Landon's Desire (Book Three of The Pulse Series 3) (21 page)

Because that was basically all Landon had been thinking about, the investigation was a nice way of taking his mind in another direction.

Landon clamped his hands around both cheeks of Carl’s ass and lifted him off his feet. “Think about us like this,” he wiggled his brow and ground his hips against Carl’s hips.

“I think I can handle that,” Carl held Landon’s face in his hands and gave him a long held kiss, “don’t do anything stupid.”

“Yes mom,” Landon joked, lowering Carl to the floor.

“Be serious, this thing’s not dangerous, right?” Carl asked, fisting Landon’s shirt.

A horn sounded from the back ally, a delivery awaited. Landon was saved from answering Carl’s question or telling a lie he didn’t want to tell.

“I’ll get that…while you get me a coffee?”

“Get your own coffee, do I look like your servant?” Carl snarled.

“Not yet, Babes, but come Saturday night you may just be.”

Landon winked.

***

Searches uncovered little to nothing. Briggs came off with a sparkling clean image, no priors, not so much as a speeding ticket and he contributed yearly to almost every charity known to man. Briggs came off as kind, caring and loving.

Bullshit
.

He owned property all over the world, attended swanky dinner affairs where plates started at a thousand bucks, yet the exact business he conducted was described vaguely to say the least. Import, export could mean anything from Luxury liners to cotton balls. The lack of a proper description in the businesses header, add to that a single email address as the only contact available, and Landon was truly suspicious.

He printed off several photos from newspaper articles, wanting to research the people Briggs associated with, perhaps he’d find a link to something a tad more sinister. Landon found after a few hours of desperate searching, he had completely wasted his time. He felt desperate to tie him to the car parts and called Johnson.

“Before I agree to do this,” Landon said. “I want to see what you got on Briggs.”

“I think that can be arranged,” detective Johnson agreed. “See you in an hour?”

“I’ll be there.”

Closing the file folder and handing it over to detective Johnson, Landon sat back with his coffee and crossed his ankle over his knee. The sludge he remembered so well as precinct coffee, tasted like shit but was welcome after the small amount of sleep he was getting lately.

“Clearly you don’t have a lot to go on,” Landon said, nodding towards the file sitting on the desk. “What makes you think I’ll be able to find anything substantial?”

“He has a strong interest in you,” Johnson said. “He’s been shadowing you for some time, we can use this pursuit to our advantage.”

“You mean use
me
to lure Briggs into a trap, say it like it is, don’t fucking sugar coat it.”

Johnson sat forward, thumping his fist on his desk. “And don’t you sit there acting all offended, it took you less than twelve hours to come here sniffing around. You want this as much as I do.”

Before Carl came into his life, Landon would have jumped at a chance to get in on the action. The crazy thing was now that he had someone else to consider, even if it had only been for a very short time, he was apprehensive.

He was also nervous that if Briggs found out he owned Liberator Industries he would try to destroy what Landon’s father had spent most of his life building. Briggs’ business was small peanuts compared to Liberator, but if he had the mob connection that Johnson suspected, it was possible to loosen a few links in the well-oiled chain he helped run.

The decision really wasn’t a difficult one to make. Carl would understand, but just in case, he’d save it for after their date on Saturday.

“Consider me in,” Landon agreed.

***

The minute Landon walked into the dance club, his eyes met Carl’s. He walked to the end of the bar and Carl joined him after setting drinks on a server’s tray and sending her on her way.

“You look tired, Ace,” Carl ran his knuckles across Landon’s jaw.

“Very,” he answered with a yawn.

“Can I get you something to drink?”

“Thanks, no,” Landon smiled, always the bartender quick to take care of him. “I’m going to go up and get into bed. I could use a good night’s sleep.”

“With this racket going on,” Carl hollered over the crowd. “I don’t know how you do it.”

“It’s like white noise to me; I’ve grown accustomed to the DJ’s beat.” Landon laughed. “Besides, I haven’t been sleeping great lately and I want to be up early tomorrow, I don’t plan on getting
any
sleep tomorrow night.”

Landon winked.

“Is something bothering you, Ace?”

Landon thought a moment. It was spooky how Carl could read him, knew what his mood was and offered to listen.

He figured there was no keeping it from Carl until Sunday, he had to tell him now.

“Remember me telling you about the investigation?”

“I do.”

“I agreed to do it,” Landon told him.

Carl moved closer to hear clearer. “Ace, you agreed to what exactly?”

“To help take Briggs down,” Landon announced.

“Carl, we’re kinda busy here man, a little help?” Rex yelled from the opposite end of the bar.

Unfortunately, the bar was too busy to be having a lengthy conversation, and since it was only Rex and Carl on duty an explanation would have to wait. Landon could practically hear his pillow calling and yawned.

“Can we talk about this later?” Carl asked, placing his hand on Landon’s forearm.

Landon ran his fingers over Carl’s knuckles. “I’ll tell you everything on the way to Salisbury, promise. I just really need to get some sleep.”

“Good night, Ace.”

“Good night, Babes.”

FIFTEEN

The weather couldn’t have been better, not a cloud in the sky, a beautiful breeze blowing and the highway was sparse of other cars. The radio was set low while Phixx sang
Original Sin
and Carl swamped Landon with question after question.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to mess with this Briggs guy,” Carl said, turning in his seat to face Landon as he drove down the near empty highway.

“Nothing’s going to happen,” Landon held Carl’s hand.

“How do you know?” Carl asked. “Look, I don’t want to come off all girlie, but we just started something and I don’t want…I don’t…you just came into my life, you can’t leave me now.”

Taylor left his life in the wink of an eye, his father turned his back on him, disowning him forever, pushing him out of the only family he had and all of this had left deep gaping wounds, he couldn’t handle anymore trauma being added to his already scarred heart.

He looked at the man beside him, the man who opened his eyes and convinced him to give them a try and shook his head at the thought of Landon abandoning him too.

“Why, if you’re going to take a risk like this, would you make me fall for you?”

Landon veered the truck to the shoulder of the road and skidded to a stop. He yanked Carl into his arms and held him tight to his side.

“You’re going to leave me too,” Carl said. “Don’t do this Landon Kyle, don’t you dare fucking get yourself killed and leave me.”

“Hey, I’ve fallen for you too,” Landon declared, lifting Carl’s chin with his finger. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

Landon kissed him with such passion and conviction Carl had to know he meant what he said. Carl had to feel it in his gut. The certitude pouring from Landon had to be seeping into Carl’s veins as Landon’s mouth devoured his.

Wrapping his hand around Carl’s throat and tilting his head back so they were face to face, their eyes pinned on each other, Landon snarled, “Tonight I’m going to make you mine, there won’t be any fucking way of ridding yourself of me I’ll be deep inside of you permanently, I am not going anywhere am I understood…Babes?”

A needy grin shrouded Carl’s face as he nodded his head, his heart racing violently in his chest. He stroked his hand over the scruff on Landon’s cheek.

“Yes please,” he said, and Landon smiled.

“Good thing we got that clear,” Landon said, with a quick peck on his lips. “Cause hitchhiking is a bad idea even this early in the morning.”

“Oh, you’re one funny man.” Carl joked along, before getting serious again. “You do what you have to do, it’s selfish of me to place demands on you after such a short time, it’s not like we’re in a committed relationship or something.”

Landon let Carl’s words sink in and thought for a minute, staring out the window at the blue sky and smiled.

“Carl Ward?”

“Landon Kyle?” Carl scoffed.

“Want to be my boyfriend?” Landon tittered.

“Yeah, I want to be your boyfriend, you want to be mine?”

“Yes, so kiss me already and let’s get going, times wasting.” Landon said, locking their lips together.

***

With his arms around Carl’s waist standing glued to his back, Landon sang
The One
in Carl’s ear, as the crowd held lighters and glow sticks in the air and swayed from side to side. Carl closed his eyes and focused on Landon’s silken sweet voice and the words that passed from his lips to Carl’s heart.

When you come around you always ask if I’m okay…I tell you that I’m fine, yeah, just like a guy would say…

Landon smiled as he quietly sang into Carl’s ear, wrapped around the man he was going to take to a new dimension in a few short hours and could feel himself harden at the thought.

I still wonder if you could have been the one…Could have been the one…You were the one…I still wonder if you could have been the one.

Everything went dark at the end of the song and Landon took the opportunity to lick his tongue along the shell of Carl’s ear. Carl shivered in his arms. Landon tightened his hold and shoved his pelvis forward, his semi resting at the crevice of Carl’s ass.

“I want you like I’ve never wanted anything so badly in my entire life,” Landon whispered.

Carl circled his arms behind them and pulled Landon’s hips closer. As if he could get him any closer. Carl could feel Landon smile against his cheek.

The music hall lit up as Theory of a Deadman was nearing an end with a few encore songs and Carl was letting Landon know without a doubt that he was ready for their late night plans as he wiggled his ass against Landon’s growing bulge.

“If you don’t stop doing that, Babes,” Landon worked his hand between them. “I’m going to get off in my pants and what a waste that would be.”

“You started it,” Carl laughed, and turned in Landon’s arms. “Can we get outta here?”

“You don’t want to stay for the rest of the show?”

“It’s almost done, let’s beat the crowd and get out first.”

“Then what do you want to do?” Landon grinned, his eyes stirring with naughty dark ideas.

“Let’s walk along the waterfront and then head back to the hotel,” Carl ran his hands down the row of buttons on Landon’s shirt. “Then we’ll play the rest of the night by ear.”

“I like the way you think, Babes,” Landon winked.

They walked hand in hand, with no particular destination in mind and hardly a word spoken. Sitting on a bench for a short break Landon raised Carl’s hand to his mouth and kissed each knuckle, then sucked his index finger into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the tip and then pulled it out with a loud
pop
sound.

“Ready?” he asked, standing holding out his hand.

“Ready.”

***

Because it would probably loosen Carl up a bit and stop his incessant nervous questions, Landon suggested they stop at the hotel bar for a few drinks. It was like being trapped in the back seat of the car with a five year old, who kept asking
are we there yet
continually.

He was adorable.

Of course Landon understood his edginess, he had been uneasy his first time too. But they weren’t seventeen years old in the back seat of a car and they had been intimate to a certain degree already. Leaving uncertainties at the door was best. He didn’t want to start something only to be left hanging.

Landon took Carl’s hand and rested it on his lap. “If this isn’t what you want, tell me now, we’ll order another drink and no more will be said on the subject tonight.”

When Carl raised his hand and the bartender started walking their way, Landon’s chin dropped as did his heart, directly into the pit of his stomach.

The handsome blond bartender leaned forward with a smile as Carl stood. “The same again gentlemen?”

“I’d like to take care of our tab,” Carl said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his wallet. He handed his credit card to the bartender, smiling as he added, “We’re kind of in a hurry.”

Landon slugged back his drink and stood, the smile couldn’t have been wiped from his face as Carl took his hand and led him to the elevator.

“I don’t want to wait another minute,” Carl said, giving Landon a bold determined glare.

“It’s going to take a few too many to get to our room as it is,”

Thank God it was the third floor their room was on and not something stupid like the penthouse.

It took several attempts to open the door with the key card, Landon felt like his fingers were made of rubber as he fumbled. Crazy how the roles suddenly reversed he thought, Carl seemed to have gotten over shit altogether and traded off his nerves to Landon, whose stomach was aching with tenseness.

The door closed behind them clicking loudly as the lock engaged, the pair stood staring at each other. Landon stepped forward and kissed Carl’s lips, tasting the remnants of whiskey. He clasped his hand around Carl’s throat and tilted his chin up with his thumb, peppering kisses up and down his neck. Carl’s lips parted as he groaned. Landon sucked the lobe of Carl’s ear into his mouth and nipped it gently, Carl gasped and grabbed onto Landon’s arms.

“Tell me you want this,” Landon demanded.

“I want this,” Carl panted, fisting the collar of Landon’s shirt.

“I want you,” Landon whispered in his ear, releasing his hold on his throat and trailing his hand down Carl’s body to the front of his pants. “All of you.”