Finding Emotion (The Last Shot Tavern Series)

Chapter 12

Skylar woke up in her hotel bed. Her arms shook a little as she shoved herself up, trying to blow the hair out of her eyes. She felt rested, which was good. The nightmare hadn’t returned. Unless the whole thing from waking to the panic attack to having the most amazing sex of her life was all one big dream. The twinges down below and a vague soreness told her that wasn’t likely.

Who would have thought Mr. Sweetface could hold out for that long? She hadn’t orgasmed three times with straight sex before. Oh, she’d figured out the G-spot could work, after stimulus to her clit was no longer a go, but getting it just right was a tricky thing most of the time. She always kept at it anyway, chalking up the failures as learning experiences. The fucking gang rape wasn’t going to take away her climaxes. She refused to let that happen.

She hadn’t expected sex with Damon to set her off like that. After the panic attack, the idea of controlling his orgasm had settled her, like a ray of light in the darkness. That he’d let her reeked of pity. He’d figured her out somehow. Not the details, but he knew that something had set off a panic attack.

Still, he hadn’t faked his reaction to her. She’d wanted to eat him up. Instead, she’d blown her top off as well as his. Hell, she’d even kind of cuddled with him afterward, though the limp noodle state of her body had helped with that. She never cuddled anymore. Damon seemed safe, though. Harmless. Which was a weird thought since she’d climaxed hard enough to pass out.

She was pretty sure he had, too, but she hadn’t paid him much attention. Which was another oddity. She was often hyper-focused on her partner getting there.

“Good, you’re awake,” Mandy said, closing the bedroom door behind her.

Skylar grunted as she scooted to the edge of the bed. “Just… let me hit the bathroom.”

The quick splash of water became another shower and brushing of her teeth. Hotel robes were the pits, but Mandy had tossed her own silky one into the bathroom after her. When Skylar came out drying her hair on a towel, her manager was waiting for her in a chair she hadn’t noticed in the corner of the bedroom.

“You don’t have to worry about splooge on the sheets,” Skylar said, crawling on top of the bed again herself. “This room hasn’t seen any action.”

Mandy looked up from her phone. “I know. The hotel provided the security footage from their camera in the gym.”

Skylar shrugged. A camera hadn’t occurred to her. She probably should have been embarrassed, but that wasn’t her. Besides, for once her body felt fairly relaxed. At least, it had. The thought of her panic attack on tape slid into her stomach with a lurch.

“Of course, they could have made copies. We’ll have to see.” Mandy tapped her lip, studying Skylar. “You both were mostly off camera, since it was pointed at the door. All but Damon Lynch’s face.” Mandy’s cheeks pinked as her hand moved to her neck.

Skylar would have been interested in seeing his expression when he came, but her mind hadn’t let go of her concern over the panic attack yet. She licked her lips, which had suddenly become too dry. “So not much of my spastic treadmill use?”

“It’s obvious you fell, but that’s about it.” Mandy’s hand dropped as she studied Skylar over the top of her glasses. “You were down longer than I would have expected. Are you hurt?”

Skylar waved off the concern. “Just my pride. Damon wouldn’t let it go, so I made him think about something else.”

“Right.” Her manager’s sharp eyes remained focused on her. “I’m a little surprised he would do that. The picture of him carrying you to the elevator seems more his style. It and his earlier post on social media made his fans swoon.”

Skylar had kind of assumed he’d carried her up to bed. Mr. Sweetface was stronger than he looked—though his abs had been fine and his arms had appeared more than toned in the tank top.

“You’re not curious about his post?” Mandy asked.

Skylar shrugged. “What do I care what his handlers say? I’m sure mine have been busy.”

“Jimmy said Damon pushed for the post after he saw some of the hate messages you were getting.”

“I always have haters.” Skylar’s stomach twisted again as she remembered her own messages on her phone. She hated that it bothered her. Fucking Jack and his fucking mind games.

“They’ve backed off for now, since Damon said he wouldn’t take any hurtful attempts at bringing down his girl too kindly.” Mandy swiped at her phone. “A lot of the earlier posts and comments have been deleted.”

Skylar rolled her eyes. “My knight in shining armor.” She hadn’t asked him to do anything like that. It was going to make her seem even bitchier when she kicked him to the curb.

“The protective bit feeds into his image well. Honestly, you hooking up with him has been great for his popularity.” Mandy bent down, reaching into the paper gift bag she’d brought with her. She tossed the phone she pulled out onto the covers beside Skylar. “Per your request. All the necessary apps have been loaded in. I taped your new number under the case.”

The skeleton that peered at her from the back of the case had a sneer that Skylar appreciated. Mandy knew her well. She studied the woman, wondering if she’d gotten away with not telling her what had happened.

Mandy didn’t look away. “I warned upper management that Jack was breaching the contract in place.”

Skylar bit her lip. That was going to make Jack lose his shit worse. “I didn’t say—”

“You need to tell me if any of your old band makes contact. I mean it, Skylar.” Her hand reached up to close around the neat bun she always wore. “I know the label has been pushing this tour idea at you, but they have to back off if you don’t agree. The addition to your contract was clear and binding. I checked.”

Skylar left the new phone where it was as she rose to pace. The silk belt of the robe felt too constricting, and she hated the way it swished around her thighs. She turned to the closet. Mandy had already unpacked for her like she expected, and she grabbed a pair of cutoffs and a black shirt that, while tight, had been washed enough to feel soft too.

“I’m here if you want to talk,” Mandy offered.

Skylar made a face as she pulled on the shirt. “Don’t they pay your salary?” She paused, glaring at the closet wall. “Shit. Sorry, Mandy.” She turned away from the hiding spot, forcing herself to face her manager. The woman was too sweet, just like a certain rock star. “I’m fine. Really.”

Mandy’s face didn’t show anger or hurt, though Skylar hadn’t expected it. Her manager hid behind a fa?ade better than Skylar did at times. “Mr. Lynch and his manager are waiting for us, if you’re up to it. They wanted to meet about the fake relationship.” She tilted her head. “It is still fake, isn’t it?”

“We just screwed. Don’t try to put a ring on it.” Skylar stared down at her hands. Damon seemed like someone who would want to talk about what had happened and take it way too seriously.

“Did you have any opinions on when to call things off?” Mandy asked.

Skylar shook her head. “Whatever works best for Mr. Sweetface. I kind of got him into this.”

“More than kind of.” Mandy rose. “Well, if you’re ready, we’ll go ask them about it.”

“Hold on.” Skylar went into the bathroom again to pop an antacid, hoping it’d work for once to settle the continued churning in her stomach.

Damon’s gaze moved straight to Skylar when she exited her bedroom. The pinched look she’d had around her eyes had eased, proving that she’d slept. There was a restlessness to her, though. Her gaze skimmed over everything in the room, including him, and her hands buffed her arms as if an electric current ran beneath the skin.

Her gaze focused on his manager first. “Sorry, Jimmy. I heard you and Mandy had to do some cleanup.”

“Cleanup?” Jimmy asked. His focus darted to Damon.

Damon flushed. “Since Mandy was here and said she’d take care of it, I hadn’t told Jimmy yet.”

“I already confiscated the tape.” Skylar’s manager met Jimmy’s wide-eyed stare. “But I warned Skylar that there’s no guarantee the hotel didn’t make copies.”

Jimmy was too amazed to glare. “What, you two got caught on tape? Were you doing what I think you were doing?”

“Just a bit of a workout.” Skylar’s smirk didn’t sit on her face quite right as she paced, her hands still clutching her arms. “I’m surprised Mr. Sweetface didn’t pass out like I did.”

Damon couldn’t help but remember how hard he had come when she’d finally told him to. Instead of it making him lethargic, he’d felt almost antsy after they’d parted.

Jimmy frowned. “That gives that social media pic more context.” He hummed in thought and crossed his arms. “If someone had the video, it would have leaked by now.”

“I agree,” Mandy said. She gestured toward the couches. “Should we sit as we discuss possible options for moving forward?”

Skylar moved toward the fridge instead. “Whatever Damon wants.” The light lent an almost translucent feel to her face. She snagged something from inside.

Damon sank onto one of the cushions and was relieved when Jimmy sat beside him. He’d wondered if his manager would be upset at him, since he’d seemed to have a crush on Skylar, but he wasn’t acting like it.

“I gotta admit, Skylar’s interest really promoted Damon.” He clapped him on the shoulder. “You’re trending hotter, man. And I mean the hot kind of hotter. I’ve never seen so many comments calling you sexy.”

Damon flushed. He’d never considered himself a sex symbol either.

Skylar slurped some type of chocolate smoothie. “Well, it turns out he’s delicious.”

Jimmy choked. “I’m ignoring that. But, from our side, there’s no rush to end it if you’re cool with that, Skylar.”

She shrugged. “Whatever is best for him.”

Mandy nodded. “Even Skylar’s fans thought Damon’s defense of her was, and I quote, ‘pretty rocking.’ They should be fine from here on out. They might even show some interest.”

The earlier gift from his fan rose in Damon’s mind. “I’m not sure about dragging it out.”

“Had enough already?” Skylar asked.

Damon met her eyes, not finding them smiling like her teasing tone had indicated. “It’s not that.”

“Uh-huh.” She lowered her smoothie as she studied him. Her hazel eyes flashed with more blue than they had under the gym’s fluorescent lights. “Then what?”

Damon hesitated to bring up his stalker. “The attention you’ve been getting has been pretty…harsh,” he hedged, only remembering after the words that Skylar hadn’t scoffed when she’d realized the rumor about his stalker was true.

“People say whatever on social media.” Skylar waved his concern away. “I don’t let that shit bother me.”

Damon couldn’t help but picture the way she had huddled into herself in the hotel gym. “It’s not just social media. Hell, Skylar, you had some pretty hateful texts on your phone. I picked it up from the floor earlier and saw one when the screen lit up.” He gestured toward where he’d placed her phone on the bar.

Skylar’s lips pressed together as she stared at it.

He turned to her manager. “Can’t you block people like that? I think Jimmy—”

“It’s been taken care of, okay?” Skylar snapped. Her hand roughed up her already messy hair. “Don’t act like you know what’s best for me after one fuck. If I said I’m fine with it, then I am.”

Damon leaned forward, his hands clenching together where they dangled between his legs. “Well, I’m not. I never asked to fake-date you, Skylar. It’s best if we put together an exit strategy.”

“Oh, I see.” Skylar started nodding as she set her smoothie down on the bar with a smack. “I was too much for you to handle.”

He shook his head. “This honestly isn’t a reflection of you. You heard Jimmy.” He waved his hand at his manager, who tensed up next to him. “You’re awesome for my reputation. Hell, Skylar, you’ve got much better rock vibes than me. I’m just not much of a faker.”

She snorted, but her stiffness eased. “That’s for sure.”

He flushed as he remembered both orgasms she’d given him. They’d made everything he’d thought he’d known about arousal before pale in comparison.

“May I offer a suggestion?” Mandy asked, her expression almost too calm. “The whole thing will look like a stunt if it’s done too quickly. You’re here for a couple of weeks before your next tour, correct?”

Damon nodded.

“Skylar’s timeline is about the same,” Mandy said.

“Yeah, I took some time between to hang out with Jami.” Skylar grimaced. “Shit, I still haven’t gone to see her.” She scrubbed her hands over her face before reaching for the smoothie again. It was as if all her earlier irritation was gone.

“So you’re thinking they should solidify the publicity of it, act all lovey-dovey, and then, hell, we go back on tour?” Jimmy asked.

“Skylar has a commitment as well,” Mandy agreed. “While touring separately, the relationship can naturally fizzle.”

“Hey, I don’t fizzle,” Skylar protested. She frowned into her drink. “We should at least have some sort of fight. At the airport, maybe.” Skylar stared into her smoothie with a hint of a smile. “So we can’t kiss and make up.”

It was only a couple of weeks, Damon reminded himself even as he remembered her overwhelming kisses. Losing himself had been easy, but he could handle her for that long. “Sounds like a plan.”

“And you two want to continue sharing the suite?” Mandy asked. Even though she addressed them both, those calm eyes were on him.

Skylar nodded toward the room Damon had been using. “It’s not like we have to sleep together.” Her smirk finally appeared genuine. “Actual sleeping, that is.”

Damon had a feeling she would avoid talking about what had happened, but staying would afford him more of an opportunity to discuss it. “It’s working for now.” He even doubted his secret admirer would get in another gift with the suite’s security.

Skylar chugged the last of the brownish sludge in her glass. “That’s that,” she said, setting the glass down again. “I should contact Jami about tonight.” She strode back to her room, and the door clicked shut behind her.

Her manager’s lips pressed together, and she pulled out her phone.

Jimmy leaned into his shoulder. “Man, I can’t believe you two actually—” He broke off when Damon turned a glare on him.

Damon was surprised at himself too. “I don’t want to talk about it.” He did, but only with Skylar. If he pushed past remembering his more than enthusiastic response, the initial reason he’d agreed to sleep with her made his chest squeeze instead of his balls. He’d considered it as a type of therapy move and hadn’t thought she’d take it that far.

His eyes strayed to the abandoned phone next to the smoothie glass, still sticky with brown residue. “Does Skylar get texts like that often?” he asked Mandy.

She looked up from her phone. Something about her studying him over the top of her glasses made him want to squirm. “Are you worried about her?”

He’d never imagined that past all the attitude Skylar threw around was a vulnerable fear that echoed against the voice inside himself. “Being shit on sucks.”

“Please!” Jimmy laughed as he slapped Damon on the back. “Like you’d know. You’re fucking perfect.” He shook his head, pushing up from the couch. “At least, the public has always thought so.”

Mandy’s eyes flicked to his manager as Jimmy crossed to the window, but then settled on Damon again. “Your images are very different. Do you remember that fan from the other night?”

The way Skylar’s husky voice had sung the sad chorus of her song to her fan had stuck with him. “Yeah. That was intense.”

“Situations like that make Skylar much more uncomfortable than a dozen comments calling her a slut. I’ve never understood it, but it’s not my job to understand, just to make things as easy on her as I can so she can focus on the work.” Mandy stood, but hesitated in front of him. “Be a little more careful, all right? For your own peace of mind.” She crossed to Skylar’s room and rapped on the door. “I’m coming in,” she warned the occupant before pushing inside.

Damon wasn’t sure how to feel about Skylar’s manager suggesting he was going to be chewed up, unless she was referring to the tape again. He flushed. When his friends had asked about her the night before, he hadn’t been able to imagine having sex with her, much less in such a public place.

He sighed as he rose from the couch to cross to Jimmy. He’d never seen the fun-loving guy quite so broody. “I’m sorry,” Damon said. “I should have told you about today.”

“Yeah, you should have.” Jimmy shoved his hands in his pockets as he continued to stare at the darkening twilight outside. “I can’t believe you, man, but I know it was probably all her.”

He studied his manager, whom he also considered a friend, and realized it wasn’t shock digging grooves near his mouth. “Shit, I fucked up. I knew you admired her.”

“Well, yeah. She’s a true rock star. And damn, can she sing.” His eyes narrowed at the bright orange of the setting sun. “That she’s into a dweeb like you kills it a little.”

Damon couldn’t deny the dweeb part. “She’s not really into me. It was more like I was there.” The truth of it was sobering. He remembered his own flash of jealousy when Skylar had mentioned seeking out Jimmy instead. Sure, he’d agreed to give her control because it had seemed like she needed it, but he wasn’t fool enough to think it was about needing him. He’d wanted her, though, he admitted to himself. What was worse, he wanted her even more now. “It’s not like she’s clamoring for a repeat performance.”

“Well, hell, you popped off in about a second on the plane.” Jimmy’s laugh grated on Damon’s ears. “I’m surprised she gave you another shot.”

“As I said, right place.” Damon turned his back, sick of his manager’s returned smile.

“I knew I should have taken up running,” Jimmy said behind him. “Hey, what do you need tonight? A place to practice?”

“No, one of my friends invited me out again.” More like in. Trenton had invited him over to meet their new addition. Damon rubbed his hands against his jeans at the thought of holding the baby for real. “I’ll need a ride to his place, though.”

“Got it,” Jimmy said, pulling out his phone. “You and fucking Skylar,” he mumbled under his breath. “Maybe I do have a shot.”

Damon wanted to snap at him, but the truth was he had no idea what Skylar thought of him or his manager. He glanced toward the bedroom door. They really needed to talk.