Landon slid his arm under Carl and maneuvered him into Landon’s favorite spooned position. His body wrapped around Carl’s like a protective cocoon. Like a security blanket, where he kept him sheltered and safe.
Carl held Landon’s strong arm and traced his thumb along the other, interlacing their legs and feet. They stayed this way, entangled together for some time before Carl broke the silence.
“I should be angry,” he whispered. “I’ve never been more scared of losing someone in my life. It was like Tyler had died all over again, only a million times worse, so much worse than I could ever have imagined. I thought I’d find you dead.”
“Shhh…” Landon shushed him, kissing the back of Carl’s head. “I’m scared of losing you too.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Carl assured him.
“Nor am I,” Landon said. “Turn over and look at me.”
Carl rolled onto his side and wove the fingers of one hand with Landon’s, stroking his cheek with the other.
“My beautiful man,” Carl chanted.
Landon smiled at Carl’s endearment, it was a wonderful feeling to finally have Carl where he belonged, in his arms and his heart, and knowing that Carl may be feeling exactly the same was exhilarating.
Landon swirled a lose curl from Carl’s forehead around his finger and smiled when their eyes met, he drew in a breath and whispered.
“I love you.”
Carl’s mouth slowly spread into a glorious smile. “I love you too!”
They kissed like they were ravenous for each other, with raw no-holds-barred passion. Their hands mapped each other’s bodies as if it were for the first time, discovering every rise and fall along their chests, abs and backs. Their pace slowed to a tranquil laziness, the moment was unadulterated lust in its purest form. Greedy and wanton, yet restrained and chaste, they were in no hurry and happy to take their time and enjoy the tenderness.
“Ace?”
“Uh huh…?”
“Would it be crazy to ask you to move in with me?”
Carl squinted his eyes and scrunched his nose while he stared at Landon, trying to figure out what he was thinking. Landon tapped the end of his nose and laughed.
“How fucking lovable are you?” Landon asked, touching Carl’s bottom lip with his thumb. “Of course it would be crazy.”
“Stupid idea, I just thought…” His heart started a slow plummet to his feet.
“And of course I’d love to, as crazy as it is,” Landon interrupted, pinching his lip and giving it a tug. “There’s nothing stupid about inviting me into your life, I love you. I want to be with you every minute of every day.”
“Would tomorrow be too soon?” Carl asked.
“Consider it done,” Landon gave him a quick kiss. “Now roll over and go to sleep, it’s been one hell of a fucked up twenty four hours and we need some sleep.”
“Ace?”
“What Babes?”
“You don’t want to make love?”
“You know I do,” Landon embraced him, then maneuvered him into their spooned position. “But I want to be moved in and well rested so I can show you how much I love you properly, is that okay with you?”
Carl pulled Landon’s arm tighter to his chest and gave his large bicep a kiss. “I guess I can wait.”
Landon chuckled. “Anticipation,”
“Good night, Ace, I love you.”
“I love you too, Babes.”
The light clicked off, a dusky glow from the neon banner outside washed over the walls and Landon closed his eyes, entangling his fingers with Carl’s.
“Ace?”
“Yeah?”
“Briggs is finished right?”
“I’d bet on it, don’t worry.”
“I can’t help worrying that he might try to get revenge.”
“Johnson’s going to keep me informed. Most of his goons were arrested with a list of priors and warrants a mile long, he basically has no one on the outside to do his bidding, the man’s fucked.”
“From your lips, Ace.”
“Go to sleep.”
NINETEEN
~Six months later~
“Where in the fuck,” Landon mumbled, walking into the club peering around in the darkness, “Carlton Ward, quit fucking with me!”
There was movement from the club upstairs, Passion should have been empty tonight. He could hear strange sounds and knew in an instant where Carl was hiding. He flew up the steps two at a time and slowly opened the door to darkness and a strange hunch that Carl was up to more than playing a sexy game of hide and seek.
Since moving in together, foreplay had gone from touchy-feely, slap and tickle, to search and destroy stealth missions and surprise attacks anytime and anywhere with absolutely no warning. Their sex life was phenomenal. In fact, they got in the habit of keeping condoms and packets of lube in their pockets at all times, just in case the mood took them, which was most of the time.
Landon had spent the day at Liberator Industries, putting final detail changes in his Will, and signing important papers with his lawyers. He was tired and grumpy, but more than anything he wanted to wrap his arms around Carl and get lost in him. He could almost smell the scent of oranges as he stood in the doorway.
“Babes, I know you’re up here, come out so I can suck your,”
“Whoa,” he heard Carl yell, before the lights flashed on.
“Surprise!”
He gazed around the room at his friends all dressed up to the nines and smirking. Awkward looks on their faces were quickly replaced, when Carl came from the back of the room with a trolley and a two-tiered cake blazing with candles.
“Happy Birthday, Ace,” Carl’s face beamed, he threw his arms around his neck with a big sloppy kiss to his cheek.
A resounding rendition of happy birthday filled the room and Landon blew out the candles and started counting them.
“A few too many candles, Babes, how old do you think I am?”
Carl laughed. “Sometimes I have to wonder, baby.”
“Out of the way! Coming through!” Mikala yelled, as she waddled forward.
Mikala was glowing, her belly round like a basketball with the biggest smile on her face, she was officially overdue and ready to pop. She had tried every wives-tale told in hopes of inducing labor, to no avail. Now she stood at Landon’s feet with her arms in the air waiting for her hug.
He bent and hugged her, the best he could. “Happy Birthday Lando, I hate you,” she joked.
Landon gave her a shit-eating grin and palmed her belly, he leaned forward with his cheek resting at her navel and spoke to her belly, which was becoming a ritual.
Yes, the man who happily cowered in a corner and looked for an easy escape when a baby was anywhere near, was now anxious to meet the little person growing inside Mikala’s swollen belly. He was still nervous, but from the moment Mikala forced him to palm her belly and he felt that first kick, he was completely sold on becoming an uncle. He even went so far as to buy What to Expect When You’re Expecting and read it from cover to cover.
“Hey Sprout, Uncle Landon loves you. By the way, it’s our birthday so you can come out now.”
“If this baby doesn’t come soon, I swear you’re a dead man.”
“Why me?” he laughed.
“You were the one that told Sprout not to come,” she slapped him.
“I never said that, I said wait until the fifth,” he laughed, shielding himself.
“Same difference,” she growled. “The doctor did say things have started, whatever the fuck that means.”
“It means the babies going to come when he or she is ready and not a minute before,” Mason said, wrapping his arms around her from behind, holding her swollen belly in the palms of his hands.
“Happy Birthday my friend,” Mason said, offering a handshake.
“Thanks.”
“Were you surprised?” Eden asked, with a hug and kiss.
“If he wasn’t, we sure as hell were,” Chas
e joked, giving him a manly shoulder hug and slap to the back. “Happy Birthday!”
“I,” Landon threw his arms up. “If I had known, you know?”
“So obviously things with you two are going well?”
Landon looked at Carl and smiled. “Perfect, I can’t begin to tell you.”
Without a word of a lie Landon’s world was perfect, he had the man of his dreams in his bed each night and woke up with him each morning and they shared the most incredible sex life imaginable. He never knew how happy he could be. Carl was his everything; he made every day worth waking for and loved him madly.
He tapped his hip pocket and grinned.
“Babes,” he said, “Can I have moment of your time?”
“You can have whatever you want, Ace,”
Landon made his apologies to their friends, took Carl’s hand and led him along the back hall and into the room he used to occupy.
“I want to ask you something,” he said.
“Wait,” Carl stopped him, covering Landon’s mouth with his hand.
Getting down on his knees at Landon’s feet, Landon’s eyes widened as he grabbed the shoulder of Carl’s shirt and tried to tug him to his feet.
“This isn’t the time, Carl.”
“I have no intention of giving you head, listen for a minute,” Carl broke free and reached into his pocket.
Landon reached into his pocket at the same time and pulled out a simple white gold band as his eyes spotted a white gold band pinched between Carl’s fingers.
“Will you marry me?” Carl asked, with a huge grin.
“If you’ll marry me,” Landon said, with a grin to match.
“Yes, I’ll marry you,” Carl laughed, slipping the band over Landon’s finger then giving it a kiss.
“And I’ll marry you, I love you so much,” Landon said, fumbling with the ring as Carl assisted in getting it over the knuckle of his finger.
“Holy fuck!” Landon yelled, sweeping Carl into his arms, swinging him in the air. “This is the best fucking birthday ever.”
“Let’s go tell everyone,” Carl whispered against his lips.
“Wait a minute. I want to enjoy my fiancé’s sweet lips for a while.”
Ten minutes later they walked into Passion with smiles that couldn’t be slapped off their faces and shushed the crowd.
Their friends stood quietly waiting, while they had Rex fill champagne flutes and hand them out. When ready, Landon draped his hand over Carl’s shoulder and held up both their ringed hands to show everyone.
“We’re engaged!” they said together.
Kisses and hugs, congratulations accompanied by handshakes and best wishes, were all interrupted as a scream echoed over it all and everyone turned to see Mikala standing staring down at a small pool of liquid at her feet.
“Fuck me, my water broke,” she looked up and laughed and then burst into tears.
Landon stormed over to her side as did Mason and Carl.
“That’s it Kiddo, make Uncle Lando proud and don’t keep us waiting too long?”
“From your fucking lips,” Mikala panted, holding the base of her belly and hunching over in pain.
“Mommies going to work real hard at cleaning up that mouth of hers,” Chase said, and winked as Mikala flipped him the bird.
“Shall we take this party to Massachusetts General?” Mason asked, lifting his wife into his arms and heading to the door.
***
“Emma Elisabeth Grace,” Mikala said, holding her tiny new daughter in her arms. “I want you to meet the most important people you’re going to have in your life, besides mommy and daddy of course.”
She tipped the baby up slightly, tucking the soft pink blanket under her chin and pointed to each person as she introduced Emma to her surrogate aunts and uncles.
“This is Uncle Chase, he’s going to spoil you rotten and mommy’s not going to be able to stop him. Suck up to him real good and I bet he’ll buy you a pony.”
Chase smiled, as he stepped forward and touched his finger to her tiny rosy cheek. “Hello little girl, I’ll buy you two ponies if that’s what you want.”
“This is Auntie Eden, mommy’s best friend she’s kind of tough, she’ll teach you etiquette and all that shit. Oh, and she’s gonna make sure mommy doesn’t swear around you,” Mikala laughed.
“You’re so beautiful little one, Auntie Eden’s going to take you shopping and help Uncle Chase spoil you.”
“This is Uncle Carl, he can be grumpy sometimes,” she looked up to see Carl scowl at her as he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. “But he’s a very smart man and knows all kinds of neat stuff, he’s going to help you with your homework and make sure you get into the best college.”
“She’s so tiny, she’s got your red hair,” Carl attempted to swirl up a curl on her head. He kissed the tip of his finger and touched it to her forehead. “I may be a prick sometimes baby, but I’ll always be there for you.”
“And last but not least, Emma, this is your Uncle Landon, the one that’s been talking to you every day. Uncle Landon…well, he’s real special.”
Mikala held out Emma and transferred her to Landon’s arms. She practically disappeared in his huge arms, as he cradled her and walked over to the window.
“Emma Elisabeth Grace,” Landon said her name and she opened her eyes, as if she knew who he was. It shouldn’t have been a surprise since he had talked to Mikala’s belly on a daily basis at least once a day, for nine months.
“Happy Birthday, Sweet Pea. I’ve been waiting an awful long time to meet you. When you were no more than a blue streak on a test strip, I knew you were going to be someone special. You’re the luckiest little girl in the world to have all these people that love you.”
Emma scrunched her face and stirred in his arms and he grew anxious for a second until she settled.
“Whew, I thought you were going to show me up and start crying. Give me one more minute, and I’ll hand you back to mommy, deal?” he asked, placing his finger to her hand for a pretend shake, she grasped hold of his finger and he smiled.
“That’s my girl,” he cooed to her. “Mommy and daddy don’t know it yet, but me and Uncle Carl, we’ve got that education thing covered. We started a college fund, our birthday present to you.”
Mikala opened her mouth to protest and Carl stopped her, nodding in Landon’s direction silently.
“I haven’t had a lot of experience with babies, so you’re going to have to be patient with me, I’m going to try and be the best uncle I can. I want you to know you can come to me with any questions, any problems and tell me anything. And just so we’re clear, Sweat Pea, Uncle Landon’s going to screw up sometimes, say the wrong things, do the wrong things, I’m going to come across all gruff and demanding, but always know that I love you. I’m your go to uncle, I’ll protect you and support all your decisions, and I’ll listen when no one else will, because I love you more than anything, Sweat Pea…oh, and I’m going to teach you how to kick ass like I taught your mommy.”
Landon placed a soft gentle kiss on Emma’s forehead and carefully handed her back to Mikala, who was wiping away tears as was everyone in the room.
“Hey! It’s our birthday what’s with the tears?” Landon laughed.
Wiping away the remnants of a tear on Mikala’s cheek, Landon leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “You did great Princess she’s beautiful, I’m so happy for you.”
“I’m sorry I ruined your party,” Mikala said, touching her hand to his cheek.
“You didn’t ruin jack shit, Princess,” Landon said, gently tapping the tip of Emma’s nose. “You gave me the best birthday present ever. You made me an uncle to the most gorgeous baby girl on earth.”
A nurse dressed in scrubs patterned with baby bottles and rattles, came into the room with a tray and smiled. “Feeding time for mom and I’m going to take baby Reed back to the nursery so you can get some rest.”
She compared the bracelet on Emma’s wr
ist to the one on Mikala’s and then lifted her from Mikala. “Bye for now mommy, we’ll be back for feeding time. Make sure you eat it all and get some rest Mrs. Reed.”
“I think that’s our cue to hit the road,” Eden said, giving Mikala a hug.
“I love you guys,” Mikala said, wiping away more tears.
“She’s a bit hormonal,” Mason offered, as an explanation.
“I’m fucking happy. Fuck you and your hormone bullshit,”
“There’s that mouth,” Chase chastised. “We really have to work on that, now that you’re a mother. We wouldn’t want Emma’s first word to be fuck.”
“You squeeze something the size of a watermelon through something the size of a quarter and tell me you’d be worrying about how you speak. Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she uncovered the tray of food and scowled. “Fuck, what’s this shit?”
“We’re out of here. I’m taking the birthday boy out for breakfast.” Carl said, slipping his hand into Landon’s.
“You two want to join us?” Carl asked Eden and Chase.
“No thanks, you two go celebrate your engagement alone, enjoy the day!” Eden said, with a wink. “We have some shopping to do.”
“I’m going to go broke today, I can feel my credit card screaming in my wallet,” Chase laughed. “Get some rest Mik, we’ll come visit later.”
As the room emptied, Mikala called out to Landon and he came back into the room and sat on the bed. She took his hand in hers and held it up so she could see his ring.
“I never got a chance to tell you how happy I am for you and Carl.” She smiled up into his face. “Be happy, you two deserve it.”
“Thanks, Princess, we are happy, he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Landon laughed. “Besides Emma.”
“Go be with him, I love you.”
“I love you,” he said, and hugged her carefully.
Carl was standing playing with his phone in the hallway with one foot propped against the wall and a huge grin on his face. Landon narrowed his brow and stood beside him, looking to see what had him so enthralled.
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