Page 14

Kate

I wake to sunlight streaming in through Landon’s bedroom window. I smile at the soreness I feel from last night’s unbelievable...what do I call it? Lovemaking? Ummm, too soon. It wasn’t just a fuck though; it was so much more. I mean, this is Landon I’m talking about. We’ve been gearing toward this for weeks, but more is brewing between us than just lust and sex. There’s history and a deep friendship to consider. I know I don’t have to be scared to lose what we have, but I am nervous for what this could become.

His body is wrapped deliciously around me, his strong chest pressed to my back, his soft breathing in my neck. I shift my butt a little at the feeling of his morning wood. He rumbles appreciatively in his sleep but doesn’t wake. He pulls me in closer, and I sigh contentedly. This is nice.

It’s too bright to be super early still, so I glance over at Landon’s clock and freak when I see the time.

“Shit! Landon! You’re late for class!” I sit straight up and jump out of bed, worried since I don’t know if it’s a test day or not for him. He shoots up in bed and looks at the time nervously before flopping back on his back, sighing and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, probably attempting to settle his heart rate.

“Fuck class, come back to bed,” he says from behind his palms, voice full of morning gravel that sends tingles straight to my lady bits. That’s not helping.

“I can’t. I have class in an hour. I gotta jump in the shower.” It’s just then that I notice Landon looking at me hard and realize I’m standing there totally naked. A slow grin spreads across his face as I blush.

“I could go for a shower.” He grabs his cock as if painfully aware of his situation and sits up.

“Ohh, no…” Yes! Yes! My inner monologue practically screams at me. She’s a slut. “If you get in with me, then I will miss class, and there’s a chance of a pop quiz with this professor since it’s Friday,” I ramble out, mostly trying to talk myself out of it since he just stood up and let the sheet fall to the floor and yeah...wow...I have no words. Now who’s the slut? I blush.

Landon snickers and grabs his boxers. I bite my lip because damn . I hate that he’s dressing, but I’m also thankful because I might not have been able to say no if he asked again. I scamper off to my room as he steps into the bathroom to pee. I hear him turn on the shower and roll my eyes thinking I’m in trouble now.

He stops in my doorway and leans against it, eyeing my ass as I pull a shirt off a hanger.

“I started your shower for you, but if you don’t hurry and get in, I’m going to throw you on the bed.” He’s dead serious.

“I’m goin, I’m goin.” I start to brush past him, but he snags my elbow and plants a quick peck on my lips.

“Mornin,” he grins.

“Stop with that panty-melting smile. I don’t have any on to melt off, and I gotta hurry.” He chuckles darkly and swats my ass as I take off for the shower. That chuckle just does it for me.

“I’ll warm your pop tarts up for you.”

I speed through my shower. When I turn off the tap and reach up to grab my towel, I hear the sink faucet running. I pull open the curtain to see Landon sexily leaning against the sink counter as if he doesn’t have a care in the world. He’s brushing his teeth with his eyes on me from the mirror. He smirks and spits but keeps on brushing, making no move to give me any privacy. I chew on the inside of my cheek and decide to be bold. I can play this game.

I wipe off my face and wring my hair out with my hand. Then I take the towel and pull a Landon. Starting at my neck, I give him the treat of watching me dry off, deliberately revealing an inch at a time of my wet skin. When I lower it enough for a tit to peek out, he accidentally gags on his toothbrush. I snicker, but keep going. I continue to my belly and feel his hard gaze. He drops his toothbrush on the counter and leans forward on both hands, watching the show in the reflection. I lift a foot up onto the edge of the tub and rake the towel up my leg, allowing my breasts to sway gently with the bending over motion. I repeat the motion with the other leg. I look up coyly and see him gulp.

I turn my back to him and slide the towel along my back, back and forth down as far as the top of my butt cheeks. I grasp the towel and rub my ass dry with my hands in one slow circle. He clenches his jaw when I turn back around and run it once between my legs to dry my lady parts. ? Instead of wrapping it around myself, I smirk and toss it at him. Landon catches it with surprise, but he holds it to his chest like a prized possession.

“You sure I can’t talk you into staying?” he asks with a deepened voice as he steps toward me, tipping up my chin with his forefinger, hope in his eyes. Mischief dances across his face as he presses his erection into my belly, and I bite my bottom lip. He’s incorrigible.

“I’ll still have to say no, no matter how tempting that offer is.” I stroke up his belly causing a shudder to rack through him on a frustrated inhale. “Save it for me later though.” I wink, grab my clothes, and stroll to my room before I change my mind. I hear him whimper behind me and know he’s cursing my professor.

Ten minutes later, I’m grabbing my things and heading for the door. He walks up to me with a warm chocolate pop tart which he holds out to my mouth for a bite. Dang, he’s cute.

“Pop tart and a treat.” He hands me a flash drive. I eye him quizzically.

“What’s this?” I hold it up.

“I didn’t have time to sync it to your laptop on the sly so that was the quickest way I could go about it.” I lift a brow, intrigued.

“It’s a playlist I was making for you. I intended to have it ready on your computer as a surprise. I wasn’t sure how to ease into the conversation for how I’ve been feeling. I know you love art, and music is art, so I figured it was worth a shot. I know it’s kind of cheesy.” He brushes a hand through his hair nervously. He’s rambling. Landon doesn’t ramble. It’s adorable.

“You kind of tipped my hand yesterday before I could go through with my plan. I added a few while you were getting ready.”

“It’s perfect. I can’t wait to listen to it.” I beam at him and he visibly relaxes.

“Last night, Kate, was everything to me. I know we’ll talk later, but I wanted you to know before you ran off out the door and started second guessing and overthinking.”

I stand up on tip toe and peck his lips. “No second thoughts. It was amazing.”

He smiles back unabashedly and returns the peck while opening the door for me. “I’ll see you later.”

? ?

Later in the day, I’m at the library restocking this morning’s returns and thinking about Landon. Last night...whew. It was so unexpected. I absentmindedly run my fingers over my lips. They are still tender from his kisses. I get a mental image of those lips all over my body and softly moan. Damn it was good. No, it was phenomenal. There was no uncomfortable weirdness. We just worked. Yes, I was nervous at first, but I think everyone gets that way the first time you’re with someone.

I put my wireless earbuds in and hit the first song on the playlist he made for me. I smirk at Justin Timberlake’s My Love. Dang, he jumped right in for the kill. I let all the words of the song soak in, and I know that this song and the next ones will now take on a whole new meaning in my life. Next up is DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber with Let Me Love You. I jam and dance a smidge as I put away books. Nothing enough to call a ton of attention to me, but enough to just enjoy and do my job.

When Ed Sheeran’s Shivers washes over my ears, I literally get goosebumps. This one is my favorite. It’s just so Landon. I listen to a few more, like Brett Young’s In Case You Didn’t Know, and I am just blown away by his selection. Songs of longing, adoration, want, need. Everything I’ve ever imagined an epic love would feel like. I notice a few from the night at the bar that we danced to, and by the time I finish the mix with Russell Dickerson’s Yours, I’m teetering between being completely turned on and reduced to tears for the beauty of the feelings he conveyed for me. I can tell that he sat down and took a good long time choosing each and every one of these and how they should flow.

How long has he had feelings for me? There’s no way this started only a couple months ago. His words from yesterday on the countertop come back to me... “Always have and always will...” Always? As in, from the beginning? I swallow hard and pull out my phone to check the time. It’s twenty after five. Ten more minutes. I text Landon.

Me: Meet me at home ;)