Vivian

 

Landon Lockhart is kissing me.

 

And my world has come undone.

 

Never would I have imagined anything like it. Never would I have thought I would want a man so much.

 

Love a man so much. Yes, I know now I’m in love with Landon Lockhart. The one man in the world I can never have. Who I was never supposed to touch. Who I swore to my father to never to have anything to do with.

 

But Landon has claimed me with his mouth and body. His flesh owns mine. I know at this moment I’m his forever.

 

Suddenly in the alleyway he pulls away from me abruptly.

 

I’m shocked to see there’s a fine mist of tears in his eyes. His exquisite face is haunted. The twin emotions of agony and sorrow are etched onto his perfect features.

 

And my heart goes out to him immediately and offers itself up as sacrifice.

 

My love, I think. What happened to you? Who hurt you so deeply? What horrors have you seen?

 

Landon. I want what your eyes have seen and what your heart has known.

 

But his face has suddenly erased itself once more into that blank slate I have begun to know too well.

 

“I’m sorry, Vivian. This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

 

No, I think in my mind. Don’t do this to me. Not now.

 

“And it can’t ever happen again,” he continues.

 

Please, I think. Don’t leave me like this. You’re going to break my heart.

 

“It’s time to get you back to the hideout. It’s too dangerous out here. Get in the car and follow me.”

 

I’m too shaken up not to obey. Too willing to do what he says.

 

Because he owns me now. Every part of me. Just from a kiss.

 

Back at the hideout we don’t say a word to each other. Instead, we both plop onto the leather sofas. I twirl my fingers nervously, aching for him to speak to me.

 

Someone once said that silence was made up of a million different sounds. I believe it because the silence is deafening in my ears.

 

“Thank you, Landon,” I finally breathe into the silence. “Thank you for saving me again.”

 

But he doesn’t say a word.

 

Something in me wants to cry again. The way he’s grown so cold now and has distanced himself from me after what we just shared.

 

It can never happen again.

 

Did it mean nothing to him? Has he had so many women that a kiss is merely a joke?

 

The tears burn behind my eyes once more. Why am I so sensitive to him, to how I think he feels about me?

 

I turn away from him and bury my head into the cool, dark cave of the sofa pillow. I want to hide from him, to retract from him into a hole like a small animal.

 

He makes me hurt. And I don’t want to hurt for anyone.

 

Ever again.

 

I hear a shifting movement behind me. But I don’t turn my head. I don’t want Landon to even look at me right now.

 

Because I’m too open, too vulnerable and because I’m hopelessly, helplessly in love with him. One look from him will send me into an oblivion of pain.

 

I begin to cry softly. And that’s when I feel his warm, strong hand against my back, bringing me back to consciousness. He traces his fingers lightly up and down my spine and I shiver involuntarily.

 

“Vivian,” he whispers into the silence.

 

I’m frozen and unable to move. Too afraid of how much I care for him. Too afraid to let him read it on my face.

 

“Turn around, Vivian,” he intones in that soul-searing voice.

 

I obey him. I turn around, having decided to fully give in to my feelings. I don’t care what he sees or what he thinks or if he feels the same way about me. I just can’t hide myself from him anymore.

 

He seems startled when he looks me in the eyes. But he takes an index finger and traces my lips with it.

 

I have never seen such raw, primal lust as I see dancing within his dark, ocean-blue orbs.

 

Landon, I suddenly think in anguish. I know now I will love you forever. That whatever happens I’ll never be able to forget this moment.

 

He leans his head towards mine. His mouth closes over my bottom lip, and he alternately sucks and bites down upon it softly.

 

I whimper again into his mouth.

 

While Landon’s doing this, his other hand is at the front of my blouse, his fingers slowly undoing each button.

 

When the buttons are loosened, he spreads my blouse open, agonizingly slowly. He stops kissing me to look down at my chest. Slowly he pulls my bra down just a little, to where my breasts lift over the cups in offering.

 

He looks back at me. His eyes are scorching. I feel his fingers at my nipples, which have elongated for his touch. He flicks his thumbs across them, then begins to pull and twist them softly.

 

Finally he bends down to enclose one of my nipples in his mouth. Sucking softly, all of a sudden he bites down.

 

Hard.

 

I moan in agony as the pleasure propels my body to life. My legs start to open of their own accord.

 

Landon moves a hand to my skirt. I can feel his hand reaching beneath the fabric. It sears my skin where he touches me. His hand creeps along my inner thigh, and he pushes my skirt up to bunch it at my waist. I’m left only protected by my thin cotton panties.

 

I’m in shock when I realize he’s pushing the thin fabric of the crotch to the side, revealing my naked sex. The way it feels to be so exposed to him, the cool air hitting my naked flesh…

 

His hand briefly passes over my mound. My breath is lodged in my throat and my heart is beating rapidly. He takes an index finger and slides it deep inside me.

 

“Ohhhh,” I whimper in delectable joy and frustration. I want more, so much more.

 

“Fuck,” he says in a low, reverent voice, making tiny circles within me. “So fucking tight and wet.”

 

The whole time he’s fondling me, our eyes are locked. When I whimper again he bites down hard on his lower lip, his eyes creasing in what seems like physical pain.

 

That’s when I feel him take his thumb and begin to make soft circles around my pulsing clit, his index finger still moving wetly in and out of me. “Landon,” I sigh.

 

He’s studying my face for every reaction. I have never felt so beautiful, so feminine. So desirable. And I’m close to climaxing. I arch my back, my breasts jutting outwards. When he pushes harder and faster into me, I start shaking my head across the pillow. One of my hands falls to his giant arm, harshly kneading the thick muscle there.

 

“How does it feel, Vivian?” he whispers.

 

I can’t speak. It feels too good.

 

“Tell me, Vivian,” he says in a hoarse whisper.

 

“It feels…so good,” I respond breathlessly.

 

Landon’s eyes shut closed for a brief second. When he opens them there’s a dark, wicked sensuality dancing within their depths. His blue eyes smolder with heat and desire.

 

Oh, he knows how to play my body. He plays it like an instrument. I can hear the wet, smacking sounds he elicits from me as he fingers me even harder. Faster. The sight of his arm muscles moving as he plays with me, as he conquers my most intimate place with his hand, the rippling movement of his thick tattoos, is the most erotic sight I have ever seen.

 

He’s not a lover, I think. He’s a dancer. He knows me so instinctively that every movement, every touch draws even more and more pleasure out of me.

 

My head falls back of its own will. The pleasure is growing too intense. I’m going to come, and hard. My legs clamp down on his hand.

 

“What’s happening to you, Vivian? Tell me,” he growls.

 

I’m feeling stubborn again. I keep my mouth shut.

 

“Say it, Vivian. I want to hear it from you.”

 

“I’m coming, oh God, Landon, I’m going to come…”

 

“That’s it, baby, come for me. Come hard for me.”

 

And that’s when I feel it—those bursts of white light exploding from within my body and the fireworks shooting throughout my limbs. I scream out his name as I shudder violently against him. I can feel myself contract over and over around his finger, my pussy trying to milk him.

 

He sighs, removes his fingers from me softly, and walks back towards the sofa.

 

Then he just stands there with his back to me.

 

“Are-are you okay?” I ask timidly when I can breathe again.

 

“I will be in a while,” he responds. His voice sounds shaky.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Nothing, Vivian. Go to bed and get some sleep.”