Chapter 16
Damon swiped away the fog on the mirror, though the condensation started creeping over his reflection again. He’d had the best of intentions last night, but they had gone out the window when he’d woken up with his dick practically already in Skylar’s mouth. But that wasn’t what had stuck with him. If he’d had his way, she’d still be draped over his body as he brought her to orgasm yet again.
That supple softness that had come over her face, usually all angles and attitude, had squeezed him in the worst way. And he wasn’t talking about his dick.
Then there’d been her words. He’d nearly tumbled right there. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to lose his head over her, and they weren’t even really dating.
Hell, he’d told her shit he hadn’t told anyone. It was terrifying how much damage a woman like Skylar could do to him, and he’d handed her the ammunition.
He ran the towel over his hair again, hating how kiddish it looked all plastered against his head. Sick of his reflection, he pushed out into the bedroom, shivering when the cool air flowed over his too heated body.
After her manager had walked in on them, he hadn’t needed the cold shower like he’d expected. He wasn’t much of an exhibitionist. If he’d realized a camera was in the gym, that whole scene would have gone differently. Meanwhile Skylar hadn’t seemed to care that she’d been naked from the waist down in front of a wall of windows.
Damon had just finished dragging on his favorite loose jeans when Jimmy opened the bedroom door. His manager made a face, which he chose to ignore.
“I thought I tossed those,” Jimmy said, flopping onto the neatly made bed. “You look like shit in them.”
Damon grabbed the over-washed T-shirt he’d decided to pair it with and dragged it on. “I’ve got no one to impress today. Did you check into accessing the venue for the performance?”
Jimmy shoved up to a sitting position, reaching for his phone. “Yeah, yeah. I reached out, but they need to get back to me. Sorry, I should have set that up.”
Damon crossed to the closet, rummaging in the mostly empty suitcase. “I didn’t think of it until last night.”
“But I’m the one who should have.” Jimmy sighed. “Why do you put up with me?”
“Doing a performance this small isn’t exactly my norm.” Damon grabbed the blue hat he’d been looking for, pulling it down over his still damp hair. “What about the hotel? Is there a noise ordinance?”
“The acoustics with those windows will suck anyway. I found a place, but it was booked until noon.” Jimmy frowned down at the sheets, which were only wrinkled because of him. “You know, the hotel has staff to make the bed, Dame. Unless…” A smile spread across his face, but it was hard. “You and Skylar again, huh?”
Damon played with the bill of his cap. “Leave it alone.”
“Uh-oh.” Jimmy’s hand waved at Damon’s outfit. “I get the comfort clothes now. It’s okay, buddy. Skylar’s experience far outweighs yours. You were bound to suck.”
Damon flushed as he remembered that his performance had been the exact opposite of bad. “Fuck off,” he said, heading for the door.
Jimmy scrambled to follow.
His stomach rumbled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten the night before. He should have accepted Trenton’s offer to cook, but after all he’d heard about the nasty green smoothies, he’d been a little scared. He crossed into the kitchen, almost running into Skylar’s ass where she was bending to peer into the fridge.
She straightened, her customary smirk spreading across her lips before she reached up to drag the bill of his cap down. “Well, don’t you look adorable, Mr. Sweetface.”
Damon grabbed for his hat, adjusting it so he could see more than her bottom half. “Don’t start.”
Skylar stuck her tongue out before lifting her smoothie for a swig as she brushed past him to the living room.
He frowned at it. “Are those your main meals?”
Skylar flopped down on the couch. “We’re not all as naturally skinny as you.”
Damon crossed his arms, biting back his comment that she didn’t need to worry about how she looked. It surprised him she’d care so much, but she was in the spotlight, just as he was.
He’d maintained a strict diet for a while, but it had been more to bulk up. He took after his mom while Erin had gotten more genes from their dad. She enjoyed reminding him that she was taller.
“Besides, it’s all Mandy stocked since we chased her off so quickly this morning.” She dragged out her phone, glancing at the time. “The hour she gave us is almost up.”
Damon realized Jimmy was still hovering at the edge of the living room, his hands shoved in his pockets.
“Good morning, Skylar,” Jimmy said.
She cocked her head as she looked over at him before waving him closer. “Don’t worry about me. You and Damon have plans today?”
“I need a place to practice,” Damon admitted.
Jimmy grimaced. “I was stupid to think you’d just rest and hang out with your friends while you were in town.”
“You know what they say about all work and no play,” Skylar cut in. Her lips spread as her gaze slid down his body. “Though you did already get to play.”
Damon’s mouth went dry. A part of him wanted to scoop her up and carry her to the bedroom, Jimmy be damned. Of course, Skylar’s control issues wouldn’t like that too much either. He cleared his throat and looked away. “Playing can be fun.”
Jimmy laughed. “Whew! Save all that for when the paparazzi are around.” He sat on the couch opposite her.
There was no reason Damon should have felt annoyed. Jimmy had had a thing for Skylar long before the past few days, he reminded himself.
“I think Skylar’s got your number already, Dame.” His manager leaned closer to her. “He can be pretty dull.”
Skylar sipped at her smoothie. “Dull wouldn’t be the word I’d use.”
Some of Damon’s tension eased. “Hey, didn’t you say you found a studio that first night? Where was it again?”
“The college. I’m sure Mandy could—”
The elevator dinged, and Skylar’s manager walked out looking as put together as she had before. Damon avoided her eye, worried his face would get even redder.
Skylar pushed up from the couch. “Speak of the devil. Hey, Mandy, Damon needs a place to practice.”
Jimmy scrambled to rise, too, his hands running over his hair. “I already checked out the college. They’re the ones booked until noon.”
“That’s because I booked them,” Mandy said, studying his manager through her glasses before glancing at Skylar. “I like to keep my client’s creative habits in mind.”
Skylar waved her off. “I’m good today.” She strode over to latch onto Damon’s arm. “Actually, why don’t we share? It’s not normally my thing but”—she leaned up, her breath flowing over his ear—“I’ll try anything once,” she whispered.
Damon was going to be in trouble if everything she did made him hard. His hand lifted to his neck where the hair tingled. “I appreciate the offer,” he started, already picturing how little he’d get done with her around.
Jimmy stepped forward. “That’d be a lifesaver.” When Damon glared at him, the man’s eyes shifted to Skylar. “Come on, man. Give a little.”
Damon shoved his hands in his pockets, annoyed with the puppy-dog hope he saw on his friend’s face. Jimmy was just excited to flirt with Skylar while Damon himself was busy working.
They’d never been into the same woman before. Oh, there’d been situations where the groupies were into Damon, but he’d always encouraged a shift in direction whenever he spotted Jimmy’s own interest. He hadn’t really wanted any of them, while Jimmy could easily become a little obsessed with someone. Damon flushed at the thought. He’d never seen that possibility in himself before. Not that he was ready to admit he wanted Skylar, at least not out loud, but Jimmy must have known. Hell, his manager knew he rarely hooked up with anyone.
Skylar was staring at him. “You in?” She looked pleased at the idea of it, but a little nervous as well, as if she expected him to reject her.
Damon didn’t want her to look that way. “Yeah. I need to practice the song for the performance.” He narrowed his eyes on Jimmy. “Especially at the venue itself.”
Jimmy tensed. “I told you, I’m on it.”
“Isn’t your performance at The Crystal Villa on the outskirts of town?” Mandy tilted her head. “I would think your sister would be able to help if there’s been some sort of difficulty. Her husband has become partners with the owners. The Kirpatricks, wasn’t it?”
Skylar beamed at her manager. “Isn’t she just the best?” She glanced at Jimmy. “Want Mandy to help?”
“I’m sure Jimmy reached out to Erin already,” Damon said, though by the angry flush that had taken over Jimmy’s face, he was positive that was a lie. Still, he knew what it was like to feel embarrassed only too well. “She’s the one who connected us to the charity event.”
“Yeah, I’m on top of it.” Jimmy glared down at his phone as he started messaging someone.
Probably Erin, Damon thought, biting back a sigh. Then his attention shifted as Skylar tugged on his arm.
“Come on, we’ll take the limo,” she said.
Damon’s feet fumbled to catch up as she dragged him to the elevator. Suites and limos. Skylar was a lot looser with her label’s funding than he was, but even the thought made him feel like a reverse snob. It wasn’t like he himself wasn’t enjoying the benefits.
He made a note to ask Jimmy about how they could share expenses, though he knew the man was too flustered to handle it at the moment when he joined them on the elevator more subdued than usual.
Skylar nodded at whatever Damon’s manager was saying and tried not to offend the poor idiot, which wasn’t her speed at all. She scowled down at her lap, wondering what the deal was. The only explanation she could come up with was that Damon seemed to kind of like the guy. Which made her scowl deepen. She was already being considerate of his feelings or some shit. Look what him giving her a couple of orgasms could do.
Mind-blowing, combustible orgasms, but still. It wasn’t like Damon had invented the G-spot, for fuck’s sake.
“Can you shut up for a while?” she snapped.
Jimmy’s eyes widened.
Skylar’s fingers tapped against her leg, needing something to let the nerves out as she bit her lip to keep the stupid apology inside. Something was really wrong with her.
Mandy shifted forward in the chair she’d taken. “Skylar can’t create with so much going on.” Her eyes shifted to where Damon continued to sing, as if he didn’t see anything around him.
Skylar was just grateful her manager had come up with an excuse. She’d wanted to listen more closely to Damon’s song. Which was weird, since she didn’t like his type of pansy-ass music, though she’d always recognized his talent. His voice had this way of wrapping around a person, and she understood why his fans always wet their panties over him.
Damon stopped again mid-song, frowning as his fingers twitched over the guitar strings.
Skylar set down her notebook and shoved to her feet. Fuck it, she wasn’t working on anything and might as well stop pretending. “Something bothering you?” she asked.
“I probably just need to take a break,” he said, but he continued moving through the chords silently. His hands looked bigger with a guitar in them. During the tour, he’d focused on singing, but he’d started out as second guitar in his first band. Skylar might actually get embarrassed if Damon found out she used to follow his career so closely. He’d always been a few steps ahead of her, and she’d skimmed through Wikipedia on her phone to remind herself of some of the earlier details. She really hadn’t heard a thing Jimmy had said to her, but it served the manager right, flirting with his client’s girl.
Well, fake girl. And technically she’d started it, flirting with him on the plane to try to annoy Damon after his scalp massage.
The notes played in her head as her eyes followed Damon’s fingers, even though he didn’t pluck them out. “No, the third and fourth chords are good as is. No need to switch them.”
Damon paused, studying her over the gleaming, black beauty of a guitar he held. “I didn’t realize you were paying that close attention.”
Skylar shrugged. “I’ve got an ear for it.”
“Most of the time it sounds fine, but something’s missing when the chorus repeats at the end.” He played the third chord a different way, letting the notes linger as he tried it out.
“Nah, an inversion will make it too soft.” She snorted. “The lyrics are soft enough.”
“Don’t judge. Not everyone wants to shout their words like you.”
“Not the volume, sweet face. I was talking about the message.” Skylar sighed. “Like you needed to add another love song to your repertoire.”
“It’s for my sister,” Damon admitted even as he played with the chord again.
“I met Erin last night. Nice and all, but she’d prefer a song about her creaming her husband’s face.”
Damon choked, forgetting about the damn chord. “My God, Skylar. That’s my sister.”
“Yep,” she laughed. He was adorable when he acted all shocked.
He waved her off. “Let me concentrate. I need to get this right.”
Skylar sank down next to him, closing her eyes as she listened to Damon walk through it again. The ballad was catchy, but she agreed when he paused in the same spot again. She snapped her fingers, opening her eyes to grin up at him. “Try adding a bend.”
Damon studied her, but began again. Skylar hummed along with him, but paused as he got closer. The switch in pitch tugged the music forward, and Damon played it all the way through to the end.
“Maybe,” Damon acknowledged, turning to the music to make a note. His fingers tapped the pen as he seemed to run it through in his mind again. “Yeah, maybe.” He mumbled as he made another note.
“That’s cool,” Jimmy said, startling Skylar. She scowled as she realized she’d been staring at Damon like some kind of fan. “Dame rarely gets stuck like that.” He looked past her at the rock star. “He’s a bit of a virtuoso. If he’d shown interest in music when he was young, he might have become a prodigy.” Jimmy’s lips lifted, but it was more a facsimile of a smile. “I’m surprised he listened to you.”
“Well, she was right,” Damon said, though he was still distracted by fingering the guitar.
“But you said her music was crap,” Jimmy said.
Damon’s hands jerked on the guitar, letting out a discordant note as he flushed.
Guilty as charged, then, Skylar thought to herself even as she shrugged. “My stuff isn’t for everyone. Probably too angry for Mr. Sweetface.” She told herself she didn’t care, but her fingers clenched together, and she hid them between her legs.
“I did think it was too angry,” Damon admitted. He looked away from her. “But when you sang to that fan in the hall, I heard something different in it.”
Some of the ache in her fingers eased.
“I’ve always loved your music, Skylar.” Jimmy’s hands dug into his pockets as he tried to catch her eye. “Even when you were part of Winter Dust Storm. You made that band what it was.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t play so well with others, it turns out.” Skylar didn’t want to remember her band days. She cocked her head to study Damon. “A virtuoso, huh?”
Damon shrugged. “I started out playing by ear. I had to teach myself how to read music.”
A hum shivered along Skylar’s skin. It was even more exciting than being turned on. She reached for her guitar. “A contest then.”
Damon shook his head. “I’m not that competitive.”
“Aw, come on.” She pushed to her feet. “It’ll be fun, and a break will let you see that song of yours fresh afterward, once the worm is clear.”
Damon looked toward Jimmy, who leaned against the wall with a shrug. “Might be fun. You know, something you enjoy.” His manager smiled. “In case you forgot what fun is.”
“Cute,” Damon said, but returned his guitar to his more natural hold. “What’s the challenge?”
She grinned. “We take turns playing anything we want. The quicker the other one plays countermelody, the more bragging rights they earn.” Electricity zipped under her skin toward her fingers. She hadn’t felt that since her first band invited her up to play with them. Some of her happiness dimmed when she realized she’d likely never be a part of one again. Not after letting Jack and Sorcha play on her emotions for so long. She forced her smile to grow wider. Damned if she was going to let them ruin another moment. “I’ll start.”
She picked a popular song from one of the bands Damon had mentioned his mother liking.
He laughed after just a chord. “Too easy.” His playing quickly joined hers, and they both sang the chorus together.
Her smile eased into something more natural in response to the joy his blue eyes sparked with.
“All right, what about this?” he said, choosing his own tune.
Skylar picked it up easily enough. They continued like that for a while, and the electricity turned into something with claws. Nerves, she realized, as some of her giddiness faded. She hadn’t played with anyone since the band. Oh, the label had hired a band for her to tour with, people that played her songs, but she only sang with them. She’d grab a guitar to do a random riff when the audience called for it, but she’d be the only one playing during that, enjoying the spotlight.
She’d missed truly playing with others, she realized. After transitioning into the next song he picked, she decided to cheat a little on her turn. If Damon hated her stuff so much, he probably hadn’t listened to anything from her old days with Winter Dust Storm.
He had a good ear, though, and his counterpoint put what Jack used to play with her to shame. The thought made her abruptly stop. She forced a laugh, but her heart pounded in her ears.
“Your manager wasn’t just bragging on you. Damon, you’re an adept.” Like me, she thought, but another voice inside scraped at her, telling her she shouldn’t try to raise herself higher all the time.
“You too!” Damon looked happy saying it. “Skylar, you’re amazing. You should showcase it more.”
“You mean instead of shouting all the time?” Her smile felt like it contained ground-up glass. “Nah, this voice of mine would give out.”
Jimmy’s phone vibrated, loud even among the dragged-in breaths she was taking.
“Oh, crap, we can go, Dame.” Jimmy ran a hand through his hair. “To the venue. But it’s, like, now.”
“Okay.” Damon turned to gather up his music. “You want to come and check it out, Skylar?”
She waved him away as she found the nearest wall to prop her back against and give her suddenly weak legs a break. “I’m through tagging along. I’ll catch you at the suite later.” She tried to make sliding down the wall to sit look natural, and took a deeper breath, holding on to it. Somehow that only made her heartbeat louder.
Damon glanced down at her, then set everything he’d grabbed down and hurried over. “You went pale. Do you need some water or something?”
Mandy eyed her, quickly rising. “I’ve got a cooler. You haven’t eaten much today, Skylar.”
“Is that all it is?” His fingers brushed into the hair above her ear, and her chest seemed to swirl with the first little massage.
Skylar leaned forward and kissed him. His fingers froze in her hair, and then he kissed her back, his lips soft where they brushed over hers.
She pulled away. “I just got a little worked up, is all. I thought I’d win easy, but you’re good.” She couldn’t quite manage a smile, but her breath felt a little less shaky. “Worth it, though. I enjoyed playing with you.” She tried out a smirk, even though there was no innuendo in the words.
“Hey, Dame, we should go,” Jimmy called.
“Hold on.” Damon’s eyes searched hers. “It was fun. Maybe we can do it again.” He glanced up as Mandy approached, reaching for the can she passed to him.
The red can surprised Skylar. “Something with sugar?” She cracked it open, her eyes shutting as the taste hit her.
“Hmmm,” Damon murmured, tucking her hair behind her ear as he leaned closer to whisper in it. “So sugar brings on that expression too.”
Skylar pressed a hand to his chest as she almost choked on her drink. She swallowed, rolling her eyes. “You’re gonna be late.”
“Worth it,” he said.
She got a little zing from him using her own words, then watched him ease back, still studying her.
“You’re good?” Damon asked with a frown.
She pushed against him before removing her hand from his chest. “Go on.”
His eyes lingered on her the whole time he collected his things, and she made a show of pretending to drink. No way she could drink down that much sugar, though.
Damon paused in the doorway, making Jimmy antsy. “Want to meet up later?” he asked. “Have you been to The Last Shot yet?”
“Muscles’s bar?” Skylar considered it. “Oh, it’s Saturday, isn’t it? Jami’ll be working.”
Damon lifted an eyebrow. “So that’s a yes to going?”
Skylar shrugged. “If I feel like it later, sure.”
He laughed, waving a goodbye as he jogged after Jimmy.
She sighed when he was finally out of sight.
Mandy reached for the can, and Skylar passed it over. Mandy continued to stare down at her.
“I’m fine,” Skylar told her, stretching out for the notebook she’d discarded earlier and drawing it close. Her fingers still had a tremor, but her breathing had grown even again.
Mandy said nothing, really loudly.
Skylar glared back. “What?”
Her manager’s steady eyes behind her glasses brought a bit more calm to Skylar, which Skylar had never understood.
“Nothing,” Mandy murmured, returning to her chair.
She was an excellent manager, Skylar reminded herself. Way better than that Jimmy character, and hella awesome compared to the ones the label had tried to foist off on her before. Mandy just understood her way too well, which gave Skylar an uncomfortable feeling she wasn’t used to.
Skylar dragged her guitar closer, starting to play the song she’d written the other night or morning or whatever time it had been. The song shifted, and she realized she’d ended up playing Damon’s song instead.
“For fuck’s sake,” she muttered, her hand clenching over the strings.
Mandy cleared her throat. “Anything I should know?”
Skylar glared down at her music. “Like what?”
Mandy leaned forward. “Is this thing between you two still fake?”
“Of course,” Skylar answered quickly.
“Hmmm.” Mandy sat back again, but she didn’t sound convinced.
The way Skylar’s chest squeezed didn’t feel so feigned to her either. She ignored the feeling, switching her fingers to play her own song again, but it sounded different than it had when she’d written it. Softer.