Landon (In Safe Hands Book 1) (10 page)

“It’s
okay. We’re okay.” Despite his words, his voice trembles.

“You
saved my life. I wouldn’t have known. I could’ve easily been in the kitchen.”

“Shh,
don’t think about that. You don’t know what would’ve happened.” He steps back
and takes my hand as we pick our way through the debris to the road where
Jeremy stands, waving. The rescuers try to get us to see a medic, but we assure
them we’re not hurt. I’m sure it seems amazing considering the apocalyptic
setting.

Jeremy
gives Landon a one armed hug men are so adept at. “About time. You okay?” He
looks around him at me. “Zoe?”

“We’re
both fine. Just ready to get out of here.”

My
car is right where I left it and appears to be fine, but a large branch lies
across Landon’s sedan. Both cars are pinned in, surrounded by debris.

“Right.”
Jeremy gestures to his car. “Let’s do it.” The drive out of the area is slow
and we’re stopped twice by police to be sure we aren’t looters. One turn and
everything looks normal again. I can’t begin to describe how surreal it is,
like we’ve been transported out of a war zone.

Landon
directs Jeremy to stop by my place first so I can grab some clothes and my
phone charger. Jeremy waits in the car while Landon follows me inside. I
quickly gather a few days worth of clothes, throwing them into a duffel bag
with my bathroom stuff. I can’t wait to take a shower. Landon is standing in
the living room, looking out of place when I return.

“I
would ask you to stay here until your house is repaired, but…” I gesture around
the tiny living room. “It’s not exactly what you’re accustomed to.”

With
a frown, he places his hands on my hips and looks me in the eye. “I’d love to
stay with you, but you’d have to cover all your windows. I won’t drag you into
the dark with me.”

“What
if I go willingly?”

Chuckling,
he smacks my ass. “Let’s go.”

Jeremy
drops us off at a large five star hotel downtown. The manager greets us
personally and escorts us to a large suite. They are well prepared for him.
We’re at the end of a hall with no windows, and the large floor to ceiling
windows in the suite are all covered with thick dark blackout curtains. He
explains there’s a gym and an indoor pool on another floor that don’t have
windows. I should’ve brought a swimsuit.

When
the manager leaves with an extremely large tip, I flop onto the bed. Oh my god.
It’s not a bed, it’s a pile of fluffy heaven. I never want to get up. Landon
laughs and starts to unpack.

“I’m
going to go to the gym for a bit and run off some stress. Do you want to go?”

“I
think I’ll try out that huge tub instead.” I’ve never had a bathtub where my
tits, knees and feet could all be underwater at the same time.

“Great,
now I’m going to be thinking of you all wet and naked.” He drops a quick kiss
on my lips. “I’ll give you your workout later.”

I
lie back in the water, letting the heat soak into my muscles and remove some of
the stress of the last twenty-four hours. Nearly getting killed in a tornado
tends to put things in perspective. I’ve been worried, overwhelmed by the decisions
I need to make for Ethan’s future and mine, but it all seems a lot more doable
now.

The
life insurance money was just deposited. The sight of three quarters of a
million dollars sitting in my account nearly gave me a heart attack. I put
250,000 into a trust for Ethan on his twenty-first birthday. I expect to get almost
that much from the sale of the house and the land surrounding it. I’ll have no
trouble paying for my college education and Ethan’s.

I
was shocked to find out my parents also owned the large commercial building
just across from the church. Apparently, they bought it when the church had
trouble keeping up with the mortgage, then just allowed them to use it. I’ll
probably put it up for sale too. All in all, I can afford to buy us a house in
a decent neighborhood, and a new car for both Ethan and me.

It’s
such a relief, not having to worry about money. I’ve been consumed with it for
years, with trying to keep myself in school and still keep our heads above
water. It’s not like I’m rich or never have to work again, but I have a nice
buffer that will allow me to finish school without finding another shitty job.

So,
hiring a realtor to sell my parents’ house and find me a new one is next on my
list. When my skin starts to get pruney, I reluctantly wash my hair and get
out, wrapping myself in a soft fluffy robe with the hotel’s logo stitched on
the front. I barely have time to dry my hair before Landon comes back, soaked
in sweat. His heated expression at the sight of me sends a thrill down my
spine.

“I
ordered us some room service,” he says, pulling me into his arms. “Although you
smell good enough to eat.”

I
press a teasing kiss on his lips and peek up at him. “I really wish I could say
the same.”

His
laughter fills the room. “No one can ever accuse you of not being honest.” He
hands me some money. “Tip the food service guy while I go take a shower.”

I
can’t resist giving his firm ass a squeeze. “Next time I’m joining you.”
Groaning about how I’m killing him, he grabs a towel and disappears into the
bathroom.

I
hurry to get dressed, changing into a pair of sleeping shorts and a camisole
before the food service guy can show up. Settling on the couch, I flip through
the channels on the massive television, finally landing on an episode of Law
and Order SVU. A short, older man knocks on the door a few minutes later, and
wheels in a cart full of covered dishes. He thanks me with a kind smile when I
hand him the tip, and pulls the door shut behind him as he leaves.

The
shower shuts off as I’m uncovering our plates and arranging our meal. Steak,
baked potatoes, and broccoli make my mouth water. When I uncover the dish with
two large slices of chocolate cake, I know Landon is a keeper. The sight of him
in only a loose pair of pajama pants just hammers in that fact.

“If
you’re going to keep looking at me like that, we aren’t going to make it
through dinner,” he warns. Dinner? Who gives a shit for dinner? Laughing at my
expression, he grabs his plate and sits down beside me on the sofa. “Eat,
sweetheart. You’re going to need your strength.”

“This
is fantastic.” I’m eating like I haven’t had a real meal in a week instead of a
couple days.

“Good.
I wasn’t sure how you like your steak.”

“This
is perfect.” We watch T.V. while we eat, finishing just as the detectives nail
the child molester. “Sex offender list,” I scoff. “They shouldn’t need a list.
If there was ever a group who should be put to death, or at least locked up
forever, it’s child abusers.”

Landon

Holy
shit. If I believed in signs, that would be a big flashing one telling me to
trust this woman with my secret. Unfortunately, it’s not just my secret, and
I’d need to talk to the guys before telling her anything.

“Do
you really mean that?” I ask, putting my arm around her. “You’d put them to
death?”

“Yeah,
I mean, the ones you know for sure are guilty. Those perverts don’t just do
that type of thing once and then stop because they got caught.” She peeks up at
me. “You think that’s too harsh?”

“Nope,
actually, I agree with you.” She snuggles into me. “Are you tired?”

“No,
but I wouldn’t mind going to bed.” Her lascivious smile turns to a laugh when I
scoop her up and carry her to bed.

“So.”
She watches me strip down to my boxer briefs, her eyes widening a bit. “I seem
to remember you telling me you wanted to ‘plant your face between my luscious
tits, then bend me over the bed.’ Is that still the plan?”

“It’s
on my list, although, it seems I need to find a way to quiet that smart mouth,”
I growl, crawling up her body.

“I
don’t say much during an orgasm.”

“Except
when you scream my name,” I taunt, before grabbing her soft lips with mine. She
slips her tongue into my mouth with a little moan and all bets are off. There’s
no chance I’m going to make slow sweet love to her. I’m fucking her until she
begs for mercy.

She
returns my kisses with just as much fervor, her hand grasping at my ass while
she grinds her crotch against my bulge. Our clothes get tossed in a pile on the
floor while I fulfill my promise to bury my face between her breasts. For such
a lean little thing, she has amazing tits, and judging by her reaction when I
suck on her nipple, she enjoys the attention I’m paying them.

Her
hand wraps around my hard cock and she gasps. “No wonder you’re so damn
arrogant.”

“Keep
insulting me, baby, and see what happens.” Grabbing her ankles, I yank her ass
to the edge of the bed and kneel in front of her, planting my mouth between her
legs.

The
squeal that rings out makes me smile as I eat her like a starving man. No time
to adjust or slowly work our way into it, I lick and suck her without mercy,
gripping her thighs tight when she instinctively fights to get away. “No
escape, sweetheart,” I tell her before locking my lips over her clit and
sucking hard.

This
time I’m sure the people in the neighboring room hear her shriek my name, especially
because I don’t stop the first time she comes. Twisting and whimpering, she
groans out a second orgasm before I stop. Her chest rises and falls quickly as
I roll on a condom. I love seeing her like this, all mussed and fuck drunk, and
I haven’t even begun to show her what she’s in for.

“You
still with me?” I ask, standing at the edge of the bed and wrapping one of her
legs around my waist.

“Mmm.”

Running
the head of my cock against her opening, I tease, “I’m going to need some
words. You want this?”

She
opens her eyes and grins up at me. “Will you fuck me already?”

Yeah,
she’s going to get it. After two orgasms, she’s dripping wet, and I have no
problem sliding all the way inside her. Her head falls back and her legs tense.
“Oh fuck! Damn it.” Curses fall from her lips as she fights to adjust to my
size.

“Such
naughty language,” I murmur, increasing my pace. She moves with me perfectly,
and fuck, I’ve never felt anything so good. I feel her clamp around me when she
comes again, and I have to fight not to lose it.

I
move her legs so they’re straight up against my chest, her feet on either side
of my head, and delve as deep as I can. “Oh, fuck, oh, yes, Landon.”

“Right.
There.” I reply, thrusting hard on each word, loving her response. I’m not
holding back anymore. Her nails dig into my thighs as I grip her hips and pound
into her relentlessly.

“Oh
god, I can’t, no more,” she pleads.

“One
more. I want one more. Come for me, Zoe.”

Shaking
and sweating, she surrenders with a long, low moan, and I let go, the force of
it pulling a growl from my throat.

A
few minutes later, we’re curled up on the bed, sweat drying on our bodies. Her
head rests on my chest, and I play with her soft hair. A shiver runs through
her.

“You’re
cold. We should get under the covers.” We didn’t even bother turning back the
bedspread.

“Not
going to be able to do it,” she murmurs, making me laugh. “You killed me. I’m
dead.”

“It’d
be a great way to go. Death by orgasm. Come on, Ms. Difficult, let’s get you
comfortable.” Snuggled under the blankets, we both drift off.

My
phone wakes me the next day when Jeremy calls to ask if I want help securing
the house. With all the sensitive information hidden in my office, I really
can’t leave it all there while repairs are being made. I agree to meet him as
soon as it’s dark, and turn to see two sleepy brown eyes gazing at me.

“Good
morning, beautiful.”

“Mornin’”
She rolls over and stretches, groaning. “Is it?”

“Actually,
it’s afternoon.” I wrap my arm around her and pull her close, nuzzling my face
into the back of her neck. “Tell me you don’t regret anything.”

She
turns her head and presses a soft kiss on my lips. “No regrets. Can’t say the
same for my vagina. She’s pretty pissed at me.”

“Aw.”
I run my hand lightly between her legs. “I’ll apologize to her.”

“Later,”
she laughs, grabbing my hand and pulling it to her chest.

Her
eyes close and a small smile graces her lips as I fondle each breast. “You know
I’m going to have to fuck these.”

“Seriously?”
She giggles.

“Yep.
It’s going to happen. Resign yourself to it.”

We
lie in silence for a while before she asks, “What do you have to do today?”

“Jeremy
is meeting me at the house in a few hours. I can’t do much else on a Sunday. I
can get hold of my insurance company tomorrow, and call around to find a home
construction company. What about you?”

“I
need to catch up on my schoolwork. My professors emailed it to me since I
missed all week.”

I
brush the hair from her forehead. “I’m sorry about your parents. You have no
idea how much it killed me not to go to the funeral. I was worried about you.”

“So
you sent Dare,” she replies. “A lot of things make more sense now. Sending Dare
to the funeral, and when my car broke down, getting pissed when I opened the
curtains, working at night and sleeping in the day.” Her soft hand cups my
cheek. “I’m sorry, it must be hard, not just avoiding the light, but living an
opposite schedule than most people. It must get lonely.”

“I’m
used to it. I want you, Zoe, all to myself, but I don’t want you to have to live
a nocturnal life.”

“I’m
naturally a night owl, as you can see.”

“It’s
not the same, you’ll…”

Rolling
over, she stops my words with her lips, then gazes at me. “Stop. I’m a big girl
and I know what I want. So stop trying to talk me out of it.”

“Yes,
Ms. Difficult.”

“Now,
come and take a shower with me before I leave so I can show you how good I am
with my mouth.”

This
woman is going to be the death of me.

* * * *

Tornadoes
are strange. I don’t know how the hell it managed to wipe out every house
around mine and crush my kitchen, but leave the rest of my place perfectly
fine. A few busted windows and wet carpet in the living room are the only signs
anything happened. I start by rescuing my files and flash drives from the
office. There’s too much private information on them to leave them here with
the risk of looters, though they’re encrypted and couldn’t be read if they were
found.

I
gather some clothes and bathroom items, my laptop, and phone charger. It looks
like I’m going to be at the hotel for a while, so I may as well settle in.
After taking pictures of the damage, I do what I can to clean up, sweeping up
the glass and mopping the waterlogged floor. Jeremy shows up to help me board
up the windows. We clear the debris in the driveway, then make a quick trip to
take Zoe her car.

“So,
you ready to admit you’re fucking your housekeeper, yet?” he asks, after we
leave her apartment and return to my house.

“She’s
not my housekeeper anymore, so no.”

He
throws his head back, laughing, “I knew it.”

“Actually,
I need to talk to you and the guys about something.” I run my hand though my hair,
then explain Zoe’s remark about putting child molesters to death.

I
can feel him staring at me as I pack my uncle’s truck. I wasn’t as lucky as
Zoe, both my windshield and the back window are busted. “You want to tell her?”

“Not
everything, but as much as possible. It’s going to be hard enough to have a
relationship in the dark. I don’t want to lie to her as well.”

Why
does he look like I said something ridiculous? “A relationship?”

“Yeah.”

“You.
You want a relationship.”

“Am
I fucking stuttering? Yes! I know I have to run this shit by the other guys,
but tell me what you think.”

“I
think I should check the sky for pigs,” he says, laughing.

“Fuck
off, Jeremy.”

“I
think it’s about damn time. I’ll vouch for her with the guys. They’ll probably
be cool with us telling her about everything but the farm.” He leans against
the trunk of my car. “So, she knows about your sunlight thing?”

“I
kind of had to tell her. Didn’t know when they’d pull us out of the basement.”

“And
she’s cool with it, isn’t she?”

“Seems
to be.”

“Then
don’t fuck it up,” he says, slapping me on my shoulder before heading to his
car. “I guess this means you aren’t going out tonight?”

“Nope.
She’s meeting me in a few hours.”

The
hours seem to drag until Zoe bounces back into my room. She’s too damn cute in
a pair of jeans that show off her ass and a pale blue T-shirt. “Hey, beautiful.
Get some studying done?”

“Yeah,
I try to stay a little ahead, so I have some leeway when something happens. I’m
not far behind. Plus, I don’t have class tomorrow. What are you doing?” she
asks as I pull on a sweatshirt and toss her another.

“Taking
you out. I want to show you something.”

“Is
your car totaled?” she asks, when the valet pulls the truck around.

“No,
the tree limb just busted the windshield and the back window. I took it to the
shop today.”

I
put my hand on her knee as we turn onto the highway, and she grins at me.
“Where are we going?”

“You’ll
see.” A donut shop sign glows ahead and I pull into the drive through. “Hungry?”

“Nope,
but I can always eat a donut.” We order a box of donuts and a couple of drinks
before getting back on the road.

She
looks at me with curiosity when I get off the highway and turn onto a country
road. “Almost there,” I murmur.

Her
breath catches when a large lake comes into view, barely illuminated by a
sliver of moonlight. I turn the truck around so the cargo bed is facing the
water and grab a rolled up air mattress and a couple of blankets from behind my
seat. “We camping out?” she asks with a giggle. I love it that she’s game to go
along with whatever I have planned.

I
know she’ll like it out here. She’s not the prissy type of woman who’s afraid
to get dirty or have a bug fly too close to her. “Something like that. Just for
a few hours.” The air mattress has a battery operated pump so it doesn’t take
long to get it inflated. It’s tossed in the bed of the truck and covered in a
blanket just in time.

A
long blue glow streaks across the sky and Zoe grabs my arm. “Did you see that?
It was a shooting star!”

It’s
adorable how excited she is. I grab her by the waist and lift her onto the
tailgate of the truck. I can’t resist those sweet lips when they’re right in
front of me. Even as I’m kissing them, I can’t shake the thought of them
wrapped around my cock the night before. Sexy as hell. “There’s a meteor shower
tonight.”

Her
smile is bright and excited as she scrambles up onto the mattress and we lean
with our backs against the cab to watch nature’s show. “Oh my god,” she
breathes, leaning her head back on my shoulder. “There are so many. It’s
beautiful.”

“I
wanted to show you my world. The night doesn’t always have to be dark and
scary.”

“I
love it.”

“I
need to tell you something.”

Concern
flashes across her face at the tone of my voice. “Okay.”

“I
told you I build websites for a living, but that isn’t exactly true, I mean,
that’s not all I do. I’m part of a group called In Safe Hands. We track online
predators and pedophiles.”