Chapter 20 — Domestic

Landon:

I've changed my shirt four times. Four! Needless to say, I am nervous about our date. It is dinner. We have had meals together before, just not like this. This is a date. Plus, I am sure Brooke has never been on an actual date before, so I want to make this one special for her.

After forcing myself not to change again, I go downstairs to pace in the living room. When Brooke comes down the stairs, I cannot breathe. There are no words to describe her. She is wearing a black dress that stops just above her knees. It hugs her figure in a sexy way. The color is lined with lace, as well as the sleeve cuffs. She looks beautiful and radiant. Bashful, yet glowing with confidence. Nervous and excited. She looks healthy. I pause at that last thought. Do I think Brooke is unhealthy? She is pregnant, not sick, yet she always has this fragility about her. She's always too thin, too pale, too...sad.

Pushing the thought aside, I hold up the bouquet of white roses with purple tips. "For a beautiful woman who far outshines me," I say. She blushes as she accepts the flowers, burying her nose in them. She turns to put them in the vase I already had set up for them on the counter. I groan when I see the back of her dress or, rather, lack thereof. It has thin spaghetti straps criss-crossing it, exposing a large area of skin.

Brooke gives me a curious glance.

"Everything okay?" she asks innocently. No, my brain is stuck because you are not wearing a bra, and I will probably be staring at your chest all night, I think. She gives me a coy smile. I squint at her; maybe she is not so innocent after all. She turns away to hide her grin. Oh, she knows what she is doing to me. I wonder what she would do if I told her exactly what her dress is doing to me.

I step up behind her, letting my hands slide from the small of her back to her waist. Leaning down to her left ear, I whisper.

"Love the dress. It gives me so many...interesting ideas." I watch her struggle to swallow as a shiver rains down her spine.

"Oh?" she says breathily. "Like what?" I slide my hand up so it's resting just below her breast.

"How your lack of a bra makes it incredibly easy to slide my hand under the fabric of your dress. Those lush rosy, red nipples to toy with. Tell me, are they still extremely sensitive?"

I can physically see her pulse racing on her neck. Her breath is erratic. I step back, breaking all contact.

"We should get going; we don't want to miss our reservation," I say casually. We could be three hours late and still get a table, but I want to see how this flirting pans out.

Brooke:

I am so horny! The dress Sonia found for me does its job; I look sexy and classy. I do not know where the teasing seductress came from. Since when am I so bold? Unfortunately, Landon can give as much as he can take. The whole night has been a big stand-off. A flirty comment from me, a sultry grin from him. His hands brush down my back whenever given a chance. I would lean forward, exposing my cleavage to him.

We have just arrived home, and I do not think I can wait much longer. Landon turns the kitchen light on, illuminating the room. "I had a perfect time," I say softly. Landon smiles down at me.

"Good, that was the goal." I laugh at his response. For a minute, we just stand there silently, staring at each other, each of us not knowing what to do next. I know what I want but cannot get it or do not know if it is even a good idea.

"Landon," I say.

"Mm." His eyes never leave my face, his eyes boring into mine.

"Kiss me," I demand. His pupils dilate, and he slowly lowers his face toward mine. Our lips connect, and the taut string that has been tugging back and forth between us all night finally snaps. The kiss does not even have a chance to start out slow. Landon roughly pulls me to him, and I shove my fingers into his hair.

Landon's hands slide down till he cups my butt, pulling me even closer, but it is not enough. Our teeth clash, and I start unbuttoning Landon's shirt with a frantic need. My hands glide across any part of his skin they can find. Landon's hand slides down the exposed skin of my back, coming to rest on my butt. He lifts me off the ground and guides my legs to wrap around him.

We stumble our way upstairs, never separating our lips. Landon gently places me in the middle of the bed. His hands run up my inner thigh, pushing up my dress. He impatiently pushes it over my head. When I am free of the dress, he sits back and stares down at me.

After what seems forever, he lets out a groan.

"Do you have any idea what you've been doing to me all night? Knowing you weren't wearing a bra?" He shakes his head. "Driving me to absolute insanity." He leans down and kisses down my neck, making sure the only part of him touching me is his lips. "So sexy," he murmurs against my skin, causing more heat to bloom low in my belly.

"Landon," I say breathlessly.

"Mmmm," he moans against my skin.

"Please," I gasp as his tongue swirls around my nipple.

"Please what?" He sucks it into his mouth, and I arch my back off the mattress, gasping. He lets it go and grins. "Please what?" he repeats.

"I need…" He sucks on the other one.

"Need what?" he asks before continuing his torturous licks.

"You. I need you. Now."

Landon looks up at me and grins. "As you wish," he says, quoting my favorite movie. True to his words, he does everything I wish and more. We spend the night tangled in each other, exploring in ways we never have before.

I wake to the demand of my bladder. Landon spoons me, his arm protectively wrapped around my waist. When I move to get up, he groans and pulls me tighter to him.

"Landon," I whisper. He nuzzles his head into my hair, ignoring me. "Landon," I say again louder. Nothing. "Landon, I have to pee." I practically yell. His body starts shaking with laughter, and he rolls off me. "Jerk," I say indignantly before stomping off to the bathroom.

When I come back into the room, Landon is lying on his side facing me. His head is propped in his hand. He pats the bed in front of him and waggles his eyebrows with great exaggeration. I shake my head at him.

"No, you have to go to work, and I have the stuff to do today," I say, heading toward the closet. He flops down onto his back with a sigh.

"I work all day to bring home a little money for milk and bread, and what's my reward? I get kicked out of my own bed," he says playfully. I roll my eyes at his antics.

"Poor baby, if only you didn't decide to become the CEO of a major tech company," I mock.

He pouts his lips. I put on one of his button-up dress shirts. It is a baby blue color and falls to the top of my knees. He whistles. "I do like you in my shirt, though." I smile over my shoulder at him. He finally gets out of bed and goes into the bathroom. I hear the shower turn on and head downstairs to start the coffee. Mrs. Fanny already has breakfast ready and is waiting for us in the breakfast nook. Too hungry to wait for Landon, I dig in.

"Did you save anything for me?" he asks, entering the room. I smile around a mouth full of fruit and shake my head, even though there is still plenty of food. He bends down and takes the bite off my fork I am holding up, and hums. He sits down across from me and picks up the cup of coffee I poured for him. "What are your plans for today?" I take a minute to answer, having my mouth stuffed with food. Landon grins at my predicament.

When I finally finish chewing, I answer.

"I'm in the middle of a project and am hoping to make some headway with it today. It appears I will never finish it. What with me having to pee every five minutes," I rant. Landon chuckles, and I glare at him. He tries to put on a serious face.

"Oh, my poor darling," he says before laughing again.

"You did this to me, you jerk," I whine. His eyes brighten with joy, and he just stares at me."What?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"Nothing, it's just... I never thought I'd hear you say that or that I even wanted you to say that. It's just, I don't know...domestic."

His words throw me for a loop, and I say the only thing I can think of. "Oh." Landon laughs, shaking his head. I do not know why the word ‘domestic’ gives me a sense of joy. However, it also overwhelms me. I'm getting too caught up in a fairy tale. I cannot forget my plan for when the baby comes.

We finish breakfast, and Landon leaves for work. He kisses me and tells me to think about him while he is gone. It is not a hardship. I think about the baby, about him, and about the change in our relationship. I think about a future where we sit on the back patio watching a small child run around the backyard. I imagine a little boy giggling as his father chases him and teaches him to catch. I think about a girl learning to braid hair and losing her first tooth. I think about all the moments I will miss. I never make it down to my workroom but instead spend the day crying in bed.