Page 33 of Landon (In Safe Hands)
We’retrapped in the basement. I made out with Landon and let him finger me toorgasm. Let him? If memory serves, I begged him not to stop at one point. Shit.
Landonsits up when I fumble around the couch for the lantern and finally turn it on. “Youokay?” he murmurs, tucking a wild lock of hair behind my ear. I must look likea mess, and he’s perfect as always. Okay, maybe his hair is a bit mussed andhis face creased with sleep, but on him, it just looks sexy. I don’t think he’scapable of being unattractive.
“Yeah,I’m good.” My stomach picks that moment to give a loud growl, and he chuckles.
“Let’sfind something to eat.” He picks up his phone to check the time. “No wonderwe’re starving. It’s four in the afternoon.”
“Willyou call Jeremy and see if he has any news?” I ask, yawning.
“Sickof being trapped with me already?” he teases.
“I’drather be trapped with some pancakes and sausage.”
“Gosee what’s in the fridge, and I’ll call Jeremy.” He smacks my ass beforegrabbing his phone and heading up the stairs.
Thefood choices leave no doubt this is a man cave. I grab a box of toasterpastries from the top of the fridge and a soft drink from inside. It’s stillcool even though the electric has been out all night. After a few minutes,Landon joins me as I’m perched on the edge of the pool table, munching apastry. “Any news?”
“We’renext on the list. They expect to get to us in about four hours or so.”
“That’sgood.” He leans over and takes a bite of my pastry, a grin on his face.“Beast,” I scold, handing him his own.
“Betteryou know now.”
“So,it’ll be dark when they get to us?”
“Mostlikely.”
“Whatwould you have done if it was daylight?” I mean, there has to be times when hecan’t avoid the sun. When he has to go somewhere. What if there’s an emergencyand he has to go to the hospital?
Grabbinga bottle of water from the fridge, he sits on the couch. “I have a suit thatcovers me head to toe.” His voice is reluctant.
“Likeone of those hazmat suits?”
“Yeah,a yellow monstrosity. Makes me look like a Teletubby. I only wear it foremergencies.”
Hepulls me close when I join him, and I curl up against his side. “You’re notgoing to be able to stay here. Where are you going to go?” I’m tempted to offermy apartment, but I just can’t. It’s so far below what he’s used to, I’m justtoo embarrassed.
“Jeremyjust told me he’s made arrangements at a hotel. They’ll prepare a room for mewith blackout curtains.”
“You’regoing to owe him one,” I tease.
“Weowe each other so many we’ve lost count.” His lips find my forehead with a softkiss. “Come to the hotel with me.”
“What?I…my apartment’s okay.”
“Iknow, but Ethan’s still out of town, right? I still need to get you alone andfinish what we started.”
“Notgoing to argue with that.”
Wespend the next few hours talking and playing a word game on my phone. It’s notuseful for anything else at the moment. A sudden bang, following by thecracking sound of splintering wood makes me jump. A few seconds later, a voicecalls down to us. We’re saved.
Moonlightilluminates the catastrophic scene surrounding us when we’re pulled to safety.The houses around us are demolished, in some cases down to the foundation. Thefew remaining trees are stripped of branches and leaves, many lying haphazardlyabout like piles of matchsticks. It hits me how lucky we were, how luckyIwas Landon came back. My body starts to shake at the thought, and Landon wrapshis arms around my waist, pulling me into a hug.
“It’sokay. We’re okay.” Despite his words, his voice trembles.
“Yousaved my life. I wouldn’t have known. I could’ve easily been in the kitchen.”
“Shh,don’t think about that. You don’t know what would’ve happened.” He steps backand takes my hand as we pick our way through the debris to the road whereJeremy stands, waving. The rescuers try to get us to see a medic, but we assurethem we’re not hurt. I’m sure it seems amazing considering the apocalypticsetting.
