He watched me as I moved across the room to where he sat, stopping right in front of him. Reaching up, he trailed a drop of water down my chest with his finger. “You, Landon Nichols, are a temptation.”
I moved to turn and get dressed, but he dropped his hands to my hips and held me in place. “I need to get dressed,” I pointed out.
He shook his head and gripped the towel where I had it tucked. “I just changed my mind,” he said as my towel dropped to the floor.
“Oh, did you now? About what?”
“About nothing I wanted to do to you being fast.” He pulled me towards him with one hand, closing the other around my cock, giving it a long slow stroke.
I sucked in a breath. “Miller, everyone is waiting.”
“Well, they can wait a few more minutes,” he said as he dropped to his knees in front of me. “I just need a little taste to tide me over.”
He wrapped his lips around my cock and stroked me with his hand while he sucked on the head. “Oh shit,” I said. He swirled his tongue around in a slow teasing way. I wanted to thrust down his throat, and I wanted him to keep doing exactly what he was doing all at the same time. He looked up at me, and I swear Miller Monroe on his knees in front of me was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.
I wanted to, but I wasn’t going to last long. Just seeing what he was doing was enough to push me over the edge, but the little moans he was making like my cock was the best thing he’d ever tasted was driving me crazy. Then he slid his hands to my ass and took me to the back of his throat, swallowing around my cock. I should have been embarrassed to come so quickly, but I wasn’t. I grabbed the back of his head, holding him in place, and emptied myself down his throat.
He swallowed what he could and then used his tongue to clean up what he missed.
I reached for him, pulling him to his feet, and kissed him. “That was amazing, but what about you?”
“I’m just fine, Landon. That was as much for me as it was for you. Now we better get out there before the guys come looking for us.”
27
Miller
When I went into Landon's place to wait for him, people were just starting to arrive, but by the time we walked out to join them, pretty much everyone was there. Frankie and Cap were helping Ripley set up the food, while Reed, Donovan, and Eli were sitting together in a circle around one of the fire pits with Cruz and some guy who looked slightly familiar, but from the far distance, I couldn’t be sure. Maverick and Cody were over near the barn playing with the goats, who were decked out in pajamas of course.
“Where are Margo and Bart, I wonder,” I said, taking Landon's hand.
“Believe it or not, they won't be here tonight. Bart manned-up and actually asked Margo to go out with him for New Year's.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I think it’s sweet. They've been circling each other as long as I've been here, and we all assumed there was something going on, but this is the first time they’re officially going out on a date.”
I was so focused on what Landon was saying and the way the fire from the fire pit jumped in his eyes that I hadn’t realize we’d made it to where everyone was sitting until the man with Cruz spoke to me. “Well, I'll be damned if isn't Miller Monroe,” he said in a slow, sultry voice. One that implied we were well acquainted. And unfortunately, we were.
I felt Landon tense beside me, and I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. This was why I hadn't taken Miller out to any of the places I normally frequented. I knew I couldn't avoid it forever, but I wanted us to be on more solid ground before he had to deal with a bunch of guys I'd slept with. There had been a time when my reputation was well earned, and while there wasn't anything I could do to change my past, I didn't want Landon reminded of it.
“Hello, Jes,” I said. Jessy Riley had been a mistake, a fun mistake, but a mistake all the same. I wasn't one of those no-repeat kind of guys. If the sex was good, I was usually up for another ride, but I didn't play games, and I didn't do relationships. Jessy thought he could change my mind, but he was wrong. Persistent, but wrong. I watched as his eyes slid down to our joined hands and then flashed back up to mine. Fuck. He was going to be a problem. Landon hadn't missed any of it, and he was giving Jessy an appraising look like he was sizing up his competition. But Landon didn't have anything to worry about. He didn't have any competition. As far as I was concerned, he was the only man that mattered.
“Hey,” I said, giving his hand a tug and drawing his eyes to mine. “Let's go grab something to eat. I'm starving.” He nodded and came with me to the table where the food was.
“So, Jes, huh?” he asked.
“It was nothing, Landon, honest.” There was no point in trying to deny it. Jessy had made it very clear even without words how he knew me. “We can leave if you want to. Ripley would understand.”
He turned to face me and looked deep into my eyes. “Do you want him?” he asked.
“No,” I said simply.
“Then there’s no reason for us to leave. I trust you. I know who you were when we started this, Miller. You can't change your past.”
I pulled him to me and gave him a kiss. That may have been the most wonderful thing anyone had ever said to me. Landon trusted me. It wasn't a declaration of love, but maybe it was even more important considering my reputation.
“Hey, none of that,” Ripley said. “Save all that sappy shit for midnight.”
I laughed and gave him another kiss, just for good measure. We got our food and drinks, but I directed us to one of the other fire pits. We might not need to leave, but I wasn't sitting there across from Jessy all evening so he could ignore Cruz and glare at Landon. Cody and Maverick joined us, and we talked for a while. Eventually, Ripley and Reed wandered over the dirt area on the side and started to dance. I watched them for a minute and couldn't help but remember the first time they danced.
Landon must have been thinking the same thing because he chuckled. “I remember that first night at the club when they danced. Did you see Reed's face while he watched the two of you? I swear there had been a lot of times after Ripley arrived at the ranch that I thought Reed looked like he wanted to strangle someone, usually Ripley, but not that night. That night I think if he could have killed you with a glare, he would have.”
“I know. I saw him watching us. I even made sure to put on a bit of a show for him,” I said with a wink.
“Poor Ripley was fit to be tied,” he said, laughing.
“Well, Reed was a championship roper, so who knows?”
“That’s an image I do not need in my head,” Landon said.
His smile and his laugh were just maybe going to be the death of me, and even though I'd had him crying out my name while he came just a little bit ago, I wanted him again. And while that might have to wait a while, I could have his body pressed against mine right now. “Hey, cowboy, let's dance.”
As we walked over to join Reed and Ripley on the makeshift dance floor, the song switched to History in the Making by Darius Rucker, and all I could think was what a perfect song for us to dance to. I pulled him close, loving the way his body fit against mine. As we moved to the music, I realized I had really missed this. I'd always enjoyed dancing, and it was even better with Landon. “We should go out dancing soon,” I said close to his ear. “You’re a real good dancer.”