Page 58 of Love Lessons: Expanded Edition

Landon was actually looking forward to the board games, though. He could just think of it as making new friends. Especially if Zhong liked longer games. That had to be a good thing, right? Something in common?

Ugh. He needed to stop freaking out and just go. Dustin had told him to come over after he was done with school and was expecting him at 4:30 to cook. Since Landon had had that meeting, he had just enough time to drive over.

He ran his fingers through his hair unnecessarily. Game night was confusing.

***

When he got to Dustin’s house, he was impressed. He’d never explored the northern part of the city too much, but there were actual houses up here instead of apartment buildings. He had no idea how much they cost and he kind of wanted to check Zillow. Was Dustin rich?

His yard was huge and the house had to have at least a dozen rooms. Not the type of place he’d expect from Dustin. But maybe he was taking care of his parents or something?

He realized that there was a lot that he didn’t know about the man.

He pulled up to the curb but stayed in the car. He wasn’t a nervous person, so why was he nervous now? Especially about game night.

He made himself get out of the car, walk up the tidy sidewalk, and ring the doorbell.

Dustin greeted him with a warm hug and a brief kiss on the cheek. What did that mean?

Landon shucked off his shoes at Dustin’s request and then stepped into the room. The space was decorated with clean lines and light wood, just minimalist enough to make it feel spacious but not cold. They actually had very similar taste.

Before he got much of a chance to look around, Dustin was already walking away from him, presumably toward the kitchen. The kitchen was really nice. Top of the line with white cabinets, marble countertops, and glistening appliances.

Dustin wasn’t looking at him, all of his attention on the skillet on the stove, and for some reason that really hurt. Yeah, he knew this was game night with friends and they weren’t going to have sex, but the other friends weren’t going to be here for a while, right?

Landon internally berated himself for getting all worked up. Dustin had said it could be a date or not, whatever he wanted, but apparently Dustin had already decided on not.

Dustin finally finished with whatever he was messing with on the stove and turned back toward Landon with an apologetic smile. Sorry about that, I went to grab something and then you got here, and I was worried it would burn.

I understand. Burning skillets he totally understood. The ignoring part, and all of his unexpected feelings, not so much.

Dustin watched him carefully and Landon wasn’t sure what he saw. He tried to look calm and confident, which he was usually very good at pulling off.

Dustin turned back to the stove and turned it off. Come here.

It was a command, and Landon wanted to follow it, but he also wanted to know what was going on. He didn’t know if he wanted to be on a date, but he kind of wanted Dustin to want it to be a date. Or maybe to insist on it. Maybe so that he could have it without having to want it himself.

God, he was a fucking idiot.

And he also hadn’t moved.

Come here,Dustin repeated, his dark eyes serious.

Landon wasn’t sure what made him do it, what dark, fluttering thing inside of him was reaching out, but he put his hands on his hips and stood his ground. Make me.

He could feel his jaw jutting out, his weight on his hips. He knew he was acting like a petulant teenager. Please, he thought, please, please make me. Because if Dustin didn’t follow through with it, he’d be absolutely crushed.

Dustin stalked toward him, then walked around behind him. Landon felt every muscle in his body tense, wanting desperately to look around and see what Dustin was doing. What he was thinking.

But he didn’t want to give in, either. Not until Dustin made him.

Dustin gripped the back of his neck and pressed his other palm to the base of Landon’s back. Then, he started pushing him forward.

Landon dug in his heels, bracing himself while Dustin pushed him forward, one stumbling, hard-won step at a time. Until finally he was pressed up against the counter where Dustin had stood before.

And he was so fucking hard it hurt.

Dustin crowded up behind him, leaning heavily against him until the edge of the cabinet dug painfully into his hip bones. Dustin was hard, too.