Close to You (Fusion #2)

by Kristen Proby

  “Ew. We work in there, Landon.” Riley frowns as Kat just laughs and waves at us. Landon guides me out to his car, and when we’re both inside, before I can buckle my seat belt, he leans over and slides his hand up my leg and under my skirt, and directly to my dripping-wet pussy.

  “Mm, you’re really not wearing any underwear,” he says, his lips centimeters from mine.

  “I don’t lie about underwear.”

  “So I see.” His finger slides over my clit and through my folds, then slips all the way inside me.

  “Oh, fuck.”

  “I’m going to put a lot more than my finger in here tonight, Cami,” he whispers. “I want you to stay wet, just like this, all night.”

  “Well, you’re doing a good job of making sure that happens,” I reply, and push my hips against his hand. “You’re good at that.”

  “I know.”

  Suddenly he’s gone, starting the car, but before he can pull into traffic, I grab his wrist and pull his finger to my mouth, licking it clean.

  “Do we really have to go to this dinner?” he asks, watching me intently.

  “Yep.” I release his hand and buckle in, trying to look cool and unfazed, but my heart is beating overtime and my core is pulsing with pure need. Jesus, he turns me on. I swallow hard and try to distract us both. “How was your day? What’s new and exciting?”

  “Day was fine,” he says, checking his blind spot and pulling out behind a Volvo. “I got my travel itinerary for next week, finally.”

  “Wait. What travel itinerary?” This is news to me.

  “Damn, I forgot to tell you.” He smiles over at me and pats my knee. “You have a habit of distracting me.”

  “Okay, tell me now.” Is this where he tells me that he’s leaving? It’s no secret that Landon loves to travel, to experience different places.

  “I have to go to San Diego next week to meet up with an old friend of mine who’s offered me a job.”

  He’s taking a job in freaking San Diego?

  I frown and cross my arms over my chest.

  “When are you moving?”

  “Moving?” I close my eyes and pray that the tears don’t fall while he’s watching. “Cami, I’m not moving.”

  He’s not moving this week. But next week he’s going to San Diego for a potential job.

  “Cami, look at me.”

  But I can’t. I can’t look him in the eye, when I’m still hot and wet, craving him, as he tells me that it’s been fun but it’s almost time for him to move on.

  Suddenly he pulls into a parking lot and throws the car out of gear.

  “Camille, look at me.”

  “You know, maybe we don’t have to go out for dinner with Brian and his girlfriend after all. You can just take me home.”

  He takes my shoulders in his hands and forces me to face him, a frown on his handsome face. “I’m not moving, Cam.”

  “You’ve been here longer than you have been in the past, and I know you like to travel, Landon.”

  “So you’re just waiting for me to bail?” he asks, shaking his head. “No. I’m going down to train for a job that I can do here.”

  “Here?”

  “Yes, as a flight instructor.”

  I stare at him in disbelief, and then, as his words sink in, I let out a loud laugh. “Right.”

  “Why is the thought of me teaching people to fly so funny?”

  “You can’t fly. You’re not medically cleared for it.”

  His jaw ticks before he says, “In a classroom.”

  I still and watch him carefully for a long moment. “You’re okay with teaching people to fly in a classroom?”

  He nods once and looks down at my lap. “It’s still teaching, and it’s being around planes, and people passionate about them. I miss it, babe. But the job is here, not in Southern California. I’ll be managing the whole operation.”

  “Wow.” I take a deep breath, my whole body ready to sag with relief. “You’d be great at running an operation like that.”

  He drags his fingertips down my cheek. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes.” I nod and smile, but part of me is still hesitant.

  “I’ll only be gone for a few days, Cami.”

  “I’m fine. Really.” I sit back and lick my lips. “Congratulations. This is great news.”

  “Thank you.” He watches me for a minute, then starts the car again. “I have no interest in leaving here. I’m happy.”

  “Good.” I grin over at him and take his hand in mine, linking our fingers. “I’m happy too.”

  “SO, THE LADY gave us the keys to the room, and then she said, ‘Don’t mind the ghost. She doesn’t take up much room.’” Stephanie, Brian’s new and completely adorable girlfriend, shakes her auburn head and smiles as she takes a bite of her salad. “I mean, I don’t believe in ghosts, so I was like, okay! But I think Brian was a little creeped out.”

  “I was not creeped out,” Brian says as he watches the adorable Stephanie with big love-sick eyes as she continues to tell us all about their trip to Victoria Island for the weekend.

  “He kind of was,” she says, leaning toward me like we’re conspiring against him. “But we didn’t see or hear any ghosts.”

  “I’m pretty sure I heard a door slam in the middle of the night,” Brian says as he butters another piece of bread.

  “You were snoring like crazy,” Stephanie replies. “You didn’t hear anything.”

  “I don’t snore,” he insists.

  “Yes, you do,” I reply, and roll my eyes.

  “See!” Stephanie exclaims, pointing at me. “You do.”

  “Takes one to know one,” Landon mutters, earning an elbow in his side.

  “You know, I think it’s great that y’all are friends,” Stephanie says, the South thick in her voice.

  “You do?” I ask, surprised.

  “Sure. I mean, so many of my divorced friends are bitter and angry and have nothing but shit to say about their exes. It’s refreshing to know a couple who realized they just weren’t right for each other and moved on. No bitterness, no anger, just friendship.”

  “It took us a little while to get here,” I reply, holding Brian’s eyes with mine. There was a time when Brian was angry, and for good reason. “But you’re right, we are good friends.”

  “Well, I like it,” Stephanie says, and raises her glass. “To friendship.”

  “To friendship.”

  Dinner is relaxed and fun, and I find myself really enjoying Stephanie, and Brian as well. He’s different with her. More laid-back. More attentive.

  Better.

  And I couldn’t be happier for them.

  After we’ve demolished dinner and dessert, we go our separate ways, and Landon drives us back to my place.

  “Tonight was interesting,” he says thoughtfully.

  “I had fun.”

  “That’s why it was interesting,” he replies as he parks at my house and walks me to the door.

  “Me having fun is interesting?” I push inside and toss my keys and bag on the table beside the door.

  “You just had dinner with your boyfriend, your ex-husband, and his new girlfriend.”

  “Thanks for the recap, but I was there.” I kiss Landon’s bicep, then walk toward the kitchen.

  “You seem pretty chipper for someone whose ex is moving on with someone new.”

  “I moved on with someone new.” I shrug and grab a bottle of water out of the fridge. “Landon, Brian and I have been over for a very long time.”

  “Mia mentioned that you used to try to set him up with women.”

  “All the time,” I confirm.

  “Why?”

  This makes me pause and frown at my bottle of water. Landon and I have been together long enough that I can come clean about my relationship with Brian. So I take a deep breath and raise my eyes to his.

  “I felt so guilty I thought I’d die with it.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Because I left.�
�� I shrug and begin pacing the kitchen. I always pace when I think. “Honestly, Brian and I got married because we’d dated in college and it seemed like that was the logical next step. He’s a nice guy, has a decent job, good credit score. On paper, we’re an excellent match.

  “But I shouldn’t have married him in the first place. He was madly in love, and I did and still do care for him, but I wasn’t in love with him the way I should have been to get married. And after a few years, it became apparent to me that I never would love him the way a woman should love her husband.”

  “Why not?” Landon asks softly, but I just keep talking.

  “So I told him that I wanted a divorce, and he acted like it was this big shock, but I don’t see how it could have been. There was no passion, no adventure in our relationship. And at first he was so hurt that he couldn’t even stand to be in the same room as me. But over time, we talked more and we both agreed that ours wasn’t what a marriage should be. And I just couldn’t bear the thought of Brian being alone, so I started trying to set him up, which he hated.”

  I laugh and look over at Landon, who’s sitting at the island, watching me pace.

  “Why weren’t you in love with him, Cami?”

  I shake my head and continue. “But it’s clear that he didn’t need my help at all. Stephanie is great. I like her. She’s pretty, and funny, and honestly, I think she’s someone that I could be friends with. And did you see how he looks at her? He’s so happy. And that just makes me happy.”

  Having run out of steam, and things to say, I lean back against the counter and cross my arms.

  “Why?” he asks again, holding my gaze.

  “You know why,” I whisper, and bite my lip, horrified that I’ll cry.

  Landon stands and walks over to me, caging me in the way he did in this very spot weeks ago when he first kissed me.

  “Tell me,” he whispers, pushing my hair over my shoulder and cupping my neck in his palm, his thumb grazing over the skin of my chin.

  “I’ve always been in love with you, Landon.”

  He exhales slowly and leans into me, but rather than kiss me passionately and boost me up on the countertop to fuck me senseless, he brushes his lips gently over my forehead and pulls me into his arms, hugging me softly. “Same here, sweetheart.”

  Chapter 14

  ~Landon~

  “So, this is a surprise?” Steven, Cami’s nephew, asks two weeks later. We’re in Cami’s house, upstairs in the storage bedroom that I’m now turning into her closet.

  “Yep,” I reply, and spackle where the doorframe was.

  “Won’t she see the mess when she gets home from work?” he asks with a smirk.

  “She and Kat are in Seattle for a couple of days on a wine-buying trip. So I have today and tomorrow to finish this up.”

  “Cool,” Steven says, surveying our work. “She’s gonna go apeshit when she sees it.”

  “I hope so.” I grin over at him. “She needs better storage for all of those shoes.”

  “Why do girls have to buy so many shoes in the first place?” He frowns, like women are as much a mystery as aliens.

  “It’s not our job to understand them,” I reply with a sigh, and clap him on the shoulder. “We just try our best to keep them happy.”

  “That’s a mystery too,” he says, shaking his head in disgust. “I’ve been living with this girl, Melissa, since my folks moved up to Seattle. I like her, but damn, she’s a head case.”

  “How long have you dated her?”

  “A couple years, I guess.” He shrugs. “We get along okay for the most part, but damn, she’s so jealous. I can’t even be polite to a waitress without her losing her shit on me.”

  “That sounds exhausting,” I murmur, not envious of his plight in the least. I’ve dated girls like that before. Hell, most of us have. They’re emotionally draining.

  “I was so glad you called me to come help with this,” Steven continues. “She was ranting and nagging about something this morning. Wanted me to mow the grass or something, which is fine, but I just mowed it two days ago. Sometimes I think she just needs to nag me about anything to feel good.”

  I nod, not sure what to say. I can see that he’s frustrated, but we’re not really close friends. After a pause, he glances at me, and looks like he’s about to say something, but then turns away and begins stirring the paint we’re going to use on two of the walls.

  “Go ahead and ask.”

  He waits a minute, and then surprises the shit out of me when he asks, “Do you regret doing the Navy thing?”

  I blink for a minute, mentally switching gears. “Not at all.”

  He simply nods.

  “Why do you ask?”

  “Well, I’ve been thinking about enlisting.”

  “In the Navy?”

  “Yeah.” He shrugs. “I think it could be a good opportunity for me.”

  I think so too. But I don’t want to push the military on him. The decision has to be his own.

  “Have you talked to a recruiter?”

  “A few times, yes. I don’t think I can be a pilot because of my eyes.”

  “What’s wrong with your eyes?”

  “Glasses. I don’t have Navy pilot eyes, but there are a million other things I can do.”

  “Absolutely.” I shove my hands in my pockets and wait, expecting him to start asking more questions, and I don’t have to wait long.

  “Was it hard, being away from your family all of the time?”

  “I’d get homesick a bit in the beginning,” I reply, and rub my chin, thinking back to that time. Mostly, I was homesick for Cami, but I don’t tell him that. “But they’ll keep you busy with training. You’ll get leave so you can come home to visit.”

  He nods. “And maybe I can get stationed in some cool places. See things I wouldn’t get to see otherwise.”

  He’s a smart kid.

  “That’s one of the things I loved about it.”

  “I’ve heard girls like a guy in uniform.” His young face lights up at that thought, making me smile.

  “I thought you already had a girl?”

  “Come on, you and I both know that’s not going to last. I’m not married to her, and I can’t wait to get away from her every day. That’s not how I want to live my life.”

  “No. You don’t.” I’ve been there too, and I’m so thankful that I don’t have that now. I love being with Cami. I could talk to her all day and never tire of her.

  “You’re not sick of my aunt,” Steven says pointedly, looking me in the eye.

  “No. I’m not.”

  “So, her parents died a while back, and my folks moved away, and I’m the only family she has here, not counting the girls, so I feel like I should ask you some questions.”

  He’s holding my gaze, his shoulders are square, and his hands are fisted. He’s a good young man who loves his aunt, and I couldn’t have more respect for him than I do right now.

  “Ask away.”

  “What are your intentions with her?” He crosses his arms over his chest.

  “Are you asking if I intend to marry her?”

  “Do you?”

  I nod, finally able to voice aloud what’s been running through my head for weeks. “I love your aunt, Steven. She’s an amazing woman. I would be the luckiest man in the world if she agreed to marry me.”

  “Aunt Cami is the best.” He nods and looks around the empty room. “She deserves the best that life has to offer. Someone to love her and spoil her some. Maybe buy her some of the fancy shoes she likes to wear, and just take care of her when she doesn’t feel good, you know?”

  “I agree.”

  “I didn’t want to move to Seattle with my folks, and Aunt Cami didn’t even blink when I asked her if she’d help me out sometimes, like if I needed a place to crash or a ride to school or something. She’s always been a good friend to me. She’s like a big sister.” His voice cracks and he clears his throat with a chuckle. “It’s stupid to get all em
otional, but I love her, and I just wanted to make sure that you’re not just dicking with her, you know?”

  “I’m not just dicking with her. And it’s not dumb to get emotional when you’re talking about someone you love.”

  Steven nods. “Are you going to make her move away?”

  “I don’t think anyone makes Cami do anything,” I reply with a laugh. “She’s much too headstrong for that.”

  “You know what I mean. If you get married and stuff, and you want to move away, are you going to take her with you?”

  I frown and shake my head. “Her business is here. I’m pretty sure that Portland is going to be our home for quite some time.”

  “Good.”

  “Do you have more questions, or can we get to work and finish this closet before she gets back tomorrow night?”

  He laughs. “I’m done with the third degree. Oh, but don’t tell her anything about the Navy stuff. She won’t take it well, and I want to be the one to tell her.”

  “I won’t say anything.”

  “JESUS, THIS IS incredible,” Riley says the next day as she wanders into the closet and turns a circle, her eyes wide in awe. “Seriously, guys, this is fantastic. I should marry you both, right now, just for this closet.”

  “I’m too young for you,” Steven says, his face bright pink. “But yeah, she’s gonna love it.”

  “And I’m taken,” I reply happily. “So, we did good?”

  “You did great. This is more than a closet, it’s a dressing room! I love that you brought her vanity in here with her makeup. There is so much hanging space in here.” She turns to examine the shelves. “And she’ll have space for new shoes and bags too.”

  “Yeah, because she needs those,” Steven says, rolling his eyes.

  “If having too many shoes is wrong, I don’t wanna be right,” Riley says, then turns to me. “Okay, what can I do?”

  “Help us fill it up. I don’t know how she’d want her clothes and other things organized, but you will.”

  “I know exactly what to do.” She marches out of the room and returns a few minutes later with her arms full of clothes. “We need to bring her dressers in here too.”

  “There’s not enough wall space in here,” I reply, but she shakes her head.