28. Olivia
Chapter 28
Olivia
The night bled into the wee hours of the morning. I was pleasantly buzzed from the wine served at dinner as well as the two glasses I had afterward while we hung out with friends. Everyone began to disperse and head to their rooms. I dipped into the bathroom to prepare for bed, and when I came out, Landon was in the hallway just outside his room. I waited for him to say something, anything, to let me know I wasn’t the only one who felt the tension coiling around us. He’d been about to kiss me earlier. I just knew it. If our friends hadn’t interrupted us, his lips would’ve been on mine in a matter of seconds.
His gaze flicked down my body, taking in my bare legs and arms, settling on my breasts beneath the thin material of my cami. He quickly looked away, and his throat bobbed with a heavy swallow. My shoulders sagged in disappointment. He was still fighting his attraction to me. I couldn’t blame him. Even though he'd admitted he believed me over Lyle, I was still his brother’s ex-girlfriend. That was a line he clearly wasn’t willing to cross, no matter how badly we both wanted it.
Resigned, I headed for my door and heard him release a relieved breath as I reached for the knob. Before opening it, I turned and looked at him over my shoulder. His feet were rooted in place, his expression tight as his eyes met mine. Equal parts longing and trepidation swirled in the icy blue depths. He wanted me, but he wouldn’t let himself have me, and I wasn’t interested in fighting his conscience for his affection.
“Goodnight, Landon,” I said and disappeared into my room. Honey was already snoring lightly as she sprawled across her bed. She’d been tipsy when we came up here, giggling and stumbling up the steps, so I wasn’t surprised to see she didn’t bother to undress before collapsing on top of her covers. Grabbing an extra blanket from the closet, I spread it over her before climbing into my bed. I closed my eyes and willed sleep to come. Long minutes passed as I laid awake, unable to get the image of Landon while he held my face out of my mind. The way he looked at me had sent my heart rate into a gallop, and when he brushed his thumb over my cheek, I felt that caress across every square inch of my skin. His touch was electric, and it sent a pulse of arousal through my entire body.
I must’ve changed positions at least a dozen times and turned my pillow over in an attempt to get comfortable. But comfort wasn’t my problem. I was restless. My body hummed with need, but I’d be damned if I took care of business myself with images of Landon playing in my head, especially with my best friend only feet away.
Finally, I had enough and threw the covers off my legs. I padded silently across the room and slid open the glass door that led to the balcony overlooking the lake. Moonlight glittered over the surface, creating a peaceful backdrop that instantly relaxed me. I leaned over the railing and inhaled deeply through my nose. The air was clean and refreshing, and the tepid breeze cooled my overheated skin.
“Couldn’t sleep either?” a deep voice asked from the shadows. I whirled around and found Landon sitting on one of the chaise lounges. He was mostly hidden with the barest hint of moonlight illuminating his figure. It had been so long since I’d stayed at the lake house that I forgot these rooms shared a balcony. His presence in this place where I usually felt the most at peace both surprised and unnerved me.
“No,” I confirmed breathlessly. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you.” I turned to head inside, but he stopped me.
“Don’t.” The deep timbre of his voice skated over me like a warm caress. “You’re not bothering me at all.” Landon motioned for me to take the seat next to his, and I complied. We sat in silence for a moment, letting the sounds of nature lull us into a state of quiet contentment. I spoke first.
“Did you mean it?” I asked, keeping my gaze fixed on the water. He shifted in his seat, and I felt him watching me.
“Mean what?” he asked, though I suspected he knew the answer. Finally, I turned to him, and he was closer than I expected as he leaned on the arm of his chair. I mirrored his position, bringing us even closer.
“That you believe me? About the accident,” I clarified.
“Yes,” he replied without hesitation.
“Why?” I had wondered this since his confession in the kitchen earlier. He’d been so hell bent on painting me as the villain for so long, how did he just shut that off after one conversation? Sure, he never got my side of the story before, but I was still surprised he believed me over his brother.
“I’ve always considered myself a logical man,” he began after a moment. “When I started to think back on that time, I realized there were signs. Not only of his drug use prior to the accident, but of inconsistencies in his story afterward. He started out with this carefully crafted narrative, and as time went on, little details would change. I always brushed it off, assuming it was a side effect of a traumatic accident, but looking back, I realized he simply couldn’t keep his story straight.” The hurt and disappointment in his voice caused my chest to ache. This was the person he loved most in the world, and he’d deceived him for years.
“Then when you told me what happened, there was genuine fear in your eyes as you recounted what had happened that night. And suddenly, it all made sense. Why you never came to see him. Why you didn’t call to check on him and just left town without looking back. People were upset over the accident. Some blamed you for ending his football career, myself included. It was no wonder you never came home.”
Emotion clogged my throat, and tears pricked the backs of my eyes. He was right. He finally saw me, saw the truth. And damn, if that wasn’t a huge relief.
“Once I took a step back from everything and looked at it with fresh eyes, it was obvious you were telling the truth. And I’m so damn sorry I ever believed otherwise.”
His sincerity pierced straight through my heart. The pale light of the moon revealed two liquid pools of regret that searched my face for forgiveness.
“I—” I began, but words failed me. I never thought I would get this from him. I thought he would hate me forever. But now, he looked at me like I held the key to his happiness in my hands.
“I understand why you believed him,” I said with a sad smile. I didn’t have any siblings, but I imagined if I did, I would be the same way. I would choose them over anyone else every time. “He’s your brother. I’m no one to you.”
“That’s not true,” he asserted, cupping my face, and the shock of it had me drawing in a sharp breath. “You’re someone to me. Fuck, you’re everything to me,” he confessed, his voice gruff but unyielding. Then his lips were on mine. I let out an involuntary moan, and his tongue slipped inside. He gripped the back of my head, angling it better for his invasion.
Pulling away, he pressed his forehead to mine, and we both drew in air as we tried to catch our breaths.
“I’ve wanted to do that for the past week. You don’t know how hard it’s been to keep my hands and mouth off you,” he proclaimed.
“Yes, I do,” I panted. A strangled groan rumbled in his chest as he drew me in again. His hand fell to my hip, and before I knew what was happening, he pulled me onto his lap. My knees fell to his sides and bracketed his hips as his hands cupped my ass. He squeezed, grinding his erection into me. I moaned and flexed my hips, rubbing my core along his length.
Landon skimmed his hands up my sides, sliding them beneath my shirt. His warm palms glided over my skin in a gentle caress until they reached my breasts. He brushed his thumbs over my already pebbled nipples, and my head fell back as a sound of pure ecstasy escaped my lips.
“You like that?” he whispered, circling the pads of his thumbs over the stiff peaks.
“Yes,” I breathed, my voice full of need. How long had it been since someone touched me like this? Hell, I wasn’t sure anyone had ever touched me like this. He was an attentive lover, paying close attention to my expression and the sounds I made each time he touched me until he found exactly what I liked.
Lifting my shirt to expose my breasts, one hand curled around my back as he leaned forward and drew one nipple into his mouth. A gasp fell from my lips as he flicked his tongue over the peaked tip then circled it. My fingers dug into his hair, holding him tightly against my breast. I rocked against him as my body searched for the friction it desperately needed. My nipple popped free, and he looked at me, his hooded gaze mirroring the desire I was certain shone in mine.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he said before capturing my mouth again. His tongue plunged inside, and he moved his hand down my waist. I whimpered as it dipped inside my sleep shorts. He drew a finger down my center and groaned against my lips when he found me slick and ready.
“You’re so wet,” he groaned, gently plunging a finger inside me. It wasn’t nearly enough. Need coiled tightly in my lower belly, and my core ached to be filled. “I need to taste you.”
Landon flipped us over until my back rested against the chair. He grabbed the cotton at my hips and eased my shorts down my legs. Cool night air hit my bare flesh, and I shivered. A devious grin tugged up one side of his mouth.
“Don’t worry; this will warm you up,” he promised before pressing a kiss to my hip bone. I squirmed in anticipation, and he let out a soft chuckle. He feathered his lips across my abdomen, kissing everywhere except the spot I needed him most until he landed on my opposite hip. I was writhing and begging by the time his head dipped, and he pressed one final kiss to my pubic bone. Then his tongue was on me, swirling and flicking over my clit. My hips lifted off the seat of their own volition, and he quickly pinned me down.
With one hand holding me in place, he slid the other up my thigh, his fingers teasing my entrance while he continued his merciless assault on my clit. One finger dipped inside, plunging in and out a few times before he added a second. My orgasm built with the added fullness. Then he curled them forward and hit the spot no one else had ever been able to find. I gasped as he stroked inside me and sucked my clit into his mouth.
My pleasure crescendoed, and my entire body went taut. The release hit me like a tidal wave, bowling me over until I didn’t know which side was up and which was down. My head swam, and my pulse beat wildly in my chest as wave after wave of pleasure washed over me. I gasped his name and pulled his hair, begging him to release me, but he didn’t stop until he’d wrung every last drop of pleasure from my body.
Landon crawled up my body and kissed me long and hard. Tasting my release on his tongue made me feral, reigniting my lust. My legs were shaky, and I couldn’t form a coherent thought, but I wanted more. I wanted to taste him and bring him to his knees. I wanted him just as limp and sated as I was.
I let my fingers trail down his torso, taking in every ridge and dip. His hand wrapped around my wrist when I reached his waistband, halting my progress.
“Olivia,” he rasped out, his words a warning and a plea. “I don’t have a condom, and I want you so bad right now it fucking hurts.”
“That’s okay,” I said with a wicked grin. “I know how to use my mouth too.”