In a surprising move, Landen leaned forward and rested his forehead against mine. “Yes,” he murmured. “I needed to see you.”
Warmth unfurled in my chest at his words, but also worry. I liked what he said, but he didn’t look like his usual, arrogant self. “What’s wrong?”
He sighed and tugged me closer so that our bodies were pressed together. “It was a long fucking week.”
We stood like that for several long moments, our foreheads together and our bodies aligned perfectly, as though we were built for that specific purpose, to fit seamlessly into each other’s empty places.
Finally, he lifted his head. “I need a shower.”
I studied his weary face and ran my thumb over his cheekbone. “Are you hungry? I have some pizza left over.”
“No, but I wouldn’t say no to a drink.”
“Okay. Go take a shower. What do you want to drink?”
“Scotch.”
I lifted an eyebrow at him. “Scotch?”
The corner of his mouth tilted up in a semi-smirk. “No Scotch, huh?”
I shook my head.
“Vodka?”
When I shook my head again, that tilted lip became a small grin.
“Tequila, I know you have that.”
I nodded. “You want the good stuff?”
His smile widened. “You’re offering me top shelf?”
Rising onto my tiptoes, I touched my lips across his, giving him my version of the lip brush that drove me crazy. “Only the best for you, babe.”
Landen returned my kiss, chuckling quietly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
He released me and headed toward the bedroom, stripping off his jacket as he went. I watched him move, noticing that his gait wasn’t as relaxed as usual and that his shoulders appeared tight beneath his thin white shirt.
When I heard the water come on in the bathroom, I gathered up the remains of my dinner and tidied the living room before I poured an inch of tequila in a squat glass. Several years ago, my father bought me a bottle of expensive tequila when I graduated from business school and I’d loved it so much, he started a tradition, buying me another one for Christmas and occasionally one for my birthday. Before Chris hired me, I hadn’t made enough money to splurge like that, but now I replaced my stash whenever I ran out. And it was likely I would be able to continue to do so in the future since I was about to get one hell of a raise.
By the time I was done cleaning up and pouring Landen’s drink, the shower had long since gone off. I turned off the TV and the lights before heading into the bedroom, glass in hand.
Then I paused in the doorway. All the lights were off except for the lamp on my nightstand. Landen lay stretched out on the bed, naked, with a couple of pillows behind his back as though he intended to sit up and wait for me to come in. Instead, he was asleep.
I moved over to the bed as I stared down at him. This was the first time I’d ever seen him sleeping. Last weekend, I’d dozed off before him and woken well after.
He looked different in repose. Not boyish, but less…intense. The force of his personality was dormant and his sharp features were relaxed. His naked body sprawled on my white comforter, loose and muscled, brought to mind the story of Eros and Psyche. Well, maybe not the story, since that didn’t play out well, but a picture I once saw when reading the myth.
Smiling at my fanciful train of thought, I set the glass on my nightstand and got ready for bed. I kept my apartment cool at night, so I gently tugged the comforter from beneath Landen and spread it over his body. Other than grunting and turning onto his side in his sleep, he didn’t seem to notice my ministrations.
Stripping off my shorts, I climbed into bed and curled up next to him. I stretched my body along his and rested my head on his back, breathing in the scent of his skin mixed with my body wash.
At that moment, I realized how much I’d missed him and how glad I was that he had returned.
To my surprise,I woke up before he did the next day. We’d shifted in our sleep so that he was curled up behind my back, his legs bent up so that his lap cradled my ass and his arm thrown over my waist.
Moving slowly, I turned over to face him and saw that most of the fatigue had been erased from his features and the dark circles beneath his eyes were much fainter. He shifted, his arm curving tighter around me, and slid his knee between mine. As he pulled me closer, his thigh pressed firmly between my legs and I could feel the hard ridge of his erection against my belly.
