Skyler 2.0
Elsie
My heart rate beat faster with every step I took toward my bedroom, rushing after Skyler. He stopped in front of my door and waited for me, a goofy grin on his face. I can’t imagine what he must think about the crazy girl with a cardboard cutout of him hidden in her bedroom.
I stopped with my hand on the doorknob. “Just don’t judge me too hard, okay?”
He leaned down and kissed me. “Never.”
I opened the door and he followed me into my domain, his eyes roaming, taking in my private space. I’d only ever had my father and sister in this room. Bringing him in my sanctuary didn’t embarrass me—I kept a pretty tight ship, nothing out of place. It helped me feel more in control of myself.
Skyler stopped in front of a photo of me and my mother on stage at one of her concerts. She was wearing a sparkly green dress; the lights made each sequin sparkle in the evening lights. I stood next to her on a booster, microphone in hand, wearing a matching green princess dress, my hair curled like Shirley Temple, and the biggest smile. She looked at me with such tenderness, her one hand holding mine.
“Where was this taken?”
“Madison Square Garden. During mom’s TroubleTown tour. I was eight years old.”
“You sang on stage at eight years old?” His voice cracked, incredulous.
I laughed, enjoying his disbelief. “Yeah, I told you. We were going to be the next Judds!” My mother would bring me on stage for one song every night of that tour. It was amazing; our voices synced perfectly. We sang a song about the beauty of growing up that I’d helped her write.
“Weren’t you scared? I could barely handle a kid’s choir when I was eight.”
“No. The crowds were so excited and performing with mom was my happy place.” I sighed, melancholy wrapping my heart. I wish I could feel that way again. Feeling so much joy with someone I loved. When I was on stage singing, I could feel my feelings a hundredfold.
Skyler’s eyes bored into mine, wide with sadness. “I’m sorry you lost her so young. When my mother died two years ago, it devastated me. She was my biggest fan.”
He looked so sad at that moment I had to take him away from his grief.
“Don’t be so sure of that, Dalton!” I giggled as I skipped to the door of my walk-in closet. “Remember, you said you wouldn’t judge!”
“I shall endeavor to remain impartial.” He held his hand against his heart as if making a solemn vow.
Embarrassment turned my cheeks tomato red, forcing me to laugh to relieve my tension.
Reaching into the closet, I pulled out the source of my shame and placed it next to my bed. Looking at it now, it didn’t hold a candle to the real thing. The real Skyler was taller, shoulders broader, and his hair longer. He had a lot more tattoos and the sprinkling of hair on his chest was ten times more masculine, especially the way it trailed into his pants. I looked at that love trail, feeling like my eyes were being led by the Pied Piper to the bulge in his pants.
Thank God Skyler wasn’t watching me ogle him. His eyes were giving his 2-D competition a thorough inspection. Skyler 2.0 was an old rendition, slightly faded, and didn’t seem to impress him.
“Underwater tour?” He looked at me for confirmation, and I nodded. “Damn, that’s a throwback, right there.”
He put his arm around Skyler 2.0’s shoulders, giving me the same broody look. I laughed, relieved at his light-hearted reaction.
“Do I live up to your expectations?” He grinned, wiggling his eyebrows.
My eyes assaulted Skyler’s body without shame, remembering all the thoughts I had growing up as I sat in bed at night and stared at his image. He was so much more than what I’d expected. My breath was coming quickly as I nodded.
“Well, that’s a relief.” He stood back, looking at it. Suddenly, his eyes lit and he grinned.
“Go get your phone. I’ve got an idea!” His voice was high with excitement.
I ran to my purse and grabbed my phone, unlocking it and handing it over. He waved me off and took his hair down, ruffling it to look like Skyler 2.0. He matched the stance and facial expression to a T.
“Take my picture!”
My eyebrows lifted with surprise. “Really?”
“Oh, hell yeah! I gotta show this to Camille, Jake, and Zeke. They’ll get a huge kick out of it.”
I was hesitant to let others see what I’d been hiding for so long, but he was so excited I couldn’t deny him. I followed his instructions and started snapping away. He started doing ridiculous poses, pretending to punch it, licking its face, pinching his nipples and standing behind him, his head and shoulders towering a foot over the cutout.
By the time Skyler ran out of ideas, we were both laughing hysterically.
This went a lot better than it’d played out in my mind. I’d imagined a shocked or even disgusted reaction, but he seemed genuinely pleased.
“When did you get him? You were so young at the time of that tour.”
“My father found it hiding out at the label. He brought it home to me after the accident. I think he was trying to cheer me up.” My smile was soft, thinking back on the day my father came into my room, crouching low behind the image, pretending it was Skyler walking into the room. I’d laughed so hard my burn scabs ached. Totally worth it.
“Did it work?” His eyes bored into mine as if my answer to this question was of the utmost importance.
“Yes.” I nodded, staring at my feet. “I could always connect to your music so easily. It really helped me work through my feelings. Especially after mom.” My voice trailed off, but he nodded, knowing what I was trying to say.
Skyler walked close to me, taking my cheeks in his enormous hands.
“That has to be the highest praise I have ever received, Elsie.” His voice choked. “I’m so glad I could be there for you when you needed me. Even if it wasn’t the real me; even if it was just the idea of me. I feel like I helped you and that’s an amazing feeling.” He rubbed his thumb across the mottled skin on my left cheek reverently.
I nodded, not knowing what to say. His fingers touching my scars sent shivers down my spine. No one other than the doctors had ever touched that side of my face. Such a simple action made me feel so cherished. Accepted.
Skyler bent and pressed his lips to mine. My breath caught in my chest. His lips were so soft. I felt our energies meeting there, connecting at the edge of our skin.
Pulling back, he leaned his forehead against mine and gave me a wicked grin. His hands reached down, cupped my ass, and gave me a squeeze before lifting my body up so our faces were even with each other. Our chests met, my softness cradled his hardness.
“Elsie, I want to touch you so bad right now. Please. Let me touch you.” Passion boiled over in his eyes, his voice choked.
I couldn’t speak; I was so overwhelmed. His heart beat frantically beneath my hands on his chest. The art on his chest was just as elaborate and colorful as his back. His choice of tattoo was drastically different for his front. The words ‘lord have mercy’ were etched in calligraphic font surrounded by red roses and what looked like eighteenth-century muskets wrapped in vines. He was so much man my mouth salivated.
“Please, El…” he pleaded.
I nodded, giving him the permission he sought. My skin hummed with anticipation. I didn’t know how he planned to touch me, but I wanted it more than I wanted anything in the world at that moment.
He lifted me higher, and I shifted my legs so they wrapped around his waist. It forced me to wrap my hands around his neck to steady myself. Our faces aligned, and he kissed me. This time his tongue delved into my mouth; I cried out in joy. I felt owned. Desired.
Skyler sat me down on the bed, my legs hanging off the edge. His hands lifted my shirt above my head and I did nothing to stop him; next came my bra and suddenly my breasts were exposed. Instinctively, I covered them, a wild blush sweeping from my face down to my chest.
Taking my hands in his, he smiled gently
, and pulled them away, exposing me. His eyes traced along my breasts. My skin heated and my nipples tightened into peaks under his gaze.
“Don’t cover yourself, baby. You’re so beautiful it makes me ache.”
I made him ache? He called me baby. My mouth dropped open with shocked arousal. How can just words make me react so viscerally? I’d never felt anything like this before. Lust burned into my brain, and I couldn’t think of anything else but the heat between us.
My nipples were hard as diamonds when he traced his finger over the round flesh of my breasts. He gently cupped my fullness in his hands, nuzzling his nose into my softness. My body jerked when he took a nipple into his mouth.
“Your breasts are so beautiful. Your nipples are like fresh cherries.”
There he goes with those words again. I couldn’t tell what was more arousing, his words or his touch. As he took my other nipple in his mouth I knew–touch…definitely touch!
Gently he pushed me back, reaching down to lift my legs up, scooting me backward on the bed. I laid out on the mattress, my hands fisted at my sides, my breath coming in fast pants.
Digging his fingers into the elastic of my leggings, he slowly pulled the fabric down, his eyes heating every inch of my skin as he did. My pink boy shorts joined my leggings and I was naked.
I was naked.
With Skyler Dalton.
Staring at him, I salivated. He stood at the end of the bed, staring at me, his eyes clouded with lust. He was so tall, broad, and manly. Heat uncurled in my abdomen as his eyes danced over every inch of my body.
Instead of undressing, Skyler touched my left calf, running his fingers along the lower edge of my scarring. Gently, watching his hand move, he slid his artist’s fingers all the way up my body, lovingly brushing over my greatest flaw.
“You are so strong, Elsie.”
“They’re ugly,” I whispered, embarrassed.
His eyes jumped to mine. “No. No, they’re not. They’re a reminder of what you’ve overcome. Scars are like tattoos. Though we don’t choose to have them, they tell a story about who we are.”
My eyes misted. It was such a beautiful sentiment. A completely different way of seeing the very thing I’d cursed since the accident. I reached up and traced the lines of ink on his chest.
“Do your tattoos tell a story?” He shivered when my fingers brushed against his nipples. His nipples were pierced with small, silver barbells.
“Of course.” He gasped.
“Tell me?”
“Later…”
In a swift movement, his heavy body hovered over mine, his lips crashing down to mine. My hands went to his bare shoulders, feeling the heat coming from him. My fingers gripped his skin, holding on for dear life. Our chests were skin to skin now, my nipples digging into his chest. I could feel the cool twinge of his nipple rings.
His lips slid across my chin, peppering kisses over my ear, down my neck, and collarbone. Each kiss made me shiver. Heat pooled between my legs. I could feel my clit throbbing with arousal.
Palming my breasts, he pushed his face between them, tickling my delicate skin with his whiskers. Before I could giggle from the sensation, his mouth came down on my nipple, sucking it into his mouth, grazing his teeth along the tip.
A powerful sensation shot from my breasts to the valley between my thighs, my core pulsing. I cried out, arching my torso toward him. His hand palmed my other breast, tweaking the nipple in time with his little nibbles.
“Oh, Skyler! Wow… what… how…” I couldn’t get a coherent thought to form.
He chuckled against my skin, moving to the other nipple with his tongue, pushing me through the same wild sensations.
“You are so fucking perfect, El. So soft, like a ripe peach in the summer. I want to taste you.”
Jesus, this man wrote songs with his words and fingers.
He moved down my body, licking my skin, dipping his tongue to tease my navel. Palming my inner thighs, he pushed my legs apart. In shock, I lifted onto my elbows and watched him, mouth open.
Was he going to…? On me…?
He leaned down, braced his head against my mons and breathed in my scent. He nuzzled my mound and groaned. I could feel myself slippery and hot, my clit begging for him.
Gently, he slipped his finger along my seam, opening my lips. Sliding down, his tongue darted tentatively against my folds, tasting me.
“Christ, Elsie.” He groaned.
Without warning, he pressed his face completely into me, bathing himself in my juices. His tongue dipped into my center, licking and tasting. I cried out, bringing my legs up to cradle his face. My hands gripped his long hair, not pressing but holding on for dear life.
His tongue slipped up, laving my folds, then gripping my clit with suction. My body shuddered. He slipped a finger gently inside me. I was so swollen the intrusion ached.
I chanted his name, begging him to take me over the edge. His movements were gently rhythmic and did not let up. Pleasure shot through me, my toes curled around his back.
I’d had orgasms before. I’d use my hands or the battery-operated boyfriend Amelia bought me to bring myself a little zing. But this was something I’d never imagined could exist on the earthly plane. Already it was ten times better than what he’d done to me last night, and I hadn’t even reached my peak.
“Come for me, baby…” he whispered against my swollen flesh.
In quivering waves, I came full force, falling over the edge of the precipice. I grasped his hair, holding him close, every inch of my body alive with savage energy.
He didn’t stop there. Before my body could calm, he put another finger inside me, his thrusts moving faster, his tongue sucking me harder. I thrashed against him, calling out his name like a prayer.
Again I fell. My body convulsed. I couldn’t control the involuntary motions. The force of the orgasm gripped me, sending me into erotic oblivion.
Skyler peppered gentle kisses on my inner thighs as I lay there, my breaths coming out in bursts.
When he finally lifted himself to lie next to me, I cuddled into him, his strong arms circling me, his lips gently kissing my shoulder. My eyes became heavy, my breath evening out. As I slipped into a dazed sleep, one thought kept dancing in my mind.
This man was a fantasy come to life.
Afterglow
Skyler
When I woke, Elsie was curled up on my chest, her head tucked under my chin. I slowly blinked my eyes, remembering what happened, instantly becoming hard. She’d tasted so sweet. Her orgasm was so intense. Her innocence made the experience so much headier.
She was still naked, her soft breasts pressed into my chest. I wanted to lose myself in all that pillowy softness.
This was the first time I’d ever woken next to a woman. My lifestyle didn’t allow for so much intimacy; not that I’d wanted it. Trusting other people with my life was a risk, no matter which way I sliced it.
The clock on the wall said we’d only been asleep for a few hours, but I felt as refreshed as if I’d slept a full eight. I knew it was because of the woman lying next to me.
Something in me is changing and I have no control over it. It’s almost like I’m… cheerful, for chrissakes. Elsie and her damn musical voodoo.
Normally I’d run the other direction if someone outside of my circle exuded such influence. But not with Elsie. Something was different about her. I trusted her. I couldn’t detect a dishonest bone in her body. She was untainted by the seediness of their business and reminded me of everything that’s beautiful about music.
Pushing her hair behind her ear, I gently kissed her face. Her eyes fluttered, waking her with my gentle ministrations.
In a second, she sat up like a shot.
“Oh, shit! I fell asleep!” Elsie’s eyes widened, her cheeks turned pink. “I’m sorry.”
“Why?” I chuckled, pulling her back down toward me. “I wore you out. You needed the rest.”
Elsie buried her head in the crook of my n
eck, her face hot. She was embarrassed and it was adorable. Wrapping my hands around her, I squeezed and kissed her temple.
“I hope you don’t think it reflects on your… on your… you know…”
I struggled to contain my laughter. I didn’t want her to think I was making fun of her. “My prowess?”
She groaned into my neck. “Yes. That.” She sighed, pressing herself up as she sat against the headboard, the sheet pulled up over her glorious breasts.
“See, if you’d fallen asleep during, then I might be concerned. After is entirely acceptable and highly complementary.” Leaning over, I kissed her arm, right on her scar.
“Well then, consider yourself complimented, Mr. Dalton.”
“Thank you, Ms. Clarke.”
We both laughed and I couldn’t stop touching her. Running my hands up and down her thighs, nuzzling her arms.
“Wait! I did. But you… you didn’t?” Elsie shot me a look, her eyes again full of concern. My little pixie was so serious about everything.
“I didn’t come?”
She nodded, her face getting redder if that was possible. Elsie seemed to blush at the drop of a hat.
Grabbing her around the neck, I pulled her face down to mine, delving into her sweet tasting mouth. It was a few minutes before we resurfaced. My kiss washed all the concern off her face, replacing it with a dazed smile. I felt so powerful knowing I had made her react with such intensity, knowing I had made her forget her anxiety.
“I wanted it to be about you. We haven’t discussed sex or birth control and I don’t want to put you at risk,” I whispered against her lips.
She nodded, her eyes not meeting mine.
“There’s plenty of time for all that, El. I don’t want you rushing into this. A woman’s first time needs to be special.”
“Don’t you want to?” she asked, her eyes full of concern.
“God, yeah, I want to. I’ve been awake two minutes laying next to you and I’m already at full mast.”
“Full mast?”
Scarred Melody: A Rockstar Romance: Bold Melodies Book One Page 11
