it was about damn time I figured it out.
12
Landon
I spent the next three days trying to get ahead on work so I wouldn't be leaving the guys shorthanded and thinking about that kiss. I didn't know what possessed me to kiss him like that or why he grabbed me and pulled me back for more. I told myself it was just for show and that when he walked me out to my truck when I got ready to leave but kept his hands to himself, that I wasn't disappointed. I wasn't stupid. I knew sleeping with him would be a big mistake, but I still wanted him.
Hell, I'd still wanted him for the last year when I was keeping my distance because of his reputation. He was sexy and charming and confident, what wasn't to like? But none of those things made wanting him smart, and I'd been determined to make smart choices. That kiss hadn't been smart, though. I'd convinced myself that him not taking me up on my offer last year, and the way he hadn't made a move since we started this fake dating fiasco meant he wasn't interested, and I wasn't about to throw myself at someone who didn't want me.
But when I pulled back from that kiss Saturday night, the heat in his eyes had been unmistakable. That was the thing I couldn't stop thinking about. The way his hand had felt behind my neck, pulling me back down. The way his mouth had moved over mine. All of that was amazing, but seeing blatant want in his eyes had taken my breath away for a moment.
And now I got to spend a little over six hours in a car with him. I should’ve insisted we fly, but by the time we drove an hour to the airport, arrived two hours early, added flying time, and drive time on the other end, it wasn't really much faster. Plus, not going to lie, I liked the idea of pulling into town in Miller's Mercedes G-Class SUV. That thing costs more than I made in a year. Hell, probably more than I made in two, and I didn't mind if the assholes I went to school with drooled a little when they saw it.
He pulled in to pick me up right on time. I tossed my duffle bag in the back and hopped in. He looked back at my bag and said, “That's it?”
“Yeah, we probably won't go anywhere but my mom’s. There isn't exactly a lot there.”
“So there’s no place where I could take you out to a nice dinner while we’re there?”
“I mean, if we wanted to drive to Lawton, maybe. Besides, the town I grew up in isn't exactly open-minded.”
“Landon, this is your hometown, so I’ll leave it up to you, but I want you to understand that it doesn't matter to me. I've been to places that weren't gay-friendly, and while I’m not about putting either of us in a situation that’s dangerous, if it's just hateful words and looks, then I don't give a shit about those people.”
“Well, we'll see. I usually just go straight to my mom's and stay there. We can feel it out, who knows, Ripley tells me River Gorge wasn't always so friendly.”
“It wasn't. But not a lot of small towns have their star football player move home with his boyfriend to open a coffee shop. That really made a big difference in River Gorge. I mean, I was out before then, and so was Tristan, but the town more tolerated us than accepted us before Cap returned. If things are the same and it makes you uncomfortable, we can just stay at your mom's house. But if you want to flaunt your super-hot boyfriend”—he shot me a grin and waved a hand down his body—“I'm great arm candy.”
“Well, you are pretty hot, so maybe I’ll decide to show you off a little,” I teased back. “Speaking of Cap's, let’s stop and grab some coffee and something to eat on our way out of town.”
I had been worried about what that much time trapped in the car would be like, but I shouldn't have. We loaded up on drinks and sweets, including some fresh croissants to take to my mother’s, and before I knew it, we were halfway there. Miller had kept me entertained with stories about high school with Ripley and his first kiss with Cap. At the time, it was something that they’d sworn to never