Page 7

Landon

My heart is in my throat. I roll the sleeves of my black button up to my elbows the way I know Kate loves. I am fricking nervous. As nervous as I flipping was the night that I lost my virginity. I use some hair wax to give my hair that just fucked, effortlessly sexy look that is totally not effortless.

That shit takes work, but it looks good. I spray some of her favorite cologne on my neck, fix my belt, and inhale deep. She always tells me this stuff smells so good.

I want everything that she likes that I can think of in my arsenal for tonight. Anything that could possibly tip things in my favor. I want her heart to race. I want her to fucking want me bad . I want to see her soak me in as deep as she did at practice this afternoon. I want her biting that lip that I needed so badly to bend in and capture with my teeth but held back. She’s never looked at me like that before. Wondering if her lips are bruised and sensitive from how hard she was biting them earlier, I imagine them swollen from kissing my lips all night long. I have to shake my head to scatter those thoughts and get a move on.

I check myself over one more time in the tall bathroom mirror and gotta admit, I look good. Snagging my keys and wallet, I head out the door. The night is humid, but it’s about ten degrees cooler than it was around practice time, and I am grateful for the breeze. My body is sore after this morning’s practice and afternoon conditioning in this heat. I manage to amble up into my truck with a groan. No rest for me yet. I just need a cold beer and the eye of a particular coed, and I’ll be just fine.

After turning the key in my ignition, I turn on some country and roll my windows down, enjoying the wind coming in as I cruise down the road for Swig’s. Hopefully, tonight, I can manage to shift the tide on this “friendship” of mine.

I push my way in through the heavy oak door about a quarter after nine. I had to park down the road, but with it being a Friday night in the bar district down from the college, I am not the least bit surprised.

They also have a local cover band tonight which always brings in more people. The band is already on stage setting up. I hitch my chin up at Tommy and Jameson over at the bar.

Jameson is busy leaning in toward the bartender, who just so happens to be his current major crush, Kelly. She’s adorable, and those two together would make quite the pair.

He’s still trying to manage to grow a sack and ask her out. Hell, like I have any room to talk. I at least can say my situation is a tad bit more complicated seeing as I let myself get friend-zoned six years ago.

Scanning the immediate area of the bar, I haven’t seen Kate or Melissa yet. Probably better that I get my beer and settle in with some of the guys first anyways. After working my way through the throng of bodies to them, Jameson slaps my shoulder and hands me the beer that he ordered when he saw me making my way over. He’s a nice guy like that. I’ll grab the next round.

“Whoa, dude! You took some extra time getting spiffed up. Who’s the lucky chick?” Tommy smarts off. He likes to give some shit, but he’s another one of the good ones.

“Not sure how my luck will pan out tonight. Figured I better have my shit on point, you know?” I grin with my noncommittal answer.

“Oh, we know exactly who the girl is,” Mason sneaks up behind me and claps a hand on each of my shoulders, giving them a good-hearted, manly, “I’m just giving you crap” squeeze and shake. I smile while looking down at my beer, then look up into curious faces. “You all know that certain brunette with long tan legs who just so happened to drop off your glove at practice this afternoon? The same brunette we all saw eye-fucking every inch of your sweaty body? Oh, and did I mention, it’s the same brunette that happens to have been your best friend for the past, OH what...six years? Yeah, that brunette,” Mason rants on to enlighten the guys.

“No shit, really?” Jameson asks. “How you gonna play this? I mean, she was NOT looking at you like a best friend today.” My face slightly blushes at being completely outed by Mason, but I guess it doesn’t really matter when I intend to make her mine.

“So, my question is, what are you going to do about Trevor? Because I recall hearing him tell Jace today that she’s going on a date with him. Tomorrow night,” Tommy interjects.

“Trevor won’t last. We all know that. She’s a big girl. I have to let her make her choices, even if I don’t like them. I’m just going to keep putting myself in her line of sight and show her what she’s missing. Long game boys. Today at practice showed me she’s starting to take notice. I’ll keep nudging my way out of “friend” territory, and Trevor will eventually fuck up.”

“Well, what if he doesn’t? What if she ends up being the one he decides to quit being a douche for?” Jameson plays devil’s advocate. He makes a good point.

“Then I guess I’ll have to turn up the heat on my game instead of nudging.” The three of them nod in agreement. I swig my beer, hoping it’ll give me that extra ounce of bravery I’m going to need.

“Probably should get on that. Trevor’s already chatting her up.” Mason takes a sip of his beer while tipping his head toward the right end of the bar. “You don’t want that date to end up being a back-to-back Friday night and Saturday night, if you catch my drift.”

Fuck. I hadn’t even seen her come in. She and Melissa must’ve already been here and were in the bathroom primping or something. Sure enough, she and Melissa are both up on stools at a high table near the end of the bar drinking a margarita. Trevor, Jace and another guy from classes I don’t recognize are there talking them up.

She looks gorgeous. Her hair is lightly curled instead of her typical straight locks. She’s wearing more than just her usual no-fuss mascara and lip gloss that she sported earlier on today. I don’t think she needs an ounce of all that crap on her face, but she does look incredible. Her lips look glossy, plump, and kissable, and her eyes are smoky. It’s not overdone but just the right amount to draw out her dark blue eyes in a come fuck me style. She’s wearing a bright red halter top, which is doing wondrous things for the “ladies”, and her favorite denim mini skirt. Her long tan legs are crossed under the table with bright red toes strapped into a sexy pair of black sandals. She came dressed to kill tonight.

As I scan the area, I realize that I am not the only one taking her in and waiting to make their presence known. Mine... The word resonates in my mind as I stalk slowly from the bar toward her like a lion contesting for his mate, ready to take out any other male thinking of pissing near his territory.

My territory.

Jameson’s right. I better get in there.

Kate

“ So pizza and a movie sound good tomorrow night?” Trevor asks hopefully, getting in my line of sight and vying for my attention.

“Uh, sure, yeah, that sounds great.” I bring my attention back to him and he smiles, happy with that.

He’s cute and all, but my mind is still across the room at the bar with a tall, fine as hell, certain roommate of mine. He’s been talking to a couple teammates and didn’t notice Melissa and I come out of the bathroom. Melissa assures me that I look as mouthwatering as an ice cream cone on a hot day, and that Landon won’t be able to take his eyes off of me. I rub my hands down my skirt. Dangit, my palms are already getting sweaty, and he hasn’t even seen me yet.

The cover band began a few minutes ago with their renditions of Luke Bryan’s That’s My Kind Of Night and Hardy’s Truck Bed. That’s a solid start for the evening. I’m listening to Jace go on and on to Trevor about practice when I sense eyes on me. They’re not Trevor’s. Next up, the band surprises me with a cover of Chase Rice’s Whisper. That’s definitely a bold, sexy choice.

I look over to my left where I feel the magnetism of a gaze pulling me in. Landon’s eyes are hot on mine and my breath hitches. Melissa lightly elbows me and whispers in my ear, “Holy fuck, he looks hot as hell, Kate. You know that’s all for you, right? Shit, he’s zoning in. Like seriously, Mr. Fuck Me Eyes is straight-up prowling toward you. How are you even breathing right now? I can’t, and he’s not even coming over here to talk to me. I am officially jealous.” I giggle, but keep my eyes locked on the sexy man roaming my way. Melissa tends to vomit words when she gets excited. If I could talk and roles were reversed, I’d probably be doing the same.

His eyes are making me feel every sexy word of the lyrics in the background, and she’s right. He looks like a sleek predator prowling after his prey with a beer in hand. Every slow, advancing step puts me on edge. I suck in another breath.

Me.

I’m that prey, and he looks intent on devouring me. Tingles run from head to toe as his eyes darken the closer he gets. I can barely see the blue from here.

“Hi...” He slides up to the table wearing that panty-melting smile, oozing pure masculine sex, and smelling good enough to eat. I want nothing more than to lean in and inhale while licking up the length of his neck. Whoa, girl… I hear the jukebox kick on while the band takes a break with Tommy Richman’s Million Dollar Baby. The beat is perfect for the mood I am in.

“Hi...” I answer, a little more breathlessly than I mean to. His smile turns darker, and he licks his lips. Hell, how have I not noticed more of this before now? Trevor takes notice of Landon and steps in closer to the table, cutting off Jace’s sentence effectively with a look.

“Hey man, little miss bestie here tell you we’re doubling with Jace and his flame tomorrow night? ” Trevor puts extra emphasis on the bestie to make a point to Landon. I’m sure this is the beginning of a pissing contest, and Trevor thinks he’s staking his claim over me. I’ll give him his shot, but the man to his right will always mean more to me. Just how much more remains to be seen. The look crossing between the two is heated and makes me a tad nervous. I eye Melissa and she jumps into action.

“On that note, the music is calling us. Let’s dance!” she interrupts, effectively cutting the tension, jumping up and pulling me by the elbow to my feet. Both guys look at me. Landon drops his animosity toward Trevor for the moment; he’s beyond the pettiness most of the time. I like that.

“Save me a couple spots on your dance card, Miss Morgan,” he smirks and taps the table twice with his hand, brushing close to my ear with his whisper as he passes by. The Bridgerton reference is not lost on me. It makes me swoon a tad inwardly, and this shows me he’s man enough not to be intimidated by a little competition. This might get interesting. I’ve never had two guys competing for my attention.

“Sure thing,” I practically stutter out as Melissa drags me to the floor just as T-Pain's Buy You A Drank starts up. This is a throwback, but I absolutely love it. Mel and I lace our fingers and raise our hands overhead and begin swaying our hips to the sultry beat. Trevor and his buddies are standing nearby, nursing beers and enjoying life, Trevor’s appreciative gaze lingering on my hips. I smile softly at him, but then take notice of Landon and his guys taking up residence at a high table ten feet away. They chose a spot in plain sight of where Melissa and I are dancing. The twinkle in his eyes says it was done purposely. I gulp.

Mason’s girlfriend, Sarah, strolls over and crawls up into Mason’s lap, giving him a sweet kiss on the lips. He wraps his big arms around her and shimmies a little to the beat making her giggle. I like Sarah. She’s in my creative literature class. She climbs down and makes her way out to Mel and I to dance.

Senorita by Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello begins and we all flow with the change of beat seamlessly. All the men drink in our fluid moves, and we all smile at each other knowingly. The female body is a weapon capable of captivating the entirety of a man, capturing and consuming his mind and body to the point of madness. I am using that knowledge tonight to wield and wind two men around my fingers. We get lost to the rhythm of a few more upbeat songs, singing, drinking, and dancing without a care in the world. Landon’s eyes never leave me.

After a couple more band sets, jukebox music, and much needed drink and bathroom breaks, Mel and I are back on the floor. Trevor and his buddies danced with us for a bit, but thankfully I was able to keep him from getting too handsy with me by having Mel as my wingwoman. I mean, I’m looking forward to our double date tomorrow night, but I’m just not as enthusiastic as I probably should be. I know that’s because the mystery of what Landon and I could be is overshadowing it. It’s messing with my head. This torture of knowing we’ve started to move beyond best friend territory and the nervousness that it instills is something. I feel electrified and terrified all at the same time. I don’t want to lose him. He’s been everything to me these past years.

Trevor leans down and gives me a hug, deciding he’s taking off for the night. He tells me he’s excited for our date tomorrow night and gives me a kiss on the cheek. I blush knowing Landon saw it, but smile back sweetly at Trevor. After he trails through the crowd, I chance a glance over at Landon. Yup, he saw it. His jaw is clenched, but it’s hard to tell he’s not happy about it as he’s chatting with Jameson. I only know because I know him so well.

Melissa grabs my hand and brings me back to the moment as the slow grind of Chase Rice’s Ride comes on. We’re close enough, we don’t care if we bump against each other a little. We just want to melt into the beat. Bodies sway and grind slowly all around us with lots of couples tangled up in each other. Case in point, Mason and Sarah next to us.

I turn my back to Melissa and notice I have Landon’s complete attention at the moment. Our eyes lock and he leans forward on his chair, resting his forearms on his thighs with his bottle held between his knees. He lets a thumb slide across his bottom lip and heat pools in my core. How can that simple move seem so utterly sexual? I suddenly feel like we’re the only two people in the room and I’m dancing for just his eyes to see. He makes no move to come to me, content with watching the show. That’s hot.

I let one hand’s fingers skim slowly over my slightly tilted neck and down the valley between my breasts, following the trail his shirt took today at practice while my hips roll and sway. His eyes drink it in, and a dark smile graces his lips, amused and turned on knowing that I’m purposely calling his attention to my body the same exact way he’d done to me. The air between us becomes electrified, our bodies calling to each other, and my heart picks up speed. I would be surprised if his wasn’t doing the same.

The song ends and picks up into a lighter, but nonetheless sexy tune of Russell Dickerson’s She Likes It. This song is one of Mel’s and my faves and we start bouncing and singing with it. Before long, Landon is actually bouncing in his chair with it and sets his beer down.

“ Oh shit, Kate. He’s finally found his balls and is coming.” Mel basically falls on me, giggling with excitement, the liquor in her system loosening her tongue even more than normal. We were wondering when he was going to finally get out here. I’m assuming he was biding his time until Trevor left.

He swaggers to the beat, milling between a couple people, nodding in hello, but clear on his intent to get to me. Right before Russell belts out his “MMMM mmm mmm”, Landon grasps my waist and pulls me in close to his body, my back to his front, and whispers deeply into my ear, “Finally, it’s my turn.” He then begins to sway our hips together and croons that sexy “MMMM mmm mmm” along with Dickerson against my ear. Pretty sure my panties just disintegrated. He takes my hand and rests it on the back of his neck and takes me for a steady spin for the rest of the song.

Landon

My fingers ache with the need to touch her. Finally, Trevor decides to leave, content with the knowledge he’ll have her on his arm tomorrow night. If it were me, I wouldn’t have left her regardless of my secured date the next night, but whatever. That’s the difference between him and I.

The song changes to Ride and fuck me, Kate is giving me a striptease with her clothes on, and I am fucking loving it. I lean forward to conceal my hard on and run a thumb over my lip, wishing it were hers. Her eyes glitter with want. She’s teasing me, rolling her hips and trailing her fingers along her body like I did to her with my shirt at practice today. Sweet. Fucking. Torture. I bite my lip and inwardly groan watching her hips undulate over and over again, mesmerizing me and making me imagine them underneath me doing the same. I can’t take my eyes off of her.

I let my situation settle, thankful for the low lighting in here as the next song comes on. It’s She Likes It by Russell Dickerson and Jake Scott. It’s one of her faves. She and Mel are already living it up, singing and dancing like there’s no tomorrow. I look over at Jameson and declare, “I’m going in.” He grins as I set my beer down and stand. I get my bounce on with the beat as I swagger and dance my way over to her.

She looks excitedly nervous, like a gazelle with her heart racing, deciding if she can outrun the lion stalking her, but she doesn’t bolt. Her curiosity of the situation unfolding is winning. The tension between us is so tight, it feels like the rubber band could snap at any second. I reach her and with one hand seeking her hip out and another near her belly button, I pull her back flush to the front of my body and whisper gravelly against her ear, “Finally, it’s my turn.” She shivers, making me smile as I croon out Dickerson’s sultry, “MMMM mmm mmm”. I literally feel her melt in my arms and keep her steady when my lips ever so slightly graze that outer shell.

She knows I can dance and has made several comments over the years about me practically sexing a girl on the floor. Well, it's her turn. I start out with just a fun, sexy bounce because this kind of song is just that, and it is our first time dancing this way together. I don’t want her to panic and run off. I throw her hand up around the back of my neck so that she can feel me everywhere along her body while singing and dancing carefreely with her. It’s perfect.

The next song couldn’t have been picked at a better time. It slows down, but it’s not quite just a slow dance. The beat’s undercurrent is as provocative as the mix of the guitar and lyrics. Whoever is picking the music has an ulterior motive. I’m on board with it. I’m ready to slow grind the fuck out of her. Mason looks up at me from Sarah’s neck and just grins like a fool because he’d call this shit “back seat fucking” or “baby making” music.

Jason Aldean’s Girl Like You is thrumming through our bodies, and damn, they are talking. I have to look into those pretty blue eyes. I grab a hand and twirl her to face me, and her breath catches when I pull her in flush to my chest. Then the girl sighs. That’s right, baby. I sway our hips and gently bend her backwards. Just a little to where I can access and inhale the perfume of the skin on her neck. She shudders as I bring her back up and look into her eyes. She looks hungry.

Good.

I begin to slow grind her just the way I know girls like. Roll and step. Roll and step. I’m not out here looking disrespectful, but I’m working it enough that she knows I know how to work these hips and control our bodies together. She keeps looking at my lips, and her gorgeous tits are shifting enticingly while they heave in her top.

This right here is exactly where I wanted her. I grin, but it ends in a growl when the song ends way too soon and they holler for last call, breaking the spell between us. She’s still breathless, staring up at me with so many questions in her eyes. The chemistry flowing between us is so thick, anyone would be an idiot not to see it. Unfortunately for me, I meet up with a said type of idiot when Tommy steps in and claps a hand on my shoulder to say he and Jameson are taking off.

Melissa comes to Kate’s side all smiles and says she needs to get home, effectively ending our night here. I rest my hand on the small of her back and go with them back to the bar to grab their belongings from the purse check behind the bar. I kiss the top of her head at the door and say, “See you at home.” The girls wander down the street giggling, and Kate looks back one last time to see if I’m still watching her go. I am and continue to do so until I see them reach her car safely.

Mason and Sarah stumble out of the door, lip locking, wrapped up in each other as usual. Mason stops to smile at me and say goodnight which all three of us know they will be continuing.

“You did good man. I think you efficiently crossed over the best friend line tonight,” Mason compliments me, and Sarah nods enthusiastically, agreeing with his statement.

All I can do is smile. In fact, I smile the whole damn ride home.