Landon's Desire (Book Three of The Pulse Series 3) (19 page)

“I want to know all about you,” Carl said.

“Such as?” Landon asked. “This isn’t twenty questions is it? Like what’s your favorite color and shit?”

“No,” Carl said, running the fingers of his free hand through Landon’s hair. “But what is your favorite color?”

“Hazel,” Landon answered, quickly.

“Hazel? That’s a strange choice.”

“Well, it used to be blue,” Landon said, running his thumb across Carl’s cheek. “Then I got a look at your hazel eyes.”

“Oh, that was cheesy as shit,” Carl laughed.

“It may have been cheesy, but it put that smile on your face,” Landon’s thumb stroked along his bottom lip. “What’s your favorite color?”

“Blue…did you know that the majority of the male population choose blue as their favorite color?” Carl asked.

“I do now.”

“Blue is often used to decorate offices because research has shown that people are more productive in blue rooms.”

“Maybe that’s why people paint their bedrooms blue,” Landon laughed, touching his toes to Carl’s.

Carl snaked his feet around Landon’s.

“In ancient Rome, blue was worn by the public servants, which marked the beginning of the idea for today’s police uniforms. I wish I had seen you in your uniform.”

“I still have it,” Landon said. “Maybe we can play cops and robbers one night. I’ll handcuff you and rough you up with my
nightstick
,” Landon winked.

Tangling their legs together, Carl laughed. “Sounds very tempting.”

“You like it rough, Carl?”

He didn’t give an answer as such, he grinned moving himself a touch closer into Landon space.

“Did you also know blue skittles didn’t come out until 15 years after the original skittles?” Carl asked.

“Actually I didn’t know there were blue skittles.” He laughed.

“When did you know you were gay?” Carl asked, as Landon wrapped his arm around Carl’s waist, his palm open at the base of his spine.

“My fourteenth birthday,” Landon said. “I was too old for one, but my mom insisted on a party, a mingled boy/girl party. We played the usual awkward games and then the girls suggested a game called suck and blow,”

“That sounds interesting,” Carl smirked, matching Landon’s move and gathering Landon around the waist.

“You pass a playing card from your lips to your partner’s lips by sucking or blowing without dropping the card.”

“I hope you played better than you do at poker,” Carl laughed.

Landon rolled his eyes.

“Anyway, it came down to the last three players, me, Lizzy and Max. Needless to say, Lizzy lost and me and Max were left. Like I said, the idea was to pass a playing card from his lips to mine using only a suck blow method. Max was passing the card and as luck would have it, the card fell away and our lips kissed. I never knew a feeling like it, it was amazing and I knew right there and then that I wanted more.”

With a sudden yearning Landon kissed Carl, smoothed his hand up and down his spine and rolled him onto his back. Pinning him underneath his weight, he pulled back and stared into Carl’s eyes, his hand grasped onto Carl’s ass cheek, then his fingers trailed along the crack of Carl’s ass.

Clenching his cheeks together, he gasped, “Landon, what are you doing?”

“It’s Landon now?” he asked. “What’s with the sudden formality?”

“You’re trying to shove your finger up my ass, what would you like me to call you?”

“Baby,” Landon bit into his bottom lip and fingered his ass crack again.

“We’re not having sex.”

Landon shook his head. “No Babes, that wasn’t my intention…can you stop thinking for a few minutes and feel without analyzing?”

Carl swallowed. “I suppose.”

“Close your eyes and kiss me, don’t open them until I tell you. Feel what I’m doing, relax and trust me, can you do that?”

Carl nodded and slowly, apprehensively closed his eyes.

Closing his mouth over Carl’s, Landon took his time swirling his tongue with Carl’s listening to his breathing change and taking his cue to move on from Carl’s semi hard-on pressed to his thigh.

He caressed Carl’s ass cheek through his briefs, making sure to go slow, taking his time and testing Carl’s degree of acceptance. He rolled them onto their sides, lifted Carl’s leg over his thigh and continued caressing as his fingertips crept closer to their target with each circle. Their kisses grew more frenzied by the minute.

The tip of Landon’s middle finger graced gently over Carl’s puckered hole and Carl flinched but didn’t stop him. He moaned quietly as Landon increased the pressure in tiny circles.

Daring to take it further, Landon slipped his hand into the waist of Carl’s briefs and slid his finger down the bare crack of Carl’s ass. Warm with the slightest amount of fluff, Landon smiled at the idea of being buried inside him.

Carl pulled his mouth free, but kept his eyes closed and sucked in a deep breath.

“You okay, Babes?” Landon whispered against his cheek.

“Uh huh,” Carl gasped as Landon pushed ever so slightly.

“Does it feel good?” Landon asked. “Can you handle more?”

“It’s not terrible,” Carl panted.

“Could you be talked into bottoming?” Landon asked.

Carl opened his eyes and swallowed. “Perhaps,” he said, clenching his ass cheeks together.

“Are you hungry?” Landon asked.

“Very.”

“Want to order pizza?”

Carl nodded, his brow knit together with a questioning look in his eyes.

“Not tonight, Babes. You’re not ready,” Landon stroked his thumb over Carl’s furrowed brow. “It’s going to happen…just not tonight.”

THIRTEEN

“There’s mail for you,” Carl announced, pouring coffee into two mugs.

“Thanks,” Landon said, kissing Carl’s shoulder as he reached for a mug.

Pouring cream into his cup, Landon snatching the pile of mail from the end of the counter, he pulled out a seat at the table and spanned through each envelope one by one. Tossing what was and wasn’t important into two heaps.

“You want some breakfast,” Carl offered.

“Too early for me thanks.” Landon took a sip from his mug and sat still tinkering with a specific envelope, in deep thought.

“I can make you a protein drink if you like.”

Completely in another world, Landon didn’t hear the offer and wasn’t aware Carl had sat down beside him. Carl took the envelope from his hand and twirled it in his fingers.

“Is it your Birthday, Ace?”

Drawn from his reveries by the touch of Carl’s hand on his arm, he nearly sprang from his seat.

“What did you say?”

“Slow down, I asked if it’s your birthday,” Carl said, handing back the envelope. “I thought maybe it was a Birthday card.”

“No, it’s not my Birthday,” his tone changing to one of irritation. He tossed the card to the side.

Carl shrugged, stirring sugar into his cup. “Not going to open it?”

“Nope, I already know what it is and I don’t give a shit.” Landon got up and refilled his mug.

“Want to talk about it?” Carl offered.

“Not everything is open for a fucking discussion,” Landon spat out. “Why don’t we try not fucking talking at all?”

Carl’s eyebrows slowly rose and then quickly fell as he got to his feet, walked over to the counter and dumped his coffee, mug and all into the sink and walked down the hall. The resounding slam of the door told Landon indisputably that he had stepped out of line, and major ass kissing was in order, but not yet. Anything he said, anything that came from his mouth at this moment, would only make things worse.

He tore the envelope open and stared at the Anniversary card. It would have been a beautiful gesture had it not contained a disgustingly vile message.

Happy Anniversary Cop killer!

One day soon you will pay, for turning your back and walking away!

Covering his face with his hands, he shuddered. The memory of Steve’s body crumpling to the ground, his hollow empty eyes staring into darkness as his hat rolled down the steps, came crashing down upon him like the weight of the world suddenly dropped on his shoulders. That sinking feeling accompanied by tightness in his chest, so tight the thought of taking a breath was painful, struck him. Landon leapt from his seat, the door slammed behind him, the vibration rippled through the building as he raced down the stairs and into the back ally. He located his spare key in the hub of the tire and jumped in. Landon put the truck into gear and sped off without looking back.

***

Carl stepped out of the shower to the sound of the apartment door slamming. He came into the kitchen area holding his towel around his hips and saw Landon’s mug on the table and the card sitting beside it. He looked around to make certain Landon wasn’t there and lifted the card.

His mouth dropped open as he read.

“Sick.”

That was the reason for Landon’s temper, the reason the door slammed and the reason Landon wasn’t around.

What’s this all about
, Carl wondered?

He found his cell and dialed Landon’s number. His head turned in the direction of Landon’s phone vibrating on his coffee table.

“Where are you, Ace?”

***

Several long hours later, there was a quick knock at the door.

Two police officers stood on either side of Landon, who was as drunk as a skunk with a stupid ass grin on his face.

“Carl Ward?” One of the officers asked.

“Yes.”

“Do you know this gentleman?”

Carl shook his head but said, “I do,” admitting it reluctantly.

“I’m releasing him into your custody,” the officer said handing Carl a ticket. “There’s a note on the back for Landon, once he sobers up.”

“Gee thanks, officer.”

“Since he’s one of us, we’re not going to press charges,” the other officer said. “Just make sure he’s good and sober before he tries to go home. He can get his truck out of impound tomorrow morning.”

“Actually he lives downstairs, but I’ll take care of him.” Carl said.

“Thanks Babes, it’s my Anniversary, going to bake me a cake?” Landon laughed and staggered forward.

“I know it is, Ace.”

Landon put his fingers to his lips and blew out a loud shhh and pointed to Carl. “He’s my boyfriend, but don’t tell him you know.” He giggled and the officers snickered.

“Can you help me get him to the bedroom?” Carl asked.

“Sure thing.”

It took everything out of him, stripping Landon out of his clothes and getting him into bed. Carl brought in a glass of water and a couple of aspirins and propped himself against the headboard with pillows and a book. He wasn’t leaving the man’s side until he had answers. The card gave him the creeps, he could only imagine what it did to Landon. Actually, as he looked down at Landon sleeping, his brow wrinkled into a deep frown as he expelled shallow breaths through parted lips, Carl could see what it did to him.

Boyfriend
, Carl liked the sound of that and touched the back of his hand to Landon’s cheek. Landon moaned, shifting his cheek farther into Carl’s touch.

“Go to sleep boyfriend, I’ll be here when you wake up.”

“Mmm…” Landon hummed.

***

“I didn’t know you wore glasses,” Landon whispered.

“Just to read,” Carl answered.

“I didn’t know you read,” Landon stretched and groaned. “I like that nerd look on you, it’s fucking sexy.”

“How’s the head?”

“Hard,” Landon clasped his hand over the tent in the sheets.

Carl rolled his eyes and handed Landon the aspirin and water. “Take these.”

“Thanks,” Landon sat up long enough to swallow the pills and down the glass of water. “How did I get here?” he asked, rolling onto his side.

“The cops brought you home, your trucks been impounded.”

“Tell me I didn’t drink and drive,” Landon begged.

“You didn’t drink and drive, your friend Gordon said you started a fight in a bar, he left a note on the back of the parking ticket.”

“Fuck, I got a parking ticket? That sucks.”

“You get drunk, start a fight and all you can worry about is a parking ticket?”

“Did anyone get hurt?”

“I suppose not, since no charges were laid.”

“Good,” Landon said, scrubbing his head with his fingers.

“Who sent you the card?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Landon tried to sit up, as Carl straddled his hips and brought both arms to either side of his head holding them there.

“Why does it say cop killer, I need to understand.”

“You shouldn’t have been nosing through my mail, that’s a federal offense,” Landon joked.

“Tell me, Ace.”

“Okay, if you get off me.”

“Uh uh, you’ll take off.”

“I promise I won’t, I could get you off of me if I really wanted to,” Landon arched his hips, grinding his arousal into Carl’s ass. “I can’t concentrate like this, you’re making me horny.”

“Fine, I’ll meet you in the living room,” Carl said, climbing from the bed.

Landon grasped his wrist. “Can we stay here, my head hurts?”

“Talk to me then,” Carl sat on the edge of the bed.

“This is the anniversary of my partner Steve’s death. He was shot, died almost instantly.”

“Partner?”

“Yeah, we were partners on and off the force…we were responding to a domestic, I wasn’t paying attention, turned around and Steve was shot point blank in the throat. The bullet hit his carotid artery. I blamed myself for years, you never leave your partners side.”

Carl crawled under the sheet and cradled Landon in his arms.

“Who sent the card?”

“Don’t know.” Landon let out a sigh and cuddled closer.

“The police know about the cards?”

“Yep. Whoever it is doesn’t scare me, I figure if this person wanted me dead, I’d have been dead long ago. He or she’s intention is to keep me suffering.”

“Drinking yourself into a comma doesn’t help, you know this right?” Carl scolded him.

“Can we talk about something else?” Landon asked.

“What do you want for dinner?” Carl asked.