by Dana Delamar
And yet he wants you.
Which was something I could never give him. Not that way. But I would love him as a friend until my dying breath.
A light hand touched my shoulder. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
I smiled at Sky. “What could be the matter when I’m with you?” I set the guitar down and turned sideways on the log to face her. I touched her cheek. “I’ve missed you.”
Her eyes shone brightly even though she tried to hide her smile. “I’ve missed you too.”
I scooted a little closer, one knee touching her thigh, the other resting against her bottom. She bent her head and a dark curl fell across her cheek. I brushed it back, hooking it behind her ear. Then, I traced my finger along her jaw to her full lips. I remembered their softness against my own, the taste of her mouth when we’d kissed, and I wanted it again.
I nudged her chin up to look into her eyes. “May I kiss you?”
Her throat worked when she swallowed, and her voice shook a little when she finally spoke. One single word. “Please.”
Taking my time, I leaned forward until my mouth hovered over hers. Her breath feathered my lips as we stared into each other’s eyes. Would it be as I’d remembered it all those lonely nights I’d spent in hotel rooms or in my bedroom at my parents’?
Anticipation was killing me, but so was the fear of disappointment. Had I imagined the fire between us?
She licked her lips, the tip of her pink tongue making her mouth wet and glossy. A groan tore through me, and I moved the final inch I needed to taste her. Our mouths met in a gentle reunion. My hand slid into her hair to hold her head in place while I ran my tongue across her plump lower lip. She gasped, opened, and invited me inside.
I shifted my hips so my right leg was completely behind her and she sat between my spread thighs. I wanted to feel her warmth, to feel all of her against all of me, even if we were both fully clothed.
My hand slipped beneath the skirt of her long dress, bunching it up at her waist. I touched her back, the skin so hot and smooth. I broke the kiss and sucked in a deep breath. “You feel so good.”
Eyes slightly dazed, she twisted her body around to face me and threw both her legs over mine, straddling my thighs. “You feel really good too,” she whispered, even though we were alone. She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and pressed her lips to mine. The kiss and the sensation of her firm breasts nudging my chest had made me hard. I cupped her ass and tugged her closer, close enough for her to feel the bulge in my shorts. Close enough for her to know how much I wanted her.
She moaned into the kiss and rocked her hips. The pressure of her pelvis pushing against my cock was divine, but I was a greedy bastard, and I wanted more.
I brought my hands to her sides and slid them up along her torso, using my thumbs to feel her tits. Her needy sounds threw fuel on the fire inside my belly. The small flame grew into an inferno. I was a man, and I loved women. I could be happy without Rod. I could be happy with Sky. “Sky, sweets, I want you.”
“I want you too, Dev. But if we do this, there are no strings, and no exclusivity.”
I wanted her so much, her words were like a meaningless mix of consonants and vowels. Her hand zeroed in on the waistband of my shorts, unbuttoning them, then pulling the zipper down. I lifted my hips to help her shove them down to my thighs. And when she reached under my boxers, releasing my cock and balls, I felt dizzy from the freedom of it.
Fuck Rod and his partying. He could have all the roadies he could handle. I was the one with Sky in my arms. And she was worth infinitely more than a one-night stand. I had no illusions about the future. I would still offer for Kalini after Aahna’s wedding, if we got along. But for now, I could enjoy my time on the island with Sky. One last hurrah to my rock star life. A last hurrah for Dev Stone before he once again became Devkinandan Prakesh.
I rooted around my wallet until I found the johnnie I kept stashed there. I held it up proudly.
Sky grinned. “Maybe you are a Boy Scout after all.”
Taking the condom from my hand, she quickly opened the packet and slid it over me. I hissed, the feel of her delicate hands on my aching cock almost sending me over the edge. I cleared my throat, and circled her waist. “Come here, sweets.”
I reached between her legs and pushed aside the small scrap of cotton I found there, then I rubbed my cock along her wet pussy. My chest squeezed. It had been so long, too long, since I’d held her like this. Since I’d felt her shiver in my arms. I pressed my thumb to her clit and circled it gently, using her soft moans and small breathless sounds to guide me.
Her fingers dug into my shoulders as she rolled her hips. Fuck, I could come like this. So easily. But I wanted to be inside her. I glanced down between us, and seeing the light of the fire reflect on my cock, I deemed it and her wet enough to proceed. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to check.
“Ready, sweets?” I asked.
“God, yes. Fuck me, Dev. I want you inside me.”
You had to love Americans and their directness. Now that I’d been given the green light, I held the base of my cock with one hand and guided it to her entrance. Then, she lowered her weight and I sank into her, in one long mind-blowing thrust. We both groaned out our pleasure.
“Shit, that feels bloody amazing.”
She was hot and tight, and everything I’d been missing.
“Oh God.” Sky buried her face in my neck, her arms locked behind my head. I moved my hands under her dress, rubbing up and down her back, along her spine, around to mold her tits under her brassiere. They felt perfect in my hands, round and firm.
I wanted to kiss her, to look into her eyes, but she continued to grip my neck, and when her hips began to pump up and down, I forgot everything except the need to empty my aching bollocks.
Had anything ever felt so fucking heavenly? How could I have let her go after Palm Springs? How could I ever let her go when this stay in Tahiti was over?
I thrust up into her, holding her tightly, whispering sweet nothings into her ear as I got closer and closer to coming.
When her muscles tightened around my cock, and she made that sound in her throat, that low moan I remembered so well, I let myself go. Arching my back, I snapped my hips and a shudder wracked my entire body as I emptied into her, wishing that not even a thin bit of latex separated us.
But even as I reveled in the joy of once again having Sky in my arms, my eyes searched out the shadows behind her, looking for something, looking for someone… looking for him.
ROD
A soft hand shook my shoulder. “Rod, it’s almost half ten. Aren’t you supposed to be at rehearsal?” Sharon asked.
Sharon? Why was I in her bed? Memories of the prior night came roaring back. She’d had some Ecstasy, and we’d spent the night drinking and dancing at a do the crew were having. We’d gone back to her room at some point. She was a cute little thing, certainly knew her stuff about our gear, but if we’d exchanged a dozen words before this, I couldn’t remember.
And now I’d fucked her. And I barely remembered it.
She hovered over me, an expectant look on her face. I needed to set the record straight, right now. “Listen, love, I hope I treated you right—”
“You did,” she purred, her fingers caressing my cheek.
“But—”
Her lips pressed together and she closed her eyes. “Yeah. You can stop there. I get it.”
Bloody hell. And I thought Nigel was a wanker. “I’m a bastard.”
She shrugged. “It’s not like I didn’t know better.” Her eyes met mine. “And you didn’t promise me anything.”
“I’m an arse.”
“An arse who’d better get his cute arse in the shower.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to ask her to join me—her tits looked great in the early morning light—but best not encourage her.
I dragged myself through a shower, checked my phone for messages (one from Jonah about his return to school tomorrow, which I quickly a
nswered), and headed to the rehearsal space half an hour late.
A box of protein bars sat by the front door, and I helped myself to one. At least it had something resembling chocolate as a coating. The insides could’ve been sawdust for all I knew.
Someone had set up a caffeine station for us—coffee, tea, and even chai for Dev. He bloody loved it when they did that. No doubt Nigel was behind it. He’d taken Dev’s side in all this, and if he couldn’t keep me happy, he’d bloody well suck Dev’s cock, wouldn’t he?
I poured myself a chai—it was homemade, milky, slightly sweet, with the lovely bite of cumin. It reminded me of spending rainy afternoons at Dev’s home, his mum bringing us steaming mugs of the stuff.
I dared a look at Dev, strumming an acoustic guitar like it was a lover, his eyes half closed in concentration, his black hair falling into his eyes.
Why couldn’t we go back to those days, when we’d been thick as thieves, never a cross word between us?
Why couldn’t I just shut off my damn feelings and look at him like a brother?
Why did I have to go and fall in love and ruin everything?
Someone started to slow clap and I looked over. Bloody Mick and Damon. I bowed low in their direction. “Now we can get to work,” Damon said.
Dev looked up, his eyes locking with mine. “So, what did you think of the music I sent you? Have you any lyrics yet?”
Heat flooded my face. He’d sent me a CD two weeks ago in the post—since we weren’t talking—and asked me to give it a listen. I’d known what he was doing, trying to draw me in. Music had always bridged the gap for us.
But music didn’t work anymore.
“Haven’t heard it yet,” I admitted.
He grumbled under his breath, then nodded. “Okay, then. We’ll play it for you.”
They started into a tune—quite lovely really—then Dev leaned into the mic and sang a few phrases—something about me leaving and thinking I’d won, that I’d turned my back on him—and the chai curdled in my stomach.
He was taking digs at me musically now?
He stopped singing and looked at me, his eyes holding both a challenge and a softness that undid me. “Well, mate, sounds like you don’t need me.”
“That’s not what I meant. Just that I’d had an idea for a possible chorus.”
“Sounds like a polite way to tell me to bugger off.”
“Rod—”
“No matter, mate. I told you I didn’t want to be here. And now I really don’t.”
“We’re still under contract for the album and the tour. You can’t quit.”
“You know why that bothers you? Because you can’t replace me like you did yourself. I’m the fucking face of this band.”
Dev stiffened. “It made sense for me to step back and let Damon take the lead. We need to sharpen our sound.”
“You’re capable of that yourself, and you know it.”
“Capable maybe. But it comes more naturally to Damon.”
“That’s a bloody excuse. We both know the truth.”
“It’s the right thing for the band.”
“But it’s not King’s Cross anymore, is it?”
“It’ll always be King’s Cross, as long as it’s you and me.” His voice was soft, and the words sliced me through and through.
As long as it’s you and me.
He meant one thing by those words, and I meant another, wanted another, craved another with every beat of my heart.
And it wasn’t going to happen.
“I’m done.” The words left my mouth without thought.
Sky’s voice cut through the air. “Done? You haven’t even started yet. Can’t you at least try?”
“You want me to try when he already has one foot out the door?”
She brandished the box of protein bars. “I guess this is what you’re all having for lunch, then.”
“Rod, come on, mate,” Jules groaned. “I can’t face another one of those things.”
Jules could fuck off for all I cared. Then Tommy piped up. “So, we all have to suffer just because Rod wants to play diva?”
“That’s how this works,” Sky said. “There’s a challenge this afternoon. Everyone who shows up and participates can have real food for dinner.”
I held her eyes. “I’m still not a bloody child. I’ll decide what I do and what I eat. And if I want to leave the band, you can’t stop me.”
“Maybe I can’t,” she said. “That doesn’t mean I won’t try.”
Try all you want, love. Doesn’t mean I have to.
I caught Dev’s gaze, the hurt in it making me wince. But if he wouldn’t even admit what he was doing, if he wouldn’t fight for our sound, for our band, for us, why should I?
I shoved on my sunglasses and headed outside.
Thirteen more days of this torture, and then I could say goodbye and good riddance to Tahiti, to Dev, to King’s Cross, and to Sky.
I bloody well was done, and they just needed to accept it.
SKY
In contrast to the shitastic day I’d had, the sun setting over Moorea in a glorious display of pinks, oranges, and grays that lit up the surrounding French Polynesian Islands, was incredible to watch as I made my way across the resort to the canteen. Since the guys, except for Rod, had participated in my daily challenge, a blindfolded dart contest where I’d had to substitute for Rod, I allowed them all to have a real dinner. They were already seated at a table, full plates and half empty beer mugs in front of them. The guys were, evidently, sick of protein bars and water.
There was a free seat next to Dev. I hesitated for only a moment before slipping into it. I really hoped he’d understood me when I’d told him last night that I didn’t want any entanglements. The words had been so hard to say… I wasn’t sure I could say them to him again.
He turned to me with a smile. “Let me get you some supper. What do you fancy?”
“Oh, that’s okay. I’ll get it.”
“No, no please. How about I just get you the same as me?”
He’d barely left the table when Mick, who was sitting across from me, leveled me with a glare. “With all due respect, Sky, this team-building stuff is shite. Today only proved that we’re worse off than we were before.”
“Well,” I began, adjusting my blouse and uncrossing, then re-crossing my legs, “you aren’t completely wrong. But, the argument Dev and Rod had this morning was a long time coming. It was a healthy first step.”
Mick frowned. “Healthy? I’d say it was as far from healthy as you can get.”
“It was more than they’ve said to each other in weeks,” Jules said, sending me a weak smile.
“Thing is”—Damon scratched the dark stubble on his cheek—“how can things get better if Rod refuses to participate? After that fight, I doubt we’ll be seeing him at rehearsal again anytime soon.”
They were right, of course. My strategy for getting Rod in line wasn’t working. Team building could only work when people were engaged, when the entire team participated. No matter how much Dev and the other guys wanted this exercise to be successful, it wouldn’t be if Rod didn’t commit to at least trying, to showing up.
Dev returned and silence descended upon the table. He set a beer and a plate in front of me. “The food here is a lot tastier than protein bars,” he said, grinning.
“Thanks, Dev.”
“My pleasure.” He winked and heat pooled in my belly. Damn, maybe last night had been a mistake. During the day, Dev had kept things professional between us, but now that work was over, did he expect us to be a couple, for me to invite him to my bungalow and have sex with him again? Goosebumps broke out on my arms and my nipples stiffened. I’d certainly enjoy another night with him, one where clothing wouldn’t prevent me from worshiping every inch of his gorgeous body and lovely brown skin.
My mouth went dry as I watched him settle into his seat. I picked up my beer and took several long soothing sips. I could sleep with him again, I knew he’d want
to, but could I do so without giving him my heart? Last night, when he’d filled me so deliciously and held me so lovingly, I’d had to bury my face in his neck to keep from telling him the truth about my feelings for him. With each thrust, they’d bubbled up, closer and closer to the surface.
How stupid had I been to agree to this project in the first place? I wasn’t made of stone. I hadn’t managed to resist Dev even for one day.
“So, what were you talking about?” Dev asked, digging into his lamb shank.
Tommy, who’d finished his fish and rice, tossed his napkin onto his plate with a snort. “We’re hoping Sky has some great ideas for how to handle Rod, because so far this effort has been for naught.”
“Hey,” Damon nudged him in the ribs. “At least you’re getting a great vacation out of it, right?”
“Holiday.”
“What?”
“This is a holiday.”
“No, it’s not, is it?” he asked, looking around the table. “You have Thanksgiving early like the Canadians?”
Jules burst into laughter. “Yanks are brilliant.”
Damon continued to look confused and eventually I took pity on him. “Brits call vacations holidays.”
He frowned. “So what do they call holidays?”
“Holidays,” I said.
“Bank holidays, actually,” Mick added.
“What the fuck does a bank have to do with anything?”
I shrugged. “Nothing really.”
As though I’d just shattered his understanding of the world, Damon shook his head, and mumbling something that sounded like “fucking Brits” under his breath, he grabbed his mug and went off to get a refill.
“Well,” Mick said, “as enjoyable as that was, I’m off to get some shut eye. Not that sleeping on that inch-thick roll you’ve allowed us is comfortable.” He shot me a final glare before leaving the table.
Dev leaned closer to me. “Don’t pay him any mind, Sky. Lad’s all growl and no bite.”