by Marie Harte
“Has your uncle met him? Your cousins?”
“No and yes.” Dennis worried like a mother hen, but she loved him for it. “Actually, Landon is coming with me to Elliot’s for dinner tonight. Sadie will be there too.” She crossed her fingers her cousins would behave. “Landon’s a solid guy. He was in the Marines, but an injury forced him to retire early. And he’s only a few years older than me.”
“I like him already.” Dennis had a soft spot for ex-military. His brother had served and been killed in the line of duty. “Unless he doesn’t treat you right. Then we’ll give him to Lee and turn him into a complete basket case.” Lee, another of their consultants, specialized in PTSD trauma. Dennis lowered his voice. “But I never said that out loud.”
She winked. Dennis left to get ready for a patient, while she nursed her coffee, with time to spare. Landon and Lee had many of the same attributes. Self-confidence bordering on arrogance. Large personalities, big laughs, and great senses of humor. Yet Landon never made Ava feel like she had to prove herself. With Lee she sometimes felt on the defensive.
Landon seemed easy to understand. On the surface. If he was hungry, he ate. If he liked you, he’d tell you. If he didn’t, she had the feeling you’d know that too. He didn’t pull his punches, and she appreciated that about him. Yet he also kept her off balance. For a woman who prided herself on being in control of her life, Landon had come in and swept her off her feet. Literally.
He could lift her without a struggle. He took charge, sexually, and she liked it. For once she didn’t have to be in command, and that submissiveness excited her. Sexually. She’d been studying that part of her psyche since that first time in her kitchen with him.
Though she understood why she’d reacted that way to him, it disturbed her a little. It also unnerved her that she’d never even dreamed of behaving submissively with another man. Not the way she had with Landon.
Landon Donnigan—a commanding individual who all of a sudden was not so commanding.
They talked and laughed, but never about anything deep. They didn’t discuss politics and never discussed his time in the Marine Corps. He seemed insistent that she not “shrink him,” and though she knew he probably needed to talk about his time in the service, she didn’t push.
He puzzled, frustrated, and aroused her. And not in that order. Since their date on Wednesday night, where she’d “blown” his mind—and that naughty play on words continued to amuse her—they hadn’t had sex. Hadn’t even fooled around a little. Just a few pecks on the cheek.
Her amusement died while she wondered at his game. In the days since that explosive night together, they’d gone to dinner with her cousin Rose and Rose’s husband, Joe. They had really liked Landon. He’d been an ideal dinner date, surprisingly enough. He had entertaining stories but didn’t monopolize the conversation. He didn’t try being a bigger man than Joe, but listened and laughed at all the right moments.
And he acted caring and protective without smothering. He’d held her hand or put his arm around her shoulder, but he hadn’t pulled her into his lap or shoved his tongue down her throat—much to her disappointment.
The big man was truly letting her say when.
Just terrific. She glumly considered their pending evening. With any luck, it wouldn’t end the way their movie date had. Saturday night they’d gone to a movie together. It had been an awful film. They’d complained the whole time they were watching. Afterward, they’d hit an all-night arcade and battled it out over Space Invaders and Galaga. She’d won both, but he’d defeated her in the silly fighter games that had too many buttons to figure out.
What had she received for her wins? Not kisses. Pats on the back and smirks, because he knew what she wanted. Hell, he wanted it too. He’d been aroused for most of the night. But Mr. Discipline refused to come down off his high horse and make choices for her. Because he respected her.
“Screw that.”
“Ava?” Emily entered and glanced around. “Are you talking to yourself?”
“Yes.” Ava sighed. “It’s my new boyfriend.”
“Ah.” Emily nodded, sagely saying nothing more than, “Enough said.”
Ava took her coffee back to her office. She straightened up then checked her emails and phone messages. After booking four more appointments, she readied for her eleven o’clock.
Ava centered herself, focused inwardly, and let all her emotions just…go. Landon, her cousins, her coworkers, her patients, nothing mattered but the present.
She opened her eyes, glanced at the clock on the wall, and nodded. Then she left her office and walked down the hall, where she found Mr. and Mrs. Davis sitting on opposite sides of the room immersed in their cell phones.
“Hello.” Ava smiled and called on her patience, because Mr. Davis liked to yell and Mrs. Davis liked to mimic her husband, just to annoy him. Ava drew on her calm. “It’s good to see you again, Alan, Amy. Please, come on back.”
* * *
Monday evening, Landon glanced around Elliot’s place, one of several apartments in a modern complex in Green Lake. They were on the first level of a totally open floor plan. Elliot and Sadie stood behind the giant rectangle of a kitchen island, which divided the kitchen from the living room. The kitchen cabinets had been done in white and gray, and Elliot worked at one end of the island hovering over the stove while Sadie leaned at the other end, critiquing him.
Functional, simple décor, mostly in gray, chrome, or white, filled the living room. Splashes of color in the pillows, a throw over the couch, and in the curtains livened the space. His mother would have a field day in here, because the damn home looked like something on one of those home and garden channels she watched.
If Landon hadn’t already known the guy was gay, this incredible bachelor pad would have given him some strong hints. No straight guy had such a sense of style, at least, none he knew. And yeah, he felt lacking. For just a second. Because while he might not be all that great when it came to decorating, he felt totally comfortable in his house with furniture designed to fit his frame. No way he’d sit in that white boxy chair that probably cost a grand or more but appeared too damn tiny for his ass.
“Looks great, Elliot.” Ava smiled as she studied the area, still standing in the living room with Landon.
“Of course it does. I had Jason reconfigure everything.”
“Wait. Who’s Jason?”
“That’s right. Not Tony or Mitchell. Jason is Elliot’s good friend,” Sadie said. “And why are they good friends?”
Ava answered for her cousin while Landon placed their jackets over the couch. “Because Elliot hasn’t tried to sleep with him. Yet.” She shared a glance with him, reminding him of their conversation on the way over.
Unfortunately, a bad breakup some time ago had sent Elliot into healing-through-sex mode. No matter how many times Ava tried to help him, her cousin continued to go through men, as if seeking validation through his physical appeal, while keeping his heart locked down tight.
Man, Landon so didn’t want her shrinking him.
“So hurtful, you and your words.” Elliot wiped his hands on his white apron, looking like a master chef as he concentrated on the wonderful smells coming from the sizzling pans before him.
“What’s for dinner?” Landon asked, more than ready to eat.
Elliot had agreed to host dinner on the condition that Landon had to come and be prepared to answer questions. He liked the guy’s attitude. Protective of his cousin and snarky. From what Landon had seen of him at the gym, Elliot would have fit in well with his own family. He had that annoying younger brother vibe going for him, a lot like Gavin.
And like Gavin, he had his share of groupies, though Elliot’s seemed mostly male.
“We’re having fajitas, handsome.” Elliot glanced over at him. “But we haven’t properly welcomed you. Sadie, put on your manners. Ava, Landon, s
o glad you two could make it last minute.”
Considering her cousins had pestered her into the dinner—according to Ava—Landon knew to be on his guard. They wanted a look at him. Fair enough. His family had already gotten a look at his girlfriend. He took her by the hand, feeling warm inside. Damn, he liked being with her. Even among the enemy.
“Last minute? That’s funny.” Ava dragged Landon with her into the kitchen and leaned on the island next to Sadie. Sadie pulled away to give her a hug, then she treated Landon to a long, full-bodied embrace that was a little uncomfortable.
Ava tried not to smile. “Sadie. Don’t do the anaconda thing, please.”
An apt description. Sadie had just about wrapped herself around him. And she was strong. Taller than Ava and more muscular, the woman looked like a champion kickboxer. He’d seen her leg sweeps Friday night and had been impressed.
“What?” Sadie finally let him go. “Wow. He really is all muscle.” She wrapped her hands around his biceps.
“I feel dirty,” Landon said in a loud whisper.
Elliot snickered. Sadie wiggled her eyebrows.
Ava said drily, “You should. Sadie feels up all my boyfriends.”
“Yeah, that’s why you got a major hug, Landon. Get it? Major?” Sadie chuckled. “Sadly, it’s been a year and a half since I groped anyone new. Dr. Dateless was going through a dry spell before you. Those recent losers she met for coffee don’t count.”
Ava glared. “Was that information really necessary?”
“Yes. Yes it was.” Sadie gave him a cheeky grin, and Landon couldn’t help laughing.
Of the two of them, Ava clearly had a prettier face and, in his opinion, a better body. But Sadie was no slouch. More cute than pretty, and with a mouth that didn’t quit, Sadie would more than hold her own on the singles scene.
“Just be glad she didn’t grab you and tell you to turn your head and cough,” Elliot said.
Landon’s brows rose. “Really?”
“She does it to all my dates,” Elliot complained with a twinkle in his eye.
“To one date,” she enunciated, “and that didn’t even happen that way. I accidentally tripped into the guy and hit his, well, touched his you-know-what. But Elliot told him I was gropey, so in the process, I actually helped him lose a clingy boyfriend.” She said to her cousin, “And yeah, you still owe me.”
“It was an ugly scene,” Ava confided, then laughed. “By the end of it, Sadie was all red, Elliot wouldn’t stop laughing, and his date had a hissy fit. Literally hissing and shrieking, because Elliot wouldn’t finish what Sadie had started.”
“It was so gross.” Sadie shuddered. “Elliot’s kinky boyfriend using me to turn him on with Elliot. Just so you know, I don’t care how hot you are. I’m not feeling you up so you and Ava can get it on.”
“For God’s sake.” Ava looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there.
Landon laughed out loud, enjoying himself immensely. “I think you’re safe with me. I like my time with the ladies to be pretty private.”
“Good for you.” Elliot nodded. “I’m not against certain kinks, but I like my lovers one-on-one. And I’m not a fan of seeing my junk on the big screen either. Because some guys like to take pictures and post them, know what I mean?”
Ava’s cheeks had turned pink.
“Guys can be scum. I think we all know that,” Landon admitted, trying not to laugh as Ava covered her ears.
Her cousins nodded.
Ava let out a loud breath and dropped her hands. “Do you guys think we could get something to eat or drink and have a normal conversation without mentioning sex? We just walked through the door!”
Sadie shook her head. “You know, for a clinical psychologist, you can be quite the prude.”
“Quite,” Elliot reiterated.
“I have to use the bathroom.” Ava shook her head. “You’re on your own,” she told Landon and darted down the hallway.
“So Landon, quick,” Elliot urged in a low voice. “Ask me anything you want before she gets back.”
Landon was so glad he’d agreed to dinner with her family. He would have come anyway, simply to get to know more about her. But this was an opportunity not to be missed. “So a year and a half?”
Sadie and Elliot nodded. “He was a bad lay,” Sadie confided. “And boring. But safe. Ava has a thing about safe guys. Same as her recent online dates. Bland seems to be a thing with her.” Then she and Elliot gave him a once-over and exchanged a look.
“Yeah, you’re totally against type.” Elliot nodded.
“That’s what I’ve been hearing.” And every time Landon heard it, he grew more annoyed. “So what qualities am I missing, exactly, from being Ava’s ‘perfect man’? I know I’m a little bigger than she’s used to.” He hadn’t meant that to come out wrong, but from the smirks on Sadie’s and Elliot’s faces, he knew he’d already misspoken. “You guys really do live in the gutter, don’t you?”
“Yep,” Elliot said without pause. “So, to reiterate, you’re too big, you’re not an academic”—Elliot ticked off his fingers—“you don’t have a PhD. Don’t dress in slacks and loafers. Gag, but yeah, she even has a dress code on her stupid list. Are you a family kind of guy?”
“Huh?”
“Like, are you close with your family?”
“Yes.”
Sadie nodded. “That’s a plus. And you’re somewhat intelligent.”
“Gee, thanks.”
Elliot continued in a rush, “Mr. Right has to be funny, smart, handsome—because physical chemistry is important to Ava—have life goals, make his own money, oh, and he has to like us.” Elliot grinned, showing his teeth. “You can’t be abusive in any way, and you have to want marriage and family down the line. And most importantly, you can’t be intimidated by Ava.”
“Because her brain and her mouth can be scary,” Sadie said. “You might not see it now, because you’re all about the boobs and the hair, but she has a tendency to cut through all kinds of BS. So if being with someone who’s a real brain and can tell when you’re lying bothers you, bail now, buddy.”
Before he could respond, Ava returned. Her cousins both watched him, waiting for…what?
“Still here.”
“Good.” Elliot looked pleased.
“What did I miss? The warnings? The STD talk? The ‘I’ll break your legs if you hurt poor Ava’ speech?” She grabbed the bowl of pita chips and hummus from Sadie and slid them toward Landon.
“Nothing poor about you that I can see.” Landon had no problem with her family looking out for Ava. And her list made a sort of sense. It was practical and on point for a woman who wanted a decent guy in her future.
Landon just wished she’d throw out a few of her stupider requirements. Who cared if he was big and muscular? And why the hell should a PhD matter anyway? That bothered him. He knew he could and would eventually rock her world in the sack. The sexual chemistry between them was like nothing he’d ever experienced. Sexually, they’d be gold once the stubborn woman gave him the go-ahead. But he had no intention of getting an advanced degree. Ever.
Would she then consider him her intellectual inferior?
Him? Major Landon Donnigan? Nah. No way.
He looked down at her, pleased she’d worn her hair down over that pretty pink sweater that accentuated her curves. She also wore a long tan skirt and boots. Professional chic. And damn, he wanted to see her in her office wearing those glasses while she counseled him. The fantasy refused to leave him.
“Landon?” She grabbed a glass of water from Sadie. “Did you want something?”
A hard fuck would be nice. “How about something to drink?”
“Sadie,” Elliot ordered, “get the man a…beer? Wine? Iced tea?” He went back to those amazing-smelling fajitas.
“Iced tea works.” Landon salivat
ed, and his belly rumbled.
Elliot snapped his fingers at his cousin and pointed to the fridge. Sadie gave him a dark look even as she fetched then slid a glass of tea to Landon.
“So, Ava. Now’s your chance,” Sadie said. “What do you want to ask Landon that you haven’t yet? Because we can ask for you while we’re getting to know him. It’s our right as family.”
“And doesn’t count as me being nosy because I’m not asking.” Ava turned to Landon. “Aren’t they funny?”
“Hilarious. However, you will recall that my family didn’t ask you fifty questions.”
“No, they just blamed me for mauling you on the couch and for possibly putting that blow-up doll in your bed.”
Elliot dropped his spatula. “Say that again?”
Landon groaned. “You just had to bring that up, didn’t you?”
Her wicked grin had his heart racing. The light overhead made her green eyes brighter, her lips darker. She was so damn pretty, and smart, and sexy, and… He had to stop. This obsession with the woman—one he hadn’t even properly sexed up yet—was getting to him.
Hell, he now had a girlfriend. Instead of feeling hemmed in by the title, it curbed him of any desire for anyone else. Well, she’d actually curbed him, but still. And he loved the title, because it told others she was taken, no longer available.
“Ahem. Blow-up doll?” Sadie watched him and Ava, her eyes narrowed.
“It wasn’t mine,” he denied, as he’d been doing to the great hilarity of his siblings. “My brothers and sister are still blaming each other, but I’m going with Gavin as the culprit. And man, the payback will be such a bitch.”
“Nice.” Elliot nodded. “No wonder you and Ava get along. She’s as deceitful as you are.”
“Why does everyone talk about me as if I’m not here, and in such unflattering terms?” Ava scowled. “And stop hogging the hummus, Sadie.” She tugged it back.
Seeing Ava with her cousins added a dimension to her that Landon could have done without. Because it made him crave her all the more. He wanted to see that loving grin on her face directed his way. To feel her accepting all of him, his foibles, successes, everything, simply because he belonged to her the way her family did.