Landon's Desire (Book Three of The Pulse Series 3) (27 page)

Carl’s mood was definitely sobering, Landon had to stop himself before he started using the L word, this was not the time nor was it the place, and he’d only end up full of regrets.

“Take it easy, Babes, everything worked out, and no one got seriously hurt.”

“I’d say that crack over the head didn’t do you much good, you should probably go to the hospital and have that looked at.”

“No hospital, I’ll be fine,” Landon assured him. “What about you, how’s your side.”

“Sore.”

“Do you need to go to the hospital?”

“I need Jack and a hot bath,” Carl snarled.

“Agreed, let’s go home.”

A small scale precinct of sorts had been set up in the living room, where guests were being treated to a barrage of questioning and paperwork was piling high. Landon was handed a cold pack and held it to his head while he finished up his report and signed it. When he handed it off to Johnson he noticed Alexandra Briggs sitting on the countertop in the kitchen.

“I’ll be right back,” he told Carl.

“Mrs. Briggs?” he asked.

“Oh God, call me Ally, I haven’t used that last name in years, it actually makes my skin crawl.”

“Are you okay?” Landon asked.

Alexandra placed a cigarette between her lips and searched in her clutch, pulling out a book of matches. He took it from her hand, tore a match free and struck it across the score and held the flame while she lit her cigarette and blew it out. She blew a cloud of smoke into the air and tittered.

“Mikey would have a fucking stroke if he knew I was smoking in the house, it was one of the many things that drove him crazy. I think the only thing I ever did right was having Eliana. Now her big day has been ruined and I know he’ll find a way to blame me.”

“I’m sorry.”

Turning to face him, she smiled. “Are you really gay, or was that a ruse to get closer to him?”

“I’m gay.”

“Too bad,” she said.

“I don’t think so,” Landon told her, with a hint of a laugh.

When people told the fat girl she’d be so pretty if she just lost weight and she cried, it was a moment like that, the too bad he was gay moment. As if being straight would somehow make him a different more acceptable person. Landon didn’t know whether to be insulted or not. He shook his head, because people were generally ignorant. Ally, was just making conversation he deduced.

“You didn’t sleep with Mikey did you?” she asked, studying his eyes. “Did he…? The man was always an animal and not in a good way, I hope he didn’t scar you too badly.”

Landon felt for the woman seated beside him, she bore the scars of a marriage with the devil, what she must have suffered far outweighed anything Briggs had done to him.

They sat side by side like victors from the ultimate storm. Beaten and battered, nevertheless ready to move on. They sat proud and tall, stronger from the fight.

“We all live with scars, Ally, some run deeper than others, it’s how you live with them that matters. You can choose to put them out there and learn how to deal with them, or hide them away while they slowly fester under the surface and eventually eat you alive.”

“You sound like a very smart man,”

“Not really, I simply live with my scars.”

A throat clearing directed Landon and Alexandra to the sight of Carl standing at the door.

“Sorry to interrupt. We’re free to go whenever you’re ready,” Carl said.

“I hope everything turns out well for you, Ally,” Landon said, slipping off the counter and throwing the cold pack into the sink.

“I’ve survived worse than this,” she smiled, sadly. “It was nice meeting you, Landon.”

Landon walked over to Carl and embraced him, whispering in his ear. “We need to talk, let’s go home.”

***

The ride home was uncomfortably silent, but not for a moment of it did Landon release Carl’s hand. It was as if letting go meant he’d never get him back again, the risk was too great to take. Carl kept turning to look at Landon as if he had something to say, he would rethink it and then look away.

Landon had so much to say and had no idea where to start. Tonight was an eye opener for him, he learned more about himself and what he wanted in this one night, than he had in the last six months. However the idea of sharing this information with Carl was worrying, what if he told him and it was too much for Carl to handle? He’d already thrown more at the man over the past months than was fair, and wasn’t sure just how much more Carl could take.

They came in the back way, escaping an inevitable interrogation from Rex, and walked up the back stairs hand in hand instead of using the elevator. Not bothering to question whose place they would go to, Landon followed Carl into his apartment.

“Do you want something to drink,” Carl hesitated in the kitchen. “Will I make us tea?”

“No, can we get into bed?” Landon asked. “I want to cuddle with you.”

The tension in the air was thick, heavy like a woolen blanket on a hot summer night with no breeze and all you wanted was to tear it off so you could feel the cool air on your skin.

“I’d like that,” Carl whispered on a sigh and led Landon to his room.

At the end of the bed their hands finally broke apart and each walked to their respective sides of the bed. They never took their eyes off of each other as they undressed in unison, shirts first, pants, socks and underwear last. Climbing beneath the covers, Landon’s hand searched out Carl’s and he breathed a sigh when their connection was re-created.

Landon slid his arm under Carl and maneuvered him into Landon’s favorite spooned position. His body wrapped around Carl’s like a protective cocoon. Like a security blanket, where he kept him sheltered and safe.

Carl held Landon’s strong arm and traced his thumb along the other, interlacing their legs and feet. They stayed this way, entangled together for some time before Carl broke the silence.

“I should be angry,” he whispered. “I’ve never been more scared of losing someone in my life. It was like Tyler had died all over again, only a million times worse, so much worse than I could ever have imagined. I thought I’d find you dead.”

“Shhh…” Landon shushed him, kissing the back of Carl’s head. “I’m scared of losing you too.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Carl assured him.

“Nor am I,” Landon said. “Turn over and look at me.”

Carl rolled onto his side and wove the fingers of one hand with Landon’s, stroking his cheek with the other.

“My beautiful man,” Carl chanted.

Landon smiled at Carl’s endearment, it was a wonderful feeling to finally have Carl where he belonged, in his arms and his heart, and knowing that Carl may be feeling exactly the same was exhilarating.

Landon swirled a lose curl from Carl’s forehead around his finger and smiled when their eyes met, he drew in a breath and whispered.

“I love you.”

Carl’s mouth slowly spread into a glorious smile. “I love you too!”

They kissed like they were ravenous for each other, with raw no-holds-barred passion. Their hands mapped each other’s bodies as if it were for the first time, discovering every rise and fall along their chests, abs and backs. Their pace slowed to a tranquil laziness, the moment was unadulterated lust in its purest form. Greedy and wanton, yet restrained and chaste, they were in no hurry and happy to take their time and enjoy the tenderness.

“Ace?”

“Uh huh…?”

“Would it be crazy to ask you to move in with me?”

Carl squinted his eyes and scrunched his nose while he stared at Landon, trying to figure out what he was thinking. Landon tapped the end of his nose and laughed.

“How fucking lovable are you?” Landon asked, touching Carl’s bottom lip with his thumb. “Of course it would be crazy.”

“Stupid idea, I just thought…” His heart started a slow plummet to his feet.

“And of course I’d love to, as crazy as it is,” Landon interrupted, pinching his lip and giving it a tug. “There’s nothing stupid about inviting me into your life, I love you. I want to be with you every minute of every day.”

“Would tomorrow be too soon?” Carl asked.

“Consider it done,” Landon gave him a quick kiss. “Now roll over and go to sleep, it’s been one hell of a fucked up twenty four hours and we need some sleep.”

“Ace?”

“What Babes?”

“You don’t want to make love?”

“You know I do,” Landon embraced him, then maneuvered him into their spooned position. “But I want to be moved in and well rested so I can show you how much I love you properly, is that okay with you?”

Carl pulled Landon’s arm tighter to his chest and gave his large bicep a kiss. “I guess I can wait.”

Landon chuckled. “Anticipation,”

“Good night, Ace, I love you.”

“I love you too, Babes.”

The light clicked off, a dusky glow from the neon banner outside washed over the walls and Landon closed his eyes, entangling his fingers with Carl’s.

“Ace?”

“Yeah?”

“Briggs is finished right?”

“I’d bet on it, don’t worry.”

“I can’t help worrying that he might try to get revenge.”

“Johnson’s going to keep me informed. Most of his goons were arrested with a list of priors and warrants a mile long, he basically has no one on the outside to do his bidding, the man’s fucked.”

“From your lips, Ace.”

“Go to sleep.”

NINETEEN

~Six months later~

“Where in the fuck,” Landon mumbled, walking into the club peering around in the darkness, “Carlton Ward, quit fucking with me!”

There was movement from the club upstairs,
Passion
should have been empty tonight. He could hear strange sounds and knew in an instant where Carl was hiding. He flew up the steps two at a time and slowly opened the door to darkness and a strange hunch that Carl was up to more than playing a sexy game of hide and seek.

Since moving in together, foreplay had gone from touchy-feely, slap and tickle, to search and destroy stealth missions and surprise attacks anytime and anywhere with absolutely no warning. Their sex life was phenomenal. In fact, they got in the habit of keeping condoms and packets of lube in their pockets at all times, just in case the mood took them, which was most of the time.

Landon had spent the day at Liberator Industries, putting final detail changes in his Will, and signing important papers with his lawyers. He was tired and grumpy, but more than anything he wanted to wrap his arms around Carl and get lost in him. He could almost smell the scent of oranges as he stood in the doorway.

“Babes, I know you’re up here, come out so I can suck your,”

“Whoa,” he heard Carl yell, before the lights flashed on.

“Surprise!”

He gazed around the room at his friends all dressed up to the nines and smirking. Awkward looks on their faces were quickly replaced, when Carl came from the back of the room with a trolley and a two-tiered cake blazing with candles.

“Happy Birthday, Ace,” Carl’s face beamed, he threw his arms around his neck with a big sloppy kiss to his cheek.

A resounding rendition of happy birthday filled the room and Landon blew out the candles and started counting them.

“A few too many candles, Babes, how old do you think I am?”

Carl laughed. “Sometimes I have to wonder, baby.”

“Out of the way! Coming through!” Mikala yelled, as she waddled forward.

Mikala was glowing, her belly round like a basketball with the biggest smile on her face, she was officially overdue and ready to pop. She had tried every wives-tale told in hopes of inducing labor, to no avail. Now she stood at Landon’s feet with her arms in the air waiting for her hug.

He bent and hugged her, the best he could. “Happy Birthday Lando, I hate you,” she joked.

Landon gave her a shit-eating grin and palmed her belly, he leaned forward with his cheek resting at her navel and spoke to her belly, which was becoming a ritual.

Yes, the man who happily cowered in a corner and looked for an easy escape when a baby was anywhere near, was now anxious to meet the little person growing inside Mikala’s swollen belly. He was still nervous, but from the moment Mikala forced him to palm her belly and he felt that first kick, he was completely sold on becoming an uncle. He even went so far as to buy
What to Expect When You’re Expecting
and read it from cover to cover.

“Hey Sprout, Uncle Landon loves you. By the way, it’s our birthday so you can come out now.”

“If this baby doesn’t come soon, I swear you’re a dead man.”

“Why me?” he laughed.

“You were the one that told Sprout not to come,” she slapped him.

“I never said that, I said wait until the fifth,” he laughed, shielding himself.

“Same difference,” she growled. “The doctor did say things have started, whatever the fuck that means.”

“It means the babies going to come when he or she is ready and not a minute before,” Mason said, wrapping his arms around her from behind, holding her swollen belly in the palms of his hands.

“Happy Birthday my friend,” Mason said, offering a handshake.

“Thanks.”

“Were you surprised?” Eden asked, with a hug and kiss.

“If he wasn’t, we sure as hell were,” Chase joked, giving him a manly shoulder hug and slap to the back. “Happy Birthday!”

“I,” Landon threw his arms up. “If I had known, you know?”

“So obviously things with you two are going well?”

Landon looked at Carl and smiled. “Perfect, I can’t begin to tell you.”

Without a word of a lie Landon’s world was perfect, he had the man of his dreams in his bed each night and woke up with him each morning and they shared the most incredible sex life imaginable. He never knew how happy he could be. Carl was his everything; he made every day worth waking for and loved him madly.

He tapped his hip pocket and grinned.

“Babes,” he said, “Can I have moment of your time?”

“You can have whatever you want, Ace,”

Landon made his apologies to their friends, took Carl’s hand and led him along the back hall and into the room he used to occupy.