Skye Blue (Hell Yeah!) (9 page)

“What are you thinking about? Sex?”

He immediately looked at her face. She was teasing him, those big dark eyes shining with amusement. “I am now.”

Throwing her head back, she laughed and the sound ran over his heart like life-giving water seeping into dry desert sand. “You’re very good at it, you know?”

“Oh, really? I’m glad you have no complaints. I think you’re quite talented yourself.” They stepped over rocks and jumped small ditches. Once he picked her up and held her while he jumped a narrow stream.

Skye wanted to share herself with him as much as possible, without burdening him with the truth of her unfortunate past. “I don’t have much practical experience. I think what I have is a certain amount of natural ability.” She said it and kept a straight face, but when he raised an eyebrow, she busted out laughing. “Actually, I’ve read a lot, fantasized even more and have a list this long...” She measured in the air. “...of raunchy things I want to do to you.”

Growling, he grabbed her up and carried her in his arms, peppering kisses on her face. “Tell me what’s on the list.”

“In the shower,” she whispered in his ear.

“Doable.” He rubbed his nose on her cheek, inhaling her feminine scent. “What else?”

“Me on top?”

“You on top. And from the back. I like that.”

“Yea, me too. I’m sure you’ve been with many beautiful women.” Skye wasn’t being nosy, she was just wondering how she measured up.

Her question stopped him in his tracks. “My share, I guess.” Women came on to him all the time. None of the McCoy brothers had ever had a hard time getting a woman. Despite Skye’s assertion, he wondered how much of the attraction lay within himself and how much was the name. “None more beautiful than you, you can rest easy on that score.” He kissed her again and set her down. Talking about other women with Skye seemed strange, and he had no intention of asking her how many men she’d been with. He didn’t want to know.

His answer made her smile and that made him happy. They came to the park service fence, but it was a low one. They easily maneuvered over it. She stopped and just stared. “Look at it. Isn’t it magnificent?”

Noah let his eyes rove over Enchanted Rock. “I’ve heard a lot of strange stories about it.” Like most people, he seldom appreciated what was around him all the time. Like his family. And now that he found out it might all be a lie, he longed to wake up from the bad dream. Taking things for granted was a dangerous thing.

Skye slowed down, grasped his hand and they began to walk toward it. “To my people, Enchanted Rock is a special place. It’s more than just a mountain made of pink granite, it’s a symbol of our heritage. For thousands of years, they worshiped here, considering it a place set apart by the Creator as a shrine. There are tales of spirits, an unearthly glow and whispers of gold and silver. Many still come here for prayer and ceremony. The Rock inspires awe and reverence. There is a sense of being here that I can’t find anywhere else. To me, this mountain is holy.”    

Noah let her lead him as they began the ascent, the path winding around the enigmatic landmark like a serpent. “Rising over three hundred feet above an oak savannah, this batholith Rock covers a square mile. But what you see is only the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface of the earth, this same mountain covers a hundred square miles.”

“You love it here, don’t you?”

“Yes, my father brought me here several times and Lance has even come with me. I chose this place now because I need to ground myself. I need to decide what kind of person I’m going to be so I can get the journey of my life on the right path.”

Considering what he had been going through, Noah wished he could do the same thing. “I think you are very wise.” As they climbed, he helped her at times, although she probably didn’t need it. Skye seemed self-sufficient. But it made him happy to touch her, to make it easier for her. 

“There’s a rhythm, a natural order of things, a perfect energy which empowers all aspects of life. When one becomes aware of this energy, it doesn’t make you special or unique, it reminds us that life goes on. We can make the most out of what we’re given, or throw up our hands and quit. There isn’t some grand scheme. What we make of our life is up to us, it’s our choice.” Brave words, Skye thought. Yet, she believed them. Just because prejudice hampered her, or the fact that the Langley’s had stolen her father and years of her life didn’t mean she had to throw away her future.

Finally they reached the summit. Because of the early hour, they were alone. For a few moments they stood and looked around, taking in the view of the Llano Uplift. Feeling a chill, Skye turned to him and fit herself against his body, wordlessly asking to be held. He didn’t disappoint. “Do you want to sit down and let me hold you?” She nodded her head and he found a place, cradling her next to him, blocking the wind from her body. Long strands of her hair whipped against his face and he felt peaceful. Noah watched her face. She was listening. “What do you hear?”

She laid her head back on his shoulder. “The wind, but within it seems to be voices. I am trying to listen with my heart.”

“I’ll hold you while you listen.” He placed his hand over her heart, not a come-on move, but one of comfort.

For long minutes, they were silent. Skye let a peace envelop her, a peace she hadn’t felt since her mother was alive, before Lance had left home. “Thank you for coming with me, Noah.”

“My pleasure. You’ve had a sad life, losing your parents. When did your dad die?”

“He died when I was sixteen.” She wanted to tell him the details so bad, but it would just start up questions which she was too afraid to answer. Skye wasn’t ready for Noah to walk away from her yet, and she knew in her heart that she could never bring herself to link her life with his—not on a permanent basis, because she never wanted to hamper him in any way.

“My parents,” he almost stammered. But they were his parents, they had loved him. Noah had no qualms admitting that. No matter what the circumstances of his birth actually were, Sue and Sebastian had given him a home. “My parents were killed in a flash flood. Their car was swept off a bridge. I was the same age that you were—sixteen.”

“I’m sorry.” She clasped his forearms as they hugged her up. “At least you had your brothers. It’s obvious they all love you. And Aron, he will come home. I can feel it.” She did have a sense the elder McCoy would return. Not that she claimed to be psychic, but sometimes things just made sense to her, like a forewarning. When she’d confronted Charles Lambert, she’d known it wouldn’t end well, but the need to defend her father had overpowered her instincts of self-preservation.

“God, I hope so.” Noah needed Aron. He needed him to come back and set everything right. If Aron had been here, Noah would have went right to him with his questions and his heartbreak. “Libby needs him. We all do.” He buried his face in her neck. “Lance wasn’t around when your dad passed?”

“No, he’d left home when he graduated high school, I was five. When I was twelve my mom slipped in the bathroom and hit her head, she died. I had been at a friend’s house and Dad was watching a ball game on television. He heard the noise, but thought she had dropped something. He got engrossed in the game and when he finally went to check on her. She was dead. He blamed himself, but Lance blamed Elijah too. Dad moved us away. Lance and I lost touch. We didn’t find one another again until last year.” She could still remember the day he walked into the room where she was sitting behind the heavy glass. They could only talk on the phone. He’d been heartbroken and totally shocked. She’d tried to explain, but even to her own ears her story had sounded far-fetched. If a jury could put her behind bars, would her brother believe her? He had and he’d begun to tirelessly work with her attorney to bring the evidence to light which had been long buried.

“I’m glad you found each other again, not only because you are family, but because it led you to me.” He nuzzled the side of her face. “We’ve had a hard time. Do you know about my last girlfriend? Harper?”

She did, a little bit. But she wanted to hear it from him. “Just that you broke up and she hurt you and you were injured defending her.” All of this had taken place just before Aron’s wedding.

“Well, it’s not pretty.” He took one of her hands in his and began rubbing her fingers, passing his thumb over her palm. “Harper had been my dream girl. She moved here while I was in college. Typical blonde bombshell, she swept me off my feet.”

Skye had to laugh at his explanation. “You like blondes, I take it.”

“I like you.” He squeezed her tight. “I admit, I thought I was in love. I thought she was the one. But gradually she showed me a side of herself that I couldn’t handle.” He paused and Skye waited. “She was into BDSM, the hardcore stuff. Harper liked pain and the whole idea of hurting her to get her off just turned my stomach. I’m not narrow-minded…”

When Skye giggled, he dipped her over his arm so he could look her in the face. “Skye Blue, are you laughing at me?”

She wound her arms around his neck. “I think you’re perfect, but you are a little un-bending at times.”

“Is that so?” He traced her soft cheek with his finger. “What do you have in mind to loosen me up?”

“Hmmm, I don’t know. But I’m sure I can think of something.” A heavy flapping of wings caused them to sit up and draw apart. They were shocked to see a large owl land a few feet in front of them. Skye gasped.

“Be very still.” Noah instructed. “I’ve never seen an owl out like this in the daytime, nor one that has come so close.”

Skye’s heart was pounding. She looked deep into the animal’s eyes. “Sa hohchifo ut Skye.” The bird actually came closer, inching its way to where they sat. “Halito. Chim achukma?”

A powerful sense of belonging swept over her. The owl was an albino, a Great Horned owl, it came within touching distance, seemingly unafraid. Lights and images danced in Skye’s mind and she saw her mother and her father and Noah. Understanding crept into her heart. This was her spirit animal. “Yokoke.”

With her word of thanks, the majestic owl lifted off and flew away. Skye began to tremble.

“Wow,” was Noah’s initial response. “That was crazy. What did you say?”

Skye smiled, with tears in her eyes. “I said ‘My name is Skye. Hello. How are you? And Thank you.’ Not real deep conversation to have with a spirit.”

“Do you think that was a ghost of some kind?” Skepticism was in his tone.

“No, it was a bird. But she was my spirit animal, sent to give me a message. An owl usually announces death.” Noah clasped her hand. “But in my case, I think it means great change is coming. The owl tells me I will be able to see what others do not see, to have intuition and wisdom.” She let out a sigh of relief. “I can trust my instincts and have the capacity to see behind the masks that people wear.”

“What mask do I wear, Princess?” He held her chin in his hand.

Skye studied his face. “You do not want people to see your vulnerability. You hide behind the mask of perfection. You are so intelligent, but also afraid to trust.”

“I trust you,” he breathed as he let his lips gently rub against her own.

Could he trust her? Skye was battling her heart. She wanted to open up to Noah and throw herself in his arms. She wanted to confess her shame and seek to be worthy in his eyes. “I will keep you safe.” She promised. Even if it was from herself.

After their experience at Enchanted Rock, they had journeyed back to the cabin. “Perhaps you’ll meet your spirit animal before we leave.”

“Do you have to have Native American blood? I don’t think I do.” Actually, he realized, he had no clue was his background was. The thought was unsettling.

“I don’t think so. We are all sisters and brothers, no matter the color of our skin.”

He cupped the back of her neck. “The last think I want to be is your brother.”

Skye laughed. “You said you trusted me. Is that true?”

“Yes,” he answered without hesitation.

“Good. Tonight I want you to place yourself and your pleasure in my hands.”

***

Noah stayed hard for the rest of the evening while Skye prepared soup and cornbread and they ate in front of the fire. His cock ached as they cleaned up the dishes and took a walk in the evening air. “I want you.” He couldn’t wait any longer. Noah had faith that Skye was not like Harper, but he still had no idea what she intended for them to do. “I’m ready for you.” He put her hand over the straining erection in his jeans.

“Come.” She led him back to the cabin. Tonight she wore a long-sleeve buckskin dress of the palest ivory, decorated with red jasper and tiger’s eye beads. When they stood in front of the fire, she undressed him, even bending down to remove his boots. “Tonight, I will show you what it means to give up control.”

“I don’t know…” Images flowed through Noah’s head of whips and chains and black leather. Even though he knew his brother and Avery’s lifestyle included some of those things, he was still unconvinced he could ever enjoy the power exchange they spoke of.

“Don’t worry. I promise you. You will enjoy what I’m about to do.” Skye had only read of this, but she wanted to try. “I am not playing by any set of rules. I only want to please you with my body.”

“Damn.” How could he argue with that?

Taking four lengths of rope she’d found in the storage room, she waited for him to lie down. And even though she could never have controlled this big man, he allowed her to tie him to the posts of the bed.

Skye marveled at his bulging muscles. “You could break these bonds, I’m sure. But give me the chance to show you how freeing it is to let someone else show you love.”

Her words sounded nothing like any he’d ever heard from Harper or from his brother. “Show me, Princess.”

Skye stood and stepped away from him, allowing an ancient rhythm to come into her mind. She could hear the beating of drums and the cries of warriors as they mated with their chosen ones. As if the sounds were echoing in the room, Skye began to dance the way she’d seen her people do. Graceful motions with her arms and a swaying of her body, and as she danced, she began to disrobe until she stood before him proudly—naked.

Noah held his head upright and beheld the vision. Her hair was a cloud of ebony that floated behind her as she moved. The light from the flames made her skin glow and her eyes dance with the mysteries of life. “You are exquisite.”

Going to the foot of the bed, Skye surveyed the strong, sexy man who had come to mean the world to her. Tonight she wanted to give him the gift of pleasure and the gift of trust. Already his cock stood at attention. It was full on-board, even if he had reservations. “My body craves yours,” she told him.

“Feed your craving,” he whispered, bucking his hips up in the air, making his cock bob.

“In time, in good time.” She trailed her fingers over his feet and watched his toes curl in anticipation. “I want to touch you...everywhere.” Bending, she swayed over him, her breasts dangling down, her nipples hard. Caressing his legs, from knee to ankle, Skye began to delicately lick his skin. The arch of his foot. The hair-roughened skin of his leg. The hard cap of his knee. Nowhere did she leave unattended. By the time she worked her way up to his thighs, Noah was groaning.

“I won’t survive this.” He pulled at the ropes which held him spread-eagle and at her mercy. The light little licks and nibbles were pushing him closer and closer to the edge. “Put me out of my misery.”

A lilting feminine laugh told him his command would go unanswered. Standing to his right, she soothed her palms over his stomach, the flatness just below his navel, letting her fingers massage the light stubble over his cock. “You manscape.” She winked at him. “I’ve considered getting waxed instead of trimming. Any thoughts?”

“Come up closer and let me check you out. If you’ll sit on my face, I could see better.” Noah was desperate to touch her, to taste her. “I need to check your pussy out, up close and personal.”

“Patience, my warrior.” With precisely applied licks, she traced his abs and kissed her way to his pecs, gracing each nipple with a bit of stimulation. Noah let out a harsh cry of need.

“Skye, I swear to God!”

She ignored his outcry and sought to show him how she felt—with touch.” Trailing her hair across his chest, she teased him. Placing her hands on his pecs, she kneaded, rubbed, caressed—circular motions that proved his nipples were as sensitive as her own. Leaning in, she nipped his earlobe, then licked and kissed a trail from his Adam’s apple to his lips. “I need you,” she whispered as she captured his lips and stole a kiss.

Velvety texture and flaming heat, those were two sensations Noah would equate with Skye Blue for the rest of his life. “God, now what are you doing?” He watched her trail a hand down his body as she went once more to his feet. “Temptress.” With a smile as seductive as Venus, she went on all fours and began to crawl up his body. “Let me go, I need to touch you.” He ground out the words between clenched teeth.

“No, cowboy, sorry.” She licked his cock, just one sweet swipe. “We’re doing this my way.” Lowering her body to his, she proceeded to toy with him. With graceful movements, she rubbed her entire body, from breasts to mound against him. Her nipples caught in the hair of his thighs. She skated upward across his belly, soothing her body on his, until they were breast to chest and lip to lip. Once, twice, she repeated the process. A full body massage. “Feel good?”