Feeling more relaxed Landon rested his chin on Carl’s shoulder. “Tell me what makes Carlton Ward tick.”
Carl laughed, he seemed relaxed and carefree as they sat waiting for the water to heat and talked about everything and nothing in particular and got to know each other better. It was the first time they had really talked and enjoyed each other’s company without sexual innuendoes and tension.
Later on in the evening, as the group wound down after cleaning, Landon out at poker again, they all sat around a bond fire and listened to Gus play his guitar. All of them three sheets to the wind, except Landon and Carl who sat huddled together holding hands hidden under Carl’s blanket, they started singing along to old Eagles classics. After an abysmal version of Hotel California that would have made your ears bleed, they called it a night.
Once in their room, they stood with their backs to one another and changed, it was a chilly night and Landon added an extra blanket to the bed before climbing in next to Carl.
“Are you warm enough?” Carl asked.
“I will be.”
“If you need another blanket let me know,” Carl offered.
“Stop fussing, I’ll survive. Go to sleep.”
He could feel Carl’s body heat caressing his skin under the blankets and bit the soft tissue inside his cheek and closed his eyes, he had to fight the urge to tug Carl’s body to his and devour him.
“Why are you so grumpy all of a sudden?” Carl asked.
“I’m not grumpy,” Landon snarled.
“You’re grumpy.”
Carl playfully tangled his feet with Landon’s and felt crushed when Landon swiftly moved his feet away. He touched his hand to Landon’s shoulder and he flinched.
“What’s wrong, Ace?” Carl put his chin on Landon’s shoulder, a sweet gesture but Landon was struggling.
“If you don’t want to see me burst into flame, you’ll roll over and say goodnight,” Landon advised.
“You’re not angry…you’re horny,” Carl clamped his lips together, trying to hide his laughter.
“You have no idea.”
Carl laughed out loud and before he knew what was happening, Landon had him pinned under his weight, growling into his face. His erection pressed against Carl’s thigh, he touched his forehead to Carl’s and closed his eyes letting out a heavy sigh.
“Ace?”
Carl’s heart started racing, his breath caught and he grasped hold of Landon’s strong arms. He wasn’t frightened of Landon’s aggression, most times it excited him, but he was angst-ridden wondering where precisely this was going.
“Ace?” he asked again.
“Do us both a favor,” Landon spoke, against Carl’s soft lips, “go to sleep. I’m not beyond begging you to shut the fuck up and go to sleep.”
He rolled off of Carl and fluffed his pillow, punching it a few times before laying down. “You’re killing me.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t speak, don’t move and whatever you do, don’t fucking touch me,”
Carl rolled onto his side facing away from Landon and smiled huge, it was nice to think he could affect the man the way he did.
He tittered to himself, Landon, the poor bastard, would have blue balls by morning.
The next morning, they headed out early just after the sun rose. Landon made the excuse of hoping to beat traffic. He was as miserable as a wild bear in heat and Carl loved every minute of it.
ELEVEN
“What can I get for you?” Carl asked, placing a cocktail coaster on the bar.
“Vodka martini.”
Carl quickly mixed the drink, poured it into a chilled glass and set it in front of the stranger. A good looking man, well-dressed with a tall slender build, dark hair slightly graying at the temple and a lovely British accent, he reminded Carl of a character from a gangster movie the way he talked with smooth refinement, all he needed was a big ugly scar. The stranger seemed distracted, peering around as if looking for someone or something.
“Keep the change,” the stranger said, handing Carl a twenty.
“Thank you,” Carl said.
“Is Landon about?”
“He’s not here,” Carl said, leaving it at that.
“Will he be in sometime today or is it his day off and he is at home?”
It was obvious the man was unaware of Landon’s living arrangements and it wasn’t Carl’s place to tell him.
“I don’t know.”
“He does still work here?” he asked, and took a drink.
“I can’t say,” Carl said, as he dried a glass. “I’m just the bartender here.”
The stranger eyed him and laughed, it was an unsettling laugh that caused goose bumps to form on the surface of Carl’s skin and a shiver to run up his spine. Something was off about the man.
Carl didn’t laugh or smile in return.
“Want to leave a message?” Carl asked.
He was eager to learn who this mystery man was and what he wanted with Landon. “In case he does come in.”
The man finished his drink and gave Carl a half smirk. “No thank you, I’ll come by another time…excellent martini by the way.”
Carl gave him a nod and watched as two men dressed in black suits approach the man, one walked ahead, one behind and the three of them left.
“Who was that?” Rex asked. He’d been watching from the other end of the bar.
“Some guy looking for Lando,” Carl answered, his eyes still fixed to the doorway.
“The guy reeked of money, eh?” Rex joked. “It’s all who you know these days, makes you wonder what a guy like him would want with Lando.”
“Yeah I guess so,” Carl said, gathering glasses into a crate for washing. “If you’re not busy, take these to the kitchen for me?”
“Sure thing,” Rex picked up the crate and headed to the kitchen.
Not sure if it was the fact that the mystery man gave him the creeps or maybe it was a bit of jealousy, Carl pondered the possibilities. He could be a friend, although Carl doubted that right away. He could have something to do with Liberator Industries, but Carl couldn’t see that being a possibility since Landon kept that part of his life so private.
So what was the guy nosing around for?
And why was it bothering Carl so much?
***
“He’s going to love it,” Mikala assured him. “If not, fuck him and take me.”
Landon laughed at her foul mouthed request, “It’s a deal.”
“We’ll be leaving Saturday and returning sometime Sunday night, you sure you’re okay with that?”
Mikala tipped her head and raised a brow. “Do you think if I wasn’t, I’d keep it to myself, fuck no.”
“Probably not.”
Mikala refilled Landon’s coffee. “Go have fun, and bring me back a t-shirt.”
“One t-shirt done,” Landon exclaimed.
“When are you surprising him?”
“Tonight, I can’t wait to see his face,”
“This will get you laid if nothing else,” Mikala joked.
“That’s not the reason I did this,” Landon scowled.
Mikala shook her head and walked around the kitchen island, shoved him back and sat on his lap. “Seriously Lando, you need to loosen up and get a sense of humor. I was kidding. What’s going on that you’re not telling me?”
“Nothing.”
“I call bullshit, tell me,” she said, palming his face in her hands. “Me and Sprout will keep your secret.”
Landon put his hand on Mikala’s not yet protruding belly and laughed. “Well as long as you and Sprout keep your mouths shut, I guess that makes it okay.
Landon shifted her position and she placed her arm over his shoulder. “I can’t figure Carl out and it’s driving me nuts.”
“What are you trying to figure out, if he likes you or not? I thought the answer was yes?”
“Yes, he likes me,” Landon closed his eyes for a moment. “This conversation shouldn’t be h
appening, forget it.”
His attempt to remove Mikala from his lap proved fruitless, she would be unmoved and wrapped her arms tighter around his neck. “Princess, let go.”
“Not until you tell me what’s bothering you.”
“Fine,” he snorted, if she wanted to hear it, on her head be it. “How much do you know about gay sex?”
“As much as you tell me,” Mikala grinned, loosening her hold.
“Some guys are bottoms and some guys are tops,” he waited for a reaction and continued on when she didn’t respond. “And then there are some guys who like it either way, I just happen to be an either way kind of guy.”
“And?” Mikala asked, confused with where he was going.
“I can’t read Carl at all, I know…promise you’re not going to say a word, he’ll fucking kill me.”
Mikala crossed her heart with her fingers and laughed. “Promise, you know I’d never say a thing, not even to Mason.”
Landon tongued his cheek, considering whether to go on or not, and blew out a breath. He was nervous sharing something Carl had told him in confidence, but he needed to talk and Mikala had always been there for him in the past.
“Carl hasn’t actually had sex with a man,” he said, watching Mikala’s eyes widen and her mouth drop open.
“But I thought you said he admitted to being gay?”
“He did, he has and he is,” Landon said, tripping over his words. “The thing is I need to know if he bottoms or tops.”
“Why? What’s the big deal? If you like it both ways it shouldn’t matter.”
It was a simple question, requiring a simple answer, but it wasn’t so simple when it came right down to it.
Landon bit into his lip before answering. “It’s so easy in your heterosexual world, there’s a peg and a hole, insert said peg into said hole and viola you have it figured out.”
Mikala burst into fits of laughter, Landon had to join her.
She wiped away a tear and said, “Keep going I can’t wait to hear the rest.”
“Anyway,” he blinked, “think about it this way, how do you determine what to do if there are more than one hole or more than one peg, which peg goes into which hole?” he tittered.
The conversation at this point was relaxed and casual, neither one of them felt awkward and uncomfortable, it was natural between them, for which Landon was grateful.
“I get it now, you don’t know if you will be doing the fucking or Carl will be, am I right?”
“Such an eloquent way of putting it but you got it, see my dilemma?”
“What fucking dilemma?” Mikala asked, jumping from his lap. “Ask him, say Carl can I fuck you? If he says no then say Carl do you want to fuck me? You’re going to get your answer either way.”
“I was hoping for something a little more subtle, Princess.”
“Fuck subtle, you want to be with Carl, you’ll find a way to ask.”
She had a point, a very good one.
***
It took several seconds for his eyes to adjust to the darkness inside the club after coming in from the brightness outside. Carl was standing talking on the phone behind the bar with a smile on his face, he spotted Landon and waved.
Landon leaned his elbows on the bar and took in all of Carl’s beautiful features. His gorgeous hazel eyes, his dirty blond curly hair and just the perfect amount of five o’clock stubble on his jaw that Landon was imagining trailing his tongue across.
Carl’s eyes met his and he could feel his length stiffen. He imagined Carl under him as he pounded into him, Carl’s mouth forming the perfect O as he moaned. But an equal shiver ran along his spine deliciously, as he visualized being pinned beneath Carl’s weight, being filled by him completely with his beautiful cock.
The snapping of Carl’s fingers in his face pulled him from his daydream, he smiled.
Carl talked for a few more minutes, keeping his eyes locked on Landon’s and traced his mouth with the tip of his finger. Landon’s eyes followed Carl’s tongue, eager for a taste, as he moistened his lips. Carl hung up the phone and leaned his elbows on the bar, leaving a few inches between them.
“Hard day at the office,” Landon said, looking from side to side and whispered, “Babes?”
“You have no idea,” he laughed. “Give me my nights back, I can’t handle this day time shit.”
“Were you bored without me around to pester you?”
“No, there was plenty to do, people coming and going,” Carl said, brushing his fingers along Landon’s arm.
“You missed me, you know it.” Landon teased, loving Carl’s touch.
“Oh, by the way, there was a guy came in asking for you.”
“Oh yeah, did he leave a message?”
“Nope, said he’d be back. Not bad looking either, getting a little on the side when I’m not looking?” Carl joked, noting the narrowing of Landon’s brow.
Landon grabbed Carl’s wrist. “Not funny, I don’t fuck around.”
“Take it easy, Ace,” Carl said, placing his hand over Landon’s.
“Sorry,” Landon apologized.
“Well, I guess we’ll have to wait and see if he comes back,” Landon said. “Until then I have a surprise for you.”
A skeptical look graced Carl’s face. “It better not involve that flying machine of yours.”
Landon laughed and reached into his jacket pocket. “Our second date is going to be a blast and no we are not flying, I’m driving us to Salisbury.”
“What’s in Salisbury?” Carl asked, looking to see what Landon was holding.”
“This,” Landon handed him two tickets and grinned from ear to ear.
“Theory of a Deadman? Holy fuck, seriously?”
“If we leave here early enough on Saturday, we can check into the hotel, do some sight-seeing and shit, then have dinner before the concert.”
“We’re staying overnight?” Carl asked, inspecting the details on the tickets. “These seats are practically front row and center.”
A sudden tightening in his chest at the idea of spending the night with Landon in a hotel room quickly left him when he looked up to see Landon’s beautiful smiling face. The man was beyond sexy and seemed ecstatic that Carl liked his surprise. Carl vowed to stop being such a tight ass and let Landon into his heart, slowly, he didn’t want to rush and mess it up.
“Only the best,” Landon said.
Carl leaned over the bar fisting Landon’s shirt and yanked him forward, giving him a quick peck on the cheek, surprising Landon who looked around for an audience.
“Careful Babes, someone might see.”
“I don’t care,” Carl unexpectedly confessed. “It’s too tiring worrying about what everyone else thinks. I’m only worried about what we think. Me and you.”
“Me and you,” Landon reiterated Carl’s words. “I like that. I like that there is you and me.”
A throat cleared and Landon spun around coming face to face with the one person he wished had fallen from the surface of the planet.
“Briggs.”
Carl’s eyes widened as he realized the man standing in front of them was the same man that inquired as to Landon’s whereabouts earlier, the man with the British accent.
“Ace, can I have a word?” Carl asked, nervously.
“What do you want Briggs?” Landon asked, his words filled with irritation and annoyance.
“Ace?”
The beat of Landon’s heart drummed violently in his chest, near to exploding, from a mixture of trepidation and pure venom. He’d never known a feeling of hate quite like this. Bile rose in his throat, he wanted to run, wanted to lash out, but most of all, he wanted Briggs gone.
“Ace,” Carl put his hand on Landon’s shoulder and whispered in his ear, “he’s the guy that was looking for you.”
“Thanks Carl,” Landon patted Carl’s hand. “I told you I wasn’t interested Briggs, I’m still not.”
“You can’t blame a man for trying,” Briggs said. �
��I have a proposition for you.”
Landon glanced casually at his watch, attempting to come off as nonchalant and blasé about the entire situation as he could manage without throwing up. Unfortunately he was feeling like a caged animal ready to chew its own leg off to get away. Panic forced him to take a deep breath and calm himself.
“I suggest you speed this up because by my watch you’re running out of time.” Landon said, in a cool tone.
“May we talk privately?” Briggs asked, looking over Landon’s shoulder to Carl.
“Nope,” Landon snarled. Smart ass was taking over, his way of dealing with sticky situations. “Tick tock, Briggs.”
Briggs narrowed his eyes and glared, not at all pleased with the way Landon was responding. This man was used to getting his own way, because money and power spoke volumes in his world. It didn’t seem to work on Landon though and Briggs was not impressed.
“I like you just Landon, I like that you have the brass balls to tell me no,” Briggs chuckled. “Not too many people have stood in your place and told me no.”
“And lived to tell about it?” Landon asked, sarcastically.
Briggs slapped his hand against Landon’s cheek. “Precisely,” he laughed.
“Ding,” Landon said, slapping Briggs’ hand away, “times up, leave!”
“Don’t act too hastily my friend…you haven’t heard what I came to ask.”
Landon situated himself between Briggs and Carl, and nodded towards the door. He wasn’t having this conversation in front of Carl, or anyone else for that matter. He wanted Briggs gone and he wanted him gone now.
“Let me show you to the door,” Landon offered, sweeping his hand for Briggs to walk ahead.
Staying close, not allowing Briggs the chance to change his mind and head back in, he saw two shapes approach them from either side. He looked left, then right and snickered at the sight of Briggs’ body guards.
“These must be your girls,” Landon thumbed at each of Briggs’ ape like goons.
“You’re a funny man, just Landon,” Briggs tittered. “All I ask is that you hear me out.”
Landon's Desire (Book Three of The Pulse Series 3) Page 13