“Part of it.” She pulls up her Instagram. Motions to her hundreds of thousands of followers. “You think this is easy?”
With her tits out like that, yeah. Any guy who stumbled across her page would follow.
Fuck, it’s right there. The picture with the black bra.
She’s lying on her bed, black satin falling off her shoulders, black bra struggling to cover her tits.
She tagged some lingerie company, but fuck if that matters.
The picture screams I’m Skye Kim and I have perfect tits.
How many guys fucked themselves to this?
If it wasn’t Skye—
“Sit already.” She taps the chair.
I should be thinking about her naked. It’s what we’re trying to sell.
It’s not like it’s a stretch.
Skye clears her throat.
I sit.
She slides onto my lap.
Fuck, she’s warm. We’re close all the time. But not like this.
Nobody has been here in so fucking long.
My heartbeat picks up. My throat quivers. My head spins.
The last time I had a woman in my lap—
A million things fill my head. Mack’s long red hair. Her soft smile. The groan she made as Diego thrust into her.
Skye’s soft thighs.
Her wine lips.
Her short hair.
“You ready?” She hooks her arm around my neck. Holds out her cell, camera pointed to us.
We appear on screen.
She’s exactly where she’s supposed to be.
I’m hopelessly out of place.
I turn toward her. Stare into her eyes.
Fuck, they’re such a perfect shade of blue.
Like the fucking sky. Her parents say it’s a coincidence, that her eyes were dark when she was a baby, but I don’t buy it.
“Tell me if it’s too much.” Her voice is soft. Giving. She gets that I’m a mess. That I can’t handle any kind of intimacy.
I wish I could. That things were different. That I could be everything she needs.
But I’m not. Things aren’t different. There’s no point in wishing.
I nod okay.
She slips her hand into my hair.
I press my palm between her shoulder blades.
Her lips part with a sigh. I know that sigh. It means I need you inside me.
Is it real? Or pretend?
No, it doesn’t matter. Either way, I can’t have her.
Click.
She leans in. Presses her lips to my cheek.
Click.
Her fingers dig into my hair. She tugs a little harder. Turns her head so her neck brushes my lips.
Click.
It’s a second, fast, but I still taste her skin. Roses. Honey. Something all Skye.
She sighs as she slides out of my lap. Motions to the last picture. “You think?”
It’s perfect. Her hair is falling over her eyes. Her lips are parting with a groan. Her fingers are digging into my hair.
It looks like we’re fucking.
There’s no mistaking this for a friendly chat at a coffee shop.
There’s no platonic here.
This is a commitment. “It’s a lot.”
“I know.”
“Hard to dial back.”
She nods. “Is it okay?”
“Yeah.” There’s no getting out of my lie to Mack. We might as well sell the hell out of it. Even if I’m going to find her a replacement boyfriend. Someone she can leave me for.
Another woman leaving me for someone else.
It’s fake this time, but it still hurts thinking of Skye in some other guy’s lap.
Laughing at some other guy’s jokes.
Groaning over some other guy’s touch.
I can’t stand it.
I don’t want anyone touching her.
I sure as fuck don’t want anyone kissing her.
But what choice do I have? Either I do this with her. Or I let her find someone else.
Chapter Nine
Skye
Mmm.
Matcha and macadamia milk.
Is there anything better?
For one beautiful moment, my world is green tea and sunshine.
Then Forest’s hand brushes my knee and everything comes into focus.
I jerk up. Try to play it off as a desperate need for another sip.
Mmm. Sweet, rich perfection. Maybe I do desperately need another sip. Maybe my latte can actually erase all the ugly shit in my head.
“You should post that.” Forest’s gaze shifts to my lips. He watches as I take another sip. Watches my lipstick mark the lid.
It’s not like he’s thinking about my lipstick marking his neck. Or his stomach. Or his cock.
Not like I’d ever think that.
That would be…
Ahem.
“Only the audio. With a picture of my hand on your thigh.” His gaze shifts to the hem of my skirt.
It falls to mid-thigh. Shows plenty of leg. Plenty of… flesh, I guess.
I’m lucky to have an hourglass figure. A very full hourglass figure. I have big boobs, yeah, but I also have round hips and thick thighs.
I love my body, I do, but I understand how other people see it. Especially in Southern California. Curvy isn’t always meant as a compliment.
“Skye?” Forest’s jean-clad leg presses against my bare thigh.
My skin buzzes from the contact. “Yeah?”
“Is that what you’re going for?”
“This shop is loud.” I motion to the line of people. “It will be obvious it’s something else.”
“Or sound like public sex.”
“You’re okay with that?”
He runs his hand through his dark hair. “You’re really set on this? With or without me?”