Shifting Gears (Crossroads Series Book 2) (16 page)

They went out to eat at a local seafood place. Rod still felt jittery, adrenaline pumping through his veins, making everything feel magnified. He’d driven a fucking motorcycle, and he couldn’t wait to do it again. Maybe to some people that wasn’t a big deal, but to him it was. Who would have thought he’d be driving a Harley? Surely not anyone he knew.

Surely not his father.

The bastard had hated him, but he suddenly wished he was alive to see it.

“We can go again tomorrow, if you’re free. I’ll keep an eye out for a bike for you, if you want.” Landon took a bite of his mashed potatoes, a big ass grin on his face. He was excited, happy. Rod didn’t really get it, but a large part of him really fucking liked that this meant so much to Landon.

“Sure. I’m up for it anytime you are, and yeah, if you see a bike that’d be great. I can’t afford much, maybe a couple thousand? Can I get a decent, used bike for that?”

“We’ll figure it out. It doesn’t have to be a perfect bike. I know a good mechanic.” Landon winked at him.

“You should give me his number.”

He was surprised when Landon picked up a crouton from his salad and tossed it at him. He had been a whole lot lighter lately, like he’d let go of some of whatever it was that weighed him down.

“You don’t want to start a food fight with me. I don’t care if we’re at a restaurant. I will win.”

Landon held up his hands in surrender. “I give up. I really don’t want to get kicked out for throwing food.”

“That’s what I thought,” Rod told him. They finished eating, talking here and there about little things. When the check came, Landon tried to take it, but Rod stopped him. “I’ll take care of it.”

Landon frowned. “What? No, you don’t have to buy my dinner.”

“Then we go Dutch.”

“It’s not a big deal. I’ll get it.”

He couldn’t accept that. It was important to Rod. He wanted to say thank you. “You took the time out of your day to teach me to ride. You offered your bike and your gas. Let me buy you dinner.”

It took a moment, but Landon nodded. Rod paid and then they were on their way again. He couldn’t let Landon pay for his food. It was more than just the riding lesson too. Landon paying for him really would feel like a date to Rod, and he wanted to keep the line drawn clearly, even if it was in his own head. Rod paying for Landon was a thank you. Landon paying for Rod would feel like something it couldn’t possibly mean.

A little while later they were pulling up at Rod’s house. He had no idea what Landon’s plans were so he pulled off his helmet and asked, “Staying or going, champ?”

A second later Landon killed the engine and pulled his own helmet off. “Champ?”

“Eh, it came out. Sometimes I say random things. It’s a fun quality. Keeps people on their toes.”

“You are the craziest person I’ve ever met.”

“Thank you.” Rod climbed off the bike and then Landon did the same. He guessed that meant he was staying.

“Do you have plans? You don’t mind if I hang out?”

Yes, because he always had plans and he hated it when Landon came over. “No, I’m good. We can watch a movie.”

“You need a new hobby.”

“I have a very good hobby—sex. Soon it will be motorcycles. Doesn’t a guy deserve some downtime?”

Landon shook his head, and they both went for the door. “Sex is your hobby?”

“Sex should be everyone’s hobby.”

Landon shut up after that. Rod knew he couldn’t deny his logic.

“Can I use your shower?” Landon asked when they got inside.

“Sure. Go for it.”

He went into the spare room, Rod assumed to grab some clothes and then disappeared into the bathroom. Rod made his way into the small bathroom in his room, figuring he’d do the same.

Because one could never be too safe, Rod made sure he was ready in case they had sex, showered and took care of all his business. He figured they
would
fuck. Why else would Landon want to stay? Not that he didn’t stay here often, but it had been a while since they’d been together the first time and damn, the man had to be as horny as he was.

Plus, they’d had a pretty incredible day. Getting filled by Landon’s cock would be the perfect ending. He figured Landon must want to get off as much as he did.

By the time he made it out, Landon was sitting on the couch, with wet, messy, dark brown hair, wearing a black T-shirt and a black pair of basketball shorts. He thought once more how there was almost nothing as sexy as basketball shorts on a man.

“What are you watching?” Rod asked as he took a seat on the couch, then just went for it and lay down with his head in Landon’s lap. “The news?”

“What’s wrong with being aware?” Landon asked.

“The news is depressing. I’d rather live my life blissfully unaware and happy. It’s like those people who predict when the world’s going to end and all that shit. No thank you. If someone said they could tell me when I would die, I’d say go to hell. Why the fuck would I want to know that? Blissfully unaware, I’m telling you, it’s the way to go.”

He felt Landon’s laugh vibrate through him from where his head sat on Landon’s lap. Rod wanted to nuzzle into him but held himself back.

“I’ve never met anyone like you,” Landon said.

“Most people haven’t.”

He rolled over so he faced Landon, looking up at him. “Do we have to watch the news?” Rod could think of something better they could do. The outline of Landon’s dick was right beneath him. He could lean forward, bury his face in Landon’s crotch. He wanted Landon’s scent to fill his senses. Landon’s cock deep in his throat.

“Why couldn’t you use your parents’ car?” Landon asked.

“Huh?”

“You said you didn’t get your license until you were twenty and could afford your own car. Why couldn’t you use your parents’?”

Rod’s gut clenched. Why the hell was Landon asking him this? “Mom was dead, remember? And my dad wouldn’t let me use his. I’m going to see if I can find a movie for us to watch.” He tried to sit up, but Landon’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. Oh, fuck. Was he really going to try and do this?

“I told you about my past. Shit, I’ve never told anyone. You can’t tell me why your dad wouldn’t let you use his goddamned car to get your driver’s license?”

The muscles in Rod’s body got rigid, his emotions coiled tight. “Why do you want to know?” Why the hell did it matter?

“Because you’re my friend,” Landon replied, but that wasn’t what did Rod in. It was when he added, “I don’t know why I need to know…” As though there could be more of a reason. As though maybe he could possibly be as confused as Rod was over why they spent so much time together, and why he enjoyed it so much.

Rod had fucked a lot of men—sex, blowjobs in club bathrooms, threesomes. He enjoyed sex. He was a single man. Why the hell not? But he’d never had this. This friendship the way he had with Landon. He thought if they started fucking, it would put things more into perspective. They’d be toys to each other, and yeah, still hang out, but toys all the same. He didn’t feel that way though. He felt…more, and he really didn’t want to.

“It’s the typical gay boy story. Macho, church-going, God-fearing man, who ended up with a faggot for a son. The kind of man who wasn’t good at all the shit his dad wanted him to be good at and had no interest in it either. Nothing I ever did was ever going to be good enough for him, so he only gave me what he had to. He definitely wasn’t going to let me use his car. Didn’t want me to fuck it up.” Jesus, he hadn’t meant to say all of that. He could see it there, in Landon’s eyes now, the pity. The last thing he wanted was pity.

“That’s why you didn’t want to ride my bike?”

“The curb incident really happened when he tried to teach me, not when I took the exam.”

“Rod—”

“Don’t. I’m not doing this. There are a whole lot of things we can do besides talking about shit that doesn’t matter. Things that are a lot more fun.” Rod turned his head, nuzzling his face in Landon’s crotch the way he’d thought about a few minutes ago. He tongued Landon’s balls through the nylon fabric of his shorts, heard Landon suck in a deep breath.

This was what they needed, not to talk about all that other stuff. Just fucking. Afterward they could be friends again. The kind of friends who laughed at Rods-N-Ends, not the kind who wanted to find all the secrets buried inside each other.

He wrapped his mouth around Landon’s sac, wetting his shorts.

“Rod…” Landon’s hand gripped his hair, tried to pull him off, but Rod wouldn’t let him.

“I want you. I didn’t get to blow you nearly enough last time. I’ll suck you good. You can fuck my mouth, if you want. Take it hard. Then you can have my ass.” When Landon tried to pull him away again, he added, “Let me. Please…just let me.” He hated the needy sound in his voice, but he wanted this. Needed it more than anything else.

Rod pulled Landon’s shorts down, freeing his dick. He sucked the head into his mouth, heard Landon hiss in pleasure, and then, “Fuck…
fuck.
No.” This time he used his strength to get Rod off him. He didn’t completely push him away, but far enough that Rod couldn’t reach his cock anymore.

Rod closed his eyes. Damn, he was being pathetic. What the fuck was his problem? Landon left him feeling off kilter and he didn’t know how to deal with that. “Okay.” Rod shrugged. “Movie then?”

Landon looked at him, his eyes intense, burrowing deep as though he could see parts of Rod he kept hidden.

“Don’t do that,” Landon said.

“I’m not doing anything.”

Then he felt Landon’s hand on his cheek, his thumb brushed against his skin, and he realized he’d closed his eyes again. “Let
me
.” Landon repeated Rod’s words from a minute before. “It’s my turn this time.
I
want
you
. Gonna pleasure you till you can’t fucking take it anymore.”

Yes…please…
Rod didn’t speak though, just continued to lie there looking at Landon.

“Get up. I want you in a bed this time.”

There wasn’t a chance in hell he was arguing with that.

Landon had a million thoughts going through his head that he couldn’t process. It was funny how you met someone and saw them a certain way. The more you got to know that person, the more you discovered that there are so many other hidden pieces to them that you didn’t expect. He was like a gift you always got to unwrap. There were layers and boxes and hidden compartments you didn’t know about.

Yeah, he was sexy and funny. He was blunt, and unapologetic and those were the things that initially drew Landon to him. The things that made him enjoy spending time with Rod, but he thought maybe Rod hurt more than he let on. That maybe there was shit going on inside him that made some of his behavior a façade.

And damned if Landon didn’t want to soothe that. If he didn’t want to take care of him, and
that
was the fucked up bit of it all that he couldn’t process right now. He wouldn’t know where to start and honestly wasn’t sure if he wanted to try, so he figured he’d do the next best thing. He’d show Rod that he meant something to Landon with his body instead.

Rod turned to face him when they got to the bedroom, but Landon kept moving, kept walking until he was right in front of Rod, looking into the pools of his confused eyes.

“You’re looking at me like you’re going to eat me alive.” Rod smiled, but it wasn’t genuine. He could see that now. He knew the difference between Rod deflecting and when Rod was really happy. When in the hell did that happen? Maybe the better question was why?

“Shut up. I know what you’re doing,” Landon told him. Even to his own ears, his voice sounded deeper, confused.

“I’m not doing anything.”

“I am. I’m going to do exactly what you said. Take off your shirt.”

Rod did as he said as Landon knelt in front of him. He pulled Rod’s pants down, not pausing while he slid them past Rod’s thighs, he ran his tongue from the root of his erection to the tip.

“Oh fuck,” Rod groaned.

“Mmm. I love this. I’ve always loved sucking dick. Love the feel of that soft, velvety skin and the hardness beneath it.”

“Feel free to suck mine as much as you want,” Rod replied, and Landon couldn’t help but chuckle.

He finished pulling Rod’s pants down and then nudged his thigh. “Open up your legs. I want to play with your balls. Jesus, your sac is fucking tight already.” He palmed Rod’s nuts, felt the hair against his hand, the heat radiated through his skin. “Farther,” Landon told him and Rod obeyed. He leaned forward, head between Rod’s open thighs and sucked his heavy sac into his mouth. He felt Rod’s legs tremble, his right knee buckle before he stood firm again, and Landon couldn’t help but smile around Rod’s balls in his mouth.

He was hot, so fucking hot. Landon released him, licked the seam, then Rod’s taint, before running his tongue over his balls and up to his leaking prick again.

“You’re killing me,” Rod rushed out, before burying his hand in Landon’s hair.