Page 12

Landon

Holy shit... I did it. Spectacularly. Coming home to find her in tears, fuck , it killed me. I couldn’t watch her cry anymore. Hearing her wish whispered brokenly across those pouty lips undid something inside of me. I couldn’t hold it in a second longer. I fist my hard length under the spray of the coldest shower of my life, trying to get my cock to understand that it has to wait for her. It’s not taking the hint.

I can’t rush this... I mean, it has been a long six years coming and thousands of cold showers fist-fucking myself to thoughts of her, but our time has come. She has no doubt in her mind now that I want her. That I fucking need her. She is my best friend, but is and always has been so much more. She is MINE , and I will ruin her for any other man.

I turn off the shower, get good and ready, and head out to the kitchen to put away the beef and spaghetti crap for another night. Grinning like a fool, I wipe down the countertop while waiting for her to get dolled up for me and our date.

Pinch me. Is this really happening? Man, the feeling of those powerful thighs wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer to her hot center with her lips on mine... I will never be able to look at this counter again without thinking about it and getting hard.

Shit. Down boy.

I have wanted this, wanted her, wanted us for so, so long. Ever since the first day of freshman year of high school art class when she leaned over to ask if I had an extra pencil. I cursed myself as my fumbling fingers dropped every damn pencil just trying to get one out to hand to her. Her chuckle was so dang cute. I could’ve just died right then. That was it. We’ve been attached at the hip ever since. She’s always, in a way, been mine. She just didn’t know it yet. Although there were times I wanted to say fuck it, I wouldn’t change a thing. Ok, maybe I would’ve gone back and manned up at that party after graduation, but other than that, I’d do it all again.

Catching myself standing there smiling and looking at the milk like an idiot, I put the ground beef in the fridge. Don’t fuck this up, Landon... Movement out of the corner of my eye makes me look up to see the prettiest smile light up my world’s face.

“There’s my pretty girl.” She blushes as she bends down to grab her strappy, gold, fuck me heels. I clear my throat.

“Here, let me.” I stoop down to help her slip her feet in, taking my time to buckle each of the tiny straps. Appreciatively, I slide my hand up her right calf as I finish, and she sighs. She looks amazing in that emerald green sundress.

“Damn, you’re gorgeous,” I whisper as I lean in to softly kiss those delicious lips that I plan to savor every bit of later.

“Thank you.” She smiles warmly. “You look pretty great yourself.” She blushes again. I love it. I plan to make that happen every damn day.

“Let’s get out of here.”

I grab the keys to my truck from the drop off dish while she grabs her purse, and I lead my girl out the door. Tonight...

Kate

Goldfish swim circles in my stomach as Landon helps me up into the cab of his sleek black Tacoma. His hot gaze traveling up the length of my freshly shaved legs makes me swallow hard as I tuck them in and he closes the door. When he climbs in on his side, he grins that signature Landon grin, and I catch myself swooning like every other girl I’ve rolled my eyes at for the last few years. He’s so handsome tonight. His perfectly mussed, dark blonde hair looks like I just had my hands in it, and his jawline looks so delectably smooth. His cologne smells heavenly, and I want to bury my face in his neck. He's got on a light blue button up that’s rolled up to his elbows, showing off his well-trained, baseball forearms. I lick my lips as he grips the wheel hard with one hand and shifts the gear into reverse with the other. How can he even make driving look so sexy?

“You’re going to kill me...” he whispers aloud as he smirks and takes off for our destination.

We eat burgers and chicken tenders at Swig’s because they really are the best. We have fun trying all the different sauces with the tenders. After one with my favorite honey mustard, he lines up the hot sauces from mild to scorching, and we eat to see who caves first for a drink. I win.

Landon surprises me with going to see It Ends With Us since he had to listen to me gush about it after reading it last year. Throughout the movie, his fingers keep finding mine, tracing the lines of my fingers until I turn them over for him to make tiny circles on my palms. Every once in a while, he lifts it to his lips for a soft kiss. Nothing crazy heated, but endearing, as if he treasures me. At one point, I forget what I’m watching when he catches me watching him suck the popcorn butter and salt off his fingers. He notices, and with a wicked glint, lingers on his ring finger a little longer than necessary.

? Normally, I’d throw a napkin at him for that, but hey, I am enthralled by the sight. My gutter brain is over-sexed and fogged by desire with every little thing he does. The sexy bastard knows it too. At the end of the movie, he pulls me into his side and tilts my chin up for a soul-stealing kiss. He murmurs against my lips, sending tingles everywhere and coaxing a little moan to the surface.

“Let’s go home.”

The truck ride home is full of tense anticipation. Luke Bryan’s Strip It Down is filling the cab, heightening the mood. Landon’s hand rests on my knee and is drawing slow circles with his thumb. He makes it home in record time, and my heart hammers in my chest as he leads me by the hand to our door. He unlocks it with a quick finesse and pulls me into the dark, relocking it behind him.

I hear his keys hit the dish and feel his hands reaching for my hips not to pull me in, but to press me unhurriedly backwards up against the entry wall.

“Landon!” I squeak and snicker in the dark as we practically trip over his ball stuff. I feel one hand slide up and press against the wall by my head as he steadies us. He’s taking his time building the anticipation.

“Kate...” he murmurs reverently as he leans in close and captures my bottom lip between his teeth, giving the gentlest of bites. I shudder and swear I feel the tug all the way to my toes. We’re suddenly all lips and tongues and teeth until we’re both panting with desire. My word, this man has a gift with those lips. He presses his hips to mine and lifts me to wrap my legs around him.

He buries his face into my neck and inhales sharply at the tight fit. His fingers skim up the backs of my thighs to cup my ass, lightly digging into my skin and pulling me as close as he possibly can. The manly rumble from his chest suggests his control was trying to run away and he had to grab it by the throat and put it back in its place. Fuuuuuuck, that’s hot.

I roam my hands up his chest, loving the feel of hard, blatant masculinity beneath my fingertips to cup his face and whisper,

“Take me to your room.”

His breath puffs out, and one hand practically slams against the wall. I smile at the knowledge that what I just said is testing his willpower to take this slow. He kisses me with a fierce hunger before ripping away to ask,

“Are you sure?”

“Now, Landon,” I urge, and I don’t need to say it twice. He pulls us from the wall and I feel delicious muscles flex and shift under my fingers as he effortlessly carries me to his room and playfully tosses me onto his bed. No one has ever done that before. I think I quite like it.

It’s dark, and all I can see is his shadow moving toward his bedside. He’s quiet as a cat, and I am enjoying being his little mouse. If I thought my heart was beating fast before, it is racing now, fluttering at the speed of hummingbird wings. The anticipation of what is going to happen is next level. I wonder if he’s a quiet or loud lover. Will he whisper sweet nothings or salaciously tell me all the dirty things he wants to do to me? Will he want me to take the lead, or will he be demanding? From what I’ve seen so far and heard from his lips, I’m just not sure.

Quit thinking, Kate. This is Landon. I puff out a little breath of nervousness and wait.