted again with a slight hum. “Though I have to say, your size is all man.”
His hands shifted to her waist, and he pushed her off of him. “I’m serious, Skylar. What happened on the jet wasn’t like me at all.” He rose from the couch, fastening up as he went despite how he ached.
“What, your groupies don’t give you blow jobs?” she asked, flopping back on the couch. “I guess that’s why you shot your load almost immediately.”
Damon flushed again at the reminder. “I’m not sure why that happened.” Though it had been a while since he’d given in to anyone who had shown interest in him. He took in Skylar’s posture, or lack thereof. Slumped over, she was mussed and sexy as hell. “You’re gorgeous, Skylar, and I won’t lie and say that had nothing to do with it.”
She didn’t smile at the compliment. Instead, she sighed. “I don’t need all that.” Her eyes closed. “Your time frame is getting shorter if you want any of this.” Her hands slid over her breasts and down between her legs.
“I don’t.” Damon knew it was part lie. Hell, her hands between her legs, even without rubbing herself, made him harder, and he was glad he’d gotten his zipper up already.
The lines were back at the corners of her eyes. With them shut, she looked exhausted, and he wondered where she’d been that night. It hadn’t been with her sister, at least according to Malcolm.
He moved back to sit next to her on the couch. His fingers drifted over the top of her thigh. Her leather pants were so tight they were like a second skin. “I really don’t expect anything from you, Skylar, but a part of me wouldn’t mind returning the favor from the plane.”
“What?” Skylar’s eyes popped open. She scooted away from him as she sat up. “Yeah, the dick part of you.”
“I’m serious about no sex. Sorry, I’m a relationship type of guy there.” He shrugged, using his standard line. He remembered the way she’d moaned during his massage. “I don’t mind other things, though, and would love to bring you to orgasm.” He hadn’t realized how true that was until he said it. Making her limp with his massage was what had gotten him so hard on the jet.
“I told you. I don’t need all that.” She moved away from him. “It’d probably take you too long, anyway.”
“I’m sure you’ll take longer than me. You’d have to.” He snorted in self-derision. “But it’d be an honor to watch you fall apart if you want that.”
Her nails dug into the couch cushions, and Damon frowned at the reaction.
“You said you wanted to talk. If fucking is out, talk already.” Skylar added a glare to the words. “I told you. I’m tired.”
Damon shifted away from her on the couch to give her more space. “I’m sorry about what happened on the plane. I was embarrassed and acted like a bastard afterward because of it.” He ran a hand over his hair. “Honestly, I’m not that casual with sex, so I felt a little mind-fucked.”
Her anger slipped back into a smirk. “I have that effect on guys.”
The twist in his stomach at being lumped in with everyone else was stupid. “You’re amazing, Skylar. Way out of my league, which is what has the media going apeshit over the idea that we’re together.” Damon shook his head as he realized them thinking it was unbelievable was the truest thing yet. “I’m still not sure what you get out of helping me like this.”
Skylar’s legs shifted under her, and she shrugged. “I don’t overthink things. It drives Mandy crazy. The host just kind of pissed me off, and it snowballed.” She snickered. “Did you catch her face when I planted that kiss on you?”
Damon had avoided most of the footage. “Hopefully it was worse than mine.”
She dragged out her phone, tapping on it before showing it to him. He barely glanced at it, taking in Skylar’s laugh and smile instead.
She turned it toward herself. “Yeah, the host looks a lot like someone I used to know. They’re both bitches.” Her sense of enjoyment fell, and Skylar looked tense again. “Me too, but at least I’m real about it.”
“I wouldn’t call you that.” Damon pulled his own leg up to turn to face her on the couch. “Whatever your reasons, you helped me out more than once now. So I owe you.” He waited, but she didn’t meet his eyes. “You can call in the favor whenever you want, for whatever you need.” He shook his head at how that sounded. “Well, anything besides sex.”
Skylar looked up. “You know, you’re kind of weird, Damon Lynch.”
“I get that,” he said. His hand moved to the top of the couch, needing something to clench while she studied him. He felt way too vulnerable under her watchful eyes. He was certain Skylar had already seen through to the dweeb inside.
“And you’re missing out. Sex with me is awesome.” She stretched as she stood.
“I don’t doubt it,” he said, unable to keep from looking at her. Skylar was more rock star than he would ever be, and part of him wanted to grab hold of that.
“Let’s hash out the breakup with Mandy and Johnny later,” she said with a yawn.
“It’s Jimmy,” he corrected. He felt kind of bad for his manager. Her flirting must have been only to pass the time.
“Oh yeah.” She nodded, heading toward one of the bedrooms. She paused with the door open. “Just to be clear, your ticket has expired. Crash wherever, but don’t try to sneak in here with me after this.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Damon said.
Her smirk was back. “I don’t mind being in your dreams.” The door closed behind her, and he heard the snick of a lock turning.
Damon wasn’t offended. He hadn’t exactly been a gentleman around her. For some reason, it was the way her nails had dug into the couch that stayed with him. Despite initiating the offer, he was almost certain Skylar hadn’t wanted to have sex with him. His gaze slid to the door.
The pinched look in her eyes had indicated she had another headache, though he couldn’t imagine her using that excuse to get out of anything. His mother had often pretended she didn’t have one while she was sick, and he got the impression Skylar was like her in that way.
He pushed himself up from the couch to check out one of the other bedrooms. Hopefully, Skylar’s headache eased enough for her to get some sleep.