The two biggest bright spots in all the ugliness were Nadine and Sam. They were the only ones who hadn’t been touched by any of the drama—yet—but the past was coming for Sam. Eventually, Sam would learn the truth about his parents, and that would be another family bombshell Sky would have to navigate and come to terms with.
Mason knew that would bring about another reckoning, if Nana had predicted correctly. So far, she had been right about everything else. Some days, Mason could feel her tapping on his shoulder and sensed her wagging her finger at him. He had fixed things between him, Sarina, and Sky. But one last big, terrible shoe was going to drop, and it was up to Mason to protect them when it did.
If he could.
He still believed that some truths did more harm than good, especially in the wrong hands. There were times when Mason had come close to telling Sarina because his conscience screamed for release. But once he had unburdened his soul, Mason would have no control of the consequences. No way to minimize the harm it could cause.
As Nana had said, this secret was a doozy and would rock the entire Sutton family and probably most of the town, if it got out. They might all have to move.
The thought brought a grim smile to Mason’s face. If that were to happen, he’d get down on one knee and propose to Sky. What else would they have to lose?
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 ahugestep 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.
Hewas sexy.
A strapping rugby player from New Zealand, Rob had the biggest thighs and the biggest ass Sky had ever handled, andeverythingwas 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 wasexactlywhat Sky needed after the week he’d had.
Not one, buttwoimpossible deadlines met at the very last minute. Sky had just turned in final edits for his new novel and completed an essay forShoutmagazine 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 ithard.”
“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.”