Lies in Love

by Ava Wood

  “Yeah.” Landon hung up the phone and dropped it on the bed next to him. This was just one more place his father was being run out of, just one more place that he wasn’t welcome. Why couldn’t his father see what he was doing to the people around him, to his family? As it was, Dawson wanted him as far away as possible so he wouldn’t influence the grandkids. And their sister wrote him off years ago. None of them had heard from her since Landon began his job as an escort. Landon was sure that their father preferred it that way, however, since she was the spitting image of their mother and dear old Dad couldn’t take the sight of her. The last time his dad saw her he went into a heavy drinking binge that lasted a week, just so he could check out until he forgot about her again.

  Landon got up and dressed then began gathering enough clothes to last for the next couple of days. He knew it wouldn’t be easy getting his father into a new apartment complex, not if they checked his references. This was his fourth home in a year. If he thought for a second that his father wouldn’t check himself out of rehab, it would be the next arrangement he made, but he knew his father would never go for a recovery program. As far as Abel Havens was concerned, he had no problem and no reason to quit drinking.

  Landon packed all of his essentials in a backpack and headed out to his bike, stuffing it into one of the saddlebags before firing the motorcycle to life. He would make the trip to Waco and find the next location to hide his father away. Hopefully he could talk enough sense into him to keep him in a home for more than four months this time.

  Abel Havens sat on the steps outside of his apartment in a pair of jeans and nothing else. His once muscular physique had softened to a beer gut and from twenty feet away Landon could see his eyes were heavily bloodshot. Landon wondered even now when Abel had no place to live if he would ever stop drinking.

  “There’s my golden boy.” Abel began laughing and fell over against the railing.

  Landon spotted a half-empty bottle of Jim Beam next to his father. “Damn it, Abel. Don’t you ever stop drinking?”

  “Don’t you call me Abel, boy. I’m your father. You respect me.” Abel raised the bottle in Landon’s direction while trying to stand and nearly fell down the stairs, gripping the metal railing.

  “You haven’t been my father since the divorce.”

  Abel stumbled in place and Landon hurried forward to stabilize his father before he tumbled to the ground below.

  “Come on.” Landon tugged his father inside of the apartment, stepping over beer cans and pizza boxes just inside the door. “At least you’re eating.”

  “No thanks to you,” Abel snickered as Landon dumped him into a recliner near the front door.

  “Where do you think…?” Landon stopped himself. He knew there was no use where his father was concerned. “I’m not going to argue with you. Let’s just get your shit together so we can get you out of here and find someplace else for you to live.”

  “Bah. I don’t need your help, boy. You don’t give a rat’s ass about me. That’s why you’ve got me cooped up down here by myself. I don’t have anyone anymore thanks to you and your good-for-nothing brother.”

  “You did this to yourself. If you don’t like where you are or your circumstances then quit fucking drinking. It’s a simple solution.” Landon stomped from the room in search of a trash bag to begin cleaning up the empty boxes and cans lying around the apartment. When he returned to the living room with a bag in hand, he found his father passed out in the recliner. Landon rolled his eyes and began cleaning up the place. Maybe it would be easier to get his father moved if he was comatose for the whole thing.

  Friday morning, Landon woke satisfied that he had done all he could for his father. Abel was now in a gated apartment complex on the other side of Waco thanks to an extra thousand-dollar incentive to the management staff. His furniture was set up and his refrigerator was stocked with his favorite beer. Landon wasn’t thrilled about the latter, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to leave his father any other way. He’d spent his nights in a local motel to avoid any more confrontations than necessary.

  He didn’t condone his father’s lifestyle, but knew there was no stopping him, not unless he was willing to stop on his own. The only thing Landon could do was sit and watch his father slowly kill himself.

  After a quick shower and change of clothes, Landon packed up his things to make a brief stop by his father’s and head back to Dallas. He hoped he would be back in time to visit Satin and hopefully run into Talia. Thoughts of her were the only thing that made his time in Waco bearable at all. He wanted to call her, but he didn’t want to expose her to the irritability his father brought out in him. He couldn’t put that on her, or anyone else for that matter. Anxious to get back to her and everything in Dallas that he loved, he checked out of the motel and made the short trip to his father’s before getting on his way.

  It was raining. Cracks and gutters were full of water. Puddles sloshed onto the sidewalk as cars passed. It was another dreary March day. Talia was dressed in a baggy sweatshirt and jeans staring out the shop’s front window watching the traffic go by. She hadn’t heard from Landon since their night together. That was three days ago. She knew the male “rule” was to wait three days before calling, and that she shouldn’t be so bothered by the silence, but she couldn’t act like sex with Landon didn’t matter; deep down, it did. And with no word from him she wasn’t sure what to do. She knew there was no getting out of going to Satin tonight, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to, because she hoped Landon would be there.

  She was dying to confront him, to find out why he slept with her and never called. She was certain of one thing: she planned to have fun this evening if it killed her. She would dance with whoever was interested and drink her fill. She would do everything in her power to get him off her mind and, if he did in fact show, she would make him rue the day he met her. She wouldn’t allow him to turn her into some useless mess. It was time she got out of this funk she was in and turn things around.

  Hopping off of her stool, she began rapidly pulling orders together, trying to bide her time until the shop closed and she could get ready for her evening out. It would be her mission to make every man in the club want her and for Landon to regret ever walking away.

  Landon pulled into Dallas amidst the rain. By the time he arrived at Dawson’s he was soaked clear to the bone. The sun was waning in the sky as he ran up to his apartment to shower and find some fresh clothes. He desperately needed to restore some warmth back into his body before he ventured back out into the rain. His shower lasted longer than usual as he thought of his last night with Talia, regretting the way he left her as the heat slowly seeped back into his bones. He’d be in the shower all night if he didn’t stop his wayward thoughts.

  Once he felt his blood pulsing through his veins, he climbed from the shower and dressed. A quick call to his brother secured a vehicle for the evening that wouldn’t leave him exposed to the elements. When his hair had dried and he was content with his appearance he made the quick jog to borrow the car keys from his brother, trying to avoid the raindrops falling around him, and set out for Satin.

  The ride was agonizing. At every stoplight he could see Talia’s outline burned in his mind. He could still smell her gardenia scent all around him. He could taste her sweet and salty skin on his tongue. When he arrived at the club, he was forced to adjust himself before he ambled from the car and headed inside. He’d parked just up the street, almost in view of his old bedroom. Regret struck him momentarily, but he pushed it deep down, focusing on his time to come with Talia.

  He joined the club’s meager line, which looked as though many of the usuals didn’t want to brave the rain. When it felt like the rain was going to begin soaking into his skin, he was finally able to enter the club and he went in search of Talia. His first stop was upstairs to check her usual table, but it was empty. When he sat down and began scanning the crowd below he found her there, dancing uninhibitedly. She looked beautiful, her body fully on
display in a tight black number he hadn’t seen before. The back was open to her waist, showing way too much skin, and a twinge of jealousy came over him as she paraded around in such a mind-blowing number. He didn’t like that other men were seeing her this way.

  A man approached Talia and she quickly began grinding against him, acting much more promiscuous than usual. Anger coursed through him as he ran down the stairs and stomped onto the dance floor, pushing past the throng of club-goers. When he got within feet of her, the music slowed marginally. Talia pulled her hair over her shoulder as she looked back at the man, who was now holding her hips firmly against him. Landon watched as Talia’s face turned from laughter to fear in a few short seconds. He hastened to her side and pulled her from the man’s grasp before she even knew that he was there. “Get your hands off of her.”

  The man looked ready to fight at Landon’s words, but seeing Landon’s size advantage, he decided to walk away. Landon spun Talia to face him, feeling hampered by the rage radiating off of her.

  “Get away from me.” She ran out of the club, with no hesitation from Landon to follow close behind.

  “Talia, wait.” He caught her just outside of the club surrounded by the mist and fog.

  “What are you doing here?” He saw her shiver as the mist gathered on her skin and he quickly removed his leather jacket to place it on her shoulders. “Stop it. I don’t want it.” Talia pushed at the jacket, but Landon was having none of it.

  “Take the damn jacket, Talia. It’s freezing out here and you barely have anything on.”

  She stopped fighting and let the jacket hang over her shoulders. “What do you care?”

  “Believe me, I care.”

  “Sure.” She was still shivering.

  Landon hated seeing her body shake from the cold. He began running his hands up and down her arms, trying to put some of the heat back in, but she immediately shrugged him off.

  “What do you want from me?” She fell against the wall, still facing him. “I can’t take the head games, Landon. Tell me what you want.”

  “I want you, Talia. All of you. I want your body, I want your soul; I want your feistiness and your anger. I want everything you can give me.” With each word, Landon took a step closer until he was only inches from her. “And when you have nothing more to give, I want everything that’s left. Every…” He kissed one cheek. “Single…” Then the other. “Bit.” Then he took her face in his hands and began kissing her mouth. His body pressed firmly against hers, forcing her against the wall behind her. He was falling deep into the kiss when she pushed him away.

  “Stop. Just stop this. This is stupid. You can’t keep walking away from me. You can’t keep doing this.” She pushed off the wall and began walking down the street with Landon’s jacket still draped over her.

  “I’m sorry, Talia. My life is complicated, especially now that I’m caught in your web. I feel like I’m your prey just spinning out of control and I no longer know which way is up. Everything is upside down when you’re near me. I don’t have any restraint when it comes to you and honestly, if being with you means I’ve lost all control, then I don’t want control.”

  Talia didn’t say anything in response. She was staring at him, the overhead lights bringing out the twinkle in her eye.

  “Say something.” He stood, eyes fixed on hers, waiting patiently for some kind of response from her, any kind of response other than silence. When his patience was wearing thin, Talia gripped the front of Landon’s shirt and pulled him to her.

  She began kissing him, teasing his tongue with her own, nibbling at his bottom lip. Catching him off-guard, Talia spun him around and shoved him against the wall while she continued to kiss him.

  Landon had no plans to stop her until he heard a couple leaving the club and realized they were in full view of the public eye. “Come with me.” He took Talia’s hand and led her down the block toward Dawson’s car.

  “Where are we going?” Talia spoke in a breathless whisper.

  “Just trust me.” There was no way he could tolerate another minute. He needed her alone where he could bury himself inside her and make her realize how much he wanted this; he wanted her. He needed her out of the cold, away from the wet air all around them.

  When they were next to Dawson’s car he stopped to pull the keys from his pocket, but Talia must have had other things in mind, because she crashed into him, kissing him passionately again. She pulled him in front of her while she climbed on the hood of Dawson’s car; Landon fell on top of her, kissing her. Mist had turned into droplets that now dripped down their faces and mixed with their ardent kisses. The realization that Talia was more than willing to be fucked on the front of his brother’s car had him slowing things down a bit. “God, what are you doing to me?”

  “What’s important is what I want you to do to me.” She practically purred the words.

  He could feel his dick pressed hard against his jeans. He would need ice before long if he didn’t get some relief fast. Standing, he pulled the keys from his pocket.

  “What are you…?” She stopped speaking when Landon opened the passenger-side door and pulled her from the hood.

  He grabbed his jacket from where Talia had just been laying and threw it in the backseat, waiting for her to get inside. He was prepared to take her home and make love to her, wanting to make up for walking away before. He was more than a little surprised when she began unfastening his pants and pushed him into the car. His heart was hammering in his chest as she removed her thong and let it drop to the ground.

  Bending over to grab her panties, she climbed in Landon’s lap and shut the door behind them. She was pulling at his jeans and boxers when she asked, “Do you have a condom?”

  This interlude was so unexpected that Landon had forgotten all about a condom. He tried to reach into his back pocket for his wallet, but was a little lower than usual now that Talia had begun pushing his jeans down his hips. When he was finally able to retrieve it, he found the condom tucked safely inside and Talia immediately took it from him. Before she rolled it on, she began stroking Landon up and down, twisting her hand around his girth as she went. His eyes rolled back in his head as he growled, “Fuck, that feels so good.” They were both panting and the windows quickly fogged over, turning all the passing cars into blurs of headlights. He was glad for the little bit of privacy they had as she continued to tug at him, rolling the condom down his length.

  When Talia had the condom in place she hovered over him. “I want you to touch me.”

  Landon’s eyes shot open as she looked at him with a fever in her own. He licked his index and middle finger and began to slowly rub her clit. The moisture of his saliva mixed with her wetness made him slide over her so easily that she writhed in his lap. “You feel so good, so wet. I want inside you now.”

  Talia grabbed onto the door handle and adjusted just enough so that she could effortlessly lower herself over him and slide down until he was fully within her. She began a slow, agonizing pace that had him fleetingly holding his breath as he basked in the feel of being so deep inside her.

  He didn’t think it was possible, but he felt himself grow even harder with every stride. His head fell back against the headrest as he listened to her soft moans and moved beneath her, matching her rhythm. He watched as her eyes fell closed when their intensity increased. His hand grabbed her neck, pulling her closer to him. “Open your eyes.”

  As passing headlights lit up the interior of the car, Talia’s eyes opened and a thin sliver of amber blazed around her black-as-night iris. She was looking deep into him before her mouth came crashing down over his.

  Landon tugged at her bottom lip with his teeth as she pulled away then he saw her smile as she continued to move faster. Before long, Landon was barely hanging on. Everything around them was becoming a blur. Their hot breaths mixed and created a fog that surrounded them.

  When Landon began grunting, feeling his imminent orgasm, Talia yelled, “Don’t stop. God, don’t
stop.” She held onto Landon’s shoulders, rising and falling over him in a rhythm that would have them both lifeless before long.

  “Fuck, Talia.” He was trying to hold on. He wanted to wait for her to climax, but she was so wet. Every movement put him excruciatingly closer until he was barely holding on. “Come for me, Talia. Come, now.”

  Talia cried out as she erupted all around him and clenched every drop from his orgasm. They panted in each other’s arms as they waited for the climatic spasms to subside.

  When she reached for her panties, now discarded on the driver’s seat, Landon placed his fingers in his mouth and tasted the wetness that Talia had left behind. “So sweet.” After their intimate encounter, he was surprised to see the blush rise in her cheeks. “Don’t be embarrassed. It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.” When she was focused on him, he ripped the panties from her hand and fisted them in his own. “Mind if I keep these?”

  The blush increased as she smiled. “Be my guest.”

  “Thanks, Petal.” He kissed her cheeks and playfully bucked at her in order to return his pants to their appropriate position.

  She pulled her dress down over her thighs and opened the door as Landon was busy removing the condom. “Thanks.”

  Landon furrowed his brow. “Where are you going?”

  “The girls will be wondering where I went.”

  He reached for her hand to stop her. “Let them wonder.”

  She surprised him with a laugh and continued to walk away.

  He scampered to close his fly so he could rush after her. He couldn’t let her get away so easily. When he was finally redressed and crawling from the car, he saw her reentering the club. “Holy shit, Talia, what are you doing to me?” He chased after her, pushing through the sea of bodies once back inside. Somehow he knew he would find her back on the dance floor. There was no way she was going back to that reticent woman he met just a few short weeks ago. It was no surprise when he found her there surrounded by her friends with a bright smile on her face. She was carefree, waving her arms in the air, twirling in circles and laughing. She was like a bright beacon of light in a killer storm, shining for the whole club to see.