June Kisses

by Mari Carr

  There wasn’t much Finn could have said that would’ve made him give up his pursuit of Sunnie at the moment…except that.

  “Why?”

  “Because she’s in the middle of freaking out. Sunnie is completely unreasonable in that frame of mind, and you know it. Give her some time to land and then chase after her.”

  Landon sighed. Finn was right. And while his head said giving her space was a good idea, he wasn’t feeling particularly rational at the moment.

  “So…” Finn started, walking over to the couch and sitting down. “When did you come back?”

  Landon followed him, dropping into the recliner. It was time he and Finn talked. “I never left. Went down to the pub until closing time. Then came back up here.”

  Finn considered that. “Padraig try to stop you, or did he suggest it?”

  Landon shrugged. “He gave me some good advice that encouraged me. Colm was here on the couch when I showed up.”

  Finn nodded. “He’s a night owl whenever he’s got a big case on his mind. Given your shirtless state, I can see there are no bruises. I’m assuming he didn’t try to stop you either.”

  Landon shook his head. “Wished me luck.”

  Finn leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You got it bad, huh?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Let me guess. You woke up and started talking about love and commitment and all that shit. You should have known better, man.”

  “Actually, she was freaking out before I woke up. I think last night—”

  Finn raised his hand to cut him off. “I don’t want to know one damn thing about last night. You give me too many details and I’ll have to beat the shit out of you on principle. I know way too much about your bedroom games.”

  Landon grinned. Finn knew about them because it was one way in which they were actually very similar. Like Landon, Finn enjoyed bondage and rough play and control.

  “Give me some credit. I’m not going to tell you what we did…or how many times.” He wiggled his eyebrows, getting a kick out of Finn’s sudden scowl. Once the shock of Landon and Sunnie being together as a couple wore off, Landon was going to have a hell of a lot of fun at Finn’s expense, the perfect payback for years of teasing and practical jokes.

  “Probably going to need therapy to get through this,” Finn joked. “Wonder if Uncle Chad has any room on his schedule this week. Not sure I could sit on Aunt Lauren’s couch and talk about,” he pointed to Landon’s shirtless chest again, “this.”

  Landon tried to smile, but he couldn’t get the image of Sunnie standing by the window out of his mind. He knew her standard operating procedure whenever a guy got too close, but he’d foolishly thought it would be different with him. For one thing, he wasn’t a fucking tool. And what they’d done, the way it had been between them… God, Landon had never experienced anything like that.

  “I’m in over my goddamned head here, bro,” Landon confessed. “She’s got my heart in her teeth.”

  “I warned you the other week that—”

  “You’re not seriously going to hit me with ‘I told you so,’ are you?”

  “Of course I’m not. Or,” Finn grinned, “I’m not going to say just that. It’s enough that you and I both know I did tell you this would happen. And you didn’t listen. Not that I thought you would. So get your game plan together. Taking off after her would have just added more steam to the pressure cooker and she would have blown. You have to give her a chance to let what happened sink in. My sister’s not stupid. She’s stubborn as hell, but she’ll reason this out soon enough, and when she does, she’ll figure out what you already know.”

  “What’s that?”

  “That you’re perfect for each other.”

  Landon didn’t realize how much Finn’s support meant to him until that second. “You really believe that?”

  “There’s not one single guy on this planet I’d want with my sister more than you.”

  “So…what’s my next move?”

  “Nothing. The next move is hers.”

  Landon shook his head. “No. She’ll never—”

  “Dammit, man. If you push her on this, she’ll only dig in her heels harder. I’m going downstairs for breakfast. Want to come with me?”

  Landon shrugged, food was the last thing he wanted. Then he nodded. He didn’t have anything else to do, and the idea of going home alone and stewing all day wasn’t appealing. Truth was, he didn’t see himself going home until he saw Sunnie again, which would be hours from now. “Yeah. Okay. Day drink at the pub in front of the games?”

  Finn was always in for that. “Hell yeah.”

  “Just let me,” Landon grinned as he looked down, making sure to point out a red mark above his nipple, a souvenir left behind by Sunnie, “get dressed.”

  Finn sighed. “Shit. I’m probably still gonna have to kick your ass.”

  Landon chuckled, then walked back to Sunnie’s room. His cell phone was on the nightstand. Glancing over his shoulder, he picked it up and failed to follow Finn’s advice.

  He texted Sunnie.

  Need to talk.

  A full minute passed before her reply came back, and he realized his best friend had been right.

  Can’t. Not yet.

  Landon wanted to push her, but instead he swallowed down the lump in his throat and took a steadying breath.

  He wasn’t finished fighting for Sunnie’s heart.

  Not by a long shot.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Get in.”

  Sunnie recognized the voice, surprised when she looked over and saw her cousin Yvonne pulled up to the curb outside the hospital, passenger window rolled down to get her attention. She was coming off a ten-hour shift, her feet hurt, her eyes were scratchy from crying, and the idea of going home and possibly seeing Landon had her stomach in knots.

  She’d hoped a day of hard work would shake out some of her confusion, but it hadn’t touched it. Hell, she was in worse shape now, the initial panic turning to cold-blooded terror.

  She was a hot mess.

  “What are you doing here?” Sunnie asked.

  Kelli, whom she hadn’t noticed until that point, peeked her head over the back seat. “We’re kidnapping you. Taking you out for margaritas. Get your ass in the car.”

  “What about my car?” she stupidly asked, even though she was already reaching for the door handle.

  “I’ll drive you back for it in the morning.” Yvonne had clearly thought through this kidnapping.

  She was quiet as Yvonne pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street. “Why the kidnapping?” she asked at last.

  Yvonne glanced over and winked. “Because I saw you this morning, running out of the Collins Dorm like you were being chased by a serial killer. It was obvious you’d just pulled a Sunnie, especially considering the way Landon’s been holding up the bar ever since. So, Kelli and I decided you needed an intervention. And we needed margaritas.”

  “Pulled a Sunnie?” she asked.

  “AKA, dumped the dude and ran for the hills,” Kelli chimed in from the back.

  “It’s Sunday night,” Sunnie said to Kelli. “School night.”

  “And it’s June,” Kelli reminded her. “I’m one week into my summer vacay bender. Fucking free. And it feels great!”

  Kelli was a kindergarten teacher and Padraig’s best friend. She’d also been around as long as Landon, which meant—like him—she was practically family.

  Family.

  Sunnie’s stomach clenched again, and she debated telling Yvonne to pull over in case she got sick.

  Sunnie rubbed her eyes wearily. “Listen. I don’t want you all to think I don’t appreciate this, but—”

  “Save it. This is happening.” Yvonne turned on her blinker and pulled into the parking lot of their favorite Mexican restaurant. While the food was just okay, they made killer margaritas. “Come on.”

  Kelli and Yvonne both got out, leaving Sunnie no choice but to follow.

>   Once they’d claimed a booth, ordered chips and salsas, and three frozen margaritas, Yvonne lifted her hand and said, “Let’s have it. What happened?”

  Sunnie knew her cousin and Kelli. Knew she’d never leave this restaurant until she spilled her guts. But now that she was here, she realized talking about it with them was probably exactly what she needed. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess. “How far back do I need to go?”

  Yvonne shot her a dirty look. “Given the dark circles under my eyes, I think you can go ahead and assume I’m up to speed through three a.m. That’s when I put the earplugs in.”

  Sunnie winced. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I couldn’t hear what you were saying, but there was a fair amount of mattress squeaking and headboard banging. Gotta hand it to Landon—sounds like he’s got stamina.”

  Sunnie laughed and the tightness in her chest eased a little. “It was amazing sex. You couldn’t believe—”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Kelli said. “I’m going to need a lot more details. I missed the sound effects last night.”

  The waitress brought their drinks and Sunnie lifted hers, clinking it against Kelli and Yvonne’s glasses. “Can I just say it was the best sex of my life?”

  Kelli sighed. “Damn. Where can I sign up for some of that?”

  “Of course it was,” Yvonne said. “It’s that old friends-to-lovers thing. It always survives the test of time.”

  Sunnie winced when Yvonne said the word lovers, prompting her cousin to roll her eyes.

  “So if the sex was so great, what happened this morning to send you running?” Kelli asked.

  Sunnie sighed. “I freaked out.”

  Kelli shook her head, as if disappointed in her, while Yvonne said, “Of course you did.”

  Sunnie had too much pride for her own good, so Yvonne’s response put her on the defensive. “He lied to me, Vonnie. Said we were just going to,” she finger-quoted, “‘pretend date.’ He wasn’t pretending.”

  “Don’t be that girl, Sun,” Yvonne said.

  “What girl?”

  Yvonne looked at Kelli, who lifted a hand, gesturing for her to continue.

  “The stupid one. You knew it wasn’t pretend.”

  Sunnie swallowed heavily, not ready to admit that. “Finn will never accept this. Landon is his best friend. I’m his sister.”

  “Oh my God,” Kelli said. “That girl is worse.”

  Sunnie leaned back, exasperated. “Which girl is that?”

  “The one who uses other people as excuses for her own stupidity. Go back to just being thick.” Kelli picked up her margarita and took a drink.

  The weight that had been pressing down on her chest since she woke up this morning lifted a bit more, and Sunnie grinned, even as she said, “I hate both of you.”

  Kelli laughed and kept drinking.

  Yvonne smiled, unoffended. “No, you don’t. I’m your best friend/cousin. You’re crazy about me.”

  Sunnie shrugged. “I think I’ve changed my mind about that. Might pick Caitlyn or Ailis for that role.”

  “They have each other.”

  “Fiona,” Sunnie said.

  “She lives too far away. Besides, she’s got two gay best friends. She’ll never have time for you.”

  Sunnie laughed, then the three of them fell silent for a few moments, eating chips, drinking margaritas, giving her a chance to let their words sink in.

  Finally, she said the thing that had caused her stupid freak-out to begin with. “Landon thinks I’m in love with him.”

  “You are.”

  The more Yvonne kept pointing out the obvious, the more Sunnie wished she could rewind her morning freak-out. “Well, obviously I love him. I’ve always loved him. It’s just…”

  “You’ve never been in love, Sunnie. You’ve never really set yourself up for that emotion because your taste in men was pretty shallow. Pretty faces and big muscles.” Kelli leaned closer and winked. “Not that I fault you for that. Some of those boys were very, very easy to look at.”

  Sunnie laughed again, figuring Kelli probably understood her the best. Like Sunnie, Kelli wasn’t looking to settle down, and her track record with men wasn’t much better.

  Then Sunnie said, “Those guys were easy to be with. No expectations. No commitment. This is…”

  “Hard,” Yvonne finished for her.

  Sunnie nodded, then spoke her real fear. “What if it doesn’t work out, Vonnie? If I screw this up, or he figures out it was a mistake…it’ll kill me. I hate feeling so scared.”

  Yvonne reached over the table and grasped her hand, squeezing it. “That’s what I mean by hard. But you’re not going to mess anything up. And no part of this is a mistake—Landon knows that. Love is one big-ass risk. But believe me, you and Landon are a pretty safe bet. I’d put all my money on you.”

  Kelli lifted her glass and toasted her. “Me too.”

  Sunnie smiled, still not completely convinced.

  Yvonne recognized her doubtful expression. “You saw the video, Sun. You saw how Landon looked at you after that kiss. How can you doubt his feelings aren’t completely genuine?”

  Sunnie closed her eyes and sighed. “I only watched it once. And I wasn’t looking at him. I was kind of looking at my hair. There was this one piece—” she continued, reaching up.

  “One time?” Kelli interrupted in disbelief. “I’ve probably seen it fifty times.”

  “You watched it one time?” Yvonne repeated, equally shocked.

  Sunnie nodded. “Yeah. You should know. You were there.”

  “That’s the only time you saw the video? Jesus! No wonder you’re acting like an idiot. The second we get home, you’re going to go upstairs, alone, pull out your phone, turn off the stupid canned music in the background and watch the damn thing. Look at Landon. Screw your hair!”

  “Pop Pop told me to do the same thing.” Sunnie didn’t point out that advice had come a few weeks earlier.

  “And as always, Pop Pop was right. I can’t believe you didn’t listen to him.”

  “I was scared,” Sunnie confessed. “I’m still scared.”

  “Which is why we’re here,” Yvonne said, lifting her margarita. “We’re going to fortify you with a couple of these, then you can go home and watch the video.”

  “Then you can find Landon and tell him you love him,” Kelli added.

  “Just do me a favor?” Yvonne added.

  “Anything,” Sunnie said, grateful for her cousin and Kelli. They had made everything so much better.

  “Sleep at his place tonight.”

  Sunnie laughed as she picked up a chip, dipping it into the salsa. Now that she had a plan, the appetite that had eluded her all day returned with a vengeance. “You got it.”

  “Another round?” Kelli suggested.

  Sunnie nodded. “And fajitas. I’m starving.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Landon sat at the end of the bar with Miguel and Finn, watching the Orioles game. They’d been here all damn day. It was growing late, which meant that for the past two hours, he’d had one eye on the television and the other on the door.

  He had spent the entire day trying to figure out what he’d say to Sunnie that might set her mind at ease, that wouldn’t cause her to freak out again.

  Sunnie had told him countless times she wasn’t looking for a relationship, that she wanted to focus on her career. He respected that, but as far as he was concerned, she could have her career and him at the same damn time.

  And that ridiculous list she’d rattled off this morning was full of nothing. Finn had already given his blessing, and Landon suspected—hoped—Aaron and Riley would do the same.

  Which left the love part.

  She’d never been in love, and he could understand why that might scare her. He’d seen honest-to-God panic in her eyes this morning and it had bothered him all day.

  “Landon?”

  Landon turned at the sound of her voice, thinking he’d misheard. There was no way…


  Allison stood behind him, smiling.

  “Allison?”

  He stood up, giving her a hug, catching Finn’s shocked expression as Miguel mouthed The Allison? to Finn, who nodded just once. He and Miguel had been partnered up on the force a couple of months after Allison left town, so the two of them had never met.

  “I stopped by your place but you weren’t there. I hoped I might find you here.”

  “Why didn’t you call and tell me you were in town?” he asked.

  “I wanted to surprise you.”

  She’d done that. And not in a great way. Two minutes ago, he’d been wishing Sunnie would hurry up and get home. Now he was hoping he could buy a few more minutes.

  She smiled and said hello to Finn, and he introduced her to Miguel, the three of them exchanging pleasantries as Landon tried to figure out how he could politely tell her this wasn’t a good time.

  “I was wondering,” Allison said, turning back to him, “if I could speak to you alone for a moment or two?”

  He wanted to say no, but he noticed her eyes were shiny and it looked like she might cry. Had something happened to someone in her family?

  “Of course,” he said, gesturing to the only empty booth left in the pub, in the back corner. Allison sat first, grabbing the side that faced the doorway, which left Landon at a disadvantage. He now had his back to not only the front door, but the stairs that led to the Collins Dorm. Short of constantly turning around, he had no way to know when Sunnie arrived home.

  Sighing, he sat as well, but before he could ask what was wrong, Darcy—who’d just started waiting tables at the pub a few months earlier—was standing there. She said hello to Allison, asked if she wanted anything to drink, then shot Landon a not-so-subtle what the hell look.

  Finn had filled his kid sister in on Sunnie and Landon’s newfound relationship—skipping over the sex part, even though it was clear that was all Darcy was interested in hearing about—shortly after lunchtime.

  Landon had carried his full pint over with him from the bar, so he waited…and just barely resisted muttering a curse when Allison ordered a glass of wine and then asked to see a food menu. The last thing he wanted to do right now was have a drink and dinner with his ex-girlfriend. He and Allison had parted on good terms, and while he wouldn’t mind catching up with her someday—preferably with Sunnie there—tonight wasn’t the night for that.