Landon's Desire (Book Three of The Pulse Series 3) (16 page)

The man could be a sleaze. Landon witnessed on more than one occasion what Rex was capable of. He strung woman as well as men along, having them believe they were the only one, when in fact he juggled them callously like a circus clown under the big tent. He schmoozed more than one in an evening too, with both clubs at his disposal and the private rooms when empty, he was known to
entertain
until the wee hours.

“Come on Carl,” Landon said as he stood and started stacking dishes. “Help me get some water to do the dishes.”

They grabbed buckets and heavy leather gloves and walked down to the shore to get water, it was the only privacy on offer and Landon was happy to take it.

“Why are you acting so weird?” Carl asked.

“Am I?” Landon asked, catching the bullshit glare Carl was giving him.

“I guess I’m frustrated,” Landon said, dipping his bucket into the water off the end of the dock, “because I was hoping to get you alone.”

“Alone?” Carl asked. “Why?”

Landon glanced up at the lodge, checking out the windows to see if they were being watched by a pair of unwelcome eyes. The light from inside assured him they had a moment of privacy. He wasn’t sure in the dusk how much could be seen from the lodge and at this moment he didn’t really care. He knew is friends were aware that he was gay, they didn’t seem to have a problem with it, but Carl was at a stage in his self-awareness that marked him as fragile. Landon didn’t want to risk breaking him when they’d come so far.

“To do this,” Landon said, taking Carl’s face in his hands and giving him a soft, gentle kiss. “I’ve wanted to do that all fucking day. I needed to taste your lips in the worst way.”

“I’m glad you did.”

Carl smiled as Landon backed away and picked up the other bucket, filling it with water and handing it to him.

Landon started a fire in the designated fire pit and placed both buckets on the center of the cast iron grate to heat. A few long heavy logs and old rubber tractor tires acting as seating, they shared a tractor tire and watched the flames dancing around the base of the pots.

“I think I should warn you,” Landon started. “Rex wants to get with you.”

Carl continued to stare into the fire. “Good for him.”

With narrowed eyes and his brows meshed tightly together, Landon swung his head sideways giving Carl a death stare. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Laughing when he saw the look on Landon’s face, Carl smiled and nudged his shoulder to Landon’s. “Take it easy cowboy, I mean he doesn’t have a chance. It’s not going to happen, not in this life time anyway.”

Feeling more relaxed Landon rested his chin on Carl’s shoulder. “Tell me what makes Carlton Ward tick.”

Carl laughed, he seemed relaxed and carefree as they sat waiting for the water to heat and talked about everything and nothing in particular and got to know each other better. It was the first time they had really talked and enjoyed each other’s company without sexual innuendoes and tension.

Later on in the evening, as the group wound down after cleaning, Landon out at poker again, they all sat around a bond fire and listened to Gus play his guitar. All of them three sheets to the wind, except Landon and Carl who sat huddled together holding hands hidden under Carl’s blanket, they started singing along to old Eagles classics. After an abysmal version of Hotel California that would have made your ears bleed, they called it a night.

Once in their room, they stood with their backs to one another and changed, it was a chilly night and Landon added an extra blanket to the bed before climbing in next to Carl.

“Are you warm enough?” Carl asked.

“I will be.”

“If you need another blanket let me know,” Carl offered.

“Stop fussing, I’ll survive. Go to sleep.”

He could feel Carl’s body heat caressing his skin under the blankets and bit the soft tissue inside his cheek and closed his eyes, he had to fight the urge to tug Carl’s body to his and devour him.

“Why are you so grumpy all of a sudden?” Carl asked.

“I’m not grumpy,” Landon snarled.

“You’re grumpy.”

Carl playfully tangled his feet with Landon’s and felt crushed when Landon swiftly moved his feet away. He touched his hand to Landon’s shoulder and he flinched.

“What’s wrong, Ace?” Carl put his chin on Landon’s shoulder, a sweet gesture but Landon was struggling.

“If you don’t want to see me burst into flame, you’ll roll over and say goodnight,” Landon advised.

“You’re not angry…you’re horny,” Carl clamped his lips together, trying to hide his laughter.

“You have no idea.”

Carl laughed out loud and before he knew what was happening, Landon had him pinned under his weight, growling into his face. His erection pressed against Carl’s thigh, he touched his forehead to Carl’s and closed his eyes letting out a heavy sigh.

“Ace?”

Carl’s heart started racing, his breath caught and he grasped hold of Landon’s strong arms. He wasn’t frightened of Landon’s aggression, most times it excited him, but he was angst-ridden wondering where precisely this was going.

“Ace?” he asked again.

“Do us both a favor,” Landon spoke, against Carl’s soft lips, “go to sleep. I’m not beyond begging you to shut the fuck up and go to sleep.”

He rolled off of Carl and fluffed his pillow, punching it a few times before laying down. “You’re killing me.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t speak, don’t move and whatever you do, don’t fucking touch me,”

Carl rolled onto his side facing away from Landon and smiled huge, it was nice to think he could affect the man the way he did.

He tittered to himself, Landon, the poor bastard, would have blue balls by morning.

The next morning, they headed out early just after the sun rose. Landon made the excuse of hoping to beat traffic. He was as miserable as a wild bear in heat and Carl loved every minute of it.

ELEVEN

“What can I get for you?” Carl asked, placing a cocktail coaster on the bar.

“Vodka martini.”

Carl quickly mixed the drink, poured it into a chilled glass and set it in front of the stranger. A good looking man, well-dressed with a tall slender build, dark hair slightly graying at the temple and a lovely British accent, he reminded Carl of a character from a gangster movie the way he talked with smooth refinement, all he needed was a big ugly scar. The stranger seemed distracted, peering around as if looking for someone or something.

“Keep the change,” the stranger said, handing Carl a twenty.

“Thank you,” Carl said.

“Is Landon about?”

“He’s not here,” Carl said, leaving it at that.

“Will he be in sometime today or is it his day off and he is at home?”

It was obvious the man was unaware of Landon’s living arrangements and it wasn’t Carl’s place to tell him.

“I don’t know.”

“He does still work here?” he asked, and took a drink.

“I can’t say,” Carl said, as he dried a glass. “I’m just the bartender here.”

The stranger eyed him and laughed, it was an unsettling laugh that caused goose bumps to form on the surface of Carl’s skin and a shiver to run up his spine. Something was off about the man.

Carl didn’t laugh or smile in return.

“Want to leave a message?” Carl asked.

He was eager to learn who this mystery man was and what he wanted with Landon. “In case he does come in.”

The man finished his drink and gave Carl a half smirk. “No thank you, I’ll come by another time…excellent martini by the way.”

Carl gave him a nod and watched as two men dressed in black suits approach the man, one walked ahead, one behind and the three of them left.

“Who was that?” Rex asked. He’d been watching from the other end of the bar.

“Some guy looking for Lando,” Carl answered, his eyes still fixed to the doorway.

“The guy reeked of money, eh?” Rex joked. “It’s all who you know these days, makes you wonder what a guy like him would want with Lando.”

“Yeah I guess so,” Carl said, gathering glasses into a crate for washing. “If you’re not busy, take these to the kitchen for me?”

“Sure thing,” Rex picked up the crate and headed to the kitchen.

Not sure if it was the fact that the mystery man gave him the creeps or maybe it was a bit of jealousy, Carl pondered the possibilities. He could be a friend, although Carl doubted that right away. He could have something to do with Liberator Industries, but Carl couldn’t see that being a possibility since Landon kept that part of his life so private.

So what was the guy nosing around for?

And why was it bothering Carl so much?

***

“He’s going to love it,” Mikala assured him. “If not, fuck him and take me.”

Landon laughed at her foul mouthed request, “It’s a deal.”

“We’ll be leaving Saturday and returning sometime Sunday night, you sure you’re okay with that?”

Mikala tipped her head and raised a brow. “Do you think if I wasn’t, I’d keep it to myself, fuck no.”

“Probably not.”

Mikala refilled Landon’s coffee. “Go have fun, and bring me back a t-shirt.”

“One t-shirt done,” Landon exclaimed.

“When are you surprising him?”

“Tonight, I can’t wait to see his face,”

“This will get you laid if nothing else,” Mikala joked.

“That’s not the reason I did this,” Landon scowled.

Mikala shook her head and walked around the kitchen island, shoved him back and sat on his lap. “Seriously Lando, you need to loosen up and get a sense of humor. I was kidding. What’s going on that you’re not telling me?”

“Nothing.”

“I call bullshit, tell me,” she said, palming his face in her hands. “Me and Sprout will keep your secret.”

Landon put his hand on Mikala’s not yet protruding belly and laughed. “Well as long as you and Sprout keep your mouths shut, I guess that makes it okay.

Landon shifted her position and she placed her arm over his shoulder. “I can’t figure Carl out and it’s driving me nuts.”

“What are you trying to figure out, if he likes you or not? I thought the answer was yes?”

“Yes, he likes me,” Landon closed his eyes for a moment. “This conversation shouldn’t be happening, forget it.”

His attempt to remove Mikala from his lap proved fruitless, she would be unmoved and wrapped her arms tighter around his neck. “Princess, let go.”

“Not until you tell me what’s bothering you.”

“Fine,” he snorted, if she wanted to hear it, on her head be it. “How much do you know about gay sex?”

“As much as you tell me,” Mikala grinned, loosening her hold.

“Some guys are bottoms and some guys are tops,” he waited for a reaction and continued on when she didn’t respond. “And then there are some guys who like it either way, I just happen to be an either way kind of guy.”

“And?” Mikala asked, confused with where he was going.

“I can’t read Carl at all, I know…promise you’re not going to say a word, he’ll fucking kill me.”

Mikala crossed her heart with her fingers and laughed. “Promise, you know I’d never say a thing, not even to Mason.”

Landon tongued his cheek, considering whether to go on or not, and blew out a breath. He was nervous sharing something Carl had told him in confidence, but he needed to talk and Mikala had always been there for him in the past.

“Carl hasn’t actually had sex with a man,” he said, watching Mikala’s eyes widen and her mouth drop open.

“But I thought you said he admitted to being gay?”

“He did, he has and he is,” Landon said, tripping over his words. “The thing is I need to know if he bottoms or tops.”

“Why? What’s the big deal? If you like it both ways it shouldn’t matter.”

It was a simple question, requiring a simple answer, but it wasn’t so simple when it came right down to it.

Landon bit into his lip before answering. “It’s so easy in
your
heterosexual world, there’s a peg and a hole, insert said peg into said hole and viola you have it figured out.”

Mikala burst into fits of laughter, Landon had to join her.

She wiped away a tear and said, “Keep going I can’t wait to hear the rest.”

“Anyway,” he blinked, “think about it this way, how do you determine what to do if there are more than one hole or more than one peg, which peg goes into which hole?” he tittered.

The conversation at this point was relaxed and casual, neither one of them felt awkward and uncomfortable, it was natural between them, for which Landon was grateful.

“I get it now, you don’t know if you will be doing the fucking or Carl will be, am I right?”

“Such an eloquent way of putting it but you got it, see my dilemma?”

“What fucking dilemma?” Mikala asked, jumping from his lap. “Ask him, say Carl can I fuck you? If he says no then say Carl do you want to fuck me? You’re going to get your answer either way.”

“I was hoping for something a little more subtle, Princess.”

“Fuck subtle, you want to be with Carl, you’ll find a way to ask.”

She had a point, a very good one.

***

It took several seconds for his eyes to adjust to the darkness inside the club after coming in from the brightness outside. Carl was standing talking on the phone behind the bar with a smile on his face, he spotted Landon and waved.

Landon leaned his elbows on the bar and took in all of Carl’s beautiful features. His gorgeous hazel eyes, his dirty blond curly hair and just the perfect amount of five o’clock stubble on his jaw that Landon was imagining trailing his tongue across.

Carl’s eyes met his and he could feel his length stiffen. He imagined Carl under him as he pounded into him, Carl’s mouth forming the perfect O as he moaned. But an equal shiver ran along his spine deliciously, as he visualized being pinned beneath Carl’s weight, being filled by him completely with his beautiful cock.

The snapping of Carl’s fingers in his face pulled him from his daydream, he smiled.

Carl talked for a few more minutes, keeping his eyes locked on Landon’s and traced his mouth with the tip of his finger. Landon’s eyes followed Carl’s tongue, eager for a taste, as he moistened his lips. Carl hung up the phone and leaned his elbows on the bar, leaving a few inches between them.