Contingent Read online

  Laughing until tears pooled in my eyes, I kept my focus on the track. This was the last lap; any little mistake on my part and he could win the whole race. The last lap also took the longest. Landon’s kart tapped mine from behind and I giggled. My leg burned from holding the accelerator down. The attendant held the checkered flag up for me. The second I passed it, my hand shot up in the air, cheering as the car began to slow down.

  Landon pulled into the spot next to me. His boyish grin had his sexy dimple smiling back at me. He shook his head as he unbuckled his seatbelt. Hopping out of the kart, I did a happy dance.

  “You totally cheated.”

  I continued my victory dance. Landon followed behind me as we walked out of the track. Once we were outside of the gates, he took my hand in his and tugged. I turned back to face him, a wide smile spread across my face. “I didn’t cheat. You chose to step on the brakes.”

  “I had that win.”

  “Keyword had.”

  His hands wrapped around my waist and I squealed as Landon tossed me in his arms. He cradled me, twirling me around. “You’re going to be trouble,” he murmured into my hair. I bit my lower lip, a pinch in my chest let me know that there could be something between us. Landon placed me on the ground, holding me by my waist. His eyes were the color of milk chocolate as he stared down at me, his lips soft around his smile.

  This was what I assumed normal dating was like. It was different. Refreshing in a sense to not be fighting over a case like Haas and I first did. Aside from going to Atlantic City in the beginning, Haas and I skipped the dating portion of our relationship.

  Landon showed off at the carnival games by winning me the largest teddy bear they had. The employee handed me the bright pink teddy bear and I looked at the little girl next to me who stood with her dad. She had won a small teddy bear for trying. I looked back at Landon.

  “Do you mind?”

  “Not at all.” His eyes glistened in the day time.

  The little girl’s eyes grew wide as she looked at the bear. I kneeled down so we were eye level. “That’s a nice teddy bear you have there.”

  “Thanks.” She wrapped her hands around her father’s legs.

  “I was wondering if maybe you wanted to trade.” I extended mine towards her.

  “Really?” She popped her buried head up. I nodded eagerly. She extended her bear for me to grasp as she wrapped her other free hand around the larger bear.

  I smiled at her glee and stood up. Her father thanked us before he helped carry away her new friend. Landon put his arm around my shoulders, bringing me close to him. His lips pressed on the side of my head.

  My stomach growled with hunger and I chuckled in his chest. After an order of fries, deep fried Oreo’s, and a funnel cake, we strode towards the Ferris wheel. At any other time, everything fried was a big no-no, but at a carnival with an athlete who had more of an appetite than three men, it was perfectly acceptable.

  I had accidentally mentioned to Landon during our sugar-fried binge that I had never been on a Ferris wheel because of my fear of heights. That only enticed him to drag me on.

  “I’m not getting on.” I stubbornly crossed my arms over my chest like a pouty teenage girl.

  “Come on. It goes really slow and it’s really not that high.” Landon tugged my arms away from my body.

  “It’s a metal death trap that is suspended in air by those unsteady rods and it rotates.”

  “I won’t let anything happen to you.” He took my arms wrapping them around his body.

  “I’m keeping my eyes closed the entire time.” My head rested on his chest as he walked backward to the entrance.

  I handed my ticket to the attendant and walked towards the death trap. In any other situation, I would run the other way, complain, and never step foot on this machine. But I was with Landon, and he had a way of making things easy and less frightening. My fists rested at my sides, my fingernails stabbing my clamming palms as my feet stepped on the hollow metal path, heading towards the carriage of doom. Landon must have felt my hesitation because he moved to my side coiling my hand with his.

  Our bottoms rested on the cold seat, my hands clutching to the bar in a vice grip. My eyes were sealed shut as I waited for the ride to begin. I felt Landon’s body shift towards mine as he draped his arm around my shoulder.

  “Nothing is going to happen,” he spoke into my ear.

  I shook my head vigorously. “You don’t know that.”

  He chuckled when the ride began to move and I inhaled all the oxygen my lungs could hold. As we rose up in the air, my legs trembled with fear, my fingers were numb from my tight grip. “You’re missing the beautiful view,” Landon said.

  The feeling of the moving death trap or the closeness of Landon had my heart rate rising with each second. The carriage stopped, slowly rocking back and forth. “What’s happening? Why have we stopped?” I asked frantically. My voice was laced with horror. My hand moved around feeling for Landon’s arm for protection.

  “We stopped at the top.” Landon brushed my hair behind my ears.

  “Why? Why have we stopped? And why are we rocking?”

  “Open your eyes.” His voice was tender and gentle.

  “No.” I shook my head vigorously.

  “Please, nothing is going to happen. You can see the whole fair from up here.” His voice soothed my fear. I squinted one eye open, the ground seemed miles away. I sealed my eye shut again. “Come on, you can do it.” Landon poked his fingers at my side, teasing me.

  I relaxed my scrunched face, slowly opening my eyes. I looked over at Landon; a proud smile graced his face. He opened his arms for my embrace. Without any hesitation, I wrapped my arms around his ribs, burying my face in his hard chest.

  “Don’t close your eyes. This is the best part.”

  My mind and heart began to scream, with Landon things were tranquil, it came naturally. It was easy to talk to him, be around him, and for the first time being held by his protective arms was—relaxing. I lifted my head off his chest and peeked at the fair below.

  “Not so bad is it?” he questioned.

  I didn’t respond. I knew he was referring to the height, but my mind was thinking about being in his arms. It wasn’t so bad; it was comforting.

  Minutes passed before the Ferris wheel began to descend and our ride was complete. Leaping off the metal death trap, my feet landed where they belonged—on the ground.

  We walked through the fair eating random foods and enjoying the rides like we were both kids. When we had ridden every ride we made our way to the last attraction of the fair. The batting cage.

  Landon seemed eager to show off his professional skills, so I followed him into the net box and picked up a Louisville slugger from the wall. Landon stood on the white outlined batter’s box. Pressing the remote he got from the attendant, the balls began to fly past him. He held his bat in his hands and lined up waiting for another ball to come. He hit every ball that came his way.

  “Show off!” I shouted from behind the shielded gate. His dimple greeted me when a smirk appeared on his face. God, that dimple looked good enough to lick.

  “Batter up!”

  I ambled towards him, swinging my bat around. “Are you going to teach me how to hit a ball?” I teased when he placed the helmet over my head.

  “Something like that.” He brought me to the batter’s box and placed the remote in his back pocket. “Have you ever held a bat before?” he asked, watching me carefully.

  I cocked my head up at him and held the bat in my hands. “Are you questioning my intelligence?”

  He held his hands up. “Never. I just want to make sure you know how to play the game.” I hadn’t played before, but I wasn’t going to tell him that.

  “I don’t mean to offend what you do for a living, but a tiny ball is thrown at you and you hit it with a bat. How hard can it be?” I shrugged.

  He lifted his hands in the air and took a step back. “Ready?”

  “R
eady.” I nodded.

  Landon took the remote from his back pocket and the machine began to spin. A white ball slid between two spinning tires and headed straight for me. I closed my eyes and swung.

  “Strike one,” Landon called out.

  “I’m just getting warmed up.” I shook my shoulders, returning to my stance. I gripped the bat higher. The ball slid through the tires again and I swung.

  “Strike two.” His head kicked back as he laughed.

  “Ugh!”

  “Try to keep your eyes open. Maybe then you’d hit the ball,” Landon teased from the side.

  I stuck my tongue out at him and resumed my position. I kept my eyes on the ball and swung for the third time, with all my might, my body twirling completely around. Landon bit his lip to contain his laughter.

  “Fine!” I raised my hands. “I need your help.” I extended the bat towards him. Landon stood behind me, his body pressed against my back. My breath stopped short as I realized my ass was aligned perfectly with his crotch. He reached around me, mimicking my hands on the bat.

  “Now in baseball there are bases. First, second and third and if you are really good you can hit a home run. The strength you use to hit the ball will determine how far you can get. But the way you stand is what’s most important. If you stand too far from home plate your ball will go out of bounds. Too close and it will only go a few feet.”

  Landon’s hand rested on my waist. “Keep your knees shoulder width apart.” I did what he said. “Good. Now bend them slightly and stick your lower back out just a bit . . .”

  His last words had me wanting to duck my face into the helmet as I stuck out my lower back, causing my ass to push further into his crotch. “Now bring the bat up until your hands are by your ears.” He lowered his face so I could feel his breath on my cheek. “That’s perfect. Keep your eyes on the ball and swing when it’s three-quarters of the way.”

  Landon took a step back and pressed the remote for another ball to come. I followed his instruction and swung the bat. The ball collided with the bat and flew towards the back end of the strip.

  “I did it!” I jumped up and down with excitement. The helmet slid down, covering my face as I hopped with glee and threw my arms around Landon’s neck. My laughter vanished when I felt his erection pressed against my stomach. His hand lifted the helmet away from my eyes, his chocolate eyes glued to mine. Trapped in his gaze, I stared at him.

  Feel the spark.

  Landon’s nose brushed against mine, his lips only centimeters away from my mouth. It was now or never. And I wanted him to kiss me.

  Feel the spark.

  I closed my eyes waiting for his lips to touch mine, waiting for the spark to burn inside of me.

  “I want to kiss you, Braelynn.” I felt his warm breath against my lips. I pried my eyes opened to look up at him. “I want to taste your soft lips. I’ve been imagining how sweet your lips must be.”

  I let out a slow breath. My heart raced in my chest. I loved Peyton, but I couldn’t avoid what I was now feeling for Landon. “I’m not stopping you,” I whispered.

  Landon wrapped his arms around my body, pulling me towards him. His piercing gaze locked with mine as his hands trailed up my back. Landon wove his fingers through my hair, forcing me to look up at him.

  Waiting for him to kiss me, my tongue slid across my bottom lip. His fingers traced the side of my cheek as he leaned forward, my eyes closing half-mast as his lips grazed over mine. My breath caught in my chest, my lips parted, and Landon’s tongue gently twirled around mine. His hand held my head as the other hand wrapped around my body holding me up.

  Never had a first kiss been so tender.

  Pulling away from my lips, Landon held me in his arms, his eyes focusing on my lips before trailing up my face. I felt my skin heat up when our eyes connected. “That was better than I could’ve imagined,” he whispered before leaning forward and pressing his lips to mine again.

  A couple of kids behind us cackled and hooted. Landon released me from his grasp. Taking the baseball bat from my hand, he rested it back on the wall. My free hand rushed to my bottom lip. His taste still lingered on my lips.

  Landon returned to my side, knitting my hand with his, he led me out of the batting cages. The sun was setting in the sky and there was a chill in the air.

  We walked out of the fair and headed towards the car without speaking a word to one another. Landon ushered me to the passenger side door. His boyish grin that I was growing to love greeted me.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  “I shouldn’t admit it but yes. I can always eat.” I smiled.

  “Okay. I know just the place.” Landon pulled the car door back for me with a grin I noticed on his face that told me he had something up his sleeve.

  Landon parked in an underground parking deck in Greenwich Village. I thought we were going to grab a bite but when we walked inside the elevator, he pressed the button for the eighteenth floor and I knew that he was bringing me back to his place.

  “A little presumptuous don’t you think?” I leaned my back against the opposite side of the elevator cart from where he stood.

  “What is?” he asked, matching my stance.

  “Bringing me to your house.”

  The elevator stopped, opening up to the eighteenth floor. Landon held the elevator door for me. “I said I knew a place. I didn’t say it was a restaurant.”

  I sauntered out of the elevator and followed Landon down the long hallway until we reached the end unit condo. “This is where the magic happens,” he joked, unlocking the door and extending his arm for me to enter.

  Landon lived in a two-bedroom condo that looked out at the Hudson River and into New Jersey. His scent swirled around his house, intoxicating my senses. Cherry wood floors ran across his apartment, and large, windows framed the living room area. The furniture in the condo was contemporary and stylish; something you would pick out of a Crate and Barrel magazine. An entertainment system sat in front of the oversized brown couch, and sports memorabilia sat on top of his bar area and hung on the wall. Landon’s bachelor pad was like him—warm, inviting, and comforting.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” he asked, pulling back the refrigerator door.

  “Water is fine.”

  My wedges tapped against the wood floor as I headed towards the sliding window. Outside of his living room was a small deck with a sitting area and fire pit.

  Landon joined me outside and handed me a bottle of water. We sat for a brief second admiring the view.

  Extending his hand for my grasp, he asked. “Do you want to join me in the kitchen?”

  Lifting off the couch, I followed him back inside to the kitchen. Landon took out a bottle of wine from his wine fridge and uncorked it. Pouring himself a glass he looked over at me, through his gaze I could see what he was asking. I chewed on my lower lip waiting for his question. It was only a matter of time before he asked me why I didn’t drink. And if he and I were going to make this work I needed to tell him the truth.

  “Would you . . . ?” He didn’t finish his question.

  “No, thank you.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I . . . I’m . . . I’m in recovery.” My head bowed before him. Shame, and guilt suffocated me. I had been clean for almost a year, but the urge to use was still prominent in me.

  “I’m sorry, Braelynn. I didn’t know.” I heard his footfalls come closer to me. Standing next to me his hand reached under my face, lifting me. His apologetic eyes did nothing to relieve the pain I felt.

  “It’s not something I like to talk about. It’s a part of my past.“

  Landon’s lips pressed gently on mine. His thumbs stroked the side of my cheeks. “Thank you for telling me.” A small smile appeared on his face before he left my side. Walking to his wine glass, he grasped it in his hand and dumped it down the sink.

  “You don’t—”

  “I know, but I won’t enjoy it knowing it reminds you of something that hurts yo
u.” He placed the bottle of wine back in the fridge. “Anything you don’t like to eat?” he asked, filling his long arms with contents of the fridge.

  A vision of Haas cooking for me in the kitchen popped in my head, and I shook my head. “No pancakes.”

  “Got it.” Landon started to cook us dinner as I excused myself to use his restroom. Walking down the hallway, I noticed that his spare bedroom door was slightly ajar. I tapped my fingers on the door, pushing it open enough that I could squeeze through. The bedroom appeared to his office.

  Though Landon was a baseball player, he enjoyed the sport of golf and collected golf balls from every course he played at. He had a putter resting near his computer desk and a picture with a couple of friends hung on his wall. Out of the four walls in his office, only one was dedicated to his career. Trophies, plaques, and awards were showcased on a glass shelf.

  An old picture caught my eye. Resting on the bottom shelf was a young Landon, about five years old or so, holding his bat in front of a tee. The wide smile he had on his face in the picture was still the same one he had today.

  I snuck out of Landon’s office and used the restroom before heading back to the kitchen. Intoxicating fragrances of spices and herbs heightened my senses.

  “That smells good,” I said, walking back inside the kitchen. “Can I help?”

  Landon wrapped his hands around my body, pulling me against to him. His chocolate eyes looked down at me and his lips met mine, kissing me affectionately. Landon released my lips from his captivating ones, his nose pressed to mine. “You being here is all the help I need.”

  I had built a fort, dug a moat, and placed an electrical fence around my shattered heart. Piece by piece it was putting itself back together. I had sworn to never let anyone close enough to hurt me again, but when I was with Landon, it was like he had found a secret passage and was squeezing his way into my heart.

  Landon whipped up grilled pork chops with sautéed Brussels sprouts. I set the table outside on his deck; Landon joined me with the plates of food. The sun was setting in the horizon, so Landon turned on the electric fire pit before we devoured our meal. Not only was Landon great at playing baseball, but he was also a great cook.