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“Exactly. Watching your videos, it seemed like we had a few things in common. You’ve moved past your roadblock. Mine is still looming large.”
“Oh, the roadblock is still there. I’ve just figured out how to get around it. I still have bad days, but I don’t want to stay frozen. I have my whole life in front of me. It just looks different than what I imagined.” She shrugged.
Watching her, I realized just how strong she was. No wonder Landon was inspired. My own life had gone into a tailspin, not one nearly as traumatic as hers, and I wasn’t even close to handling it as well as she had. I supposed Landon wasn’t the only one who could learn a thing or two from her.
It also hit me that I’d listened to all of that without hitting ‘record’ or attempting to jot down notes. I could have acted like I was texting. I’d been so interested in what he had to say, I forgot plan A. And there was no telling when I would see him again. Although, making up an excuse to be near him didn’t sound like the worst thing in the world. I hoped I hadn’t imagined the tension between us. He seemed to be just as interested in me as I was in him. We were certainly comfortable with physical touch, I thought as he stood close to me, reaching out for the small of my back more than once.
“Malia! I need you over here. We’re losing, and you’re the best good-luck charm I have.” Gerry’s voice rang out over the crowd.
Malia shook her head as she finished her drink. She looked at us and excused herself. “Landon, you have my number. Let’s talk again. Maybe we can brainstorm some ideas and get you out of your funk.”
Landon thanked her, and we watched as she skipped to Gerry and Ian.
“They’re so cute.” I smiled, a little jealous.
“You two aren’t so bad yourself,” Mina offered, winking at me.
“Oh, we’re…”
“We’ve only been together a short time,” Landon injected. “But I agree.”
My jaw closed, wondering where that came from. A few seconds later, Mina got pulled away again. Apparently, the snack table needed to be replenished. When she was out of earshot, I looked at Landon, raising my eyes.
“A couple, are we?”
“I am so sorry. Force of habit. I don’t handle talking about my personal life very well, especially when I’m still working out the details. I tend to shut things down with the quickest response. It’s a reflex.”
I tilted my head, reaching for his arm. “It’s okay. It just took me by surprise.”
“If you need to, the next time you see her, tell her I ended up being a jerk, and you broke up with me. I’ll never tell.”
“If I need to?” I grinned.
“Well, yeah. I mean, we seem to be getting along right now. Who knows what might happen? Maybe my exaggeration was just foreshadowing.”
Seeing an opening, I could make this work for me. “I’ll play the girlfriend part if you do me a favor.”
“Anything. Just ask.”
I leaned in closer, fully intent on asking him for an interview, but I ended up kissing him instead. His lips were soft, their closeness intense. I came to my senses, pulling back when he grabbed my hips and pulled me closer, kissing me harder.
14
LANDON
She felt amazing in my arms. We’d touched a few times throughout the night, and I had hoped it was leading to that, but it still surprised me when it did. Not that I minded. Truth be told, I wanted more. Her lips vibrated against mine, and I felt my cock responding. I wondered just how quickly we could leave. I nibbled her bottom lip, seeing how far she’d let me go. She responded by holding me tighter, which I considered a good sign. Pulling back, we parted, laughing nervously.
“Wow. That was um… wow.”
“Yeah, had I known my declaring you were my girlfriend would get that reaction, I would have started the night with that. Are there any other triggers I should know about?”
She laughed, light and sweet. I loved the way her eyes danced in the light of the moon as it shone through the clouds. She bit her lip again, arousing me as it had in the truck. If it was a habit, I hoped she didn’t plan to break it. Her eyes met mine, and she shrugged.
“I didn’t hate it. That much I can admit.”
I smiled. “Didn’t hate it sounds good to me.”
We didn’t hear Mina approach, and when she spoke, we both jumped.
“Sorry about that. I promised Aidan and Desiree I’d help with the snack table. They’re always hosting these things, but they spend so much time taking care of the details they never get to socialize.” Mina stopped, looking at us. “What? Did I miss something?”
