The Sound of Us

Chapter Thirty-Six. “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

“Perfect” by Ed Sheeran

DANTE

I knew this feeling. It was part of me, written into the fabric of my being with the blood of the people I’d loved and lost. It was in the round scars that marked my skin and the cracked bones that had never healed quite right. It was in the tears that had coursed down my cheeks as I sat beside Noah’s bed and in the ache that had seized my heart in the time Skye and I had been apart.

Helpless.

All I could do was hold her. I couldn’t make her pain go away.

“I’ll kill him,” I said again, tucking her against my side. We’d dropped off dinner for Noah and Bella and then come straight to my place, where I’d been holding Skye on the couch for the better part of an hour. “Or I can arrange for it to happen. I’m pretty sure my father knows a guy.”

“I don’t care about Ethan.” Skye looked up, her lashes still wet with tears. “I care about Isla. I don’t want her to have re-live the nightmare all over again.”

“You can’t take that choice from her.”

“What if I sent an anonymous tip to the police? They’d have to investigate him. They should still have the DNA samples…” She swallowed hard. “He thought it was me, Dante. He wanted to ‘show me what I was missing.’ He must have told Michael he was drunk and played it down, but he had to get through the main door and then find our room, which suggests he knew what he was doing.”

I hugged her tight and tried to process what she was saying. How did a person deal with that kind of revelation? It was big—much bigger than classes or grades or even our fight.

“Why waste money hiring a guy when I can do it myself?” I mused. “I’ll pick a fight with him. Pretend it was an accident. Claim self-defense… At worst, I’ll go down for manslaughter and I’ll be out in five years, maybe less if I get time off for good behavior.”

Skye punched me lightly in the arm, but at least I got the glimmer of a smile. “You’re not going to jail for me.”

“I can’t think of a better cause.”

“There is more at stake here than just one man. The university is willing to cover up a serious sexual assault on campus to save their reputation. They’ve put women at risk. They’ve denied Isla the justice she deserves. They must be called to account.”

“If you turn down the offer and expose them, it will be the true end of your basketball career,” I pointed out. “The end of your dream. You’ll never play here or anywhere else. You might not even be able to stay at Havencrest.”

“It was my father’s dream.” She met my gaze, her eyes still swollen with tears. “And I lived it for him because I was afraid he wouldn’t love me and that he’d send me away. But I have a new dream now, and no one can take it from me. I have never felt more alive than when I was investigating this story. I can make a difference in the world as a journalist. I can give Isla the justice she never had and hopefully others, too.”

“Are you going to call her tonight?”

“She’s back in two days. I think it’s something I need to do in person.”

“I love you.” I said it not just because I wanted her to hear it, but because it needed to be said. “You are the strongest person I’ve ever met. You are brave, smart, fierce, and loyal, and the only person who has ever truly seen me. You are the person I would always choose to have my back. You are best song in the playlist of my life.”

Silence. For a heartbeat I thought I’d said too much, but then her eyes softened, and she kissed me gently on the lips. “I love you, too. You are the most amazing man I’ve ever met.”

I chuckled and pulled her into my arms. “You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to hear that, but you might not think I’m so amazing when I tell you that I’ve put you at risk. My father found out about the scholarship and threatened to expose us if I don’t give him my inheritance and join his company. He’s moved into waste management and needs money for bribes.”

“Don’t give in to his threats because of me,” she said. “I can take care of myself, and this time you’d better believe it.”

“I’d give it all to keep you safe.” I pulled her into a straddle across my lap and nuzzled her neck, breathing in her scent of lavender and vanilla and crisp winter air. “Are you still angry with me?”

“After those beautiful words? No. Are you angry with me?” She peppered little kisses along my jaw.

“I was never angry with you. I was angry with myself for not putting all the pieces together and realizing Noah was ill.” I pulled her closer. I was so hard, and it had been so long…

“Is this the part where we get to have make-up sex to the apology playlist you told me about when we first met?” She rubbed her palm over my cock, making me groan.

“This the part where we have make-up sex to all my apology playlists,” I said. “I hope you don’t have any plans tonight.”

Skye’s phone woke us the next morning after a wild and crazy night.

“Who is calling you this early?” I pulled her into my arms, ready to resume where we’d left off only a few hours ago. “Haven’t they heard of messaging?”

“It’s ten A.M. ,” she said, reaching for her phone. “And some people still prefer to talk.”

“Tell whoever it is that you’re busy being pleasured by a sex god.” I cupped her lush breasts and squeezed them in my palms.

“Down, boy.” She slapped at my hands. “I need to take this call.”

With a grumble, I released her and then pressed kisses to her nape while she talked on the phone.

“It was Michael, the men’s basketball coach,” she said, after she was done. “I don’t know how he got my number, but he wanted to know if I’d gotten my legal advice yet. It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours. If I wasn’t waiting to talk to Isla first, I would have been even more determined to write my story because he’s clearly worried. I just don’t want to put her through any more trauma.”

I leaned over and kissed her. “What could we do to distract you until Isla gets back?”

“Hmmm.” Her lips quivered with a smile. “I can’t think of anything.”

I slid a finger through her slick folds. “You’re very wet. It feels like you’re already thinking of something.”

“You say the nicest things.”

“You’re supposed to say them back,” I murmured. “You’re supposed to tell me I was amazing in bed, the best you ever had, the sex was mind-blowing. That kind of thing. Nice words mean free legal advice.”

“Everything you just said is true.” Her back arched with pleasure as I pushed two fingers deep inside her hot, wet heat. “You’ve ruined me for other men.”

“Fuck, that’s hot.” I gently withdrew my fingers. “Stay right there. I need you on top of me.”

“As if I could move.” She lay languid on the bed, watching as I grabbed a condom and rolled it on. Moments later I was back on the bed and pulling her into a straddle on top of me. I’d fantasized about having Skye like this so many times, it was yet another dream come true.

“Ride me, baby. I want to watch you come all over my cock.”

“We need music.” She reached for her phone. “I think this position calls for a little ‘Mustang Sally.’”

“A little energetic for ten A.M. , don’t you think?”

“If you can’t keep up…” She leaned over, crushing her breasts against my chest. So hot. So sexy. So utterly addictive. I kissed her lips, the dimple in her cheek, the hollow at the base of her throat. She groaned and dug her fingers into my pecs, a delicious pleasure pain that almost sent me over the edge.

“Where’s the riding, Sally?” I gripped her hips and lifted her over my cock.

“Are you trying to turn me on with this primitive display of strength?” She slammed down so hard, I let out a guttural groan of pure pleasure.

“I’ll do anything for you.”

A sly smile spread across her face. “Make me come.”

Holding her hips, I pushed into her, fast and deep. Skye responded by grinding against me. God, she felt good. I could feel her flexing around me, the downward tilt of her hips a perfect match for my upward thrusts. We fell into a steady rhythm that had the headboard thumping against the wall.

“That’s it, baby.” I teased her, spreading her moisture around her clit but not touching, sliding my fingers down and then up again until her body was shaking, and she was panting for release. When I couldn’t take it any longer, I pulled out and slammed into her, over and over, my fingers digging into her hip to hold her in place. I felt her legs quiver as she approached the edge and slid my fingers over her clit. She climaxed with a sharp intake of breath, her inner walls clamping down on me so hard, I came in a rush.

Skye collapsed on top of me, and I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tight against my chest. “I still can’t get used to having sex in a bed,” she murmured into my neck. “It’s all very tame.”

“You just rode the Mustang,” I grumbled. “What’s tame about that?”

“Do you know what I need?” She wiggled on top of me as she reached for her phone.

My eyes watered at the painful pleasure. “Give me a few minutes. Your Mustang needs a rest.”

“I should have known that’s what would happen if I went for an old edition.”

I heard the first few notes of ZZ Top’s “Bad Girl” and a smile spread across my face. “Are you a bad girl, Skye?”

“Very bad.” Skye laughed and eased herself down between my legs. “I hope you can keep up.”