“We’ll deal with tomorrow when tomorrow comes,” Landon said, his expression serious. “Right now, we both want this.”
Ty’s heart skipped a beat at the truth of that simple statement. Landon brushed his lips softly over Ty’s cheek, his jaw, his chin and finally his mouth. Ty closed his eyes. Damn, the man smelled good—like sheets right out of the dryer and warm, soft sleep. Tasted even better—like sweet water.
Landon’s hips tilted and thrust, sending his cock and balls in an erotic slide along Ty’s. But that was it. Just one taunting touch before Landon’s weight lifted and he crawled to the end of the bed and dug around under the sheets. When he popped out again, he held the tube of lubricant. As Landon lubed his hand, Ty watched, mesmerized. Next thing he knew, Landon was palming his own cock, caressing, jacking off with his gaze fastened on Ty’s. Licking his lips, Ty instinctively spread his thighs. Without thinking, he stroked his own cock and a soft moan escaped him. Landon mounted him again, and the delicious, heated friction of their erections slipping and rubbing took Ty immediately to the edge. Ty grabbed Landon’s hips, digging his fingers into skin and muscle. Landon froze, as if trying to hold back, then pried Ty’s hands from his hips and threaded their fingers together, palm to palm. It felt different holding a man’s hand. Bigger, rougher, stronger. More substantial.
Yeah, that was it. More substantial. Like Landon’s hips trapping his. Weightier. Less delicate.
Landon’s gaze pierced him as he pinned Ty’s hands on the pillow beside his head. His warm breath touched Ty’s face just before he kissed him, slow and firm. Ty opened for him, craving, seizing everything Landon shared.
Later they could talk. Landon was right. They wanted the same thing. Once they’d gotten their fill of each other, they could straighten out their friendship. Get it back to where it needed to be. It would be easier then...without their hormones raging, without desire overruling logic.
He followed Landon’s lead, letting him set the pace, grinding his teeth against the urge to come as the need curled low and intense in his groin. Hips rocking, thrusting. Cocks stroking, playfully nudging. This seemed so much more intimate than their first time, which didn’t make sense. Landon had been inside him, had thoroughly possessed him. Was it because they weren’t drunk? Or because they were looking into each other’s eyes? Hell, even the way their hands were joined, fingers entwined, felt more profound.
By the time Landon picked up the tempo, their breathing was ragged, the harsh sounds mixing with the squeak of the bed frame, their movements needy and frantic. Ty’s balls tightened. Landon’s thrusts quickened, becoming more erratic until he suddenly stopped, every muscle in his body and face constricted.
Landon threw his head back and rasped, “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” His warm, slippery seed coated Ty’s belly.
With Landon’s cock pulsing against his own, pleasure exploded, and Ty’s mind blanked. Hot spurts of semen mixed with Landon’s on his belly. Landon collapsed on top of him. As if they weren’t close enough, Ty wrapped him tightly in arms and legs. Not until his breathing and heartbeat slowed to normal did he loosen his hold.
Landon rolled off him, but they still touched, shoulder to shoulder, arm to arm. Their mingled fluids dried on Ty’s belly, pulling and cracking like glue. Air-conditioning cooled his overheated skin.
I
should say something
, Ty thought when his brain was functioning again. Women always wanted words after sex. He worked his mouth, trying to form the only coherent word rattling around in his head. But even that simple
damn
required too much effort, too much energy, too much coordination. None of which he had right now.
Besides, men were different. Landon would be okay without words. Hell, knowing his friend, he’d probably prefer the silence.
Ty closed his eyes and drifted.
Chapter Four
Landon awakened to the muted splatter of water coming from his bathroom. Ty was showering.
Feeling good, happy, he lifted his arms above his head, arched his back and stretched. He flipped onto his side and squinted at the red LED of his alarm clock—10:04.
After untangling his feet from the sheet, he sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his hands over his face. As soon as he stood, he realized his mistake. That creepy-crawly feeling he got when bare skin touched carpet had him scrambling back on the bed. He dug around the sheets, searching for his socks, which had come off during the night. He found them, stuffed his feet in the black cotton, then padded across the builder-beige carpet to the bathroom door. When he opened it, steam from Ty’s shower blasted him in the face.
He lifted the ring on the toilet and aimed. When he was done he yelled, “Flush,” waited a few seconds and then pushed the lever.
The opaque-white, vinyl shower curtain separated him from Ty. If the shower were bigger, he’d join him. That was one of the things he was looking forward to in his new place. A shower big enough for two.
He washed his hands, then splashed his face with lukewarm water and raked his wet fingers through his hair a couple of times to get it out of his face. Leaning on his knuckles against the brown laminate countertop, he stared into the mirror. Damn, he looked happy...until he remembered.
We need to talk.
Four little words that never amounted to anything good. Four words he’d learned to despise.
He suspected Ty had reservations, maybe even regrets.
Damn it.
He didn’t want him to have either. He hadn’t gotten enough of him last night. Didn’t think he’d ever get enough. Not surprising.
How the hell was he supposed to convince Ty to give them a chance? Landon hated talking. Wasn’t any good at thinking on his feet. Even with his research, he worked slowly, methodically.
The shower stopped, the pipes groaning as water backed up. He straightened, propped his hip against the counter and waited.
The metal shower-curtain hooks grated across the bar as Ty pushed it back. He shook his head, sending water droplets outbound in a spiral. Then he slicked his palms over his hair, and water cascaded over his broad shoulders. He grabbed a navy towel off the cheap aluminum bar.
“Hey.” Ty rubbed the terry cloth over his chest and abs. “You hungry?”
Landon swallowed hard. Yeah, he was hungry. His gaze dropped to Ty’s cock and as he stared at it, it grew.
“I meant for bacon and eggs,” Ty said wryly.
Landon lifted his gaze and grinned. “I can’t leave you like this, man. It looks painful.”
Before Ty could protest, Landon dropped to his knees on the thin cotton bathmat and hooked his hands on the backs of Ty’s firm thighs. He slid them along the smooth, wet skin and cupped Ty’s ass in his big hands. Ty’s glutes tightened in response to Landon’s touch. He looked up at Ty as he dug his fingers into the flesh and massaged. Ty’s eyes were closed, his lips parted. “Just stand still,” Landon murmured, his mouth so close to Ty’s cock, he could feel the moist heat radiating off it, could smell the clean scent of soap. He licked his lips, then flicked out his tongue, catching a drop of water on the tip of Ty’s penis. It jerked, and Ty’s stomach hollowed as he sucked in his breath.
Landon palmed Ty’s balls with one hand and used his middle finger to tease the sensitive flesh between his testicles and anus. Curious about how they would taste and feel in his mouth, he laved his tongue against Ty’s balls, first one then the other. The muscles in Ty’s legs rippled against the sides of Landon’s face. He gently wrapped his lips around one testicle and explored the soft, velvety texture. An underlying muskiness spiced the fresh taste. He kissed it and then cradled the other in his mouth, giving it the same attention. That was all the foreplay he engaged in before engulfing Ty’s cock, taking him fully in one stroke to the back of his throat.
Ty jerked and thrust deeper in response. Warm satisfaction spread through Landon’s veins. Ty wasn’t pulling away.
He slid his mouth up and down, sucking hard, and continued to pulse Ty’s sweet spot with his middle finger. Ty’s hips drove forward, matching Landon’s rhythm. His balls drew up, and his thrusts picked up speed like the downhill portion of a roller coaster. Faster, faster, faster until Ty jerked and stopped. His creamy seed coated the back of Landon’s throat. He swallowed the salty liquid, sucking hard until Ty was empty. Then he gently released him and licked the satiated cock until Ty tangled his fingers in his hair and pushed him away.
“Enough,” he said, his voice rough.
Landon sat back on his heels. Ty was looking down at him, his dark eyes soft. Landon stood, wrapped his hand around the back of Ty’s head and drew him forward until their lips met tenderly, briefly.
“I love you, Ty,” he said, his voice low. It came out before he could stop it, and he immediately wished he could take it back. Maybe Ty hadn’t heard it. It was too early...too much, too soon.
But he knew Ty had heard when he sighed. Not a contented sigh, but one full of regret.
Yeah. Definitely too soon. How the hell was he supposed to fix this? It wasn’t like he could take it back. His stomach churned, and he pushed away. “Go on. I’m gonna take a shower.”
He edged around Ty and bent over the chrome shower knobs, turning on the water and adjusting the temperature. All the while, Ty stood there, unmoving. He wanted to say something. Landon could feel his intent prickling down his neck and spine. But he was holding back. And despite everything they’d shared in the last twenty-four hours, Landon didn’t think it was, “I love you, too.” More like, “I love you, but...” Or, “Sorry, I’m not there yet.”
Landon pulled off his socks, stepped under the warm water and yanked the curtain closed, not shutting out the man he loved but relieving him of the obligation to respond.
Chapter Five
Ty had fixed breakfast for the two of them at least a hundred times. At his own place. At Landon’s. So it should have been routine.
It wasn’t. They’d spent a lot of nights together, but none like last night.
The shower had just gone off, so Landon would be out soon. It was gonna be uncomfortable. And not just because they’d fucked. As if that hadn’t been enough.
Landon had used the L word.
Not that Ty hadn’t been thinking it. But saying it was a completely different story. It complicated the relationship. Like it wasn’t already complicated enough. Worse, a spark of joy had flared to life within him until good sense had transformed that joy to despair.
He cracked four eggs into a skillet. As they fried in the popping and crackling bacon fat, he found a jar of grape jelly in the fridge and placed it on the bar. It joined a stack of buttered toast. They’d never eaten at the card table in the “dining room.” Landon used it for an office. Even now, his computer, scanner, printer and router sat on the cushioned vinyl top of the metal table, along with some scattered envelopes...probably bills. Next to the desktop computer was a new laptop, closed. Landon might scrimp on furniture, but he always had the latest computer gadgets.
He’d brewed a pot of coffee for Landon and a cup of strong black tea for himself. He sipped the tea, trying to settle his stomach. If he didn’t eat breakfast, Landon would know something was wrong.
Yeah
,
right
. Who was he kidding? Landon already knew something was wrong. Had known it the moment he’d uttered those three little words. But it was Ty’s fault. He should have never let it get that far. He knew better.
Landon’s sandals slapped on the kitchen’s vinyl floor. The man had a thing about carpet—couldn’t stand the feel of it, so he always wore something on his feet when he was in the apartment. It was weird. He could walk barefooted on sand. Grass, too. But carpet bugged the hell out of him.
“Breakfast is ready,” Ty said without looking up. “Grab a stool. I’ll get your coffee.” He placed the plates with the eggs on the bar, then poured the coffee and set it next to Landon’s plate before finally looking at him.
He wished he hadn’t. Hope and pain mingled in his eyes and sliced through Ty’s heart.
Ty walked around to the other side of the bar and sat on a stool, hooking his bare toes on the bottom rung. He took two pieces of toast and then twisted the lid off the jar of jelly. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to stomach the bacon and eggs, but maybe the toast.
Landon raked his fingers through his damp hair, pushing it back off his face before curling his fingers into the strands and tugging. It was a familiar, nervous habit, something he did when he was agitated or thinking or both.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it,” Landon said, his expression tortured, pleading.
To buy some time, Ty bit off a piece of toast and chewed slowly before washing it down with a mouthful of tepid tea. He didn’t pretend not to understand. He couldn’t, wouldn’t play those games with his best friend. But guilt was eating away at him as he said, “Man, I’ve never known you to say
anything
you don’t mean.”
“You’re right.” He sighed. “I meant it, but I didn’t mean to say it. It just slipped out.”
“We need to talk about this, but I’ve got an interview in an hour. It’ll have to wait.”
Landon nodded. “Yeah, okay, I understand.”
“What are you doing today?” Ty asked, hoping to change the subject and lighten the mood.
“Reviewing a paper for a colleague.”
Ty hated leaving him like this, but he didn’t have a choice. He had a job to do. The woman he was interviewing was skittish enough. He couldn’t reschedule. If he did, he might lose her. “Hey, we’ll work this out.” He twitched, fighting the urge to cover Landon’s hand with his. “You’re too important to me. Okay?”
“Yeah.” Landon’s smile seemed stiff, forced. “Okay.”
Chapter Six
Landon wandered around the apartment after Ty left. He checked his work and personal email accounts. Nothing earth-shattering. He tried to focus on the paper he’d promised to review but after reading the first paragraph for the fourth time without retaining it, he gave up.