Landon's Obsession: An Endless Series: Book 3 (Series 3) (64 page)

     The only dialogue we’d had about mother and Kris was
dad declaring his remorse for Maya and me, as well as not knowing what was
happening in his own family. I’d let him know I didn’t blame him; it was all on
Mother and Kris. I didn’t know what he was going to do about either of them,
but they were both cut from my life. Mother’s behavior was reprehensible and
she’d shown no genuine repentance for her actions; not even in Maya’s presence.

     So not only had I lost my brother, but I’d lost my
mother as well. It was an ache inside my chest that I was going to have to deal
with…just not now.  

     Maya and I had left the hospital with plans to return
tomorrow. During the drive back, in separate cars, I’d called coach and then each
of the guys telling them about my dad. They’d been waiting for Maya and me when
we’d arrived back at the house, take-out Mongolian BBQ in hand.  

     Amanda, Carrie, and Nadia were in the kitchen with Maya
talking about…I don’t know what. Girl shit maybe. I couldn’t see her disclosing
the issues of our fucked up situation. I wouldn’t care if she did, but she’d
most likely save them for her best friend Gabby.

     The guys were in the living room with me offering their
sympathies.  

     “I’m still reeling about what your mother did, and your
brother. I thought I had messed up parent’s…” Nic grimaced. “Sorry, that was kind
of harsh.” He stuffed a spoonful of meat and rice in his mouth.

     I don’t know how it happened but I’d blurted out the entire
fucking story to them…the set up story where Maya didn’t get raped. It was
something I hoped was true, but still doubted.

     I gave him a shrug of accord…it
was
messed up.   

     “Yeah,” Evan agreed shaking his in head in disbelief.
“No wonder you’ve been so crazy these last several months. I’m amazed you’ve
held yourself together as well as you have.”

     “I understand better now why Maya didn’t tell you about
your daughter. It’s a miracle she gave you the time of day again.” I gave Noah
a ‘what the hell’ look. He gave me a small half-smile. “It just shows she’s a
keeper…and must
really
love you.”

     My throat constricted. Yeah…she really must after
everything.

     Seth cleared his throat scooping more beef BBQ onto his
plate. “So, back to your father. He seems somewhat young, and in good shape, at
least the last time I saw him, to have experienced a heart attack.”

     Seth might have a girlfriend, but he wasn’t comfortable
with in-depth emotional talks. None of us really were. “It was caused by stress
and was basically the lowest category of a heart attack…Still scared the shit
out of me though.”

     Evan frowned. “So he’s going to have to avoid working
for awhile, won’t he?”

     I nodded, stirring through my own plate of food
half-heartedly. “Yes. My dad thinks most of the stress came from the situation
with my brother and then finding out about my mother, but going directly back
to work wouldn’t be good for him.”

     “He has someone that can take over his
responsibilities?” Evan asked. He was looking at me with attentive eyes like he
knew what I was going to say.

     I sighed, and stirred my food again. “Yeah…me.”

     “How in the hell are you going to do that?” Nic
exclaimed. “You don’t have time to run a business with classes, lacrosse, and
your family. And shit, man, you’re only twenty-two. That’s a lot of responsibility”

     His family remark jump started my heart…in a good way,
but it also elicited an ache because a lot of my time was going to be taken up
with the company and other duties.

     “I’m quitting lacrosse, and in between classes I will
have the time. Yeah, it will be cutting into a lot of my personal time for
awhile, but I’m the one that dad has been training to take over everything.”

     Seth’s brows rose. “Seriously…he’s been training you?”

     I returned the brow lift. “Yeah, what do you think I’ve
been doing over summer vacations?”

     “Interns.” He grunted.

     I narrowed my eyes at him…he wasn’t half wrong. I
glanced inconspicuously, and uneasily, toward the kitchen but must not have
been as subtle as I thought because Seth snorted.

     “I was working with my dad. He’s been prepping me for
years to take his place.” I growled out.

     Nic stared at me with a frown of incredulity. “You’re
really planning to take over for your father? I always thought you hated it. I
was actually going to ask if you wanted to go into a venture I was thinking
about starting up.”

     I stared at him in astonishment. “I didn’t even know
you had an idea for one.”

     He grinned. “It’s a recent idea that I’ve been rolling
around in my head.”

     Unable to stop myself I leaned forward in interest.
“What is it?”

     He copied my move, excitement spilling from his gaze.
“I want to get into the sporting industry, but more importantly I need a
talented artist to design the company’s logo and the countless prints for
equipment and clothing. The idea for the business really started to take shape
for me when I saw your drawings. You are an awesome artist, Landon. I can’t
believe you kept your ability secret.”

     I shrugged, my thoughts spinning. “I didn’t purposely
keep it a secret. It was just more of a personal thing for me.”   

     “So your one of those ‘my art is all for myself’ kind
of artists?” His brows pinched inquiringly.    

     I frowned, shaking my head. “No, I’m not one of those.”
Nic’s idea was actually very interesting,
and
appealing, but shit…I
wouldn’t have time for something like that. “It’s a great idea Nic…” And
something I would have jumped on if only… “But there are scores of great
artists out there that can do that for you. I told you, I have obligations…”

     Nic interrupted with a fierce scowl. “My dad had
expectations for me too but I disabused him of that idea. I’m doing my own
thing.”

     “You can’t stand your dad. My circumstances are a
little different.” I countered in frustration.

     He snorted in concurrence. “Yeah, I get it. You love
your dad. You want to do your duty and not disappoint him. My dad couldn’t give
a shit about me. How does your dad feel about you?”

     Nic’s comment about his dad’s feelings toward him was
said without inflection. He’d had years to adapt to his father’s manner and I
could see it no longer mattered to him. Having Carrie in his life probably made
a big difference as well.  

     “He gives a shit.” I answered.

     He nodded. “If he loves you he would want you to be
happy Living your entire life for someone else’s dream is not the recipe for
future happiness, Landon.”

     “Nic, my dad just had a heart attack. I can’t be
thinking about what I want right now. He can’t deal with the stress of work,
probably not for a few months, and when he does get better he’s still going to
have to take it easy. I’m going to have to take up a majority of the work in
his stead. It’s just a little sooner than we expected.” Like ten years sooner.

     “I take it your brother is out of the picture?” Evan
asked.

     My jaw tightened. It was a reasonable question, but
Kris’s name would forever elicit a hostile emotion in me.

     “Kris was never an option for a leadership role. He’s
always been stupid and irresponsible, and now he’s that as well as a deceiving,
cocksucking asshole with no moral or ethical compass.” I grunted setting down
my plate forcefully on the table. I wasn’t eating my food anyway. The rest of
the guys had already finished all their plates.

     Evan grimaced. “That’s unambiguous. Is there anyone
else your dad trusts to hand the reigns to?” 

     “He’s always planned to hand them to me. I’m the one
person who knows every facet of all the businesses.” I explained.

     Evan leaned forward, eyes intent. “What if you found
someone
you
trusted to share the workload with?”

     I frowned. “What are you getting at, Evan?”

     “Evan, this isn’t really the time.” Noah interjected.

     Evan threw him a frown. “Actually, this could be the
perfect time. Landon, every one of us here knows that you’ve always viewed
going into your family’s business as a long prison sentence in a small cell
with a guy named Bubba giving it to you ever morning and night.”

     “Nice visual there, Evan.” Blake grunted, speaking up
for the first time.

     Stunned at Evan’s spot on outlook of my future, I
gaped. “What?”

     He nodded and when I looked at the other guys they each
gave a nod as well.

     “Evan’s disturbing narrative aside…” Nic grimaced at
him but Evan just shrugged with a ‘
what’
expression. “Landon, you get
all stiff and defensive, even aggressive sometimes when talking about your
future in your dad’s companies.”

     Shit, I never realized I was that readable, but these
were my friends so I never felt the need to willfully conceal it. “Again, what
are you getting at?”

     Evan’s expression became intent again. “I would like to
be your partner, your associate, your dad’s protégé, whatever you want to call
it. I could take over half your workload, or possibly extra if you ever decide
you want more than family obligation.” He grinned at the dig and I scowled at
him…even though the tight feeling in my chest and gut seemed to loosen.

     “What about your stepdad’s businesses?” Evan’s stepdad
owned several extensive businesses and I would have thought he’d fall into one
of them.

     Evan’s features tautened. “His real kids will be
heading those businesses. I’d end being Cinderella…taking care of all the shit
work.”

     Huh. Looked liked all of us had issues. “What about
graduate school?”

     Evan’s suggestion was beginning to sound incredibly
attractive. If Kris had any business acumen I would have ended up dividing
responsibilities with him. I’d never thought about hiring someone to take on
half my workload because I would have to have a whole lot of trust in them.

     I trusted Evan, and I knew he was extremely intelligent.
While all of us guys held high GPA’s Evan’s had remained a steady three point
nine all through college. And that was with lacrosse and partying thrown in.  

     “I still want my Master’s and that’s doable while
working.” He stated confidently.

     Holy shit, could I do this? Would dad be okay with it?
I had to ask him…no, I had to convince him that this was something I wanted to
do. Everyone was right; my friends, Maya, they all saw my discontent at the
idea of being stuck in business. Art was my first love…well, third now, after
Maya and Nola. 

     “Let me run it by my dad.” I was nodding my head with rising
enthusiasm my spirits lifting by the second. “And I’ll give you some material
that you should study in depth for when he questions…cross examines…you.” I smirked.

     Evan returned my grin and raised his hand for a high
five. “Awesome dude!” He exclaimed.

     I shook my head at his juvenileness, but of course
granted him his fiver. Then I turned to Nic. “Now tell me more about this business
idea of yours.” I demanded.

     Nic smirked and the other guys laughed.

∞                   
∞                    ∞

     I rocked leisurely, arms wrapped around Maya, hands
splayed over her small back, guiding her motions partially as she rocked with
me. We sat facing each other, her in my lap, legs wrapped around me, making the
slowest, sweetest love I’d ever experienced.

     I wanted it to last forever, but unfortunately I was
going to come any second.

     “You close, Maya?” I consumed her mouth with mine
knowing she was because I could feel her beginning to tighten around me.

     “Yes. “ She panted, sucking on my bottom lip avariciously.
And then she did; crying out and pulsing in rhythmic, vice-like, contractions
of ecstasy. 

     “Fuck…yeah…” I groaned as her release set off my own.
Crushing her slight frame within the circle of my arms I drove my hips forward as
her inner muscles contracted powerfully around my exploding dick, squeezing
every last ounce of cum from me.

     When the euphoric sensations passed I fell back on the
bed in exhaustion. Our love making hadn’t been strenuous, and it was only eight-thirty
at night, but I was really low on sleep.

     The guys had left twenty-five minutes ago and my only
thought had been to get Maya alone and the two of us as close as humanly possible
as soon as I could, so I’d grabbed Maya hauling her upstairs and striped us
both down in seconds. She was the one who’d picked the position…and I certainly
wasn’t complaining. Slow and sweet had fit the moment.

     “I love you.” Maya breathed against my neck.

     Squeezing her sweet ass I returned the sentiment. “I
love you too.”

     I stroked fingers down Maya’s spine softly as we rested
against each other wordlessly for a few minutes. Her fingers replicated the
action over my chest and tattoo. Suddenly she sighed and it was laden with wordless
emotion.

     “What?” I gave her a nudge to reinforce my desire to
know what was on her mind.

     “It’s just been a long day…longer for you.” She
responded softly.

     “That it has.” I agreed tiredly.

     There was a faint pause before she spoke again. “So,
will you be going into the office tomorrow?”

     I could hear the fluctuation of uncertainly in her
voice and hated that she was anxious. “Yes, I have to talk to Diane and find
out dad’s schedule and appointments for the up-coming weeks. Maya, I’m sorry
about the upheaval this is going to cause for us, but I have to step in for
dad. There’s no way I can’t.” I rubbed her back.

     “I know that, and understand.” She assured me covering
up the apprehension in her tone better, but not completely.