by Ava Wood
When she was close enough to touch, he saw her Hispanic friend staring him down. It didn’t impede him from what he did next; his hands brushed across her bare back to grip her waist and pull her hard against him. “I’m not done with you yet. Not by a long shot.” His erection had returned and he pressed it against her to let her know the effect she had on him. She was a toxin thick in his bloodstream. Like a drug, after just one taste he knew he needed more. He knew she felt every inch of him pressed against her, because she began to move against him, inadvertently turning their dance into foreplay. Feeling her pressed against him, he knew he wouldn’t be letting her go home alone tonight.
Talia’s hands reached back and began running along Landon’s thighs. It sent a boulder crashing into the pit of his stomach just feeling her touch. Even after having her in his brother’s car, he couldn’t take anymore. He jerked her around to face him and whispered, “We’re going home now.”
She didn’t argue or waver. She simply nodded and bid her friends goodbye, then followed him out of the club. Outside, she reached for his hand. “Landon, slow down. I can barely keep up in these heels.”
He had no self-control left. With no intention of slowing down, he hoisted her up onto his shoulder and carried her to Dawson’s car, listening to her squeal all the way. When he had the passenger door open, he deposited her inside and rounded the car to join her. Thankful for the deserted city streets he sped to the east side in search of her apartment. His hand inched toward her countless times, but quickly returned to the steering wheel realizing if he laid even one finger on her he was likely to take her in this car yet again.
“Landon, are you okay?” Her hand reached across the seat to touch his leg, startling him just enough to flinch.
“I’m fine.” Her hand returned to her lap, but he could feel the energy that lingered where she touched him. There was some kind of pull between them that was undeniable. He felt it the first time he met her, maybe even before. Relief began to set in when he turned onto her street.
“Turn up here.”
Landon gave her a questioning look, unsure of where she was leading him.
“You can park in back, that way if you want to leave again, you won’t have to walk all the way around the building.” Her words sounded slightly wounded.
“Talia…” He wanted to apologize for leaving. He wanted to tell her that he would never leave her like that again. He wanted to say so many things, but none of them felt right. He had no right to promise that he wouldn’t leave her, especially when it was fair that he leave. Where the wrong lay was when he came back. He should have left her well enough alone instead of dragging this out, but he just couldn’t stay away from her. He took the alley that led to her back door and let the car idle, suddenly fully aware of what he was about to do. He had every intention of going up to Talia’s apartment and making love to her, and this time he had no plan to leave until she was good and ready for him to.
“You coming in?” Talia’s hand was on her door, but she was staring reverently at him.
He nodded and exited the car, hurrying to her side to help her out.
“I left my purse in Sara’s car so we’ll have to go in through the shop.” She punched in a few numbers on a keypad and the back door popped open. Once they were safely inside, with the door securely in place, Talia moved to the cabinets along the opposite wall. “I hid my key in one of the vases.” She giggled.
Landon loved the sound. He watched her reach up to the top shelf and her dress inched up just enough to show the bottom of her ass. There were so many things he longed to do to that ass. And just like that, all his reservations melted away. All thoughts left his mind, except those of what he longed to do to her in her bed, against the wall, on the kitchen table. He was voracious.
“Got it.”
Landon’s gut was in knots when she turned for the stairs and made no move to adjust her dress. She must have known what she was doing to him. She flipped on a light and made her way up the stairs, Landon following like a lost puppy behind her. Before they reached the top, he grabbed her, quickly pulling her dress up over her hips, above the remarkable blue rose tattooed on her ribs, and past her breasts. From where he stood, every inch of her looked absolutely flawless. He spun her around to face him as she removed her bra, making quick work of his jeans and boxers and letting them fall to the floor. He pulled his shirt over his head, wanting nothing between them when he took her this time.
Seeing every inch of her naked body, he dropped to his knees to worship her. His hands skimmed across her legs, leaving goose bumps in their wake. They took on a life of their own, stopping at her waist, resting on the tops of her butt cheeks, and loving the feel of that plump flesh beneath his fingertips. He jerked her toward him, burying his head between her legs and breathing her in. “You are so perfect.” Lapping at her clit, he slowly tasted the sweet flesh there. Her legs widened as she fell against the wall and moaned his name. He continued licking and gently biting until she was panting and her legs could barely hold her up. As she cried out his name, he reached for his jeans to pull a condom from his wallet, realizing he’d used the only one he had on him. “Shit.”
Still panting, Talia uttered, “What?”
“I used my only condom earlier.” He was shaking his head at his amateur move. Before Talia came along, he would have never left home without more than one. Now here he sat in a dire situation, fully erect with no way for release.
“I think I have one in my medicine cabinet.” She was still struggling to catch her breath as she bent down to pick up the keys she’d dropped moments before.
“Let me get it.” He took the keys from her hand, opening the door and tugged her inside. When she leaned against the door, he kissed her mouth, then let his forehead lean against hers as he whispered, “I’m going to have you here, just like this.”
He raced through the living room, straight into the bathroom attached to her bedroom, and began his desperate search for a condom. There on the shelf sat an unopened box and Landon’s heart leapt. “Thank God for small miracles.” He grabbed two from the box, throwing one on the bed for the possibility of later and put the other one on. When he returned to the living room, Talia was still leaned against the wall, panting. Her breath grew more frantic when she looked down to his erection. She was practically salivating over him.
“Don’t worry, baby. This is all for you.” He grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her mouth to his, taking exactly what he’d wanted all evening. His tongue delved into her mouth, teasing hers. When he pulled away, he moved down her neck, sucking at the base, loving the feel of her pulse beneath his tongue. His hands moved down her back, one gripping her waist while the other lifted her thigh, opening her to him. “I should’ve taken you like this in the club. Then I wouldn’t have been in agony during the drive here.”
He pulled her against him, placing his tip against her sex, feeling the wetness that lingered. When he buried his head deep inside of her, he leaned over to bite down on her shoulder. She whimpered beneath him, but he pressed on, moving into her slowly at first, that even movement of in and out that brought everything in him to life. Then he grew harder and moved faster, until he was pounding into her vigorously against the wall. Talia’s cries had been soft, but they grew by the second until they were loud, gushing moans. His fingers sank into her hips, pulling her closer, longing to feel himself deeper inside her. She was writhing, with her back firmly against the wall, and he plunged deeper until there was nothing between them but skin. When she finally screamed his name, he came undone inside her, feeling her wrenching him dry yet again. “You’re going to be my undoing, Petal.”
Talia lulled in his arms, clearly drained from another splendid orgasm, so Landon cradled her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. He placed her on the bed, pulling the comforter from beneath her so they could both climb underneath. When he was lying comfortably on his side, he saw she was still sitting upright against her pillow. “What’
s wrong?”
She looked away from him to the bedroom window, avoiding his question.
“Talia.” He placed his finger under her chin and pulled her gaze to his. “What is it?”
“What happens when you’re gone in the morning?” Panic filled her face as she pulled the comforter up over her breasts.
“I’ll be here. I promise.” He sat up to kiss her. “I’ll never walk out on you again.” He wasn’t sure why he made her that promise, but he was fairly certain he would do everything in his power to keep it.
With Landon’s words, Talia settled into the bed, curling up in his arms where they both fell asleep.
Chapter 9
When You Got a Good Thing
Incessant beeping rang out, waking Talia, welcoming her to a rude world of headaches and slight hangovers. As she reached to turn off the alarm clock, strong arms held her in place and the soft moan of a man purred from behind her. Flashbacks of being pressed against her front door crying out in ecstasy flickered in her mind. She wiggled out of those strong arms just enough to turn off the alarm and the time screamed out to her.
“Holy shit.” She threw Landon off of her and jumped from the bed in a panic. The feel of soreness between her thighs from Landon’s feral appetite for her slowed her movements. She grabbed a satin robe from her dresser and shrugged it on.
Landon lazily opened his eyes. “Good morning to you too.” His voice was a deep, sexy rasp and he looked so inviting, laying out on full display in her bed. He had his head resting on one arm, accentuating the bulging muscle in his bicep.
Talia’s eyes roved his body: the tattoo that only existed on the top half of his left arm, the ridges in his abdomen from a body that was well cared for, and the deep V that led her eyes down to the erection so commonly referred to as “morning wood.” His arousal was nothing to scoff at. He was undeniably well endowed, and it didn’t hurt that he knew just how to use it. Talia shook her head, remembering why she jumped out of bed in the first place. “You’ve got to get up.”
Landon didn’t budge and his laughter was less than encouraging. “What’s the hurry?”
He patted the bed next to him and Talia rolled her eyes in response, dashing into her closet to find something quick and easy to throw on. She pulled a pair of black dress pants from a hanger and returned to her room to dig through her drawers. Opening the top drawer reminded her of the clothes strewn about her stairs. “Oh fuck.” She ran through the apartment, straight for the stairs, and opened her front door to gather up the remnants of last night’s activities. The shop door opened as she reached for the last few garments. She rushed to grab the last item, but it fell out of her hand, slowing her retreat.
“Talia?” Sara’s voice echoed from the bottom of the stairs. “What are you doing?”
Talia reluctantly turned around with an arm full of clothes. “I’ll be right down.” She tried to speak in a sing-song voice to hide her embarrassment, but the look of pure shock on Sara’s face when she turned to look at her had heat rising in Talia’s cheeks. She spun on her heel and raced back into the apartment, slamming the door behind her as she went. Just inside her bedroom she heaved the clothes at Landon, who was still comfortably laying in her bed.
“Everything okay?”
“No, everything is not okay. My sister just saw me picking up what she can only be envisioning as traces of a scandalous rendezvous.”
Landon laughed again. “I seriously doubt she’s thinking that.”
Talia rolled her eyes again, returning to her drawers to find a shirt that wasn’t in dire need of ironing. “Get dressed,” she hurled over her shoulder as she dug.
“Yes, ma’am.”
The fact that Landon found so much humor in the situation was wearing on Talia’s nerves. She’d finally found a shirt that looked presentable enough for a wedding delivery when she felt Landon’s arms wrap around her. When his body was firmly pressed against her back, it became abundantly evident that he was still undressed. “What are you doing?” She turned in his arms to show him the scathing look on her face, but it quickly faded when she saw the hunger in his eyes.
“You are so sexy when you’re flustered.” He kissed the tip of her nose while he leaned her against her dresser. “I’m tempted to bend you over right here and fuck you just so I can watch you in that mirror as you come.”
Talia’s eyes nearly popped out of her head, a conflicting response to the dampness forming between her legs. She wanted to tell him no, but the thought of repeating the mind-blowing orgasms from the night before was enticing. “I need to get ready.” Her voice was less than convincing.
His hand slipped between her legs to feel the wetness there. “You feel ready to me.” He leaned forward to kiss the space just below her ear and she moaned in response.
“Landon.”
“Tell me what you want, Petal.”
That one word triggered a response that she knew she would regret. “I have to get ready for work. I have a delivery in half an hour.” She reluctantly pushed Landon off of her and carried all of her clothes into the bathroom, where she would be safe from his advances. A splash of cold water calmed her enough to get dressed and fortified her resolve to send him away without what she knew they were both desperately wanting. When she was dressed in a olive long-sleeve t-shirt and her slacks, she brushed her teeth then tied her hair in a bun behind her head and returned to the bedroom a little stronger than before.
Landon was fastening the button on his jeans, standing in her room now fully dressed. His hair stood up in that sexy, just fucked way that only men could pull off, and Talia wished for just one more romp with him so she could hang on to his hair while he drove her to the brink of insanity. She knew those thoughts would get her nowhere, so she scurried to the kitchen for a Frappuccino in her refrigerator. She was certain there was no time for coffee, and her safety from Landon decreased with every added second she spent in the apartment. While she was draining the contents of the bottle, Landon entered the living room looking slightly dejected. She was angry with herself for not giving him what she knew they were both longing for, but she quickly shook off the thought. “I’ve got to get downstairs. I’m the boss, you know. I have to set a good example.”
Landon nodded, stalking her approach. When she was close enough to touch, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her firmly on the lips.
A fire erupted in her belly and she just wanted to melt into his arms, forgetting every responsibility she had. “I really need to go.”
“I know.” He kissed her again, tugging at her bottom lip with his teeth before he let go.
“Do you have plans later? I should be back here for lunch, say around one?”
“Just lunch?” That hungry ferocity twinkled in his eye.
“We’ll see.” She looked up at him through her lashes, then pushed him away. “Go.” One quick smack on the butt sent him on his way. “See you later.”
“Bye, Petal.”
She wasn’t sure how the sound of his voice could tie her stomach in knots, but she loved the feeling. She couldn’t wait for one o’clock.
The balmy spring winds rushed against Landon’s face as he raced back across town to Perfect Petals. The only warmth in his body came from the memories of being inside Talia the night before, the way she moved over him as she rode him, the way she cried out his name as she climaxed, the sounds she made as he went down on her to taste her sweetness. When he was only a couple of blocks away, he was so enraptured by the memories that he nearly ran into the back of an Escalade at a stoplight. He shook all thoughts away for a bit longer until he could have her back in his arms.
When he pulled up to the front of the shop, all of the parking spots were full. He decided to circle the block and park in the alley to avoid the chaos. Grabbing a pair of fast food sacks from the saddlebag, he waited for someone to answer as he knocked at the back door.
The door flew open and Camey stared out speculatively at him. “What are you doing here?”
“I brought Talia lunch.” He held up the bags for Camey’s inspection.
“We’re busy.” Camey pulled the door shut in his face, but it opened again before the latch caught.
“Camey?” Talia playfully swatted Camey. Talia’s hair had fallen to a loose ponytail, small tendrils escaping from the bunch and laying on either side of her face. “What’d you bring me?”
“Burgers.” He handed a bag to Talia and followed her inside.
“Thanks. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to eat any time soon, but they smell delicious.” She set the bag on the counter and rushed through the back room to arrange flowers in a translucent purple vase.
“What’s going on?” Landon sat on a bare space of counter and watched Talia work.
“Reina called in sick and apparently every man within a one-mile radius pissed off their wives last night, because they are all here buying flowers.” She pulled a pair of pruners from a drawer and began clipping leaves from a few stems, shutting the drawer with her hip as she worked.
“Can I help?” Landon hopped from the counter.
“You know anything about arranging flowers?” She smiled sardonically.
He shook his head, “No. But I’m a quick learner.”
Talia paused briefly to place a chaste kiss on his cheek. “I appreciate the offer, but there’s not really anything you can do.”
“Okay.” He hopped back up on the counter to watch her work. She had a way about her that made even the most menial tasks sexy.
“Tal, some guy just called wanting to order six dozen red and pink roses, pronto.” Izzy flitted into the room all bubbly and oblivious. “He needs them in an hour.”
