Derek stood on the sidewalk in front of Grinder’s, staring up at the yellow and green sign. Indecision crowded his mind. He didn’t like the feeling. He usually knew exactly what he wanted and went for it. Even with tough decisions, he always knew what to do, what was right. Those types of decisions had always been easy for him. Until now. For the first time, what was the right thing to do, what he knew he should do, clashed with what he wanted to do.
Derek’s gut instinct was to stay as far away from Landon as he could. But, he also needed to apologize to Landon for his behavior yesterday. He needed to set the record straight between them. To make sure Landon was still comfortable with Derek being his professor. He didn’t know if Landon would be working this morning, but he would take that chance. If Landon wasn’t, Derek was sure he could find him on campus later that day.
But he would rather get this out of the way as soon as possible.
Shock had filled Derek when he saw those familiar blue eyes in his class yesterday. It had taken every ounce of his will power to keep from reacting. Landon’s reaction had been immediate. The memory of Landon’s wide-eyed surprise made Derek’s lips quirk. It was nice to know he hadn’t been the only one caught off guard. And before Landon could look away, Derek saw the keen interest in his face.
Derek’s smirk disappeared. Even if Landon wasn’t his student, Derek needed to focus on his career. He believed he wouldn’t be able to satisfy a partner. He simply couldn’t devote the time and energy. The fact that Landon was his student made the decision to avoid him much easier.
A couple of students brushed past Derek and up the stairs into the coffee house. Squaring his shoulders, Derek followed, bracing himself against the onslaught of physical attraction.
The two of them needed to stay as far away from each other as possible.
The bells chimed as the door slid shut behind him. The line wasn’t as long as it had been yesterday. Derek drew a quick breath when he recognized the blond head of hair behind the bar. He realized then that part of him had hoped Landon would not be there.
You’re being ridiculous.
He placed his order with the cashier, keeping a calm facade. After he paid, he stepped over to the espresso machine to wait.
And watched.
It was sinful how delicious Landon could look first thing in the morning. His disheveled hair begged to have Derek reach over and run his fingers through it. A simple white t-shirt and tight fitting jeans hinted at the supple muscles beneath. In an effort to distract himself from Landon’s appearance, Derek focused on what Landon was doing.
It didn’t take an expert to figure out that Landon was good at what he did. Landon looked confident, every movement calculated and sure. He watched as Landon juggled coffee cups, a metal mug filled with milk and shot glasses of espresso. In a matter of a few moments, Landon was calling out the names of the people who ordered before him.
It didn’t take long for Landon to notice Derek.
Derek had to bite his tongue to keep from chuckling at Landon’s sudden start. He watched as Landon almost dropped the mug of milk in his hand. Some of his mirth must have shown on his face, causing Landon to shoot him a fierce look before returning to work.
“Good morning, Derek,” Landon said, his tone neutral. Derek bit his tongue again.
“Good morning, Landon,” he said. “I was hoping to speak to you for a moment?”
Landon glanced up at him, eyes narrowed in suspicion. Derek couldn’t help but notice the flecks of gray in his piercing eyes. He wanted to stare at them for hours.
Then Landon shrugged, breaking eye contact. He placed the mug of milk underneath the machine, sticking a plastic wand inside it. The harsh whine of steam against metal filled the air.
“You’ll have to talk here. I can’t really take a break right now.”
“Of course.” Derek cleared his throat. He considered his next words. He wanted to make his intent clear while not giving away specifics to anybody nearby. He leaned forward, giving Landon an easy smile. “I wanted to apologize for yesterday. I’m sure you were just as shocked as I was and I wanted to reassure you that you have nothing to worry about on my end.”
Landon’s head whipped up, eyes wide. Derek continued to smile, hoping it would put Landon at ease. He hoped he could convince Landon that he had nothing to worry about. The silence stretched between them. Derek began to worry that maybe this hadn’t been the best course of action.
Landon suddenly flinched and jerked his hand away from the machine. The metal mug fell to the ground, hot, foamy milk splashing across the floor. Landon stared at the mess, then looked at his hand, which began to turn red.
“Shit,” Landon hissed. The word startled Derek into action. He rounded the counter before he even thought twice. He ignored the protests from the young girl that had been manning the till. Her name tag read, “Anne.”
“Where’s your sink?” Derek said, gently grasping Landon’s hand. He lifted it up to examine it.
“What are you doing?” Landon asked, trying to pull his hand away. Derek kept his grip firm around Landon’s wrist.
“Sink?” Derek repeated, ignoring Landon’s question.
Landon jerked his head toward the doorway behind them. “In the back.”
Derek tugged Landon through the door and toward the large sink. He pushed the tap on, turning it to the coldest setting, and stuck Landon’s hand under the flow of water.
“Stay here. Keep the hand under the water,” Derek said, his voice firm. He hoped it would be enough to keep Landon in place. At Landon’s nod, Derek turned and headed back toward the front.
Anne had already mopped up most of the mess with a couple of towels. Grabbing another towel, he knelt on the ground to help. Derek felt guilty for causing the accident. He hadn’t anticipated how Landon would react to his apology. He should have known better.
“What happened here?” a strong, yet feminine voice asked. Derek glanced up. A tall woman stood over him, her fists on her hips, an incredulous look on her face. Derek was sure he made quite the picture, kneeling in a puddle of milk.
Derek stood, sopping wet towels in his hands.
“I apologize,” he began. “I distracted Landon from his work and the milk burned him. He’s at the sink, cooling his hand.”
Derek watched as the woman’s face morphed into worry. She glanced over her shoulder, through the doorway to Landon. Turning back to Derek, the woman’s lips pursed.
“And who are you?” she demanded.
“Derek Serrano,” he said. “I’m one of Landon’s professors. We were discussing an assignment.” The lie fell off his lips easily.
The woman’s eyes narrowed. Then she nodded and reached out to take the towels.
“I’m Stella. I own Grinder’s. I apologize for the inconvenience, but thank you for the help. Your drink is on the house.”
“Oh, no. It’s fine. It was my fault to begin with.” Derek glanced back toward Landon, just in time to see him reach for the tap. Worried blue eyes met his. Derek shook his head in silent demand. Landon rolled his eyes and huffed a frustrated breath, but lowered his hand.
Derek watched as Stella walked toward Landon. Derek checked to make sure the mess had been cleaned up before following.
“Sorry about the mess,” he heard Landon say as he entered the back room.
“Not a problem. This is a coffee shop. Messes are acceptable.” Stella lifted an eyebrow as she nudged Landon. “Distracted, huh?”
Derek watched as Landon’s neck and cheeks flushed a soft pink. He swallowed hard at the sight. He loved watching Landon blush. He couldn’t help but wonder how far down that blush went.
Landon looked at Derek, as though in challenge, though he spoke to Stella. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Stella laughed, then walked away without another word. Derek watched her deposit the soiled towels in a laundry bin on the other side of the room.
“How’s it feeling?” Derek asked, moving toward Landon. He shut off the tap and pulled the hand toward him for inspection.
The burn laid across the base knuckles of Landon’s fingers. Luckily, it wouldn’t come into direct contact with the trumpet. But Derek could see that it would become irritated with too much movement.
“Water logged,” Landon said. At Derek’s pointed look, Landon gave a sheepish smile. “The whole hand is cold except the burn. It’s still throbbing a bit.”
Derek nodded. “It looks angry, but it should be fine with some ointment. Take ibuprofen and wrap it up for today. Try to take it easy when playing.”
“Yes, sir,” Landon said, his voice a near whisper.
Derek froze, suddenly aware of how close they stood next to each other. His chest grazed against Landon’s arm. He could feel the soft skin of Landon’s hand and wrist against his own. Heat radiated off of Landon’s body, making Derek give a slight shudder. An intoxicating scent of coffee mixed with sharp, clean body wash filled his senses. A warm burn grew in his abdomen, demanding that he push Landon up against the nearest wall and claim him.
Clearing his throat, Derek eased back, letting Landon’s hand fall from his.
“I need to get going,” Derek said.
“Your coffee…” Landon moved to walk back toward the front. “I can have it done for you in a minute.”
“No need,” Derek said, lifting a cup from the bar as he rounded it. “Anne was kind enough to make this one up for me.” He took a sip, barely restraining a grimace. He leaned forward across the bar and pitched his voice low. “Not as good as yours though. You still owe me.”
With that, Derek turned and strode toward the door.
He couldn’t get out of the place fast enough.
Landon pushed open the door to one of the larger practice rooms. The burn on his hand throbbed, but he needed to get in some quality practice time before his lesson the next day. Landon has his pick of practice rooms, most of them being vacant during this time of the afternoon.
Landon placed his trumpet case on the piano bench, his mind drifting back to the events of that morning. Surprise filled him when he had spotted Derek over the espresso machine. And when Derek apologized… Landon’s brain had ceased to function.
Landon glared at the burn on his hand. What a stupid mistake. And he had gotten plenty of ribbing for it from Stella and the others. It didn’t take a genius to come to the conclusion that Landon found Derek attractive. It was beyond difficult to try and convince everyone that he wasn’t going there. Not ever.
It was impossible.
Landon had run into Derek earlier that day in the hall. They were both rushing to their next classes, but Derek had stopped Landon with a pointed look at his hand. Landon had shrugged before he gave Derek a small smile and moved past him.
Derek’s actions that morning had been unexpected. Not only the apology, but the way he took care of Landon after the accident. Part of Landon had balked at the idea of needing to be taken care of. He grew up on a farm. He knew basic first aid and how to treat a burn. But a bigger part of him also warmed at the idea that Derek had taken charge without hesitation.
It had felt nice to be cherished, if only for a few moments.
Huffing a breath, Landon lifted his horn out of its case, attaching the mouthpiece. Shrugging his shoulders, Landon tried to put the whole distracting mess out of his mind.
He needed to focus.
Landon ran through his major scales and a few of the minor ones. He breezed through some old memory pieces and practiced his harmonics. He was holding a long note, focusing on his breath when the door behind him opened.
Lowering the trumpet from his lips, Landon called, “This room’s taken.”
“I gathered that from the elephant calls I was hearing,” Derek’s said, his tone dry.
Landon whipped around, his breath caught in his throat.
What is he doing here?
Landon could feel the heat rise to his face. He lowered his trumpet and lifted a hand to his hair, brushing the back of it with his fingers.
“Elephant calls?” Landon repeated, wondering if he should feel amused or offended.
Derek ignored Landon and walked in as if he owned that particular practice room. When he drew near, Derek pulled a small jar from his pocket, holding it out to Landon.
Landon swallowed hard, his mind filling with all kinds of inappropriate images.
“What’s that?” Landon asked when his voice finally returned.
“It’s an ointment for your hand.” Landon nearly laughed with relief. Derek unscrewed the top of the jar and placed it on the piano. Scooping a small amount onto his fingers, he turned toward Landon and gestured for the burnt hand. “Let’s see it.”
Landon turned to put his horn back in its case, not bothering to remove the mouthpiece. Once again facing Derek, Landon lifted the hand without hesitation. The stinging burn that had plagued him for most of the day returned. He had been able to ignore most of the pain while practicing. He winced as his hand throbbed with a vengeance.
Derek carefully held Landon’s hand in his and began to stroke the cream over the burn. Landon hissed at the touch, feeling the slight sting before it began to cool. The effect was soothing. Landon couldn’t help but sigh in relief, his shoulders relaxing.
“You couldn’t have given this to me earlier today?” Landon asked, his voice a near whimper.
Derek raised an eyebrow as he rubbed the cream into Landon’s burn. His fingers slowed, the strokes turning into lingering caresses. Landon shifted on his feet, sensing the change in Derek. He tried to tug his hand free, but Derek’s grip hardened, unyielding.
“We didn’t quite have the opportunity earlier,” Derek murmured. He stared at Landon for a moment longer before his hands tensed and he Landon go.
“That should do it,” he said, turning to replace the cap on the jar. “I’ll leave this here for you. Use it a few times a day for the next couple of days. It should speed up the healing process.” Derek turned to walk toward the door.
“Wait, Derek.” Landon stepped forward and grabbed the man’s arm. Derek turned to look at him, his features blank. “Thank you. For the cream and for your help this morning.”
A look of surprise fell onto Derek’s face before he masked it. “You’re welcome. Don’t be so clumsy next time.”
“Hey, that wasn’t entirely my fault…” Landon trailed off, his mouth moving before he could stop it. “I mean…”
Derek smirked and turned to face Landon.
“What do you mean?” Derek said, his voice low and dark, leaning into Landon’s personal space. “Be honest.”
Landon’s entire body tensed, his belly growing warm. He swallowed hard, begging any saliva to return to his dry mouth.
“It was your smile. I like it when you smile,” Landon whispered, his face burning.
Derek’s eyes widened, once again in surprise. Whatever he had been expecting, it hadn’t been that.
Landon looked away, down toward his burnt hand gripping Derek’s arm. He let it drop. “Sorry. That probably doesn’t help matters, does it?”
“No,” came the whispered response. “It doesn’t.”
Derek reached for Landon, his grip hard enough to bruise, his body pressing Landon back into the piano. Landon gasped, inhaling Derek’s warm, slightly sweet scent. Before Landon could understand what happened, Derek’s lips met his.
Landon responded eagerly, letting his lips part under Derek’s assault. Heat exploded through him as Derek’s tongue traced his bottom lip, his hands anchoring on Derek’s trim waist. Landon let his fingers curl, feeling the hard muscles clench beneath the soft shirt. Derek gave a groan and slid a knee between Landon’s. He shifted, putting pressure against Landon’s rapidly hardening length.
Derek tasted like mint and the slightest hint of coffee. Their breath mingled between them. Landon stroked Derek’s tongue with his own, coaxing out another moan and a slight thrust of the hips. His mouth curved in victory. The leg pressing against him shifted and Landon couldn’t help his own groan from escaping.
Derek’s hands let go of Landon’s arms long enough to journey down and slip underneath Landon’s t-shirt. Lifting the cloth, Derek ran his hands along Landon’s abdomen, feeling at the hard muscles. Landon flexed, pushing his hips against Derek.
Tearing his mouth away, Landon nipped at Derek’s jaw before he moved his mouth down the man’s neck. He reached up, carding his fingers through Derek’s hair, tilting his head to the side for easier access. The slightest scrape of stubble against his cheek made Landon smile. Pressing his nose into the juncture of neck and shoulder, Landon inhaled deeply, memorizing the scent.
“God, Landon,” Derek whispered, his voice tight. His fingers gripped Landon’s hips and yanked him forward. Landon couldn’t mistake the hardness pressed against his hip.
Landon let out a soft chuckle into Derek’s neck, making the man shudder. He gave a slight nip before pulling away.
Derek had clenched his eyes shut. His parted lips, red and slightly swollen, allowed his breath pant in and out. He made a pretty picture, one Landon hoped he wouldn’t forget for a long time.
“Derek,” he whispered, tugging on the man’s hair, gaining his attention. Derek’s deep brown eyes opened, impossibly darker with desire. Landon wanted nothing more than to strip Derek of his sinful clothes and pull him to the floor. He tried to hold on to what little bit of his control he had left. “You should go.”
Derek’s mouth closed and tensed into a thin line, but he nodded. It took a few moments longer for his hands to release Landon’s hips and to step back. He held himself tall and straight, his shoulders rigid.
“I apologize,” Derek said, his tone even. He looked toward the door. “That shouldn’t have happened.”
Landon sighed. “We’re going to have nothing but apologies between us, aren’t we?” Derek gave a slight huff in response. “No, it probably shouldn’t have,” Landon continued, “but I’m not sorry it did.”
Derek’s eyes swung back to meet Landon’s. He didn’t say anything, though his gaze burned with an intensity that had Landon sucking in a breath.
“Get out of here before I pull you to the floor,” Landon said, his voice rough.
Derek let out a soft chuckle, a smirk tugging at his lips. He turned and strode toward the door. His hand reached for the handle.
“Are you working tomorrow?” he asked, still facing the door.
Landon blinked. “Yeah. Opening again. Why?”
“You owe me a flat white,” he said as he opened the door and left.
Landon let out a loud breath and sank to the floor, not even bothering to try and make it to a chair. His legs and hands shook, arousal gripping him. He didn’t know if he could resume practicing, let alone put his trumpet away. Deciding the ground was comfortable enough for now, Landon closed his eyes and laid down.