by Lyla Grace
Gwen’s arm wraps around my shoulders as she whispers in my ear, “I am so sorry.”
I give her a knowing smile. “I’m used to it.” And I am. I just hope that she knows whatever Sharon says isn’t true.
“Sorry about that,” Landon says when he returns.
“Everything okay?” I ask as I possessively wrap my arms around his waist.
“Better than okay.” Landon smiles down at me. “It’s over, Livie. He broke parole and he’s back in jail.”
“You’re sure?” I ask. I can’t believe the words that he is saying; the news is unbelievable.
Landon nods. “It’s all over, baby.”
I jump into his arms. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“The look on your face is enough,” he says. And I know he means it. “It’s time to celebrate.”
“What are we celebrating?” Carter asks as he enters the back yard.
I’m a little confused by his presence. I know he is friends with Landon and Chase, I just hadn’t realized that he would be invited today to what seems to be a family event. “You can thank me later,” Chase says as he walks past me.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask as I follow him.
“It means that against my better judgment, I invited Carter so you would have someone to distract Madison with,” he explains.
“You really are the best brother in the world, do you know that?” I say as I pull him in for a big hug.
Lunch began as expected, with Maddie up Landon’s ass. The moment I left Landon’s arms, she latched on to him and sauntered over to the table arm in arm with him. And she didn’t stop there. She continued to follow him around like a puppy dog when we all made our way to the pool area.
“How long are you going to let this go on?” Chase asks as we watch poor Landon cornered by our sister.
He’s right. What am I waiting for? As I make my way over to them, I can’t help but feel kind of bad for Maddie. She has spent her entire life being a pawn of our mother’s. Maybe she was afraid that Sharon would treat her like she did me, so instead of disobeying as I would, she followed everything Sharon said to a T. I guess neither of our lives are that perfect.
“Hey Maddie,” I greet as I walk up to Landon and put my arm around his waist. I can’t help but appreciate the fine-toned muscle under his shirt. I could look at and touch him all day.
“Olivia.”
“Are you having fun?” I ask her. I keep reminding myself to be civil--that her behavior is not all her fault.
“We were until you showed up. Weren’t we, Landon?” She wraps her arms around his left arm, perks her boobs up toward his face, a huge phony smile plastered on her face. “We were just going to go for a swim.”
“We were?” Landon’s eyes plead with me.
“Maddie, I heard Carter’s been checking you out all afternoon. I can introduce you if you want.”
“Landon and I are doing just fine.”
That’s it. I grab her by her arm and drag her away. “Listen, I get it. You’ve got a thing for Landon. So do half the girls in the world, but it’s not happening, okay? We’re together, and you throwing your tits in his face won’t change that.”
“Don’t be so sure,” she says with a wicked smile.
Time for a new tactic; maybe a little sisterly heart-to-heart will change her mind. “You know you don’t have to do this, right?” She looks at me quizzically. “If you really knew Landon, you would know he’s not the guy for you. He is pizza and beer, and you are champagne and caviar. I know Sharon has put it in your head that he’s what you want, but I can guarantee you he’s not.”
“Really Olivia, are you that insecure?”
“Not in the slightest, Maddie. I have nothing to worry about with Landon; I know how he feels about me. What I am worried about is you.”
“Now that’s funny. You--worried about me?”
“Jesus, Maddie, of course I worry about you. You’re my sister. I just want you to be happy. And I really believe Carter could make you happy. He is an amazing guy. And I know he would treat you how you want to be treated.”
The look on her face tells me I am right. “He is pretty hot. But Mom--”
“To hell with Mom, Maddie. Do what’s best for you.”
Her eyes roam over to where Carter is standing talking to Chase. “I guess you could introduce us.” The smile on her face as she looks at him may be the most genuine smile I have ever seen from her.
I take Maddie by the hand and lead her over to Carter. That guy is definitely a smooth operator. I barely introduce them before he has his arm around her and has her giggling. My work is done, so I take a seat at the edge of the pool, admiring Landon as his body cuts through the water. He surfaces and places his hands on my thighs.
“Everything okay?” he asks.
“You took your shirt off,” I comment.
“I figured I owed you for saving me from Madison.”
My eyes close as he runs his hands up my legs. I inhale deeply, then slowly exhale. My eyes flutter open as his hand travel even further up. He winks at me. “Landon,” I warn. But the mischievous grin on his face tells me he is up to something. He grabs my waist and pulls me into the pool with him.
“You sure I’m worth all this insanity?” I ask. He holds me against him, my legs wrapping around his waist, memories of sex against the wall in the pool house last night flashing through my mind and bringing a smile to my face.
“Olivia Matthews, I love you. You are worth every bit of insanity.”
“I don’t deserve you.” I mentally kick myself for not being able to return the sentiment yet. It’s not that I don’t think it, or don’t feel it, but for some reason I just can’t bring myself to say it.
“You’re right.” A wicked smile curls up on his kissable lips. “You deserve this.” His hand comes down on my head and pushes me under the water.
Chapter 18
Landon
It’s hard to believe that Livie and I have been together happily and drama-free for two months. Well, except for her sister constantly attempting to drive a wedge between us. Despite her best efforts, Livie convincing Madison to lead her own life didn’t last long. She ended things with Carter after only a few dates. Livie swears it was Sharon’s doing. Though, for a little bit of time, Madison seemed like a genuinely decent person.
Which is why, despite having to ward off Madison’s advances, I feel worse for Livie. I think deep down she was hoping this change in Madison might lead to them finally having a better relationship. I know it bothers her, but Livie never falters. If anything, their attempts have only brought us closer together.
Football season is in full swing and while most women can’t seem to hack the amount of time it consumes, Livie seems to be adjusting well. Her joint endeavor with my mom is in full swing, and they are currently planning a huge gala to raise money for Haven House.
Every spare moment she has is spent at my place. Hell, she even accepted a key without a fight. I swear I actually saw a tear in her eye when she took it. My favorite days are the days I come home from practice to find her in the kitchen, wearing one of my t-shirts and making dinner. We sit down at the table, talk about our days, and fall into bed in each other’s arms every night. And damn if the sex doesn’t just get better and better. There is definitely no way the word “uptight” will ever cross her lips in reference to me anymore.
Lucky for me, today is one of those perfect days. I enter the condo and drop my bag by the door. I stop in the entrance to the kitchen, admiring the view of her bent over reading what I assume is a new recipe on her tablet. Damn, she looks good… that ass, those legs, they do me in every time. One look at the woman and I am instantly hard. Add in the fact that she can cook, and I am in heaven. A porn star in the bedroom and Martha Stewart in the kitchen.
While everything has been amazing between us, I have to admit that I am still anxious to hear those three little words. “I love you” still hasn’t graced those g
orgeous fucking lips of hers--the ones that are currently curled into a smile because she caught me staring at her. Part of me feels like a jackass for wanting to hear them so badly, but the other part of me is having a hard time reconciling that she can’t bring herself to say them. I am a patient man, and I know she cares about me, but I wait each day to hear those words.
“Hey, Stud, you going to stand there and stare, or are you going to come here and give me a kiss?” She raises her eyebrows in a challenge. When she puts it that way….
I make my way to her and hoist her up so that her legs wrap around my waist. Her arms wrap around my neck, her lips grazing mine. “I missed you.” It was like music to my ears. A couple days had passed since we were actually able to spend time together. She had been working late, and I had been so exhausted from practice and the extra workouts Chase and I were putting in that even when she did stop by, we only slept next to each other. Not that I minded. Having her in my bed was a dream come true, even if it was just to sleep.
“I missed you too, baby,” I tell her, my lips on her neck. The timer on the stove shows that whatever she is making has at least 20 minutes left to cook. “Is dinner going to burn if I show you how much?”
“Don’t really care if it does,” she laughs. “I need you.” Thank fuck, because I sure as hell need her too.
I carry her to the bedroom and lay her on the bed. I yank the t-shirt over my head, and her eyes catch the large bruise on my right side. Green clocked me pretty good at practice today. If I had been paying attention instead of daydreaming about Livie, it wouldn’t have happened. Her fingers trace the bruise, causing me to grimace slightly. Guess I was more sore than I realized. “Looks bad, Stud--maybe we should….”
“No way. I have waited long enough to be inside of you; I can’t wait another damn minute.”
“Why don’t you lie down and let me take care of you, then?” she suggests. Now that? That was an offer there is no way in hell I am going to refuse. I roll my body off of hers and lie back on the bed. She strips off her own t-shirt, revealing nothing more than her completely gorgeous and naked body underneath. Now this I could get used to. Her lips touch the purple and black area as her hand slowly strokes my already hard cock. A groan falls off my lips as my hips buck up toward her involuntarily. I love everything she is doing, but I am dying to be inside her right now. Hazel eyes challenge my blue ones, warning, begging, desiring all at the same time. “Tell me what you want, Stud.”
Her tongue runs up and down the length of my cock, stopping at the head and softly taking only the tip into her torturous, wonderful mouth.
“Fuck, Liv,” I cry out. “I want my cock in you; deep inside that amazing pussy of yours.”
She covers my cock with her mouth, taking me fully before she straddles me, her soft toned thighs on either side of my hips, her pussy, my Goddamn touchdown, hovering so close that I just want to grip her hips and force her down on me. But I can’t, not this time. This time she’s in control, and there isn’t anyone else I would rather have in control of my dick. She hovers close, taunting me, stoking a fire in me that she doesn’t quite seem to understand is constantly ignited in her presence.
And just as I am bout to feel her, I realize something, “Liv, condom.”
“Landon?” she says. “I want to feel you, all of you, skin to skin, inside me.”
Now, I know she is on the pill. I have watched her take it religiously since we met. And I am pretty sure kids are not in her plan, at least not anytime soon. So, if she wants it…who am I to argue? At those words alone, she has me on the edge of an orgasm, so I’m not sure how long I’m going to last. Especially since this will be my first time without protection, to feel her…ughhh, I can only imagine.
“Are you sure?” I ask.
She slides her wet, warm, silky pussy over my cock in response. Well, I guess that answers that. In all my life I have never felt anything more amazing. She feels like heaven mixed with a whole lot of hell, and oh man, is she worth it. Once I am fully sheathed in her, she stills, her palms on my chest, her eyes holding mine.
“You’re the only one.” She is for me too, but I feel that she already knows that. Something tells me that those words, this moment, are about so much more than sex. “Nothing between us, Landon, just you and me…always.” I swear I could come just looking at her right now.
She rides me torturously slow, deeper with each motion. Her body covers mine, gliding up and down. Her head hangs near my shoulder, and the most glorious moans escape her. My hands grip her hips and slide up, covering her breasts, rolling her nipples between my fingers. She arches her back, shifting the angle that I am inside her. Whatever I hit inside her sends me right over the edge. “Liv, I am going to--”
“Cum,” she finishes for – and with – me. She rolls off of me and puts her arm over her head. “Holy shit. That was….” We are both breathing heavily. “Amazing? Marvelous? Outstanding? Out of this world?”
“All of the above,” I say as I shift in the bed.
She pulls a shirt over her head as she gets out of bed. “I better check on dinner.”
I grab her hand. “To hell with dinner; come back to bed.”
She giggles as she struggles to get away. Her body topples onto mine. “Landon,” she scolds, moments before she kisses me.
My hands take hold of either side of her face, forcing her to look into my eyes. “Move in with me.” I am so overcome in the moment, in what we just shared, that the words come out of my mouth before I consider any of the consequences. I know she took a key, I know she cares, but moving in is a big step, a huge commitment. It’s a leap I am fully prepared to take. But as always, the question is…is she? And by the look on her face, I may have just destroyed the best thing that has ever happened to me.
She shoves off of me and paces the bedroom floor as I slide a pair of shorts on. She’s repeated the word “No” so many times, I gave up counting. She finally stops and faces me. “What the hell is wrong with you? Everything has been going so well.”
“Exactly. You’re here every night anyway. Why not make it official?”
“Because…because….” She’s struggling to find an excuse.
Anger rises inside me. I have done everything in my power to follow her insane rules, to keep my feelings in check. But right now, when we just shared something so intimate, when we are so close to having it all, seeing her hesitation causes me to finally hit my breaking point. I clench my fists when she tells me that it isn’t what she wants, that she can’t do this anymore. She says the words as though she has been faking every moment of our relationship. If she thinks she can’t do this anymore, she has no idea what I am feeling right now.
“Can’t do what, exactly?” I shout back at her. Her eyes widen, surprise laced with fear. Did she think I would just let this go? That I wouldn’t put up a fight after everything we went through to get here? “Can’t live here? Can’t love me? Can’t be with me? Or is it that you just can’t accept that fact that you are already doing those things? Are you just so damn scared that you’re willing to throw it all away?”
“I’m not scared. I can’t do it because it’s not what I want. You’re not what I want,” she says as she turns away from me. Certainly she can’t tell me that lie to my face. We both know it isn’t true.
“That’s bullshit, and you know it. Damn it, Livie, just talk to me. We can figure this out, work through it together. Don’t throw away what we have,” I tell her as I turn her back to me. I plead with her. My heart is in her hands. And if she intends on breaking it, then she is just going to have to look at me when she does it.
Her eyes well with tears, and I can see her fighting like hell to make sure that they don’t spill over. “I’m sorry, Landon.”
I half expect “I told you so” to follow her apology. But it doesn’t. Nothing does, actually, except her grabbing her clothes and getting dressed as I stand there, shell shocked from how we went from making love to breaking up in a matter of mo
ments. When she is finally dressed, she turns to me. “I really am sorry. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you.”
“Then don’t. Please don’t do this, Livie,” I plead with her. Hell, I would get on hands and knees if I thought it would make a difference. Pushing her any more than I have will only driver her further away.
“Goodbye, Landon.”
Those are her last words to me as she walks out the door, out of my life. The door closes behind her and every damn emotion I have been trying to control rages out of me, my fist connecting with the wall, making a large hole. I sink to the floor under the destruction I left, my head in my hands. Like a montage in a movie, the past several months together replay in my head. She’s barely been gone five minutes, and hell if I don’t miss her already
Chapter 19
Livie
It took everything in me to persuade my legs to move, to walk out the door. The same door that is now the only thing that is currently holding me up. I take a deep breath, trying to slow my heart. Because right now, it is beating so hard I think it might just come out of my chest. What the hell did I just do? What the hell was he thinking?
I sink down outside the door to his home, a place that felt more like home to me than any other place I have ever lived. A place that he had offered to make my real home. And I turned him down flat. Not only did I turn him down, I told him I didn’t want him. What the hell was I thinking?
Damn it.
I stand up on shaky legs and hit the button for the elevator. I need to get out of here. I need to think about what the hell just happened. I need to decide what I am going to do now. Because I am pretty sure that I just destroyed the only man in this world that I will ever love. I look back at the door one last time before I step into the elevator and head home.
“You’re going to have to come out of there sometime,” Becca says as she stands outside my door.