Undercurrent (Sand Dollar Shoal Book 1)

by Pandora Pine

  Granted, Landon didn’t know Noble all that well, but over the last few days he hadn’t seen any warning signs that Noble’s sobriety was about to nose dive. He’d worried so many times since he arrived at Sand Dollar Shoal that he was in Noble’s way and that the other man was just being hospitable, letting him stay here, but Landon shuddered to think what would have happened to Noble if he hadn’t been here today.

  “Hope you don’t mind, but I’m crashing your shower,” Noble’s cheery voice called out.

  “Crashing my shower? Noble there are forty other bathrooms in this hotel.” Noble wasn’t planning on getting in to the walk in shower with him, was he?

  “I know how many bathrooms the hotel has, silly. I’ve had to work on all of them. The one thing this particular bathroom has going for it is you.”

  “Me?” Landon had picked this shower because it was the biggest. There was enough room for several other people in here. The other favorite feature it boasted were twelve water jets mounted into the wall. Landon loved the way the water pounded against his sore muscles.

  “You know that old saying, ‘Conserve water, don’t shower alone,’ well, here I am.” Noble stepped totally naked into the shower.

  Landon’s mouth hung open in shock. He’d seen bits of Noble’s body over the last few days, but this was the first time he’d seen him like this. Noble was gorgeous with his bunched muscles and chiseled abs.

  “Like what you see, dirty boy?” Noble smirked, sauntering toward Landon, stopping an inch in front of the other man.

  “Christ, Noble.” Landon couldn’t seem to catch his breath. All he wanted to do was run his hands and tongue all over Noble’s body.

  “I sure as fuck like what I see.” Grabbing Landon’s face in his hands, Noble kissed him, pressing him back against the white tiled wall of the shower. He could feel Landon’s erection digging into his thigh. He hitched his hips forward so Landon could feel for himself that Noble was in a similar state.

  Landon surrendered to Noble. He didn’t know why his host was all over him and in this moment he didn’t much care. Noble seemed to want him as much as Landon wanted Noble. “Me too, Noble. Me too.”

  “Turn around, hands against the tile.” Noble turned Landon’s hips, positioning him where he seemed to want him. “That’s it.” Noble nibbled his right shoulder before pulling away.

  Landon felt like this was all a dream. Any second now, he was going to wake up with his face mashed against his keyboard with a hundred pages of mashed up consonants as the result.

  “Mind if I wash your hair?” Noble didn’t bother waiting for an answer, running his hands through Landon’s soaked locks, massaging his scalp as he went.

  “Fuck that feels so good.” Landon relaxed back against Noble’s hard body, letting his magic fingers do their work.

  “I know something else that’s gonna feel even better.” Noble’s cock slid against the crack of Landon’s ass.

  “God, yes.” Landon moaned.

  “You gonna let me fuck you, Wordsmith?” Noble’s voice was harsh with need.

  Landon nodded, too overwhelmed by the thought to speak.

  Chuckling, Noble pulled away from him.

  Missing the warmth of Noble’s body instantly, Landon turned around to see him massaging shampoo into his own hair. “Let me help.” Unable to resist the temptation to touch Noble for one more second, he ran his hand up Noble’s abs and over his chest before sinking into his sudsy blond hair.

  “God, those hands, Landon. I need more. Want you to touch me everywhere.”

  “I will,” Landon promised. “Rinse first.”

  Noble walked them back to the shower jet, closing his eyes when the water hit him.

  Seeing Noble with his eyes closed, Landon kissed him, licking over the closed seam of Landon’s lips until he opened up. He slipped his hand around Noble’s back, letting his hands wander over every wet inch of him his fingers could reach.

  “I need to taste you,” Noble whispered.

  “You are tasting me.”

  Noble shook his head, breaking their kiss and moving down to his knees.

  “Oh, you want to taste my cock?” Landon had never seen anything more sexy in his life than Noble Killington on his knees about to suck his dick. It was his fantasy come to life.

  Nibbling his bottom lip, Noble nodded.

  “Come and get me.” Landon sank his hands into Noble’s hair, urging him closer.

  “Oh, you’ll come all right.” Winking, Noble licked out at the head of Landon's cock, moaning when Landon nudged against the back of his throat.

  "Yeah, suck that cock." Landon hitched his hips forward, forcing more of himself into the sweet velvet heat of Noble's mouth.

  While Landon fucked his face, Noble rubbed his index finger against Landon's asshole before plunging it inside.

  Landon cried out, tightening his hold on Noble's head. It had been months since he'd last been with anyone and he could feel the stretch and burn. He tried to relax as much as possible at Noble's invasion. Soon a second and then a third finger joined the first.

  Noble pulled his fingers from Landon's ass and stood back up. "You ready for me?"

  Landon nodded. "I was born ready for you."

  Noble grinned, pausing to kiss Landon hard before dashing back to the shower entrance. "Figured you didn't have one of these with you." Noble held up a foil condom wrapper.

  With growing need and anticipation pounding through his body, Landon watched spellbound while Noble rolled the condom down his thick length. How the fuck was he going to fit that inside him? Landon shivered. He couldn't wait to find out.

  Stalking back toward Landon, Noble pumped two squirts of shampoo into the palm of his right hand.

  Landon frowned. "You already washed my hair."

  Noble smirked, smearing the shampoo over his cock. "Gonna wash you from the inside, dirty boy." Noble bent forward to kiss Landon, gentler this time. "Wrap your legs around my hips."

  "Jesus, Noble. I'm too heavy. You can’t-"

  Noble stopped Landon's words with a sweet kiss. "You're light as a feather, Wordsmith. Trust me."

  "I trust you, Noble." In that moment, Landon trusted Noble with his life. He was going to have to. One little slip and they were going to end up in a heap of limbs on the shower floor. He wrapped his left leg around Noble's hip and squeaked out loud when Noble lifted him the rest of the way.

  "Lower yourself down onto my cock. I've got you." Noble's blue eyes were locked onto Landon's.

  Landon lowered himself down until he felt the blunt head of Noble's cock nudge against his eager hole. He wanted Noble to surge deep and bury himself to the hilt, claiming Landon as his own. Since it had been so long since his last lover, he knew it was best if Noble went slow.

  "Jesus Christ, you're tight." Noble grinned, inching his cock into Landon.

  "And you're fucking huge." And all mine...

  Noble snorted. "Hold on tight." He surged the rest of the way into Landon's body in one smooth movement. Both men cried out. "Did I hurt you?"

  "No, fuck no! Don't stop, Noble. Don't ever stop."

  "Your wish is my command." Planting his feet a bit further apart, Noble obeyed. His hands tightly gripped the globes of Landon's ass while his cock pistoned in and out of his gaping hole.

  It was heaven, but if Noble kept pounding against his prostate like this, he wasn't going to last long. "So close," he managed to growl out.

  "Me too. You're so tight. You’re so you, Landon." Resting his forehead against Landon's, Noble fucked him harder.

  So me? Landon didn't have any time to ponder what Noble meant. His control was hanging by a thread. "I'm coming. Noble!" Landon's entire body jerked with the force of his orgasm. Simultaneously, he felt ropes of come blast against his neck, while Noble’s cock started pulsing in his ass.

  Noble was mumbling Landon's name over and over like a prayer as his cock continued to spend itself.

  "Jesus, fuck!" Landon snorted.
/>   "You're telling me, Wordsmith." Noble kissed his lips gently while he pulled his softening cock from Landon's body. "Can you stand?"

  Landon nodded. "I think so."

  Noble gently set him down on the shower floor, holding on to Landon's arms until he'd caught his balance.

  Jesus wept... Landon bent over, bracing his hands on his knees. Now that he'd had a taste of Noble Killington, how the hell was he ever going to be able to let him go? Landon shivered, wrapping his arms around himself. He'd deal with the consequences of what happened in ten days when he was driving over the Sagamore Bridge leaving the Cape and Noble behind him.

  14

  Noble woke up feeling like he was in a burrito. Landon was spooning him from behind while Charlie was curled up in front of him.

  After he and Landon fucked for a second time on all fours on the shower floor, they'd curled up together on Noble's mattress and had both fallen instantly asleep.

  Made love for a second time... Noble took a shaky breath. What he and Noble had done together hadn't been fucking. It had been much deeper. He'd swear he felt their souls tangle together. Not that he would ever tell Landon that.

  He shifted a bit, startling Charlie and Landon, who winced in his ear. "Mornin'."

  Landon smiled against the back of Noble's neck. "Good morning."

  Noble rolled over in Landon's arms, anxious to get a look at his lover. Charlie hopped off the bed and started stretching. "How are you feeling?"

  "Feels like I went ten rounds with Muhammad Ali." Landon blushed.

  Noble burst out laughing.

  "Very funny. I'm glad you and your monster cock are getting a kick out of this,” Landon grumbled.

  "Charlie!! Grandpa's here!" A loud, boisterous voice shouted from the front door of the hotel.

  "Jesus Christ! It's my dad! He said he'd be here today, but I didn't think he meant at the ass crack of dawn." Noble shot of out bed naked, searching around for a pair of boxers and a tee shirt. He couldn't help grinning when he saw Landon doing the same, a panicked look in his golden eyes.

  It wasn't as if his father hadn't caught him in the act with Vincent before. Every time he did, it was followed up with a lecture on condoms and the next day there would be a huge box of them sitting at his place at the dining room table.

  Noble hadn't even told his father about Landon staying at the hotel and he didn't really want to introduce him to his father in this situation.

  "There's my Charlie. I missed you, sweetheart. Now where's your lazy Daddy?"

  "We're in the dining room, Dad." Noble shot Landon a wink, hoping to soothe the alarmed look on his face. At least both of them were dressed.

  "What do you mean 'we're' in the dining room? Charlie's with me. Are you starting to lose your marbles like that fella in The Shining?" Nick Killington stopped short in the dining room door, looking back and forth between his son and the strange man standing across the room.

  "Dad, this is Landon Fairchild, he's my um..."

  "He's your lover, boy." Nick rolled his eyes. "Good to meet you, Landon. I loved Killer Cure."

  "I-I" Landon looked at Noble for help but got none.

  Noble rolled his eyes at his father as he stepped into a pair of jeans. "We're not lovers, dad." He hoped to hell Landon wouldn’t be mad at him for that little white lie and for not telling his father Landon was staying at the hotel with him.

  "The second mattress hasn't been slept on, Noble. Don’t try to bullshit me. I don't care if you're fuckin' like bunnies, just make sure it's wrapped up. You hear me, boys?" Nick looked back and forth between his son and Landon.

  “I’ll take Charlie for her walk.” Landon’s face was beat-red. Grabbing his jacket, he shrugged into it and headed for the French doors where the puppy was waiting for him.

  “Now, what’s for breakfast?” Nick smiled at his son.

  “Whatever you’re cooking, Dad. In case you hadn’t guessed, my cooking skills haven’t improved since I’ve been down here.” Noble headed toward the kitchen, going immediately for Charlie’s bag of kibble. He scooped out a cup and dumped it in her bowl.

  “Leave it to me.” Nick went to the cabinets, open all of the doors as if he were taking stock of the supplies. “I guess I did show up a bit early this morning.”

  “You know I’m usually up this early, but…” Noble shook his head.

  “Start from the beginning, son. And by beginning, I mean start with why the hell you didn’t tell me you had Landon Fairchild staying with you?”

  “You know Landon?” Noble looked shocked.

  “Of course I know Landon.” Nick gave Noble a funny look. “I’m surprised you don’t…”

  “I don’t read as much as you, Dad. I’ve been so busy with the hotel and Charlie and staying sober, that picking up a book was the last thing on my mind.” Noble shrugged.

  “Come here, boy.” Nick pulled his son into his arms, hugging him tight. “I’m so proud of you.”

  “Thanks, Dad. It feels good to hear you say that again.” Although Nick had never been overly harsh with him while he’d still been drinking, Noble could see the look in his father’s eyes. He was used to seeing anger and fear, but today he could see pride and happiness radiating in his identical blue eyes.

  “I’ve always been proud of you. Even when you weren’t proud of yourself.” Nick pulled away from Noble and grabbed the Bisquick out of one of the cabinets he’d opened. “Now, enough of this mushy stuff. Get me a big mixing bowl and tell me about Landon.”

  “He just showed up here on New Year’s Day. Didn’t bother to call for a reservation, just drove all the way down here from Plum Island with a storm about to hit.” Noble shook his head. He wondered if Landon even knew the kind of danger he would have been in if that storm had hit earlier than expected.

  “Why did he come here? Was he lost?” Nick cracked an egg against the side of the bowl.

  “He used to come here with his parents before they split up. It was his favorite place to visit. He’s been struggling with writing the follow up to Killer Cure, so he thought coming down here would jumpstart his creativity.”

  “And you just invited him to stay?” Nick didn’t make eye contact with his son. He just kept stirring the pancake batter.

  “I only invited him to stay for the night because of the storm, which of course turned into two nights because the damn weathermen never get the forecast right and it just kept on snowing.”

  “Did this place work its magic on Landon?”

  Noble nodded, getting up to look out the window. Landon and Charlie had been gone for a long time. He could see them a bit further up the beach. Landon was bent over reaching for something and Charlie was sitting patiently at his side. “He started writing the night he got here and every other night since. Landon is also a pretty talented artist. He had an idea for a mural, of sorts, for the stairs and he’s been working on sketches for the back boards.”

  “I’ve seen stuff like that before. Some people paint the boards to look like the spines of their favorite books.”

  “I’ve seen that before too, but Landon’s drawing beach scenes with birds and tide pools. He’s really talented.”

  “Seems like Landon’s worked his magic on you and Charlie.”

  “I think he has, Dad.” Noble turned back from the window when he saw Landon and Charlie heading back to the hotel. “I just can’t get involved with him.”

  “Why the hell not? Seems to me like you’re already involved with him if you’re sleeping together.”

  “Dad, it’s just casual.”

  “Bullshit, Noble! You’ve never done casual in your entire life. He’s got you running scared.”

  “I’m not scared.”

  “Hell if you’re not.” Nick took a deep breath. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to come at you like that. I know you, Noble. Landon’s only the second lover you’ve ever had in your life. He must mean an awful lot to you for you to have gotten that close to him. Just because Vincent died doesn’t mean some
thing similar will happen to Landon.”

  “Jesus, Dad!”

  “You know that’s what’s holding you back. I can see it in your eyes. Just promise me you’ll figure this thing out with him, instead of figuring it out for him. He has a right to be part of the decision too.”

  “You’re right.” Noble nodded. Thanks to his father knowing him so damn well, he had a lot to think about.

  XX

  Nick had made enough food to feed an army. In addition to the huge stacks of fluffy pancakes, he’d cooked a pound of hickory-smoked bacon and rustled up some crispy home fries too.

  Landon had stayed mostly quiet, listening to father and son swap funny stories about what it had been like working with each other over the years. His eyes kept flicking over to Noble as they ate. He seemed to be in good spirits, but wasn’t really making eye contact with Landon.

  Maybe last night had been a mistake? Sex always complicated friendships and Landon would be the first person to admit his friendship with Noble hadn’t been on very solid ground. It always seemed like they were misunderstanding each other about one thing or another.

  “Come on, boy. Time to get to work.” Nick grinned at his son whose mouth was full of pancake.