Bourbon & Bonfires

by Andrea Johnston

  Landon slowly brushes his lips over mine. The feeling is light, a barely there whisper of a kiss. I feel the electricity in my core. Tingles blanket my skin as he melts into my body, the heat of his skin warming mine. I run my hands across his back, my nails gently scraping. His back tenses each time my hands move, and without preamble, he intensifies the kiss. The strength of the kiss takes me aback and my mouth opens, inviting in his tongue.

  Our tongues meet, and it’s as though every previous kiss with anyone else has meant nothing. This is different. Deep inside, I feel every emotion he conveys. His feelings, our connection, the love building. This isn’t a prelude to dirty hot tent sex. This is making love. This is our hearts meeting, our bodies saying all the words neither one is prepared to speak aloud.

  Landon tugs the cups of my bra down, my breasts popping out. The moment his tongue swirls around my hard nipple, I moan in ecstasy. I could come like this. His tongue lapping at my breast. His hand gripping my ass, pulling me to him. My hips lifting for friction. An orgasm builds from the slightest touch of his cock on my pussy, and I feel ridiculous knowing I can come like this, from a few kisses, his lips on my breast, and me grinding against him.

  It’s almost too much. My breath is quick. My hands are everywhere: gliding across his back, down to his boxers, pulling at the waistband, running across his ass. Gripping him in my small hands as I grind and grind.

  “That’s it baby. Use me, get off.”

  “I . . . oh God.”

  I don’t want to come like this. I want him inside me. I want him to make me come. I don’t want to use him like some sort of human dildo. I want it all. I want him to feel me, I want to feel him. I need all of him.

  I release my grip from him and begin tugging at my panties. When he realizes what I’m doing, Landon leans back on his knees and helps me when I can’t reach past my knees. His large hand makes circles on my abdomen as he looks at me, a small smile on his face. I lean up and pull my bra off.

  Lying before him completely nude and spread out before him like a gift, I don’t feel awkward or embarrassed. I feel cherished and wanted. Loved.

  Landon runs a finger along my slit, the wetness obvious as he slowly inserts a finger in me, his smile widening when his thumb flicks my clit. I was already on the brink, but that simple movement pulls my orgasm to the surface as my back arches, and I grab a pillow to cover my face as Landon’s fingers draw my orgasm to completion.

  Sated, I let the pillow fall from my face as I hear the telltale signs of a condom wrapper. Instead of settling between my legs, Landon lies next to me on his side, his head resting in his hand while the other hand begins repeating it’s work on my still trembling pussy.

  Leaning over, I take his face in my hands and kiss him. Passionately and desperately, my kiss intensifies before I nudge him onto his back. I quickly settle on top of him, taking him slowly until I’m complete with him inside me.

  As I begin rolling my hips, my hands resting on his chest for leverage, I watch his face. Multiple emotions play like a movie across his face. Each one telling a different story, stories I want to know. He shifts a hand from where it rests on my hips and brings his thumb to my clit again. My tempo increases, and Landon begins lifting his hips, matching my rhythm. It isn’t long before my orgasm hits and I grip his chest with my fingers, likely leaving a scratch.

  The moment his own orgasm peaks, Landon lifts up, his hand reaching behind my neck, pulling my mouth to his, kissing me as he rides his own wave of bliss.

  “You’re really sure about this? Maybe I should make him go. He can make up the work.”

  “Addison, babe. Come on, it’s four days. We’ll be fine.”

  After our weekend camping, we came home to more details from Taylor about the funeral. Addison has to go, there is no question about that. But Mason has a big test in science and can’t miss school. I offer, like any good boyfriend would, to hang out with the kid while she goes out of town. She’s spent the last four days going back and forth on whether or not she’ll go or stay home.

  I sip my coffee as I watch her look from the duffel style bag in her hand to her car and back. I’m highly amused at this scenario, and do everything in my power not to laugh at her. My sweet, beautiful, and slightly overprotective girlfriend is hilarious when she’s conflicted. And cute as hell.

  “Are you laughing at me? This is not funny, Landon.” Her bag drops to the ground as she places her hands on her hips, foot tapping in frustration. She’s trying very hard to look threatening.

  That does it, I burst out laughting, and she smacks me in the arm. Grabbing her by the waist, I tug her to me and place a quick peck to her lips. Addison rests her forehead on my chest with a huge sigh.

  “Honey, it’s going to be okay. Mason and I will do our thing, work and school plus finish a few of the furniture pieces we’re working on for Spencer Garrison. Our weekend is full, and it’ll be good for you to spend time with your friends. Be there for your brother and Scarlett.”

  “But, this isn’t your responsibility. You shouldn’t have to put your life on hold for my family and my problems.”

  “Hey,” I begin while placing my coffee cup on the ground next to me and taking her bag from her hand, setting it next to my cup. Pushing the fallen hair from her messy bun out of her face, I continue, “We’re together, right?” She nods, her eyes focused on mine. “This is what we do. We are here for each other and help each other. Mason and I already spend our evenings and weekends working together. The only difference with this weekend is we’ll eat a few more meals together.”

  “But . . .”

  “No buts. Look, if it’s me, if you don’t feel I’m responsible enough to care for your son, I can ask my mom if he can stay over there. Whatever you need, but he’s already told you he can’t miss this test.”

  “Oh my God. No, no it’s not you. You are great. Kind of perfect. Which, by the way, is super annoying.” I laugh and kiss her again. “I’ve never really left him to his own devices. When Dan and I were married, he was always traveling for work and when he was home, we stayed home. He was tired of eating out and hotels. Then, when he left, I couldn’t leave Mason. I felt like he’d already lost so much. Plus, I didn’t have the extra money for trips.”

  “I know this isn’t really a trip but leaving Mason is new for me. For us. Plus, I don’t know that I completely trust him after all the shit he pulled before we moved here. It’s a lot of responsibility for you. You should be hanging out with your buddies, watching a game or something.”

  There’s that dig at my age again. At least this time she didn’t point it out. She’s gone the passive aggressive route, and while I still don’t love it, it’s an improvement. I know the age difference bothers her. Actually, I’m not sure it’s the age difference as much as it is something with her own age. She rarely references my age, but she mentions hers often. That’s a conversation for a different time.

  “First of all, my buddies are married or happily shacking up with their ladies. Our hanging out time now includes all of you ladies. Speaking of which, when you get back, we’re going to do that. Hang out with my friends. Who, by the way, are your friends too. Why haven’t we done that yet?” She shrugs her shoulders.

  “Go be with your friends and family. I’ll hold down the fort.”

  I place another kiss on her lips and reach for my coffee cup and her bag, extending the handle to her. Offering me a small smile, she accepts the bag and turns to walk toward her car. I playfully swat her ass. She squeals and jumps a little as she keeps walking. Once we’ve made it to her car, I promise again that everything will be fine and send her on her way.

  Pulling my phone from my pocket, I make sure the ringer is on. If I know Addison, she’ll be calling within the hour. Since Mason already left for school, I head back to the house to lock everything up. I guess her suggestion for a guy’s night isn’t too far off. Mason is going to hang with me at my house this weekend while Addison is gone.

  By the
time I make it to my first call of the day, Addison has texted me twice and called once. The texts are just reminding me to have Mason shower—like I needed to be reminded of that—and to take the money she left for his lunch account. The call is to keep her mind off the long drive she has ahead of her.

  The day is pretty stacked, and I know that I have to take Jameson’s suggestion and hire someone for the office. There’s no way I can keep up with this. I didn’t realize how much of the business side of things my dad was doing while I ran the calls. With summer just around the corner, we’re going to get even busier. People need heat, but it’s the hot summers that really make a difference in the HVAC business.

  It’s late afternoon and I’m pulling into the driveway of my last service appointment when I receive a text message.

  Mason: I’m at your house. You have nothing to eat.

  Me: Hello. I’m fine. Thanks for asking.

  Me: There’s shit in the freezer. I’ll be home around 4 as usual. We’ll work and then order a pizza.

  Mason: Okay. That works.

  Little shit.

  Me: Call your mom.

  Mason: I did.

  Me: Ok.

  “Wait. This table is for Spencer Garrison?” The awe in Mason’s voice as he realizes exactly whose furniture we’ve been building is fantastic. I’ve learned that it takes a lot to impress this kid.

  Instead of responding, I simply continue with my work, leaving him standing with his mouth open. I intentionally kept the identity of our client to myself. I knew from a few conversations that Mason is a fan of Spencer’s. Hell, I’m a fan of Spencer’s. When I mentioned that I knew Spencer as a kid and he had lived in Lexington part-time, Mason had a total celebrity fan moment.

  That was when I realized I needed to keep the information to myself. Besides the fact that I wanted Mason’s head in the work, I also didn’t want to listen to him talk about Spencer ad naseum. But we’re taking some of these pieces to his house this weekend, and I figured there was no time like the present to tell him.

  “Landon!”

  “Dude, what? Look. Spence is a good guy. But he’s private. He comes home to Lexington to be normal, not a world-famous skater. To us he’s the same Spencer we grew up with, ya know? So, please don’t make a bigger deal out of this than it is. He’s not in town right now, which is why we’re taking this stuff over to his place. Security and all that.”

  “I can’t believe it. You know, I thought my mom dating you was pretty cool before. I mean you’re cool, and she’s so much more chill when you’re around. But now? You like went up a few levels.”

  I chuckle in response and motion with my head for him to finish wiping down the table so we can add a coat of sealant before calling it a night. I’m proud of these pieces. A dining table that will comfortably seat ten, matching chairs, and a hutch. When I went to Spencer’s place a few weeks ago, I knew instantly the type of wood and finish I wanted to use. I still have a few more projects for the bedrooms that we’ll get to in the coming weeks. It was when I walked out to his patio and saw the setup he had in the back of his property, that I decided to add an art piece too.

  “Why don’t you finish up what you’re doing, go inside and order us a pizza, and grab a shower. I’ll close up when I’m done.” I want to spend a little time with this art piece before calling it a night. I don’t know if it’s the creative side of me or what, but I prefer to work on the art alone.

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to leave you with all this clean up; it’s kind of my job.”

  His response makes me happy. When Mason first started working with me, he was a little bit on the lazy side. And kind of a shithead. But he’s come a long way. We’ve come a long way, and I see him being more considerate and taking more responsibility with his job duties.

  “Yeah, go on. I’ll be in shortly.”

  Mason leaves me alone, but before he leaves the shop, he turns to me. “Hey, Landon?”

  “Yeah, kid.”

  “Thanks.”

  I know his thanks is for more than the pizza and a place to stay. It’s for the job, for trusting him, and for the friendship we’ve built.

  “Anytime.”

  Without another word, Mason turns and walks out of the shop. I know if I start working on my current art project, I’ll be lost for hours. Instead, I tap my phone to increase the volume of the music as I finish the work on the table. I know this kind of task would seem tedious to most, but I find it cathartic. The simplicity of it all is what I love the most. Building furniture goes back to the beginning of time. It’s a craft and a skill that many people before me have had, and there’s something amazing about that.

  Time flies while I finish the table. By the time I make it inside the house, Mason is sitting on the couch with the Xbox controller in his hand and there’s a half-eaten pizza on the table in front of him. I’m tempted to say something about using plates and eating at the dining table, but the reality is, I’d be doing the same thing as he is if I were here alone.

  I’m stepping out of the shower, wrapping the towel around my waist, when my phone rings from my bedroom. Leaving a trail of wet footprints behind me, I rush to grab it before the call goes to voicemail. Addison.

  “Hey, babe.”

  “Hi. Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I was just getting out of the shower.”

  A hear a small intake of breath and smile at the thought of Addison being turned on at the simple thought of me showering. I decide I might as well tease her.

  “You know, I’m standing here dripping wet, not even a towel on.”

  She sighs into the phone, and I hear rustling in the background. Is she on her bed? Damn, I’m getting horny at the thought of that.

  “Do not try to have phone sex with me, Landon Montgomery.”

  “You know that mom voice turns me on, baby.”

  “Oh gross. Now anything I was feeling is gone. You cannot refer to me as your mother. That’s . . . just no. This is already hard on me. Jesus.”

  Laughing, I tap the speaker icon on my phone as I set it on my dresser. Opening my dresser drawer to pull out some boxers and a pair of sweats, I laugh before responding. “Sorry. No mom talk. How’s it going there? You okay?”

  “It’s pretty awful. Scarlett is . . . well . . . I actually don’t know what she is. It’s like she’s in denial or something. She’s obviously sad and crying. But something’s off.”

  “I’m sure it’s stressful for her. Aren’t there various stages of grief? Maybe she’s in a different one than you’d expect.”

  “I guess. Anyway, I’m glad I’m here. How’s Mason? Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, we got a lot done tonight and will finish up everything tomorrow night. I’m taking him with me on Saturday to deliver the table and chairs to Spencer’s. I finally told him who the client was.”

  “Did he lose his mind?”

  I hear more rustling and know she’s settling into bed now. After the drive she had today, I’m sure she’s exhausted.

  “Well, he’s currently playing Spencer’s latest game on the Xbox, so I’d say yes.”

  We both laugh and talk a little longer before I walk out to the living room and hand Mason the phone. A few yeah, uh huh and okay, mom later, and Mason ends the call with Addison. I settle into the couch next to him, grab a controller, and proceed to kick his ass in skateboarding before we go to bed.

  Hanging out with a teenage boy all weekend isn’t much different than having Owen as a roommate for years. He’s messy, he sleeps half the day away, and pizza is its own food group. Today, we’re heading to Spencer’s house to deliver the table and chairs. I wanted to get over there early because I know Mason is going to freak when he sees Spencer’s house. Mostly the pool and mini skate park he built on the back end of the property.

  I knock for the third time this morning as I look at the time on my phone. We’re approaching noon, and this kid still hasn’t come out of his room.

  “Dude, I’m leavin
g in fifteen minutes with or without you. Your choice.”

  Turning to leave, I make it only two steps before the door opens. I spin around to find Mason at the door rubbing his eyes. I take in his just-woke-up appearance and am grateful he wasn’t ignoring me for the last few hours.

  “What time is it?”

  “Almost noon. I wanted to be there by now.”

  “Sorry, man. I fell asleep with my headphones on. They’re noise cancelling.”

  “It’s fine, but I’d like to get this done and back at a decent hour. We both have to be up early tomorrow.”

  Mason nods and turns back to the room. “I’ll be five minutes. Let me change.”

  “Shower first. I’ll heat up a few slices of pizza so you can eat on the way.”

  Yawning, Mason nods again and walks toward the bathroom. How can he possibly be yawning? He slept like twelve hours. Fucking kids. While he’s showering, I do as I said and heat him up some pizza and grab a few waters from the refrigerator.

  By the time he joins me, he appears to be more awake and talkative. Last night we watched two movies he insisted I needed to see. I wasn’t sure I’d agree when he first told me about them, but in the end, he was right. A take on 007 with a lot more humor and younger characters was fun to watch. I’m still not quite sure how I feel about seeing one of my top five hall pass actresses making hamburger meat out of dudes in a meat grinder, but whatever.

  “Your mom called last night after you went to bed.”

  “Uh uh.”

  “She’s staying tonight too. Something about Scarlett’s blood pressure. She wanted to stay with her. She’ll be home late tomorrow night. I told her you could stay at my house again tonight, and we’d hang out at your house tomorrow after work. Sound okay?”