Chapter 28

Proud of Landon for giving it his all, I hung the cheesy third place medal around his neck. We’d borrowed a tiered platform from the elementary school, and even though he was on the lowest step, it’d elevated him enough that I was face-to-chest with his naked torso, and oh man, it was giving me naughty thoughts as I straightened the medal and took a step back.

The crowd behind me was going wild, hollering and wolf-whistling as the emcee congratulated the winners of the day, but I was barely aware of any of it. It felt like my entire world had narrowed on the broad chest and defined, golden abs of the man in front of me. They were rippling as he laughed at something someone had said, his head tipped back to expose and elongate his strong neck.

It was good to see him laughing with everyone. He was warming up to the town and they were warming up right back. But even that thought didn’t break me out of the haze of lust I’d fallen into. I wasn’t usually so prone to being consumed by my baser desires, but my attraction to Landon was off the charts. It was next-level stuff and I couldn’t help it—nor did I want to.

“That’s it for your annual Lake Warrior contest, folks. Thanks for coming out and remember not to go anywhere just yet. The grills are going to be fired up soon and we’ve got live music coming your way in just a minute, so relax, have fun, and we’ll see you all next year!”

As the emcee left the makeshift stage and the band took his place, the winners stepped off the platform and Scott clapped Landon on the back. “Congratulations, man. I don’t think we’ve ever had a newbie on the winner’s stand before.”

Landon chuckled. “I should be the one congratulating you. First place, huh? I can’t say it was unexpected, but well done.”

Scott laughed, but he gave Landon a nonchalant shrug as they moved closer to me. “It helps that I do a lot of this stuff on a regular basis. Maybe if you come a bit earlier next year, we can get in some practice and you might stand a chance.”

Landon made a noncommittal sound in the back of his throat as he glanced at my brother. “I wouldn’t want to dethrone Mr. Lake Warrior himself.”

Scott shot him a cocky grin. “I’m always open to some healthy competition. It motivates me. Hey, what’s that on your hand?”

Landon turned his hand as Scott asked the question, inspecting the flesh under his little finger before he shrugged. “Oh, it’s nothing. I cut myself on the dock earlier.”

My heart fluttered in my chest. “I’ll get the first-aid kit. That dock isn’t the cleanest thing to nick yourself on.”

He tried to stop me, but I shot him a look over my shoulder. “I brought a first-aid kit for a reason. Now shut up and let me use it.”

Scott laughed, but Landon rolled his eyes before he smiled at me. “Sure thing, Nurse Jewel.”

As I walked away, I heard Colten ask Landon if he could go back to his friends, and not a second later, the boy raced past me in the direction of where Brody and some of the others were getting ready for a game of flag football.

The familiar strains of “Brown-Eyed Girl” filled the air as I headed to the registration tent. More and more people settled down around it for the cookout. Knowing my town as well as I did, I knew the festivities would last well into the evening. The contest was only the beginning of the day for most.

Verna was at the registration tent when I got there, packing up the paperwork with a lemonade in her hand as she swayed to the beat of the music. I smiled, glancing around for the first-aid kit and not seeing it anywhere.

“That was a good one, huh?” I asked as I approached her. “I think we can chalk it up as a success.”

“A definite success.” She returned my smile and waved me away. “And I’ve got this. Ben and the others will be breaking down the tent in the morning and I’m just taking care of the stuff that can’t sleep here. Go ahead and have fun. You worked hard today.”

“Thanks, I will, but I was looking for the first-aid kit? Do you happen to know where it went?”

She nodded toward a group of kids sitting on the rocks with adults clamoring around them. “Lacey and her friends were using the paddles for some rock jousting and there was an incident. They’re fine. Just some skinned knees apparently, but I’m afraid the kit is in use at the moment.”

I glanced at the kids again, my heart aching for them, but I knew they were in good hands. “Skinned knees are the worst. Especially the next day. Thanks, Verna. I’ll see you later.”

“See you later, honey.” She smiled and I left, making my way back to the others as a loose idea started forming in my head.

When I reached my brother, Brittany, and Landon, I shot them a tight smile. “Someone else has already got the first-aid kit. Do you guys mind watching Colten while I take Landon to my place to clean him up? We really need to?—”

“It’s not a big deal,” he started saying, but I leaned in and gave my head a firm shake.

“Hush,” I said softly before looking back at Scott and Brittany. “That cut really needs to be cleaned. Do you mind?”

Brittany flashed me a knowing smile but shook her head. “We’ll keep an eye on him. Take your time and clean him up properly. We wouldn’t want it getting infected.”

Scott winced, glancing at a healed scar on the back of his own hand. “She’s right. Just listen to them, bro. I didn’t and it wasn’t fun.”

He was totally exaggerating the extent of his injury. I remembered when he’d gotten it and it’d been mildly infected for a few days, but it really hadn’t been bad at all. Since he was playing into my plan though, I didn’t call him out on it. I simply nodded as I took Landon’s arm.

“Colten will be fine here with them. Trust me when I tell you that no one is going anywhere for a long time and we’ll be back soon. My place is right across the road.”

“Okay,” he agreed eventually, glancing at Brittany. “There’s sunscreen in his backpack.”

“I got it,” she said, giving him a reassuring smile as I started dragging him away. “We’ve got this. Don’t worry. Just go let Jewel check you out and don’t rush back.”

As Landon turned, she winked at me and I blushed a little, grateful that they were going to look after Colten but a little embarrassed that she knew what I was planning. Either way, I took him back to my place and quickly got him all fixed up, but that wasn’t what I’d brought him there for.

Standing in front of him, I stuck on a band-aid, not letting go of his hand as my eyes moved up to his. “You know, I thought it was really sexy that you were willing to make an ass of yourself out there in front of a bunch of strangers.”

He chuckled. “And here I thought I looked cool.”

“Third place isn’t half bad,” I murmured, gaze still fixed on his as I took a tiny step into him. “Maybe you deserve more than just some tacky medal.”

A slight crease appeared between his brows, but he caught on quick, arching a playful eyebrow at me. He put his hands on my hips and moved me with him as he took a step back and sat down on the sofa behind him.

I planted my knees on either side of his hips and straddled him as I took his face in my hands. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he dipped his head back. His eyes drifted to my lips just a moment before I lowered my head and sealed them over his.

Landon groaned, holding me to him. He wound a hand into my hair and tightened his fist around the strands. A tingle of pleasure raced through me, my nipples hardening and goosebumps raising all the little hairs on my body.

I kissed him harder, trying to make it clear that I wanted more than just a kiss this time. He responded with another groan, and his tongue slid out to lick at the seam of my lips. I parted them for him, my arms around his neck.

The scent of sunscreen filled the air around us and his skin was hot from a day in the sun. I knew even in that moment that I was never going to be able to smell that scent again and not think of this day and how I’d been more turned on than ever before.

The space between my legs was slick and aching and my body yearned for more. He flipped us over and laid me down on the sofa. Then he covered my body with his own, holding some of his weight but pressing me into the cushions nonetheless.

Making out furiously, I arched my hips and rolled them against the length of him, so pronounced in his swim trunks that there might as well have been nothing between us. The slip-slide of the fabric was messing with the friction though, not allowing nearly enough of it, and a frustrated moan escaped from me.

Landon shuddered in response. Speaking between furious kisses, he ran a palm along my side, cupping my ribs and flexing his fingers on my skin. “Where’s your bedroom?”

“Not far,” I replied breathlessly, loathing that I had to break the kiss to do it but sitting up anyway. Instead of saying anything else, I took his hand and led him around the privacy screen that separated the living room and my bedroom in the small studio.

His eyes were on mine, and he used his grip on my hand to twirl me again, bringing me back with a smack into his chest. Then he kissed me again. I wrapped my arms around his neck, stumbled to my bed, and toppled him down on it with me.

I knew we didn’t have that much time. Scott, Brittany, and Colten would be waiting for us to get back, but I also knew that they wouldn’t be counting the minutes that we were gone. The party was bound to be picking up by now. They would have plenty to distract them.

I was too caught in the moment to care that we were missing it.

For weeks now, Landon and I had been all but ignoring the intense attraction between us, and I wasn’t a fool. I knew we probably wouldn’t get another opportunity to be together. At least not anytime soon.

So while I had this chance, I let myself be consumed by it, making the most of every last second we had together before I had to let him go.