Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Six months later…
Why isn’t this working?
There was no reason for it not to. Kayla had introduced them, and Rob was a huge step up from the men Sky usually dated.
He was currently giving a masterclass in eating ass.
His massive hands lovingly cradled Sky’s asscheeks as Rob’s tongue thrust and drilled with gluttonous abandon.
He could eat ass for hours and Rob’s delighted groans and enthusiastic slurps were sexy.
He was sexy.
A strapping rugby player from New Zealand, Rob had the biggest thighs and the biggest ass Sky had ever handled, and everything was covered in fur. His accent drove Sky nuts, and Rob was an absolute gentleman and a fearless freak in the bedroom.
“What if I fill this tight, sweet hole with cum?” Rob growled while working a finger in and out of Sky.
Christ, those fingers…
They were bigger than some of the men Sky had been with.
“Will you sit on my face and make me lick it clean?”
“Yeah.” Sky nodded drunkenly as he hung on tight to the bedding.
He knew what was coming next and it was exactly what Sky needed after the week he’d had.
Not one, but two impossible deadlines met at the very last minute.
Sky had just turned in final edits for his new novel and completed an essay for Shout magazine about how the great American novel was dead as a singular phenomenon and how America had become a country of great novelists, thanks to the internet and self-publishing.
It was a radical take for a traditionally published author and veteran of the publishing industry.
Sky had argued that the democratization of publishing had pushed literature into brave and exciting new directions faster than traditional publishers ever could.
The great American novel was being written every day, all across the country.
There was a bounty of great work out there and only a tiny fraction of it was being published by the major houses.
There had been far fewer haters in response to the essay than expected, but even positive attention was stressful for Sky.
Hundreds of notifications and a stuffed inbox was Sky’s idea of a bad time, but especially when he was in a post deadline slump.
The rush of creating and obsessing over a project was usually followed by a period of confused emptiness.
A lack of direction and an inability or an unwillingness to let go of his recent fixation.
Wading through glowing comments and questions when he wasn’t ready to move on required more mental and emotional energy than Sky had, so he often found himself avoiding his phone and laptop.
“Jesus. Thank you!” Sky wound both hands around Rob’s thighs and held on tight as he was filled with thick, driving heat. One giant hand gripped Sky’s throat securely and the other stroked his cock, just the way he liked it. “That’s it! I want it hard.”
“Got it,” Rob panted and picked up the pace, his hips slapping brutally against Sky’s ass. There might be bruises in the morning but Sky didn’t care, his body was pulsing with heat and pleasure as his nerves curled tighter and tighter with every stinging slap.
“Oh, fuck! That’s it!” The pressure in Sky’s core was intense and almost too much but he braced a hand on Rob’s chest and gripped his thigh, ready to be swept away.
He craved the bright rush of heat and electricity and the moment of weightless, white calm that followed in the immediate aftermath of an orgasm.
His nervous system was desperate for a reset, for all the tension he’d carried in his frame for days to be obliterated.
For his muscles to turn into tingling jelly.
“Fuck, you’re so good! Come for me, Sky!” The low, mint-scented rumble against his ear created a cascade of goosebumps and pushed Sky over the edge.
“Yes! Oh fuck, Mason!” he screamed and arched as he imploded, cum spilling from his cock as it was pressed between them.
“Fuuuuuuck! Sky!” Rob slammed forward, panting as his body jerked and shivered. He chuckled softly as he lowered onto the bed next to Sky. “You should invite Mason next time. We can take turns or we can share you.”
“Fuck. What?” Sky dragged a hand down his face, replaying the last few minutes. He did say Mason’s name. Why? “I’m so sorry. He’s…a mistake and it’s over.”
“It’s okay.” Rob kissed Sky’s shoulder and laughed. “We’re still new and I’ve made my share of mistakes.”
“Not like this.”
The problem was, they weren’t that new but Sky was still waiting for a sign that this was “it,” and Rob was the right man.
He should have been the right man. Rob had retired from professional rugby four years earlier and had come out as pansexual so there was no need to hide.
If anything, Rob was a little too open and public about his interest in Sky.
He had posted several pictures of them together on his Instagram account and had insisted that they meet each other’s parents over Zoom two weeks earlier.
Oh, you sweet summer child.
But only in his heart.
Rob was a beast of a man with a generous, gentle soul.
He had no business being with someone as broken as Skylar Sutton.
Despite numerous warnings, Rob had stuck around, often joking that he was tough and had learned to fight for a reason.
Sky knew that introducing him to Adele was a terrible idea.
But he figured it was only fair and would help prepare Rob, if he lasted long enough to meet his mother in person.
Rob’s parents had been a delight, both warm and welcoming and as laid back as their son.
They complimented Sky on his first book and said they were excited about his upcoming release.
He was invited to visit New Zealand and stay on the family farm, and they asked so many questions.
It was charming and Sky appreciated their interest and thoughtfulness.
But he felt like a freak as he dodged questions about his family and upbringing.
“That wasn’t so bad. I told you they’d love you,” Rob had said as he hugged Sky and kissed his cheek. They were seated on the sofa at Rob’s place and his laptop was open on the coffee table.
“You were right: your parents are great.” Not that Sky had doubted Rob or had been all that worried.
There was no way Rob’s parents could be worse than Stewart and Adele Sutton.
Sky had been raised by assholes, and no one could dislike him more than his father had.
“You know this isn’t going to be anything like talking to your parents, right?
” he had cautioned Rob again, just before they joined Adele.
“It’ll be fine!” Rob had flashed his biggest, cockiest, flirtiest grin and pulled Sky close for a quick kiss.
“I don’t care if your mum is a dark, drunk demon, like you say she is.
I want to know more about you and where you came from.
Good and bad. And wouldn’t you like to show her that you’re happy? ”
“Right…”
That would be stretching the truth because Sky wasn’t entirely sure he was happy.
He wasn’t a generally happy sort of person, even when things were going well for him.
He didn’t mind going out to dinner and having sex at Rob’s place.
Unlike Sky, Rob didn’t have a roommate and the traffic was quieter in his neighborhood.
Was Sky happy?
“I’m not sure if Mom cares about that.”
“I’m sure she does. Even if she’s terrible at showing it.” Rob opened the Zoom room and pointed at the message informing them that someone was waiting to enter. “Maybe this will help you two open up,” he whispered before he clicked it.
“I don’t think so.”
With Nadine’s help, a tablet had been propped on the dressing table in front of Adele.
It took a moment for Nadine to turn up the volume and put them on full screen for her.
Adele was fully made up—complete with false eyelashes, deep red lipstick, and a gleaming, black bob—but she was still in a sheer red robe and lace nightgown.
It was after ten so Adele had a martini glass in her hand.
“What is it, Skylar? Why have you summoned me for this tacky nonsense?”
Sky held up a hand, sort of waving. “Hey, Mom. How’s it going?”
“Darling, it’s the same as it was yesterday and the day before that.
I’m having dinner at the club, and I haven’t decided what I’m wearing, so if we could move this along…
” She reached for something behind the tablet and Sky saw Rob frowning and checking his watch.
He clearly didn’t appreciate how long that could take.
Adele sprayed herself with something, then sighed at the screen.
“Are you sure your sister can’t handle this?
You know how easily I get headaches these days. ”
“It’s nothing like that, I promise.” Sky cleared his throat and gestured at Rob, waiting patiently next to him.
“Mom, this is Rob Taylor. He used to play professional rugby but he retired and is a journalist. He writes about sports and travel now, mostly. Rob, this is my mother, Adele Ainsley-Sutton.”
Rob gave her his most dashing smile and leaned in as he waved. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, ma’am. I can see where Sky gets his stunning blue eyes and captivating smile,” he said with a cheeky wink, but Adele’s face pinched and she blinked at the screen, unimpressed.
“I don’t understand,” she eventually whispered as she scowled at Sky. “Does he want money? Am I supposed to hire him for something?”
“No, Mom… We’re…dating,” he finally decided and held up his hands. “Normal people introduce their parents to the people they’re dating. From what I’ve heard.”
There was another encouraging laugh as Rob put an arm around Sky and ruffled his hair. “I’m wild about your son, Mrs. Sutton, and I’m trying my best to spoil him.”
“I see.” She leaned in again, her eyes narrowing as she studied Rob’s side of the screen.
“Hmm.” Adele sat back and lit a cigarette and Sky heard Rob hold his breath as he waited for her verdict.
Sky wanted to warn him again. Whatever Adele was about to say wouldn’t be sentimental or welcoming.
“Rather coarse and boring, but I bet he fucks like an animal. Congratulations, darling.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Sky responded flatly while Rob stood and walked out of sight of the camera. He picked up a pillow and turned so Sky couldn’t tell if he was laughing into it or screaming.
“That’s more than we can say about your sister and that boneless boy scout she married. I don’t think she could have found a more boring man if she had tried.”
Sky bit down on his lips, holding back a swear and silently begging her to drop it or change the subject. “Please don’t start.”
“Why not? That’s one more thing you and Sarina have in common, isn’t it?” Adele asked, her brows lifting expectantly. But Sky didn’t know what she was suggesting or if it was safe to reply. “You both like big, boring men.”
“Rob’s not boring. He’s from New Zealand and he plays rugby.”
“I don’t know a thing about rugby, dear. I’m not even sure if I know where New Zealand is.”
Sky ended the call shortly after that. He didn’t see any value in exposing Rob to more of his mother. “Sorry. I’d like to say we caught her at a bad time but she’s always like that.”
“I…” Rob shook his head, his eyes glazed and distant. “I don’t know what to say. That was… Your mother is… Wow.”
There wasn’t much else to say and that had put an end to any discussion about meeting Sky’s family in the future.
Rob insisted that he hadn’t been offended and that he was still wild about Sky.
The problem was, Sky wasn’t wild about Rob.
He was great and didn’t mind that Sky’s mother was a venomous bitch, but Rob wasn’t the one.
Despite months of perfectly pleasant dates and scorching hot sex, Sky had screamed Mason’s name.
He had woken up in Rob’s arms dozens of times.
They had spent hours cuddling and making out on their sofas.
But that hadn’t been enough to erase Mason from Sky’s psyche.
No matter how much Sky wanted to feel something real for Rob, it just wasn’t happening.
Despite it all, Sky still burned for Mason.
Damn it.
Resigned and deeply disappointed, Sky rolled towards Rob. There was no point in wasting Rob’s time if Sky was stuck and cursed.
“We can’t do this anymore. It’s not fair to you.”
“Why? Is it because of this Mason? I get it, and I know it takes time to move on after something serious,” Rob insisted but Sky shook his head.
“I don’t know if there will ever be an ‘after,’ and that’s the problem. Mason is my brother-in-law, and my sister knows all about us. But she doesn’t care because she’s sleeping with Bill Walston’s wife.”
“Well.” Rob didn’t blink for several moments. “I’ll miss you. Good luck with all of that.”