Landon's Obsession: An Endless Series: Book 3 (Series 3) (48 page)

     Maya’s gasped and dug her fingers into my arm.
“Landon!?” My name came out excited and anxious.

     “We’re just kissing, darlin. That’s all anyone can
see.” I grunted as my finger plummeted into the silky outer folds of her pussy.
Fuck! I groaned into her shoulder. She was so soft, and even in the water I
could feel the hot cream flowing from her. I slipped my finger through it
toward her clit. Reaching it I caressed softly, teasingly.

     Maya’s legs rose and hooked on my hips opening herself
even further to me. It also linked up our groins and my deprived, aching dick
was ecstatic, especially when she began to grind against me in small circles.

     “Oh god, Landon. You have to stop.” She whimpered under
her breath, but at the same time her hands latched in the hair at my nape
holding me to her. I could tell she didn’t really want me to stop, but the
venue was making her fretful, and she appeared to need me to halt the embrace
because she couldn’t.

     I don’t know how she thought I would have the willpower
to pull away. That I made her out of control for me was fucking intoxicating. I
continued to stroke from front to back, skimming around her small, tight
opening.

     Her hips circled harder and she panted into my
shoulder. “God, I’m so going to kill you later for doing this to me.”

     Moving my hips with her I grunted huskily into her ear.
“You’re killing me now, believe me.”

     “Landon!” Nadia yelled at the same time I heard a
splash next to me.

     I don’t know how I knew, I just did. Letting go of Maya
I dove under the water and saw Nola sinking, staring with wide-eyed terror up
at me as she sank downward. The panic that went through me was instant,
intense, and sickening. Grabbing her tiny arm I hauled her up roughly, my only
thought to get her to the surface as soon as possible. In the back of mind I
knew she’d only been under two, maybe three seconds, but my panic was absolute.

     We broke the surface and I jerked her into my chest,
scanning her face in alarm. The fright in Nola’s eyes turned to tears and she
began crying. I hated seeing her cry, but at the same time I was relieved to
see she could. The vise that had been squeezing my heart loosened allowing my
heart to finally beat, and it did…at about five-hundred beats per second.

     Maya was right there patting Nola’s back and smiling.
“Hey, baby girl, were you trying to swim all by yourself or were you expecting
daddy or me to catch you?”

     Maya’s smile threw me for a second because I didn’t
understand how she could when Nola had almost drowned, but then I noticed the alarm
in her eyes and realized she was trying to sooth Nola’s fright and not add to
it. I didn’t think I could muster up a smile to save my life.

     Nola’s small hands gripped me tightly as tears
continued to fall. “I wanted you to catch me.”

    Maya smoothed her hand over Nola’s wet hair, still smiling
reassuringly. “You need to remember to warn us next time, sweetie. We can’t
catch you if you don’t warn us. So you make sure you tell us, okay?” Leaning in
she kissed Nola on the cheek and as she pulled away the look she gave me still
held a glint of shock, but was also filled with relieved gratitude.

     “Okay, mommy.” Nola tears slowed but she still hung
onto my tightly. I clutched at her just as firmly. I felt like I’d nearly lost
her. Fuck, she could have died.

     I noted that Seth, Nadia, and Issy were standing over
us. Maya did too and she gave them a smile and nod of reassurance and gratitude.
“Why don’t you try it again, Nola, now that we’re watching, but over in the
shallow end?” Maya suggested. I stared at her in disbelief and she gave me some
kind of silent communication that I wasn’t understanding at all. Nola also
looked at her in uncertainty. “Come on, I want to see how far you can jump.”
Maya pressed with a teasing smile.

     A smile began to curl Nola’s mouth. “Okay. I’m getting
good at jumping far, right mommy?”

     “You sure are, baby girl. Daddy will set you back up on
the tile and you make sure you
walk
over to the shallow end. Daddy and I
will swim over there and meet you.”

     Reluctantly, I released Nola and swam along the side
with her as she carefully walked around the pool to the shallow end. I wasn’t
going to let her out of my sight. “Should she be getting back in after that?” I
whispered to Maya next to me.

     “I don’t want her to be frightened of the water after
that little scare. You know what they say about getting right back on the horse
after a fall.”

     Yeah, that actually did make sense, but shit. “Shit,
Maya, that scared the fuck out of me. I’m still shaking. I shouldn’t have been
messing around with you like that. I distracted us both and she nearly drowned.”
I mumbled agonizingly as I pushed through the water, eyes on Nola.

     “Landon…”

     “Catch me, daddy.” Nola cried, interrupting Maya. And
then barely waiting she jumped for me.

     She surprised me at how quickly she was bouncing back
after her scare. I’d thought she’d more hesitant and fearful now…but no, she
appeared to have completely forgotten about nearly drowning only seconds ago. I
hadn’t forgotten though. I was still shaken over it, and I wanted to kick
myself in the ass for taking my eyes off Nola, and distracting Maya as well.

     I was a fucking dickhead failure of a father.

Chapter Ten

MAYA

     I could tell that Landon wasn’t shaking off Nola’s unexpected
jump in the pool easily. It was understandable since this was his first scare
with her. It had shaken me as well, but I was accustomed to Nola’s fearless
behavior and had dozen’s of heart stopping moments under my belt, and while it
could still kick me in the gut I knew she hadn’t been in any true danger from
drowning.  

     Landon’s coping process consisted of shadowing Nola during
the rest of the time we swam…and avoiding my gaze. It worried me, but I figured
maybe he needed a little more time to settle his nerves. We enjoyed another
hour of swimming before Nola began to look tired. She’d played hard and it was
also getting close to her nape time. Everyone else was ready to quit as well,
so we all headed back into the changing rooms.

     “I have to tell you, Maya, it’s a bit dumbfounding
watching Landon around you and Nola.”

     I was peeling Nola’s bathing suit off, but glanced over
at Nadia as she made that comment, and then looked away quickly and tried not
feel inadequate at the sight of her half naked body. The girl was stunning;
tall and slender, beautiful skin, blonde with red highlights, aquamarine eyes.
She looked like a runway model, and it was taking everything in me not to hate
her.

     Well…not everything, because Nadia was actually extremely
cool, and friendly, and she wasn’t giving off weird vibes at knowing my past.
That she knew had made my nerves tight with tension at first because I’d only
shared what had happened with the closest people to me, but Nadia had acted
completely normal around me allowing me to relax. And Landon was right in that
we had things in common. I could see she took her responsibilities toward her
sister just as serious as I did mine toward Nola, but it kind of bugged me that
she and Landon seemed so friendly toward one another. She joked with him like
an old friend but he’d told me that they’d only known each other for a few
months.

     I recognized that the bug nagging at me was jealousy,
and I also knew it was stupid. It was impossible not to perceive how in love
Seth and Nadia were. It was like an aura surrounding them that literally
pulsated with energy. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stop being a little stupid
because Landon teasing another female really got to me. I was used to him
ignoring other women, or acting like a dick to them. Seeing him behave nicely
to one…besides me…was really difficult. Who knew I could be so possessive?

     “Why is it so dumbfounding?” I asked curiously, drying
Nola off with a towel. I wanted to know what she saw.

     “I don’t know if Landon was as socially challenged four
years ago as he is now toward women, but seeing him be so…nice,
chert
,
more like whipped, it’s like he’s someone else.” Nadia snorted humorously.

     I grinned at her ‘socially challenged’ phrasing, but
then frowned. “He’s nice with you, and I assume with his friends other
girlfriends.” Grabbing Nola’s dry clothes I began redressing her.

     “On a grading of one to ten he treats us around a seven
or eight, which is tons better than other girls who are treated in the one to
two range, but you and Nola, he treats you two in the fifteen range. It’s
amazing to see.”

     My chest warmed and my heart swelled at Nadia’s report.
I shouldn’t be so pleased that he treated women so shabbily…but I was. I wanted
to be different to Landon…special. Keeping my head bowed I hid the silly, gratified
smile spreading over my face.

     “You and Seth make a dramatic couple. He’s dark and
tall, and you’re fair and tall. Anyone can see he loves you like crazy.” I
stated, redirecting the conversation.

     I left out the part where Seth’s frame resembled a
California red oak, because geesh, the man was huge. I thought Landon was tall
and buff. At least Nadia’s height was close to Seth’s six and a half feet so
they weren’t freakishly disproportional. She had to be nearly six feet herself
and made me feel like more of a midget then I normally did. I was used to guys
towering over me, but not women.

     This time when I looked over at Nadia she was dressed,
and smiling, face flushed at my proclamation of Seth’s feelings. “He’s my big
cuddly bear.” She declared humorously. 

     “No, he’s a big cuddly
pit bull
.” Both Nadia and
I looked at Issy who’d corrected her sister’s description of Seth with a fierce
expression. I glanced back at Nadia with a quizzical grin.  

     She laughed. “He’s a vicious bit bull on the field,
Issy. But with me he’s a cuddly teddy bear; all snuggly and lovable and
kissable.” Sidling up to her sister Nadia wrapped her in a hug and cuddled her
close as though illustrating her description.

     Issy wrinkled her nose in mock disgust. “Eww, Nadezhda.
TMI.”

     I smiled at their connection, and realized that
Nadezhda must be Nadia’s full Russian name. Nola was dressed so I turned to
getting myself clothed.

     “What are you and Landon doing tonight?” Nadia asked as
I slipped on my underwear and bra.

     “Nothing that I know of.” I answered with slight
trepidation, because that question was normally a follow up to an invitation.

     Nadia smiled animatedly. “You should make Landon bring
you over to the house. All of us are hanging out to eat pizza and play games.
If you can’t get a babysitter Issy would love to watch Nola in one of the
bedrooms. They can play and watch movies.”

     Issy gave me a smile of agreement, and while I
appreciated the offer I raised a brow at her wording. “
Make
him?”

     Nadia grinned wickedly. “Well, Landon’s been keeping
you pretty much to himself…probably making up for lost time.” She threw me two
raised eyebrows which had my cheeks heating. Nadia didn’t seem to have any
problems speaking her mind. She reminded me a lot of Gabby. “He might have
plans for just the two of you tonight, but he needs to bring you over and
introduce you to everyone. I know the other girls are dying to meet you
and
Nola. The guys are curious too.”

     I wasn’t sure I was comfortable enough to
make
Landon take me anywhere, and the idea of meeting all his friends was rather
intimidating. More so than last time. “Uh…I guess I could tell him that you
suggested I come over.”

     Her expression turned craftily contemplative as I
tugged on my shirt and pants, and that had my insides constricting in
warning…the girl was up to something. Once dressed I put my wet hair up in
loose bun and together we stepped back out into the pool area to find Landon
and Seth waiting. I could see that Landon was still immersed in morose thoughts
by the set expression on his face.

     The intensity of it actually troubled me. He seemed
excessively anxious…and distressed.

     Nadia pressed herself up against Seth’s side. His arm
went around her waist tugging her even closer. “So Landon, I was talking to
Maya and we think you should bring her over to the house tonight. Everyone’s
dying to meet her and your little girl.”

     I sucked in a breath at Nadia’s impetuousness. Landon
was leading us out of the pool room and as we all paraded through the door I
noted that he wore a frown. “The house…tonight?”

     “Yes.” Nadia gave him a backhanded smack on the
shoulder as she passed through the door. “I was telling Maya that Issy could
watch Nola upstairs in one of the bedrooms if you did bring her.”

     I passed through the door as Landon answered, still
wearing the frown, still avoiding my eyes. “Uhh…we’ll talk about it.”

     His evasion of both my eyes and the invite put a sick
feeling in my stomach. Why was he acting so withdrawn and reticent? I could see
that Nola’s scare had shaken him and put him into overprotective mode, but it
didn’t explain why he was avoiding my eyes, and why he didn’t seem to want me
to meet his friends. 

     The sick feeling only grew as we said our goodbyes with
Seth and Nadia in the driveway and then drove back to my house in an
uncomfortable silence. We didn’t even have Nola’s inane chatter to distract us
as she fell asleep two minutes into the drive. I wanted to ask what his problem
was but my throat was constricting too much from the heavy tension in the air,
and Landon’s white knuckled grip on the steering wheel told me I wasn’t the
only one experiencing it.