Lies in Love (43 page)

She could see the new lines
that had formed on his face, memorizing every single change. She was
just getting used to this new man in front of her when the waitress
arrived with their food. Their plates were placed in front of them
then the waitress promptly left.

“I’m not even
hungry,” she whispered as she pushed her plate away.

“You should eat. You
look like you’ve lost ten pounds since…”

“Thanks.” She
knew she’d lost weight, but she never expected Landon to call
her on it. Picking at her bun, she took a few small bites to appease
him. When she noticed his burger had hardly been touched she asked,
“Why aren’t you eating?”

He shook his head, staring
at something on the table.

“Maybe this wasn’t
such a good idea.” Talia got up from the table, but Landon’s
hand latched onto hers.

“No, don’t go.”
His sorrow-filled face looked up at her. “I never thought it
would be this hard just to be near you. It’s like you’ve
captured all the air in the room and I can’t catch a single
breath.”

Talia looked down at his
shattered eyes. “I know how you feel.” Her hand was still
in his and just his touch made it harder to breathe. “It’s
not supposed to be this hard.”

“No one ever said love
was supposed to be easy.” He was still holding her hand.

She knew she should pull
away, not give him any false hope, but she missed the feel of his
steady hand in hers.

“Please sit down.”

Lamenting the loss of
contact, she sat back in the booth, rubbing her hand under the table.
She still longed for the warmth she felt when he was touching her.

“God, Talia, don’t
you think I agonized over the men you’ve been with before me? I
know I wasn’t the only one.” His jaw clenched, but he
continued. “I know my number is more substantial, that it’s
a lot to take in, but…” His hand brushed through his
hair. “Damn it, I’m not proud of what I did, of who I
was. If I could take every second back before you, I would. I’d
do it all different just to have one more chance with you.”

“Can we just get out
of here?” Talia realized Landon had barely touched his food,
but she didn’t feel comfortable continuing this conversation in
the diner.

“I’ll drive you
home.” He threw a fifty on the table and escorted her out, his
hand on the small of her back as they walked to his Jeep.

“I’m sure the
waitress will appreciate that tip.”

Landon shrugged, never
removing his hand from her back.

“I can pay you back if
you need me to.”

“That’s not
necessary. I can afford it.” He opened the door and continued.
“I’m working as a bouncer now.”

“Oh.” They
stopped on the sidewalk, a gentle summer breeze cradling them.

“I had to do something
with my time. After my dad got clean, we got a place together so I
could help him out and well … living with him hasn’t
been the easiest thing in the world, especially since my sister came
to visit.”

“You were serious?”

“About what?”

“That really was your
sister?”

“Yeah, that was really
my sister.” He brushed a strand of hair from her face and
studied her, then went on. “I called Celia while my dad was in
rehab. I decided I’d move in with him once he was out, but I
wanted some help. I couldn’t trouble Dawson, because we wanted
to protect the kids from any possible relapse my dad had, at least
for the first few months, so I called my sister. She wasn’t too
keen on the idea of helping out until she knew that I’d given
up escorting. Ever since she’s gotten here, though, I’ve
felt like I’m constantly under a microscope; like she’s
just waiting for me to go back to my old life. I’m kind of
relieved she’s flying home in about an hour, but I needed to
get some air before I was left alone with my dad.”

“It must be hard.”

Landon shrugged again and
took her hand to guide her to the car. “Come on.” He
opened the Jeep door for her once again and helped her inside then
drove them back to her apartment. During the drive he didn’t
speak, but the set of his jaw told her he had plenty on his mind.

“I’m sorry.”

Landon jerked the wheel at
her words, momentarily swerving into oncoming traffic. “You’re
sorry? What are
you
sorry for?”

“I should’ve let
you explain. I shouldn’t have thrown you out without at least
hearing you out. I’m sorry.”

Landon pulled into a parking
spot in front of
Perfect Petals
and sat behind the wheel. “You
don’t owe me an apology. I’m just sorry I didn’t
tell you sooner.”

“You were right not to
tell me. Apparently I overreact to everything.” She chuckled,
trying to ease the tension that had been building between them since
she saw him standing on his apartment stoop.

“I’m just glad
you finally know the whole truth. It was eating me alive not telling
you everything. It may not have made a difference, but you have to
know there hasn’t been anyone else since you.”

“I know.” She
reached across the Jeep, longing to touch his face, but pulled away.
Staring out of the windshield, she remembered what had led her on the
trek to his apartment. “I found your sweatshirt.”

“Yeah?”

She laughed, remembering how
she thought she would die on their run. “Want to come in? I’ll
get it for you.”

“Sure.” He
didn’t budge until she was out of the Jeep.

While unlocking the door,
Talia uttered, “I guess I should thank you for the flowers.”
Looking over her shoulder she added, “I know you put a lot of
thought into them.”

“I did.” The
apprehensive man was slowly vanishing, and the Landon she knew slowly
began to resurface.

Opening the door, she slunk
through the shop to the workroom and flipped a switch. The
fluorescents whirred on as Landon entered. “I’ll run
upstairs and get your shirt.” Leaving Landon behind, she ran to
her apartment, going over the evening. She could tell he was
miserable; she knew exactly how he felt, but she kept pulling away.

When she was in her bedroom,
she grabbed his shirt, inhaling his scent one last time,
understanding what she was about to give up. Falling onto the bed,
she wondered if she really could let him go again. She’d felt
so hopeless without him and suddenly realized that she wasn’t
angry anymore. She didn’t need to keep pushing him away. She
loved him.

Wasn’t love
supposed to conquer all?
She got up from the bed and carried his
sweatshirt back downstairs, finding him staring at the blank spot on
the wall where the picture of her blue rose had been.

“Your rose is gone.”

“The picture fell and
broke.” She omitted that she had dropped the picture in the
trash and it shattered as a result.

Still gaping at the wall,
Landon rubbed his hand over his heart.

“Are you okay?”

“Huh?” He
immediately dropped his hand to his side and looked at her with a
look that could only be described as desperation.

Talia ached to know she was
the reason for what Landon was feeling. She couldn’t take the
anguish that they were both feeling so she slipped into the cooler in
search of something that might make things better. She plucked a
white tulip from its container and hid it behind her back as she
emerged. “I want you to have something.” She procured the
flower and held it out to him.

He took the tulip from her
hand and asked, “Let me guess, this flower means goodbye?”
He twisted it between his fingers, his focus on the bloom as it
revolved in his grasp.

“It means
forgiveness.” She watched him, breathing deeply and tried to
stay calm. She prayed that he understood what the gesture really
meant.

“Forgiveness?”
His head lifted, his eyes meeting hers. “You forgive me?”

She nodded, smiling. Her
words were caught somewhere in her throat and she couldn’t
speak, but she knew he understood exactly what she meant when his
lips came colliding into hers. They were quickly breathing as one,
falling into each other. It was a kiss of healing and forgiveness and
pure, unconditional love.

Tears prickled at the corner
of her eyes as she felt her body sinking completely into his, not
realizing until this moment how much she longed for this, just to be
in his arms again. She suddenly realized, she really was enough; his
past didn’t really matter, because he meant everything to her.
It was her pride that had her stuck in misery, but she knew she could
finally let it go. Ready to give herself over to him, she whimpered
when he pulled away.

“I love you, Petal.”

“I love you, too.”

Five
Months Later

Talia’s fingers
outlined the blue rose tattoo Landon had inked the first week after
their breakup. It sat just below his shoulder with a single petal
that looked to have fallen away from the bloom and landed just over
his heart. The first time Talia saw it, she knew it was a symbol of
everything she meant to him. She found herself edging over that very
tattoo every time she laid in his arms. It was amazing how such a
simple gesture could say so much.

“We’ve got to
get going or we’ll be late.” They’d spent hours
enjoying their lazy Sunday together nestled under the covers.

Talia groaned as Landon’s
hand gently rubbed over the small swell of her stomach where their
child was beginning to grow. “Let’s just blow it off.”
She burrowed deeper into the crook of his arm.

He squeezed her against him
and said, “You know Dawson’s whole family is waiting for
us. We can’t blow them off.”

“I know,” she
grumbled. Landon and Talia had scheduled a family gathering at the
mid-season Cowboys game nearly three months before, but Talia was
just too comfortable in Landon’s arms to care. “Just ten
more minutes.”

He laughed and kissed the
top of her head. “Come on, Petal. I’ll make it up to you.
I promise.”

She angled her head up to
his and smirked. “You will, will you?”

“Get up.” With a
quick peck on her nose he climbed from the bed, his flawless body on
full display as he retreated to the shower.

When Talia heard the water
running, she climbed from the bed and snuck to the bathroom.
Surrounded by a thin layer of steam, she pulled back the shower
curtain. “Need a hand? I hear I’m really good at getting
those hard to reach places.”

Landon grabbed the hand that
had been holding the shower curtain and pulled her inside. “Get
in here.” He pressed her body up against the cold tile and
nipped her bottom lip. “You’re persistent, aren’t
you?”

“You better believe
it.” She squirted a bead of soap in her hand and applied the
suds all over his body, paying careful attention to the area between
his legs. He stood watching her hands work and she smiled seductively
before she reached between them, grabbing his length and stroking up
and down then lapping at the water dripping from his head. Feeling
his full erection firm in her grasp, she wrapped her mouth around his
cock, taking him in fully. She proceeded up and down his member,
tasting the salty skin as she moved. Cradling his sack, she felt its
fullness and stood up in front of him. Wrapping one leg around him,
she pushed up on her tiptoes and kissed him firmly.

His arms wrapped around her,
lifting her higher while dipping his tongue into her mouth.

She could taste the mint of
his toothpaste as his tongue teased hers. His hands moved down her
back and grabbed onto her ass before he hoisted her up around his
abdomen, placing her breasts just inches from his face. Lowering his
mouth he took one erect nipple in, his tongue circling the delicate
bud before his teeth grazed the ultra-sensitive flesh. Talia moaned
and arced her back, pressing her breast farther into his mouth. He
continued his attentive assault, elongating her nipple with his
ravenous sucking.

Feeling secure in his arms,
she placed her index and middle finger in her mouth, sucking, then
positioning them between her legs, pleasuring her clit while he
continued his attack. As the wetness greedily formed between her
legs, Landon’s mouth pulled away from her breast.

“I love you, Petal.”
His forehead met hers before he eased her down onto his length.

“Oh, I love you.”
Her fingers continued their pace as he moved in and out with her back
moving easily against the wall. The chill of the tile sent a shiver
through her and she gripped his shoulders, yearning to meet his
stride. She bucked against him with each thrust, putting him deeper
inside of her. She could feel him so deep, hitting the places no one
had ever reached before. Riding him up and down, feeling him fully,
in and out. She dropped her head against the shower wall as her
orgasm built deep in her belly. Her climax hit and she began
trembling as Landon grunted softly and slowed. As Talia dropped her
legs to the shower floor, Landon pressed against her.

“We’re
definitely going to be late.”

“I’d say it was
worth it.” She grabbed her shampoo and began lathering her
hair, smiling when she caught Landon greedily staring at her breasts.
“You ready for round two?”

Landon shook his head. “I’m
getting out of here before you get me into trouble.”

She laughed as he climbed
out of the shower, leaving her to finish alone. When she was wrapped
in a towel she emerged from the bathroom, finding Landon fully
dressed in faded denim jeans and a blue-plaid flannel shirt. No man
had ever made flannel look so sexy. She felt unworthy in the pink
Cowboys jersey and black tights she’d picked out, but she knew
Landon loved her in whatever she wore. “I was wondering…”
She saw the inquisitive look he gave her as she began and felt a pang
of anxiety take hold.

“What, Petal?”

“Please don’t
say no.”

“Like I could say no
to you.” He took hold of her waist and pulled her close to him.