Chapter Six

Luci

 

The winter sunlight streams through the large windows, the tiny particles in the air dancing in time with the waves roaring in the distance. I slip from beneath Landon’s hold. He’s fast asleep on his belly, the sheet he covered us with now a mere strip across his toned calves.

I’m not sure what time it is, I only know that it’s late. After the night we spent making love, it has to be.

I grimace as I reach the edge of the bed and lower my legs onto the floor. “Making love”. These are the words I use to describe what happened between us. They’re likely not his, no matter how good it was.

My hair falls forward as I bow my head and sigh. Blythe should be coming for me soon. She’s expecting me to be at Becca’s all alone. If it weren’t for Landon, that’s where I would be. Instead here I am, barely having slept, my thoughts whirling over everything that happened between us.

I glance over my shoulder, watching him sleep, unable to help the soft smile that comes. He was so sweet and sexy, perfect in all the best ways possible.

I bite on my thumbnail, feeling nervous and giddy, and maybe a little shy.

The men I’ve shared a bed with have been few and on the small side. Landon isn’t small in any capacity. When I first saw him naked, all I could do was gape, my awe of his body and prowess crippling me and leaving me in a well of intimidation.

It wasn’t until he called me to him that I could move, his voice as seductive and addictive as his touch. Yet it’s not merely his physique, nor what we did in bed that leaves me breathless. It’s simply Landon, an incredible man and very unlike anyone I’ve ever met.

In the handful of hours we spent prior to returning to his house, he was more of a gentleman than all my past lovers combined. I think most would have warned me against going home with him, or tried to convince me he was playing the charmer rather than being genuine. But everything I saw showed me a man very alone in a crowd, someone who shouldn’t have been at the party—not because he didn’t belong— but because he didn’t want to be there.

At least not at first.

Until we met.

My toes curl and relax against the slick wood floors. I’m not sure when that shift occurred, when friendly conversation turned into something more. I’m just grateful that it did. It was easy and as natural as breathing. We laughed and joked, until we didn’t, and took that next step neither of us had planned.

My fingertips trail over my throat, remembering what it was like to dance with him, and how that first kiss threatened to knock me to the ground.

Everything that happened was more of a dream. My smile fades. But now I’m awake in my very humble reality.

I pull the sheet around me, feeling cold, unlike when I lay in Landon’s arms.

It’s time to go. I know that. That doesn’t mean I’m ready to leave.

I’d rather take off this way, I reason, and hang onto the memory while it’s perfect and unmarred. The last thing I want is some awkward “morning after” talk, or worse yet, words of regret I’m not ready to hear.

I gather my hair, trying to remember where my panties were tossed. I find them near the nightstand and hurry to tug them on, taking a seat as I ponder where I left my phone.

“You leaving?”

I twist slowly to find Landon still on his stomach, peeking up at me. He pushes up on his forearms, the movement bulging the muscles along his arms and shoulders. “Don’t tell me you just used me for sex.”

I laugh, watching him edge to where I sit. He pulls my back against his chest and slides his hands across my arms until my forearms lay tucked beneath his and his long legs rest on either side of me. Traces of his cologne remain, intermixing with the erotic scent of sex and male. I take all of it in, relishing how warm his skin feels this close to mine.

He plants a kiss on my shoulder. “The third condom broke,” he murmurs.

I crinkle my nose. “Yes, I know.”

“And the fourth, and the fifth, too,” he reminds me.

I nod. “I remember.”

“It was an old box,” he explains. “I should have checked the expiration date, but I didn’t think about it at the time.”

We didn’t think about a lot of things the way we should have. He’d replace each one and we just kept going, neither of us unable or willing to stop.

In the seconds of silence that follow, I steel myself for what may come. “Is there anything I need to worry about?” he asks.

I shake my head. “No, I’ve always been clean and I’m on the pill.” I stiffen, my stomach churning with unease. “Is there anything I should worry about?”

He breathes a sigh of relief. “No. I’m clean, too.” He pauses. “But I think you should know, I’m not on the pill.”

His chest rumbles against me when we laugh. I angle my head to meet his face. He rewards me with a tender kiss I wish I could hang onto forever. Our gazes lock as we break away. He strokes my face. “You sure you have to go?” he asks.

I almost say no. Yet once more reality pokes its ugly and relentless head, reminding me that my time with Landon is over. “Yes,” I reply.

I can’t hide the disappointment in my voice and neither can he. “All right. Let me make you breakfast and then I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”

“You cook?” I ask.

“Yeah, I do.” He smirks. “I’m more than just good looks and a primal god of passion.”

I cover my mouth, laughing as he slips out of bed. He walks across his massive suite, pausing to stretch as he reaches his bathroom, every muscle of his tall frame flexing in seamless unison.

He pauses, turning just enough to find me gaping, again. “Are you staring at my ass?”

“No.”

I’m lying of course, and he knows it.

He rubs his jaw. “I don’t know,” he says. “I’m not an expert or anything, but that’s about the best example of ass staring I’ve ever seen.”

I cover my reddening face and hunker forward. “Aren’t you going to put some pants on?” I ask instead.

I feel him approach, his palms sliding on either side of me as he leans us back. “Darlin’, I think it’s a little too late to pretend we haven’t seen each other naked.” He nuzzles my neck. “Especially after all those mind-blowing orgasms I gave you.”

The best I can do is not faint from the ungodly amount of allure spilling from his essence. “Or maybe you need reminding?” he murmurs, his thick Southern accent deliciously sexy. His finger hooks the crotch of my panties. “And now that we know we’re both safe, you’re on the pills, and my condoms aren’t worth a damn, there might be a few more ways I can stir your memory.”

My panties are down to my ankles by the time he lifts us to the center of the bed. I kick them off, wrapping my arms around him when we begin our kiss. I’m not doing much, but it’s enough.

He hardens against my belly. I reach between us, wanting to touch him. I don’t stroke him more than twice before he pulls away, sweeping kisses down my body. He stops only briefly to roll my nipples between his fingers before his mouth dips between my legs.

My hips jerk with his first taste. I slap my hand over my mouth, trying uselessly to quiet my grunts when his tongue circles faster. Between his sucks and frantic licks, I lose myself in a lust-filled haze, my pelvis titling back and forth to meet his lips.

“You like that?” he asks me between flicks. I crane my neck to see him. Landon isn’t shy, not like me. His full focus is on my face, appearing to enjoy each moan and whimper I can’t possibly contain.

I manage a nod, reaching for him and sliding my fingers through his thick hair. Something in my actions cause a change in his gaze. He gives his tongue another flick. “Don’t worry, Luci,” he says. “I’m not going anywhere yet.”

He dips his chin, increasing his efforts. I become more vocal, the noises passing through my lips unbelievably guttural, encouraging Landon to go faster. He sucks hard, knowing I’m close, his fingers raking along my inner thighs.

My entire body jerks violently as I climax. Landon hooks the back of my knees, holding me tight and keeping me against him as I ride out the pleasure jolting through my limbs. He lifts off as I finish, allowing me to climb on top of him.

He’s done a lot work to please me. It’s my turn, and I have a lot to reward him for. The moment our bodies join I start to move, bouncing against him until the sound of slapping skin echoes around the room in a steady rhythm.

Landon moans, gripping my hips, the cords along this neck tightening the quicker I move. His hands slide along my stomach to my breasts, his knuckles brushing against the tips. Like last night, he can’t seem to get enough of me. I feel the same, his body as intoxicating as his scent.

He pulls me down for a sultry kiss that entices me to go faster, lifting my hair as it tents around our faces. His tongue circles and his lips trace mine, making sure to get every last bit of me.

The arousing way he kisses, combined with the feel of him sliding in and out, makes me daring. “Do you like how I taste?” I ask.

His face heats and the muscles along his jaw tighten. He knows I’m not talking about our kiss. “Hell, yeah,” he gasps, returning to my breasts and tugging on my nipples.

I don’t stand a chance against his masculine power or the way he touches me. I bear down, stimulating my peak as a primitive roar cuts through his clamped teeth.

Lush, dark waves explode through me, making me scream. Landon flips us over, the force of his thrusts shoving us to the opposite end of the bed. I drag my short nails across his back, the relentless pounding of ecstasy almost too much and not nearly long enough.

“Fuck,” he says, his head falling forward as the spasms recede. “Holy fuck.”

We start to slide off the bed when he yanks us upward, he falls back on his heels as he keeps me on his lap. I almost expect us to laugh over almost tumbling off the bed. But neither of us are laughing.

Through our labored breathing, we stare at each other in shock. Perhaps like me, he can’t believe what’s happened or how good it is. He combs his finger through my hair, pushing my long waves over my shoulder, appearing to search for what to say.

He’s not alone.

Landon doesn’t seem real. None of this does. I’m not supposed to be here with this sexy man in his beautiful home, basking in more attention and kindness than a stranger could earnestly show. If there’s any doubt, my phone ringing near the door is a harsh reminder that this, whatever this is, is over.

I avert my gaze, knowing I have to pull away, but not quite managing. “I have to get that,” I say.

Landon doesn’t move, his fingers lingering over my face. I don’t move either. If I do, it’s like everything we shared will disappear in an instant.

I turn back to stare at his perfect features. Like me, his expression is riddled with words that don’t come.

The phone stops ringing, giving us a reprieve that doesn’t last. It rings again, the long dragged out tone growing more insistent.

I start to lift off him. Only it’s his voice that keeps me in place. “Luci,” he says.

I cup his shoulder. I shouldn’t feel this miserable. We’ve only just met.

“It’s my friend,” I tell him, wishing I could say more, and understand why I’m feeling as much as I am. “The one who I went to the party with.”

His hand glides along my thigh as I slip away. I pad across the wood floor, each step I take filling me with that familiar loneliness I’ve felt too often in my life.

The phone stops ringing before I reach it. I bend to retrieve my small clutch buried deep in the pocket of his coat and pull out my phone. I glance over my shoulder, pausing when I realize Landon is watching me.

I offer him a small smile before scrolling through my missed calls. Two are from Blythe. I’m not surprised. I tap the icon to call her back when the phone rings in my hand and Blythe’s contact information appears.

“Hello?” I answer.

“Hey, where were you?” Blythe asks.

“I couldn’t get to the phone.” I start plucking my clothes from the floor. “Are you on your way?” I ask, thinking how best to tell her I’m not at Becca’s.

What happened between me and Landon is private. I’m not so sure I want to share it with anyone. She doesn’t answer. “Blythe?”

She speaks using tremendous caution. “Luci, how do you feel about leaving tomorrow evening instead of this afternoon?”

I stop moving.

“It’s not often I get to Kiawah,” she adds quickly, as if that explains anything. “And I’m not sure when I’ll be back.”

“What are you saying?” I ask, my voice tight.

“That it’s better if we head back tomorrow instead of today.”

“Better for whom?” I press.

There’s fumbling on the other line followed by a man’s voice mumbling something I don’t quite catch. “Give me a second? Okay?” she whispers, to him.

Humiliation and anger heat my face. I already know where this is headed. I drop my clothes and storm to the bathroom, seeking privacy and positively seething over how selfish Blythe is behaving.

“I know you’re mad, and I know you didn’t plan on any of this,” she begins. I clamp my hand over my eyes, ready to tear my hair out. “But if there’s any possible way you can do this for me . . .” She sighs. “Luci,” she begs when I don’t respond. “It’s not often I meet men like this.”

“Sure you don’t,” I counter.

Blythe meets “the one” all the time. Each time he takes her to bed, making empty promises and showering her with gifts. Each time he also fails to commit and, more times than not, returns to his wife.

She doesn’t like me calling her out. I don’t like being stranded or embarrassed or—how this is going to look to Landon!

“This would really mean a lot to me,” she says.

I don’t hear Landon approach, he’s just suddenly there, his arms curling around my waist and pulling me to him. “Tell her you’ll stay,” he murmurs against my ear, passing kisses along my temple. I shudder as his tongue glides along the arc of my ear and his teeth give a tug. “And stay here with me.”

“Luci?” Blythe says.

“Luci,” Landon moans.

“Say we can leave tomorrow,” Blythe pleads.

“Pretty please,” Landon adds.

I cover my mouth, trying not to laugh. It’s clear Landon can hear Blythe, but she can’t hear him. It shouldn’t surprise me. She’s the one being loud.

I glance in the mirror. Landon meets me with a grin, a wickedly sexy glimmer, lighting his eyes. He watches me as his fingers skim to my belly button and further yet.

My hand clamps over his, but his other hand is free and I’m still trying to hang onto my phone. “It would really mean a lot to me,” she repeats.

“It would mean a lot to me, too,” Landon agrees. He whirls me around, the kiss he greets me with almost making me drop my phone.

“Stay,” he tells me quietly, his knuckles dancing along my spine. “We don’t have to do anything.” He laughs when I do. “Okay, maybe we’ll do a little.”

“Luci?” Blythe asks. “Look, I’m happy to drop off your things at Becca’s if that’ll help.”

I return Landon’s smile all the while speaking to Blythe. “No worries, I have everything I need right here.”

I barely have time to disconnect before Landon lifts me, whisking me into the shower.