by Layla Hagen
“Wait, wait, wait a second. Which one’s Landon?”
“The one who lives in San Jose.”
She held up her finger as if telling me to wait, picked up her smartphone, and typed something in it.
“Holy guacamole on a spike! Landon is like... all my favorite movie stars combined. I mean, this is just a headshot, but I can’t imagine a man with his face not having a body to go with it.”
I grinned. “He’s hot. Saw him in jogging clothes a few times. Doesn’t leave anything to the imagination, trust me.”
Grace blew her nose loudly, then adopted a dreamy expression. “And he’s a good dancer, huh? You know what they say about good dancers.”
“Oh, I do.” I’d thought about it the entire night. The way his body moved... I imagined he’d be just as excellent in bed as he was on the dance floor. When he’d asked me if I was seeing someone, I thought he might flip me around and kiss me. But then I realized why he’d asked. He wouldn’t have danced that way with me if I were seeing someone else. In some ways, our dancing felt more intimate than kissing.
Grace tilted her head, studying me. “Something’s not right. You’re usually not this open about liking a guy. Not since—”
“Don’t say his name.”
“I was going to say He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Since him, you’ve been more... guarded.”
I’d tried dating after Owen, but it didn’t amount to much. I shrugged, fiddling her bedsheet with my fingers. “I know, but Landon’s so out of my reach, it’s almost like crushing on a movie star. It’s safe, you know? Because it’s all in your imagination.”
“That dance was not in your imagination.”
“I know, but it was just a dance.”
I couldn’t explain to Grace the conundrum that was Landon, mainly because I didn’t understand him completely either. But even though he was fun, and even a little flirty, I could feel that emotional barrier he’d put in place. I wanted to reach out to him, break it down, but didn’t know how. Like I was an authority on breaking barriers or something. I had erected some walls of my own after Owen. I didn’t want to start unbricking my heart for anyone. But damn, I loved the way Landon smiled at me last night. I wanted to see him happy. Was that crazy?
“Do you want me to drive you to the doctor?” I asked.
“Nah, it’s okay. I can drive.”
“I should go. If I arrive early at Val’s, I’ll be done quicker, and then we can catch up this evening.”
“Take care.”
On the way to Val’s, I drank the entire coffee I bought at the Starbucks opposite Grace’s building, but I could feel the tiredness setting in already. And it was just eight in the morning. I had a silver lining, though. This was the time of day Landon went for his run, unless Lori was dropping Milo early for training. In any case, my chances of seeing him in workout gear were excellent.
I switched on the radio, hoping for some music beats to chase away my drowsiness. Three songs in and I was sleepy as hell. Then the stream of music was interrupted by the news bulletin.
“A storm will be rolling in from the coast today. We’re expecting heavy rain and the wind can reach up to one hundred miles an hour.”
Fantastic. I’d been listening to the weather report yesterday, and they’d said the storm would not reach LA. Just my luck. I groaned as traffic on La Cienega Boulevard slowed almost to a standstill. Not unusual, but not what I needed, especially with this news. It meant I had to shop for supplies to cover Val’s yard. Rain brought the risk of erosion when the terrain was a slope. I grabbed my phone and checked where the nearest shop was. Then I groaned again. I’d be a million years late to Val’s. I needed a semipermeable ground cover and spikes to fasten it. The reason I didn’t have them in my pack of supplies was that it rarely rained in summer. A storm on the last day of June was very unusual.
When I finally had the supplies, dark clouds had already rolled in and the wind was chilling. This storm was going to be a sucker, but between the boys and me, we’d manage to secure the entire front yard before the downpour began.
The space in front of Val’s gate was emptier than I’d expected it. Val was probably at the office, but when I’d left yesterday, Lori’s car was in the drive too. I remembered on the spot Milo telling me they were going to the festival on Venice Beach today, and they’d be leaving at eight. But then I realized what else was wrong with the picture in front of me. Only Jacob had arrived to work, and he wasn’t working. He was leaning against his car... waiting. A familiar dread knotted in my stomach. This was not happening. Not today, when there was a storm rolling in. I was instantly jolted awake. I climbed out of my car.
“Hey, Jacob! Where’s Sevi?”
He looked at me apologetically. Crap, crap, crap. I knew what was coming.
“Sorry, Maddie, we got an offer yesterday. Today’s the first day of work. Sevi’s already there. I just wanted to tell you in person.”
This was the part of my business I hated. People just up and leaving because a newer, bigger, better construction site needed workers. I was pissed to no end, but I fought to remain calm.
“Jacob, be reasonable. You can’t quit midproject. I pay you the market price.”
He shrugged. “This project’s bigger, Maddie. Will last until the end of the year.”
“Stay today, so we can secure the yard before the storm comes in.” I couldn’t keep my voice down any longer. It was the last day of June, and I’d already paid them for this month, so I didn’t have anything to hold over his head.
“Can’t, Maddie, I’m so sorry. We start today. I have to be there so they don’t give the job to someone else.”
He gave me another shrug, then climbed into his car and drove away. I wanted to scream, and kick, and maybe even cry a little. Why were people so undependable? There was no way I could find someone to help me secure the yard before the storm kicked in. With trembling hands, I pulled out my phone and started posting job offers in all the groups I knew. This would only get me temporary workers for next week, but they’d have to do until I found permanent replacements for Jacob and Sevi. There was a real possibility I’d complete this project late, and I hated that. I knew Val wouldn’t mind, but I liked keeping my word, meeting my deadlines. It was why I’d made it this far.
There was only one thing to do.
I had to kick ass, and pronto.
Chapter Nine
Landon
Venice Beach was exactly as I remembered it, bustling with people. The festival was organized along the promenade, and the vendor booths with wooden toys looked at odds with the palm trees and the people carrying surfboards or cocktails. Will was meeting us here too.
“If we hurry, we’ll be able to stop by every booth before the storm starts,” Lori said. “I can’t believe it. A storm.”
She looped an arm through mine as we walked straight into the madness, Milo bouncing from one booth to the other.
“I forgot what it was like to walk with you,” Lori said with a chuckle. “I feel like we’re in a parade. I caught ten women checking you out. And that’s with me on your arm. They don’t know I’m your sister.”
“I thought you wanted me to date?”
“Oh, I do. But here’s a tip for survival. If a woman’s lips look as if they were sucked off with a faucet, or she keeps checking her phone and looking at you, run in the other direction. Many would like to nab a tech mogul. Your net worth is more than anyone’s whose handprints lie on the Walk of Fame. Your face has been on enough magazines to be recognizable. But don’t worry, I have your back.”
“I’m the oldest brother. That’s not your task.”
Lori scoffed, scooting tighter to me. “Just reminding you how to play your cards in our dear City of Angels. You don’t have a ring on your finger to keep the sharks at bay.”
Even when I was a married man, a ring never deterred those who were out to catch a big fish, but I’d never been interested. I wasn’t now either. My mind was on Maddie.
> Will joined us fifteen minutes later, clasping a hand on my shoulder.
“Seriously? You have to boast that badge wherever you go?” Lori challenged. “You’re off duty.”
“The badge comes with advantages. People think twice before trying any funny business.”
Lori’s gaze followed Milo from one booth to the other, and then she looped her other arm around Will’s. Some days I still couldn’t believe Will was part of the police force. It had come as a complete shock when he’d announced his career choice. Growing up, he’d had a healthy disregard for rules, even a few encounters with the police. Talk about contradictions. Val had cracked so many jokes about police officers when he told us that I knew for sure something was off. The moment he’d left, she’d started sobbing.
“He’s going to have a gun. He’s going to be around bad guys. What if something happens to him?”
Secretly, I agreed with her, but if that was what he wanted, there wasn’t anything either of us could do. Val had hoped it would be a phase, but I knew better. Will was determined, and when he decided on something, he went through with it—which he did. I was proud of him even though he skirted too close to the danger line for my peace of mind.
When dark gray clouds gathered above, my thoughts flew to Maddie and her determination to keep the project on track. Did she account for bad weather when she drew a timeline for a project? Or would she stubbornly work through the rain? Somehow, I felt I already knew the answer.
“They weren’t kidding about that storm warning,” I said.
“Storm warning?” Will asked.
Lori nodded. “They announced it this morning. I wonder if it’ll have an impact on the whole terracing business.”
“I’ll check with Maddie when I get home,” I assured her. Lori cocked a brow and failed to disguise a knowing smile.
“So, what other plans do you have today, Landon?”
She didn’t say “besides checking on Maddie” out loud, but I picked up the gist of her question.
“I’m meeting Craig and his wife before dinner.” Craig was one of our oldest childhood friends.
“So you’re free after dinner? Maybe I should take you out,” Lori teased.
“Ah, you didn’t get enough big-brother teasing from me?” I volleyed back smoothly, fighting a smile.
She narrowed her eyes, looking at me with mock menace. “So that’s how you’re gonna play it?”
I held up a hand. “This is fair game. I only use underhanded tactics for people who don’t share our blood.”
“So you keep saying,” she muttered.
“I can help with that,” Will offered. “What were you teasing her about? I fall into the older brother category.”
“Buddy, you’re the third oldest in the family,” Lori said. “That in no way qualifies you to be in the older category. Or the youngest. You’re in the wishy-washy middle with me.”
That was true. Jace was the youngest, followed by Hailey. Then came Lori and Will. But I knew why Will felt part of the older gang. When Val and I were at the pub, he’d often cooked dinner for Lori, Hailey, and Jace, and helped them with homework.
I’d missed bantering with my siblings after moving away.
“Val and Landon are twins. Technically, I’m the second oldest,” Will said.
Lori wrinkled her nose, directing us all toward Milo, who had skipped two booths ahead. “Technicalities don’t work for me, just like your badge doesn’t.”
“You seem to find it useful when you ask me to come up with bogus rules for Milo. Remember the time you made me tell him I could arrest him for eating too many sweets?”
“It’s so easy to pawn that off on you, though. He is a big believer in badges. And I’m a big believer in chocolate fudge.” She smiled, pointing to a booth. “I’ll treat all of us.”
“You don’t have to—” Will and I began, but she cut us off.
“My treat. No negotiating. As a thank-you to both of you for coming here today.”
Half an hour later, the downpour began. We’d managed to take cover under a tarp just in time. We waited and then waited some more, but it showed no sign of stopping. I’d texted Maddie once, but she hadn’t replied. I was growing restless with worry. Was she out in the rain?
When it became clear the downpour would continue, I bid Lori, Will, and Milo goodbye and hailed a cab. I texted Maddie again, but she didn’t answer. The rain was so thick you could barely see anything out the window. The traffic was a nightmare. It took me hours to reach the house.
When I stepped out of the cab, it seemed to me that only Maddie’s car was parked here. I stepped through the front gate and scanned the grounds. The rain soaked me in seconds. I had to use my palm as protection over my eyes to keep the rain from stabbing my eyeballs. The entire yard seemed covered in some sort of plastic tarp. Only the wooden trail was uncovered. I didn’t see Maddie, and my shoulders felt lighter. But as I finished scanning the front yard, movement on the far left caught my attention.
I groaned. There she was, her hands maneuvering the end of the tarp. And she was... arguing with herself? I couldn’t tell, but she was talking and shaking her head, and there was no one around. I headed straight toward her.
“What are you doing out here?” I tapped her shoulder, but she still startled, whirling around.
“I need to secure the cover with spikes,” she explained.
“Where are the guys?”
“They quit.”
“Maddie, let’s go inside. You can finish this when the rain eases a bit.”
She shook her head. “If I don’t secure this, there’s a risk the rain will dislodge the earth.”
As far as I could see, there were spikes at regular intervals. The cover looked pretty fucking secure to me.
“Maddie, you’re soaked. I’m soaked.”
“Then go inside. I need to finish this.”
She kept fumbling with a spike, and I gripped both her wrists, looking straight at her.
“Maddie, stop being so stubborn or I swear I’ll throw you over my shoulder and take you inside.”
She wiggled a hand out of my grip, then held the finger up warningly. “You just don’t get this.”
Except I did. I knew that feverish need to keep fixing what you could when a problem escalated until it was out of your control. I found myself in such situations at least twice a month at the office, and working through it always got me to the other end. But I wasn’t about to let Maddie give herself pneumonia.
She tried to wiggle her other hand out of my grip, but I tightened my fingers on her skin. I was scanning her body, weighing what the easiest way would be to toss her over my shoulders when she exclaimed, “Oh my God, you’re seriously going to throw me over your shoulder.”
“Yes.”
She dropped the spike she was still gripping in the hand I held captive and started marching toward the house. I walked next to her, releasing her hand but keeping my eyes trained on her in case she changed her mind. When we stepped out of the rain and onto the porch, I took a good look at her. Her gray shirt was soaked and transparent, and I could see her black bra, the swell of her breasts where the fabric gave way to skin. Longing thrummed through me, to touch her, taste her. I wondered if she was wearing matching panties, but I didn’t have to wonder for too long. Her pants—not jeans, but some thinner fabric—were as transparent as her shirt. She was wearing a black thong, the thin scrap of fabric at the back running right over her crack, leaving her round ass cheeks in plain view. My fingers itched with the impulse to remove that thong, touch and lick all the places it had covered.
“You are unbelievable.” She took the elastic band out of her hair and squeezed the water out of her blonde tresses before whirling to face me. Stepping closer, she poked my chest. “Unbelievable. Who does that?”
“Who stays out in a torrential rain?” I countered, trying to ignore the bolt of heat her touch had sent through me.
“Someone who wants to finish a job.” She p
oked me again, and I caught her wrist because if she touched me one more time, I couldn’t be held responsible for my actions. Her mouth was so close. Pink and plump, and I knew she’d be soft and sweet. She licked her lower lip, her own gaze pinned on my shirt. When our eyes met, she brought her free hand to my chest, and I exhaled sharply.
I leaned in and captured her mouth. She parted her lips with a sigh, allowing me entrance. Her taste! I could get addicted to it, to the way she gave herself to me, without restraint or reservations. I let go of her wrist and moved one hand to her waist, fisted her hair with the other, angling her head so I could explore her mouth better. Slipping my hand down from her waist, I cupped her ass, pulling her flat against me. She groaned in my mouth when my erection pressed along her belly.
I was going to kiss her until her legs shook.
***
Maddie
The contact was electrifying, jolting every nerve in my body. His lips fit perfectly against mine. The scruff on his jaw lightly scraped against my skin, but I liked it. I liked it even more when he pushed me back until I felt a solid wall behind me. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. Eh, I could always do with more of such delicious hardships. I loved this—being trapped by his strong body, with no other choice but to fully surrender to his kiss. And oh, what a kiss this was. No one had kissed me like that, not ever.
He explored and probed, our tongues clashing in a wild dance until I felt liquid fire coursing through my veins. He deepened the kiss, demanding more, and then he intensified the rhythm as if he was making love to my mouth. Heat pooled low in my body. When a deep groan reverberated in his chest, my knees weakened. As if sensing this, he gripped my waist with both of those strong and steady hands. I had a hunch he was that type of man who would be strong and steady no matter what, who’d never let me fall.
“Maddie,” he whispered, once he’d pulled back so we could take a much-needed breath. I stared up right into his eyes. His pupils were dilated, his eyelids hooded. Desire was written all over him, making it hard for me to think.