by Mia Ashlinn
Before she could open her mouth to plead for more, he brushed one juice-coated finger across her bottom lip. Her breathing sped up, tiny puffs coming from her chest. He smiled at her carnally before leaning forward and licking the moisture off. He swiped his tongue across her lip several times, pausing occasionally for nibbles.
Once he got every last drop, he stuck his finger into his mouth and cleaned off the remaining cream. Pecking a kiss to her mouth, he declared, “And because I think you deserve a little chasing.”
Katie-Anne was taken aback. Her eyes lifted up so she could see his entire face, not just those so-sexy lips, and she inquired, “I deserve it?”
“Yes, you do,” Landon told her, his eyes softening as he looked at her. “You have spent your entire life wanting to ask for affection, but you were too afraid to ask for it. You have shut yourself off from love because you feared the pain that came along with it. It is time for you to find out what it feels like for someone to love and take care of you without you having to say a word. You need to see that love doesn’t always hurt. Shane and I are the men to do that, kitten.”
She had no doubt they could, and they would, if she let them. Could she forget her past? Could she live in the present? Could she embrace the future? According to Svetlana Sokolov, she could.
The town’s resident psychic had sent a note to her, Jaycee, and Shannon when they’d gone to Tennessee for Gray, Cade, and Jaycee’s wedding. At the time, Katie-Anne had balked at what the note had said to her:
This special trip change life.
You play game.
Game play you.
Follow heart.
Not mind.
It lead you home.
Fly free little bird.
Forget past.
Live in present.
Embrace future.
Never let go.
You not alone.
They your home.
You their home.
Big home.
Big love.
— Svetlana
Now, Katie-Anne wasn’t so sure how she felt about the note. In both of her friend’s cases, Svetlana had been right on the money. What if Katie-Anne could make the psychic’s prediction three-for-three? What if it really was her time to fly free?
There was only one way to find out.
Chapter 15
Using his old key, Landon made his way into the apartment he used to share with Shane. He probably shouldn’t have strolled right in like he owned the place since he didn’t anymore, but he did it anyway.
The apartment was like the key in his hand. He couldn’t bear to give up on the way they had always been. Giving back the tiny hunk of metal to Shane or knocking on the front door just seemed to be final somehow. It was like he would close a door that he wasn’t ready to close. After the last time, he and Shane had talked, it appeared that he wasn’t the only one.
“Shane,” Landon yelled as he worked his way out of his boots, pushing them to the left side of Shane’s where they always sat. He took off his jacket before he hung it on the coat rack. Dropping his keys on the marble table in the entryway, he walked down the hall slowly. He peered into the rooms, swinging his head left and right then back again. “Where are you?”
“In here,” Shane hollered.
The husky timbre of Shane’s voice drifted from the office at the back end of the hallway. Landon went in that direction, his footsteps slowing as a wave of nerves swamped him. This wasn’t him dropping by to see an old friend. This wasn’t even him spending time with Shane like he’d used to. This was it—the beginning.
Shane had said that the three of them belong together, and he had sworn to talk to both of them or he’d tie them to the bed. Well, here Landon was. Wonder if I can still get him to tie me to the bed? Landon’s cock had been semi-hard when he’d entered the apartment. Between Shane’s voice and his thoughts, it had grown in his pants to the point of pain.
Reaching the office door, Landon turned the handle with a slightly shaky hand and pushed it open. He stepped into the room they’d worked together in for years, his eyes widening in surprise.
Nothing had changed since he’d left. Their two workspaces still dominated the room, the massive desks facing each other in the middle of the space. His desk was a disaster, and Shane’s was pristine, as usual. The fire in the fireplace had dwindled, probably because Landon hadn’t been there to keep it going like he always did. Even Landon’s favorite sweatshirt hadn’t moved an inch from it spot on the couch. He’d forgotten the stupid thing when he’d left, and the one time he’d asked for it back, Shane had said he didn’t know where it was. Obviously not.
Shane came around him and moved behind him, standing close enough that Landon could feel his breath on the back of his neck. Tiny tingles erupted and spread outward. Landon spun around, coming face-to-face with the man he’d loved for the majority of his life. “Hey.”
“Hey,” Shane responded somberly.
“We need to talk,” Landon said. He didn’t plan on sharing the news about his father’s murder today. He wanted—no, he needed—Katie-Anne there for both of them. He’d given her some time to think it over because he didn’t want her to make a rash decision, even though she’d told him she would.
Shane sighed. “I know.”
Unable to stand on his jittery legs any longer, Landon headed for the couch and dropped down onto the comfortable, leather cushions. He had to bite back a laugh. How silly was it that he was nervous around Shane, of all people? They’d spent their teen years together, and they’d gone to college together. They’d started a business together, and they’d shared women together. This was nothing new, yet it was.
Shane followed him, sitting down across from him in his favorite recliner. Both of them stared at the other, neither seeming to know what to say or do. Finally, Shane let out a hissing breath that Landon could hear as far apart as they were. “I guess I’ll start,” Shane ground out, looking more anxious than Landon had ever seen him.
Landon nodded without speaking.
“I was an ass,” Shane stated matter-of-factly. “I was a total and complete asshole, and you have every right to kick me in the balls.”
“Yes, you were,” Landon agreed, holding back a grin at Shane’s choice of words. He wasn’t exactly the kind of man to admit his mistakes. And he, definitely, wasn’t a man to offer a free shot at him. Greedily, Landon thought it might be fun to take him down. He wouldn’t kick him or punch him, but he would be more than happy to wrestle him to the ground. Pushing aside his dirty thoughts, Landon said, “Proceed.”
Shane grimaced. “I was wrong.”
“Yes, you were.”
Shane ran a hand through his dark hair, his agitation evident in the jerky way he moved. “Damn it, you aren’t going to make this easy, are you?”
“No, I’m not,” Landon told him with a bit of glee. “I think I like seeing you like this. Guess that makes me a real bastard.”
Chuckling, Shane shook his head. “No, but it does make you bloodthirsty.”
“I’m thirsty, just not for blood,” he drawled before he thought better of it.
Shane’s eyes widened, and he shifted in his seat, drawing Landon’s attention to the noticeable bulge in his pants. Landon groaned inaudibly. Now was not the time, and he knew it. However, his hormones had gone off the Richter scale since Shane had told him of his intentions and then Katie-Anne had showed back up. If he didn’t get fucked soon, his blue balls were going to fall the fuck off.
“Stop looking at me like that,” Shane snapped.
Landon threw his head back and laughed. His best friend’s words matched his own. “I told Katie-Anne that verbatim only an hour ago.”
Shane laughed. “Somehow, I’m not surprised. That sex-kitten look of hers kills me every time.”
“Mmhhmm,” Landon replied. “We are getting off topic. I want to hear some more groveling, Shane.”
“That is not happening again,” Shane informed him curtly. “Y
ou should have enjoyed it while it lasted.”
“I did.”
Shane leaned forward in his seat, bracing his elbows on his legs, just above his knees. “Do you know what I thought when I walked into the wedding?”
Shane’s words blindsided Landon. He’d expected a lot things but not for Shane to jump into the thick of it. It was not like he should have been surprised. Shane never beat around the bush. It wasn’t in his nature.
“Not really,” Landon replied.
Shane’s face flushed, and he said, “I thought that the two of you were mine, but I was not yours. How fucked up is that?” He spoke clearly, each word ringing with his sincerity and seriousness.
Landon’s heart ached for Shane. He knew how deeply it must have cut Shane. If the tables had been turned, it would have decimated Landon’s heart to be the one in Shane’s place.
“I wasn’t really mad at you or Katie-Anne. I was mad at myself because I’d let my stupid pride and stubborn one-sidedness rob me of the two people I loved more than anything.”
Shane kept catching Landon off guard. Being open like this wasn’t at the top of Shane’s to-do list. He hated emotions almost as much as he hated talking about them.
“I can understand that,” Landon said quietly, “but what about the next morning, Shane? You went ape-shit without listening. Hell, you accused me of betraying you, and you blamed Katie-Anne for it.”
Shane frowned. “Yes, I did. I fucked up, and I have no real defense for any of it other than I was crazed and irrational.”
“Yeah, you were a giant pain in the ass,” Landon agreed.
With a chuckle, Shane muttered, “You know me, Landon.”
Landon did know him, just not the way he wanted to at that very moment. They’d never touched each other intimately, never kissed. Shooting Shane a sex-laced look, Landon growled, “Not entirely, but I hope to soon.”
Shane’s brow furrowed, deepening the vee between his dark eyebrows. “Wait, we didn’t…”
Shaking his head, Landon said, “No. I didn’t think it was right to take advantage of you like that when you were drunk as a skunk.”
Shane cocked his head to the side as though deep in thought. Chuckling, he conceded, “That is true.”
Lust suddenly pounded inside of Landon furiously, and he knew he couldn’t wait any longer. They could talk any time. They could talk later. He didn’t care, as long as, Shane touched him right now. “But you’re not drunk now…”
Shane’s eyes dropped to Landon’s crotch and he groaned. “No, I’m not.” Standing up, he walked over to Landon then grabbed his hand. He pulled him up off his seat, bumping their bodies into each other’s clumsily. Neither man acknowledged it. They merely stared each other down, the room turning so hot that it was a miracle the drapes hadn’t caught fire.
When Landon least expected it, Shane grabbed onto his hips and pulled their fabric-covered dicks as close as humanly possible with clothes on. “I’m sorry that it took me so long to do this,” Shane growled then kissed him hungrily.
* * * *
The moment Shane’s lips touched Landon’s, a deep rumble started in his chest, and he grabbed Landon’s sweatshirt in a fist, refusing to give him a chance to get away. He didn’t allow him an inch of movement. Groaning, Shane forced his way inside of Landon’s mouth. His tongue rushed forward and took over completely.
Landon ceded to him, opening his mouth wide and letting him in. His partner was a switch, which was a damn good thing since Shane didn’t submit to anyone—not even Landon or Katie-Anne. He needed to dominate them. It fulfilled him.
Shane had tried to hold back his animalistic urges when it came to this man, but he couldn’t do it any longer. Breaking the kiss, Shane released his death grip on Landon’s sweatshirt and pushed him down onto the couch.
An ooph came from Landon, but that was the only sound he made as his ass landed on the couch. Standing to his full height, Shane towered over his partner. “Since this is our first time, there will be no playing, only fucking. Next time, I will make up for it. I promise.” And he did promise. There would be plenty of time for fun and games later.
Shane stripped of his clothes, leaving his eyes locked on Landon. He pulled his sweater over his head before he dropped it to the floor. Then he lowered his hands to his belt and unbuckled it. Reaching for his fly, Shane unbuttoned the top of his jeans, trailed the zipper down, and parted the material.
Without any underwear on, Shane’s cock was on full display for Landon, who looked at him with dilated eyes and licked his sexy lips. The carnality on his face was enough to bring a groan bursting from Shane’s mouth.
The noise caught Landon’s attention, and he glanced up, meeting Shane directly in the eyes. “I want to play. I don’t want for us to be something we’re not. I love all of you. Give me what you’ve got.”
“Fuck,” Shane groaned again. He had a feeling they would be doing a lot of groaning in the next few hours. “If you want what I’ve got, you better give me what you’ve got.”
“Deal.”
Shane exhaled loudly before dropping his hands to his sides. “Take my dick out of my pants.”
Landon didn’t speak, neither agreement nor denial, but he did move to the edge of his seat. He slid a large hand inside of Shane’s jeans then grasped the meaty shaft firmly, making Shane’s cock jump in the process. He pulled Shane’s rigid flesh out leisurely. Too fucking leisurely.
“Faster,” Shane commanded.
The guttural timbre of Shane’s tone seemed to amuse Landon. His fuckable lips twitched, but he continued his silence as he removed Shane’s cock from the confines of his pants.
“Lick the head,” Shane ordered.
Leaning forward, Landon snaked his tongue out before swiping it across the mushroom-shaped crown. He lapped at the purplish head, but only for a moment, before he twirled his tongue around the highly sensitized skin.
Shane’s cock nearly exploded as Landon’s licks turned into devilish brushes. “Stop,” he barked. “I did not tell you to tease me.”
Landon smiled arrogantly then leaned back to where Shane’s cock was no longer in his mouth, just dangling in front of it. Shane couldn’t have Landon’s mouth so close to the pulsating shaft without his mouth around it.
“Suck it,” Shane snapped, his impatience getting the best of him.
Landon nodded and took Shane’s dick into his mouth, deep-throating the shaft right off the bat. Amazingly, his partner’s big mouth engulfed his entire cock. Damn.
“Fuck,” Shane ground out. “That is…” Staring down at Landon, Shane forgot what he was about to say as he watched his dick disappear and reappear. The ache inside Shane grew as Landon took every inch of him inside his mouth. Shane’s engorged cock swelled in size as more and more blood flooded it, the aching turning into a tormenting throb.
Shane cupped Landon’s head with both hands, holding him, as he took over and fucked his wet mouth. Pressure started building in Shane’s balls as his orgasm rolled close behind it. Unwilling to come yet, Shane jerked his cock out of Landon’s hot mouth without warning him. “That felt good, but we have more to do before I come inside you.”
Shane leaned down to kiss Landon thoroughly, their mouths moving seamlessly together as their tongues explored and memorized every detail of the other. Stepping back, he said, “I haven’t decided just where I want to come inside of you yet. Deciding between your ass and your mouth is going to be a hard one.”
Landon’s nostrils flared, and he breathed through his nose. Shane found himself smiling at the arousal mounting in his best friend’s face. Forcing himself to focus, Shane commanded Landon, “Take off my pants.”
Landon slid his hands into the waistband of Shane’s jeans, going around his hips methodically. He touched Shane’s ass then massaged it before he forced the pants over his hips and down his legs. Shane stepped out of the fabric at his feet, grateful that he never wore shoes around the house. They would have only slowed him down.
Shane stood in front of Landon, completely bare of his clothes. They’d seen each other naked many times, but it was different when he knew that he would be fucking Landon and not the woman they were sharing.
The throbbing in Shane’s dick accelerated, and he wanted to curse. This wouldn’t last long for either of them, if something didn’t give. Needing a second to catch his breath and calm the lust clawing at him, Shane turned his back on Landon. He walked to the other side of the table and sat down in the leather recliner, flinching when the cool material touched his feverish skin. With a deep breath, he relaxed and lounged back.
“Lose those,” Shane growled, pointing first at Landon’s faded jeans then at his tattered Colts sweatshirt. He stared at Landon intently as he waited for him to do what he’d ordered him to.
Landon didn’t take long before he stood. Within seconds, his clothes were on the floor next to Shane’s, and he was naked. His long cock stood erect, a drop of pre-cum seeping from the wide tip. The moisture captured Shane’s attention, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from it. His mouth watered as he imagined what his partner’s cum tasted like.
“Come here,” Shane clipped out impatiently, sounding much harsher than he’d intended. But he was parched for a taste of Landon. He needed it, and he needed him. “Now.”
Landon walked steadily around the table, his gait even and smooth. He stopped directly in front of Shane but made no other move as he obviously waited for Shane’s lead.
“I want to taste you,” Shane told Landon, his voice a bit unsteady. “Don’t move.”
Landon grunted. “Yes.”
Instead of devouring Landon’s dick as he wanted to, Shane chose to savor the moment, to relish the taste. He leaned forward, inhaling slowly through his nose and smelling the dark musk of his partner. Unable to resist, Shane touched the tip of his tongue to the tip of Landon’s dick.
“Yes,” Landon hissed, his eyes sliding shut.
Shane pulled back just long enough to say, “Hold your cock with your hand.” Then he resumed his position in front of Landon’s dick and licked the head again. Without opening his eyes, Landon followed his instructions implicitly.