Page 86 of Time to Shine

“You’re laughing,” Landon said.

“Sorry.” Then Casey laughed some more. “I’m just really happy.”

“Oh.” Landon didn’t seem to have control over his lips anymore. They kept shifting nervously between a smile and a frown, and they already missed Casey’s lips. “So you’re not laughing at me?”

“No! I promise. I’m just, like—oh man. My brain has checked out. Can I kiss you again?”

Landon answered him by leaning down and kissing him. This time he cradled the back of Casey’s head in one hand, scooping up all that glorious hair and kissing him with everything he had. Everything he’d been wanting to say for weeks.

Casey groaned and tilted his hips forward, his arousal bumping firmly against Landon’s thigh. Landon gasped and broke the kiss, and Casey immediately took a step back.

“Sorry,” Casey panted. “Too much, right?”

Landon honestly wasn’t sure. It had been new and a bit scary, but also exciting. He liked that he could make Casey feel that way. All he knew for certain was that the foot of space between them right now was way too much. He tugged on Casey’s lapel and pulled him back against him, kissing him again.

“You taste good,” he said against Casey’s lips.

“I ate a candy cane.”

Landon laughed, then kissed him some more.

“It’s really cold,” Casey said after a minute.

“Yeah.”

“We should probably go inside.”

Landon’s heart sank. Inside meant people, and no more kissing. But it also meant avoiding hypothermia, so that was a consideration. “Okay.”

“But um.” Casey’s smile was shy and sweet, his lip plump and shiny from being kissed. “We could maybe head home soon?”

Landon’s heart somersaulted. “Yeah.” He’d like to leave immediately, actually. Get Casey home and then...well. He wasn’t sure what exactly.

But he wanted to find out.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

They immediately bumped into Westy in the mudroom just inside the door.

“Oh,” Westy said. “I was gonna join you outside. Were you smoking a joint?”

“No,” Casey said at the same moment Landon said, “Yes.” Both of their voices were higher than usual.

Westy narrowed his eyes at them. “Is there weed that I can smoke with or without you?”

“Um,” Casey said. Like, probably. But he didn’t have any on him.

“Wait. Were you guys...” Westy pointed at Casey, and then at Landon.

Casey glanced at Landon, who was blushing enough to give them away.

“Nice,” Westy said. Then, in classic West Ackerman fashion, immediately became disinterested. “Maybe Petey has weed. I’m gonna go find him.”

He left, and Casey turned to Landon, who was still flushed with embarrassment. “You good, Stacks?”

“Was everyone expecting us to...do that?”

“Make out in Nosey’s backyard? Probably not.”

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