Shifting Gears (Crossroads Series Book 2) (25 page)

Landon’s chest squeezed, his pulse thrummed rapidly. He didn’t tell Shanen how much he needed to hear that. Instead he quietly chuckled. “Look at you. You didn’t used to be such a romantic.”

“Love does crazy things to you, Lando. I’m sure you could vouch for that now.”

He nodded. Yes, he definitely could.

Rod just finished filling his glass of punch when Joy approached him.

“I just wanted to thank you. I appreciate the fact that you haven’t said anything to Landon yet. I know it can’t be easy, but I think it’s important that it’s us.”

Rod set the glass down deciding to grab another and fill it for Landon. “It is important. Please, tell him soon. If not, I’ll have to.”

“Have to what?” Landon stepped up beside him.

Rod stood there like an idiot, not sure what to say. Finally, Joy said, “He’s threatening to show me how it’s done on the dance floor. I haven’t danced in years! I don’t even know if I remember how.”

Landon smiled and grabbed her hand. Jesus, he looked happy. Rod wasn’t sure he’d ever seen him look so happy, so content.

“Come on, Ma. I’ll show you. I’ll be back in a minute,” he told Rod before dragging Joy to the dance floor.

Guilt gnawed on his bones while he stood there watching Joy and Landon dance. He spun her around, smiling as she threw her head back with a loud laugh. They were happy, so fucking happy. They’d been dealt a shit hand with his dad leaving, but they’d made the best of it by loving each other. Rod wanted that so fucking much.

“Rod! Come out here before this son of mine wears me out.”

He didn’t move for a moment, and then Landon jerked his head in a nod that said come here. Rod went but when he approached, it was Joy who took his hand and danced with him. Soon the dance floor was filled with bodies and people dancing to fast-paced wedding music.

He’d always loved dancing. Shanen was suddenly beside him, Jacob beside her. Shanen’s dress kept getting in the way and tripping people as they moved to the music.

Sweat dripped into his eyes, a continuous laugh on his tongue. Rod’s heart pounded as they continued on dance after dance.

It was Landon who stopped first, breathing heavy. “I’m done. I need a drink. I’ll be back.” He leaned in to kiss Rod, but he shook his head.

“I’m going with you.”

“What? Can’t keep up with an old lady?” Joy asked. He could practically feel the energy vibrating off of Landon.

“You’re a machine! Keep it up,” Landon told her before the two of them sought out the table with the punch. “It feels good to see her happy. I was so worried about her, but I think she’s good. And she likes you a lot.” He nudged Rod with his arm. The truth was, Rod really liked her too. She loved her kids. There wasn’t a fiber in his being that doubted that.

“I like her too.”

They found a quiet corner to stand in and finish their drinks. Just as their cups were empty a slow song came on. “Dance with me?” Rod asked him.

Landon nodded. He set their glasses down and then Rod led him to the dance floor. They wrapped their arms around each other, their bodies close as they swayed to the music. “This is the first time I’ve slow danced with someone,” Rod admitted. He’d never had the opportunity before.

“This is the first time I’ve slow danced with a man.” Landon’s hand ran up and down his back. “I’m glad it’s you.”

Rod rested his chin on Landon’s shoulder, holding him so tight, he wondered if he hurt him. “I’m glad it’s you too.”

***

It was late when they got home. It had been such an overwhelming, hectic day, that part of him wanted to just fall into Rod’s bed, and pass out. But he also needed to get cleaned up…and he needed Rod, as well.

“Wanna take a shower with me?” Landon asked, wagging his eyebrows at Rod, trying to sound more relaxed than he felt.

“Yeah, I do. Give me a minute first though, okay?”

Landon nodded at him, and Rod disappeared into the bedroom. Landon got a drink of water, emptying the glass before he made his way to the bedroom. He took his time getting out of his clothes. He heard the shower turn on and then before he knew it, Rod opened the bathroom door and called him in.

The shower was small, too small for two grown men, but they didn’t need much room anyway. He liked having their bodies close as they each soaped off, cleaning the day from their skin.

“Do you want more tattoos?” Landon asked, fingering the symbol for happiness on Rod’s forearm. Really it was an excuse to touch him.

“I don’t know. If it happens, it happens. I got my first one to piss off my dad.”

Landon laughed. “That doesn’t surprise me. If I ever get one we can go together. You can hold my hand in case I cry.”

Rod rolled his eyes at Landon. “You’re crazy.”

“Hey, that’s my line for you!” These were the moments he’d been denying himself, the moments he’d never had with someone else. The quiet, everyday moments. Talking, laughing, just being, but he didn’t find himself wishing he’d had them before. He only wanted them with Rod.

“You left your bracelet on.” Rod fingered the chain on Landon’s wrist. His sister had given it to him at the wedding.

“Shit. I forgot about it.” And then Landon pulled him close. “I don’t know what in the hell you’ve done to me,” Landon told him.

As though Rod was inside his head, he replied, “I don’t know, but you did the same thing to me.”

“Yeah?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

They got out of the shower in silence. They bumped into each other as they dried off in the too-small bathroom. “We need more space.”

Rod cocked a brow at him. “Do we now?”

He touched Rod’s muscular stomach. “We do,” and then he turned and went into the bedroom.

Rod was right behind him, and when they stepped into the middle of the room together, naked, Rod’s hand wrapped around his wrist. “Did you mean it?”

“Mean what?” Landon replied.

“That you think you’re in love with me. Did you mean it?” There was nothing but sincere honesty in Rod’s eyes. It nearly fucking broke Landon’s heart.

“You really don’t know, do you? You don’t see how fucking incredible you are. You don’t believe it.”

“I’m trying.”

Landon pulled him close. He wrapped his arms around Rod, one on his back, the other on his ass. He held him close, tried to fuse their bodies together as tightly as he could. Rod’s face went to his neck, burying it there.

“I am so fucking in love with you,” Landon told him. “No one has ever been worth that risk until you came into my life.”

“You’re the first person who ever has. I tell myself my mom must have, but I don’t really remember. I’m so fucking scared of losing that. Of messing it up.”

“Hey, you won’t,” Landon told him. “Not a fucking chance, okay?”

“You can’t know that.”

“I do.”

Still holding each other, Rod answered with, “I love you too.”

“I never thought you’d say that. Thank you.” And then their mouths met. The kiss started slow but accelerated quickly. Before he knew it, their lips and tongues were frantic. They ate at each other’s mouths, Landon’s left hand still firmly at home on Rod’s ass.

Rod kissed a trail down his neck. “I want your dick in my mouth. Want to worship you. Want to suck you like I need you to stay alive. Hell, maybe I do.”

Rod wrapped a hand around Landon’s dick and stroked. He hissed and then Rod dropped to his knees in front of him. His mouth ravished Landon’s prick as he sucked it deep in one long pull.

“Fuck yes.” Landon wrapped a hand in Rod’s hair, as he continued to work Landon’s erection with his skilled mouth. He’d never been so fucking hard. His balls ached to spill, to empty down the back of Rod’s throat.

Rod went lower, his tongue lashing over Landon’s sac as he ran a finger up and down the crack of Landon’s ass.

“Gimme your finger. Wanna feel more of you inside of me.” Because part of Rod was already fucking there.

Rod sucked a finger into his mouth. Landon spread his legs as Rod’s mouth went to work on his straining prick again. He didn’t tease, just pushed his spit-slick finger in Landon’s hole.

He groaned out Rod’s name. It had been a long time since he had someone inside of him. “Jesus fucking Christ you’re killing me. Get up here before I ruin this too soon.”

Rod’s finger pulled out of him and then Landon jerked him to his feet. As he did, Rod put his finger to his mouth and sucked. “Haven’t gotten to taste you there yet.”

Landon’s balls burned. His dick flexed against his stomach. He squeezed it, holding off his orgasm. “You are so fucking sexy. I want to come all over you right now, but I want this to last, too.”

With a sexy rasp to his voice, Rod said, “Make it last.”

Landon intended to do just that.

Rod’s legs trembled as Landon pulled him to the bed. He grabbed the lube and a condom, tossing them to the bed before he sat down. Rod stood between his legs as Landon wrapped his arms around him, cupping his ass. He squeezed his cheeks before parting him. “Jesus, this fucking ass. I don’t know if I want my tongue or my dick inside it more.”

“Both?” Rod asked, because honestly, he didn’t know which he wanted more either.

“Get on the bed and show it to me. Let me see your hole.”

Rod didn’t hesitate for a second. He got onto the bed, kneeling before he lowered his upper body, offering his ass to Landon. “Jesus, you’re beautiful. I can’t wait to make love to you.”

Rod’s hole clenched, but it was more than that. Hearing Landon say he wanted to make love to him made his chest full, his heart pound. The man was determined to kill him tonight.

“You’re more than that though. More than just sex. I love you.” Landon rubbed his ass, placed his thumb against Rod’s hungry pucker and rubbed it. “You’re more than that. Tell me.”

Rod closed his eyes and Landon continued rubbing his thumb against his asshole. He felt Landon’s lips on his left cheek, kissing him there, and then his right.

“Tell me,” Landon said again.

“I’m more than that. Now hurry the hell up and give me something before I have to do it myself.”

They both laughed. “Who’s the bossy one?”

And then Rod couldn’t reply. Landon’s tongue took the place of his thumb as he kissed Rod’s hole. He tongued it, moaned against it as he spread Rod’s cheeks, his face there as though this was his last meal.

Rod pushed back toward him, trying to get as close as he could, wanting Landon all over him.

A tingle started at the base of his spine. The dull burn in his balls got more and more intense as Landon worshiped him.

“I need you, fuck, I need you, Landon.” He’d sworn to himself he would never need anyone, but Landon had changed that.

“I’m right here.” He kissed his way up Rod’s spine. “I’m not going anywhere.”

***

“On your back. Open your legs for me.” Landon looked down at Rod as he did what he said. It was so strange, feeling this way, looking into someone’s eyes and feeling like they’re your whole fucking world.

And Rod felt the same way about him. It was there in the intensity of his stare.

“I’ve never made love before,” Rod told him and Landon touched his lips, his hair. He just needed to touch him.

“Yeah you have. We just didn’t call it that before. We knew though.” He reached over and grabbed the lube and a condom.

Rod spread his legs for him, as Landon lubed his entrance. His body burned to be inside him, ached to burrow himself as deep as he could go.

He rubbed Rod’s pucker, pushed the tip of his finger in and then Rod said, his voice hoarse. “Just take me. Make love to me.”

Landon shook as he opened the condom. His eyes didn’t leave Rod’s as he rolled it on.

After liberally lubing himself, he pushed Rod’s legs back, and started to press in.

“Fuck.” Rod gave a guttural moan as Landon eased into his tight heat. His body was on edge. He wanted to slam into him. To rail him, fuck him into the mattress, but he wanted to make love to him too.

He felt raw, cut open, on display.

“Me too,” Rod said as though he read Landon’s mind. And then Landon thrust forward, buried himself balls deep. He wrapped a hand around Rod’s steely length as he started to pump inside him, the tight fist of his ass, squeezing Landon’s prick.

“Fuck yeah. You feel so goddamned good. I’ll never get enough of you.”

He pulled almost all the way out, the head of his dick rubbing Rod’s opening before he slammed in again. Over and over he took him, made love to him.

Rod’s hand replaced his as he jerked himself off. It wasn’t enough for Landon so he bent closer, let his tongue make love to Rod’s mouth the same way his dick did.

Rod arched forward, heat radiating off his body. “Oh fuck. I’m gonna come Landon. Shit, I’m gonna come.”

And then his ass muscles clenched around Landon. They kissed again. Landon’s hips smacked against him as he watched the come shoot from Rod’s slit. It went up his chest, hit his chin as his ass kept constricting around Landon.