Undercurrent (Sand Dollar Shoal Book 1)

by Pandora Pine

  “Oh my God!” Noble wrapped an arm around Landon from behind. “The rocky road fudge.”

  That had been the exact flavor Landon had been eyeing himself. Each block of fudge was about six inches long and about three inches high. “It looks amazing, huh?”

  Noble grinned, pressing a kiss to Landon’s cheek. “We’ll take a pound of that, please.”

  “A whole pound?” Landon knew if he ate that, he’d gain back the ten pounds he’d lost in one sitting.

  “What? You think you’re the only one who’s gonna chow down on this?” Noble laughed. “We’ll also take a pound of the B-O-N-E cookies for Charlie.” Noble dug out his wallet while Landon headed over to Charlie who was curled up near the shop door.

  “There’s my pretty girl.” Landon knelt down to rub Charlie’s belly. This day out with Noble was nothing like he imagined it would be. Noble had thought this day out, researched it and made dinner reservations for them. No one had ever done anything this thoughtful for him in his entire life.

  “All set to go?” Noble grinned at Landon, holding a hand down to him.

  Landon took his hand and let Noble pull him back to his feet.

  “I was talking to Tim,” Noble said once they were back outside. “He said there’s a great shop up the street called Seaside Creations. It’s going to blow your mind.” Noble waggled his eyebrows.

  “Blow my mind? Challenge accepted.” Landon grinned, taking Noble’s arm as they walked down the street together.

  Noble stopped in front of the store, his smile in full effect.

  Landon gasped, his hand flying up to cover his mouth. The front window of Seaside Creations was covered in a rainbow of glass sand dollars meant to be sun-catchers. Each creation was about the size of a salad plate. “Oh, wow,” he whispered.

  “Mind blown?” Noble laughed.

  “Hell yeah!” Landon couldn’t believe his eyes. From where they were standing on the sidewalk, it looked like everything in the store was ocean or marine themed. “Wouldn’t these look nice in the guest room windows?”

  Noble tilted his head, seeming to study the colorful glass. He pulled his iPhone out of his back pocket and started taking pictures. “Let’s go inside.”

  “Can we bring Charlie?” Landon looked down at the puppy who was looking up adoringly at him.

  “Sticker on the door says pet-friendly.” Noble shrugged and opened the door.

  Landon had to keep reminding himself to shut his mouth. The store was so overwhelming, he didn’t know where to start.

  Seeming to sense Landon’s distress, Noble grabbed his arm and tugged him to the right side of the store. “Look, this whole section is sand dollars.”

  “Let’s just buy out the store.” Landon stepped over to the collection of glass sun-catchers.

  “Which one is your favorite?” Noble reached out to grab a cobalt sand dollar.

  It was uncanny. For the second time today, Noble had picked out the exact thing Landon had been eyeing. “That one. How did you know?”

  Noble grinned. “Well, the blue is icy and cold, like the weather.”

  “It also matches your eyes.” Landon smiled at his lover.

  “We could hang it up in your window over your desk.”

  Landon nodded, too overcome by Noble’s thoughtfulness to speak.

  Pressing a kiss to Landon’s cheek, Noble headed off in the direction of the checkout counter.

  He still couldn’t believe he was staying on Cape Cod for the foreseeable future. His book was past the halfway point and Noble had loved it so far. The edits Noble had made to the Killer Instinct manuscript had been cosmetic, commas here and missing quotation marks there.

  Now, they were on their first date together and Noble was buying him gifts. He had no doubt Noble was going to insist on paying for dinner. It made Landon feel like a gentleman and not some guy who was used to one-night stands.

  “Ready to go?” Noble came up beside Landon, who was still staring at the glass sand dollars. “Our dinner reservation is for 6pm and that gives us about ten minutes to walk to the restaurant.

  “I’m ready.” After the day he’d spent with Noble, Landon was ready for anything.

  21

  Dinner had been extraordinary. Noble couldn’t have been more pleased. While he’d been on the phone with the staff at Governor Bradley, one of the oldest restaurants in Provincetown, he’d also set the menu for the night.

  The first course had been seafood chowder with ingredients that had come out of the ocean that morning. Next was escargot, which was followed by twin, baked, stuffed lobster. Landon had surprised Noble by feeding him from his fork.

  He’d been worried that Landon would be disappointed that he didn’t get to choose his dinner off the menu, but Noble needn’t have worried. Landon had been enchanted by the idea that Noble had picked the meal for their date.

  Now that they were back home, Landon was upstairs taking a shower. Noble had wanted to go up with him, but Landon had insisted he get Charlie settled for the night before coming upstairs to join him.

  Noble had taken Charlie for her walk and rewarded her for being so well-behaved today by giving her one of the bone cookies from Abbot’s. Charlie had gobbled it up in a flash before making herself comfortable on the giant bed Noble had created by pushing the two queen-sized mattresses together.

  There was nothing separating him and Landon now, so there was no reason to keep the beds apart. Before heading upstairs to join Landon, Noble grabbed the paper bag with Landon’s glass sand dollar. Using a tiny penny nail, Noble hung the jewel-toned glass so that Landon would see it when he woke up in the morning. He couldn’t wait to see the way it would glow when the rays of the rising sun hit it.

  Hearing the water snap off upstairs, Noble slipped out of his shoes and pulled his sweater off. Padding up the stairs in his bare feet, Noble couldn’t wait to see Landon all damp and dewy from his shower.

  He pushed open the door to the guest room they’d been using and his breath caught in his throat. Lit candles surrounded a mattress made up with crisp, white sheets. In the center of the mattress was a naked Landon, lying on his stomach, his body glowing golden in the candlelight.

  “Hello, gorgeous.” Landon winked at him.

  “Hi.” Noble was having a hard time catching his breath. Landon was breathtaking. “How did you do all this?”

  Landon laughed. “Do you really want me to explain it all? Or, would you like to get naked and join me?” He patted the empty spot on the mattress next to him.

  Noble wanted to get naked. Now! Grabbing the collar of his t-shirt, he gave it a tug, grinning when the material ripped down the middle, the sound echoing around the room.

  “You gonna burst through your jeans like the Incredible Hulk too?” Landon winked at Noble.

  Noble bit his lower lip, running his hand up the growing bulge in his jeans. “Keep looking at me like that, Wordsmith, and I will.” Noble went for the button on his jeans, slowly lowering the zipper. He could see the hungry look in Landon’s eyes and wanted to tease his lover a bit longer.

  Turning around, Noble shifted his jeans down over his ass, bending down, showing the twin globes off to their full advantage.

  “That ass.” Landon whistled.

  Noble grinned over his shoulder, kicking out of his jeans, his black boxer brief hugging his erection.

  "Jesus Christ, Noble! Hurry up! I'll die if I don't taste you in the next sixty seconds."

  Noble smirked, pushing his briefs down to land on his feet. Stepping easily out of them, he stalked toward the candlelit mattress. "Roll over."

  Landon did as Noble asked, his cock, smeared with pre-come, stood proudly. "Look at that fat, juicy cock, Wordsmith."

  "I'm too busy looking at yours." Landon blushed.

  "So I see." Kneeling down at Landon's head, Noble brushed his cock over his lover's bite-swollen lips. When he felt Landon's tongue lick out at his free-flowing nectar, he bent lower to wrap his lips around Landon's coc
k. There was nothing Noble love more than a good sixty-nine.

  Landon's cry of pleasure was cut off by Noble forcing his cock into Landon's throat. He slid his hands up the cheeks of Noble's ass, stopping to press a dry finger against Noble's hole.

  Noble moaned around Landon's dick. If his lover kept teasing his entrance like that, this was going to be a short performance, not that he wouldn't be ready for act II in a flash. His cock was always rock-hard around Landon. He wanted nothing more than to sink his length inside his lover's body. It had been much too long since they'd been together like that.

  This time, he was going to love Landon right. It wasn't going to be fast and hard from behind in the shower. It was going to be long and slow, face to face.

  Not wanting to, but knowing he had to, Noble let Landon's cock slip from his mouth.

  Landon groaned in frustration, hitching his hips upward.

  With agonizing slowness, Noble pulled his cock from Landon's mouth.

  "I wasn't finished sucking your cock," Landon pouted.

  "I could tell." Noble grinned, rearranging himself so he and Landon were facing each other. He bent forward to kiss his lover, tasting his own nectar on Landon's full lips. "Looks like you thought of everything." He pointed to the box of condoms and bottle of lube on the floor beside the bed.

  "Missed you so much, Noble," Landon whispered, levering himself up on his elbows to capture Noble's lips.

  "I missed you too." It was true. When he was lost inside Landon's body, Noble felt whole again. He reached out for the lube, snapping the cap open and coating his fingers. Working quickly, he opened Landon up to his fingers, anxious for the moment when it would be his erection slipping inside the lubed and loosened passage.

  "Please, Noble! Now! I need you now!" Landon's head writhed back and forth on the mattress, his hands scrabbling for purchase against Noble's shoulders.

  "Bossy bottom." Noble grinned, reaching for the foil packet. He watched the look in Landon's eyes while he sheathed himself and nudged his cock against Landon's twitching hole. "Ready?"

  "Yes! Fuck yes!" Landon wrapped his legs around Noble’s waist urging him forward with his heels.

  Not wanting to waste another minute, Noble pushed forward, breaching the tight ring of muscle guarding Landon's entrance. Both men cried out for each other.

  "Jesus, Noble," Landon whispered, just as Noble's lips landed on his.

  "Yeah, baby?" Noble grinned at the shocked look in Landon's eyes and knew he'd hit the bulls-eye with that nickname.

  "Perfect. You're perfect."

  Noble chuckled. "Mmm, so are you. So tight and needy and all mine. Do you hear me, Landon Fairchild? You're all mine."

  Landon sucked in a shocked breath. "All yours," he mumbled, pulling Noble closer.

  Noble kissed him again, letting the motion of his tongue match the motion of his hips. As his cock retreated, his tongue stabbed forward. He knew he was hitting Landon's prostate with every third thrust of his hips. He wanted his lover on the edge of exploding.

  He was near that point himself with the way Landon's tight passage gripped his cock. The look in Landon's eyes was pure bliss and knowing he was giving his lover that much pleasure pushed him closer and closer to his own end.

  "I'm so close, Noble. Make me come with your monster cock."

  "I like the sound of that." Noble grinned, pulling back and nearly out of Landon's body before slamming back inside.

  "Fuck! Again! Do that again!" Landon begged.

  "Your wish is my command, baby." Noble set a punishing pace. He knew he couldn't last long like this and just hoped Landon couldn't either. His lover was making the sexiest little moans every time his cock bottomed out.

  "Fuck! Yes!" Landon bellowed.

  Noble felt Landon's dick jerk between their bodies. Waves of hot cream splattered against his chest as Landon continued to come. When one spurt landed against Landon's neck, it was all over for Noble.

  Screaming his lover's name, he gave himself over to his cock which was jerking and emptying itself into Landon's body. Holding himself rigid above Landon, their eyes locked and in that moment Noble knew he'd never be the same man he was when he woke up this morning.

  He was no longer a man grieving the loss of his husband. He was a man in love.

  XX

  Hearing Charlie crying was what brought Landon back to his senses. He and Noble had been lying tangled together and exchanging long, slow kisses. "Baby's crying." Landon smiled against Noble's lips.

  "She probably heard all the noise you were making and thought I was killing you up here." Noble laughed, pulling away from Landon to look for his discarded boxer briefs.

  "You almost did kill me, twice!" In all of his years of having sex, Landon had never been with as intense a lover as Noble. His number one goal was always Landon's pleasure. All of Landon's other lovers had only been interested in their own.

  "Didn't hear you complaining, Wordsmith. In fact, I think you were the one yelling for me to fuck you harder."

  Landon blushed. "I've never been with a lover who treats me like you do. It's different." Different wasn't the word Landon wanted to use. Making love with Noble was life-changing.

  Noble stalked across the room in his boxers, his skin golden in the candlelight. "Different, good? Different, bad?" Noble cupped Landon's face in his large hands.

  "Different, amazing." Landon sighed, nuzzling his face into Noble's palm. He was about to explain what he meant when Charlie started crying again. "Go downstairs with the puppy. I'll clean up and be down in a minute."

  Pressing a last kiss to Landon's lips, Noble picked up his clothes and headed for the room door.

  Landon was grateful for these few minutes to himself. He wanted to explain to Noble exactly how his lover made him feel, but was at a loss for words. Landon snorted. A writer at a loss for words. At least with his previous bout of writer’s block it was appropriate.

  Noble was like no other man he'd ever known. His lover was sweet and giving, but had a darker side to him, simmering below the surface. Landon knew what it was like to live with a metaphorical rain cloud of woe over his head.

  Thankfully, Noble's darker days were rare. Landon wanted to banish them altogether. What he didn't know was if his true feelings would push those sad feelings further away for Noble, or bring them closer.

  Having romantic feelings for someone was a totally new thing for Landon. He was used to feeling need and lust, but the deeper emotions Noble was pulling out of him were foreign to him.

  Falling in love wasn't the easy, breezy thing country music songs made it out to be. It was terrifying. His biggest fear was that Noble didn't love him or could never love him in return. His second biggest fear was Noble loving him just as much in return.

  Country music was very clear about what happened when love went wrong or was unrequited. He was literally going to go down hard. He’d lose his love, the hotel and Charlie if this thing with Noble crashed and burned.

  It would seem less scary if he knew Noble was feeling the same things he was feeling. What was just as scary as having these new feelings was confessing them to Noble. There had to be a way to do it and protect his heart at the same time.

  Landon snorted. He guessed the entire point of falling in love was opening your heart up. Shaking his head, he walked around the room blowing out all the candles that had turned the empty hotel room into their romantic love nest.

  "Christ, Wordsmith!" Noble bellowed at Landon’s thumping footsteps coming down the stairs. "I was afraid I was going to have to send the Tidy Bowl Man out to look for you."

  "Ew!" Landon hurried down the stairs. "I was cleaning up. I wasn't stuck in the toilet."

  "So I should have sent Mr. Clean to look for you?" Noble laughed. He was cuddled up on the double mattresses with Charlie who jumped up to run to Landon.

  "I've never been into bald guys." Landon grinned, kneeling down to pat Charlie, who was acting like she thought she'd never see him again. Landon stood
up and hit the lights, plunging the dining room into near darkness, lit only by the light of the fire.

  "Me either," Noble agreed. "I like running my hands through your hair. It's always so silky and soft."

  "You getting all mushy on me, Noble?" Landon grinned, sitting down on the side of the mattress before rolling over to face his lover.

  Noble shrugged, paying attention to Charlie instead of answering Landon's question.

  In Landon's estimation, they were in the same boat by all outward appearances. He knew Noble had feelings that were more than just wanting them to be friends. Question was, which one of them would be the brave one? Landon sighed.

  "What's up, buttercup?" Noble rolled onto his side, propping his head up on his cupped hand.

  "You are," Landon said simply.

  "What?" Noble looked confused.

  "It's funny. I'm a writer. Words are literally my life." Landon paused, knowing there was still time to make something up and stop this crazy emotion train in its tracks before he said something he couldn't take back.

  Noble reached out to him, resting his palm over Landon's pounding heart. "Do you have the words and can't say them or don't have the words at all?"