Total pages in book: 156
Estimated words: 145676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 728(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 728(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
“Go. I love you. Call me when you get to the hotel,” Robert said, leaning in to kiss Landon as an airline employee came forward to take his bags.
“Fuck, I don’t want to do this.” Landon felt like he was being ripped apart on the inside. He wanted to run away with Robert while they still had the chance, but he didn’t. He stood there, fisting Robert’s shirt to keep him as close as possible and kissed him again.
“Babe, go. You’ll be late for your flight,” Robert said, gallantly trying to step away. His fist in Robert’s shirt tightened, drawing his husband in for one last hug. He needed to feel Robert’s arms around him.
“You take care of yourself. You don’t have me watching your back,” Landon whispered in his ear.
“Same goes for you. I love you,” Robert said, kissing him again, a hard press of lips before pulling away. “Go, you’re making this too hard.”
Landon nodded. “I love you, too.”
Robert was right. He made this harder than it had to be. He forced himself to let go of Robert’s shirt and walked backward to the waiting car, hearing airport security yelling at their driver to get the car moving. He had one foot inside the backseat as Robert looked back and lifted his hand. His life disappeared inside the airport. Landon dropped down inside the car, waving the driver to start moving. This felt wrong. He should be by Robert’s side.
Chapter 36
Ten days later
Landon stared at the utter destruction of La Bella Luna’s interior dining room as Robert used WhatsApp to catch him up on the progress in the restaurant. He narrowed his eyes at what could only be described as a renovation gone wild. Actually, it looked more like a bomb had detonated. Wires, insulation, and exposed bricks filled the screen. Robert seemed so proud of how quickly things had come together. Landon couldn’t help but wonder how bad it must have been before.
“I feel like you can’t fully see from this angle, but it’s really coming along. They’re doing drywall tomorrow then the magic begins.” Robert’s handsome face came back to the phone’s view.
His mister looked tired from the long hours he’d put in, but happy and perhaps more content than Landon remembered ever seeing him. Maybe some of Robert’s ghosts were finally being put to rest.
“We’ve been testing recipes all day. I have a lot to bring with me tomorrow. I need my taste-tester to see if we’re heading in the right direction.”
“Mmm.” Landon’s stomach rumbled. He missed Robert’s home cooking. He’d taken all the good food for granted. It only took his first meal on base for Landon to understand he’d become a food snob. For his next meal, he’d gone to Bricktown for something considered gourmet. After that, he’d understood Robert’s truly unmatched skill and talent in the kitchen. Landon wanted every bite of the new recipes Robert planned to bring tomorrow. He’d even requested freezer ready meals to help tide him over until their next visit. “I already know you’re heading in the right direction.”
“You’re good for my ego.” Robert stepped through the kitchen door, and Landon looked around, seeing the remodeling in the kitchen. That was new.
“What’s going on in there?”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you. I approved an upgrade in here. We’ve moved to a test kitchen. I’m not changing a lot in here. Rodney updated the kitchen a couple of years ago, but it needs a better workflow. They’ve promised it won’t extend the time for the remodel so don’t worry.” Robert headed toward the back offices. Landon caught a glimpse of Paulie’s picture that had been covered with a piece of clear plastic, still hanging intact on the wall. Even when they had only decided to paint the kitchen, it seemed important to Robert that Paulie’s picture stay exactly where it had always hung.
Landon had been on the phone to witness Robert’s unyielding dominance with the contractor who argued the complications of keeping the picture hanging during a remodel. Robert hadn’t budged. Moreover, he’d threatened legal action if anything happened to Paulie’s picture as they worked. Robert’s firm tone had wound Landon up so tightly that, while on lunch break, he had gone straight to his room to fuck his fist, making Robert talk him through his orgasm in just that same hard tone.
“How’s training going?”
Complicated, Landon immediately thought. Since joining intelligence, Landon had managed to hold his own in most technical situations, maybe helping to inflate his ego a bit, but this training was difficult. Since he’d chosen to spend all his free time on the phone with Robert, he had fallen behind. They spent so much time together, both their cell phones drained of battery every night. They were kind of ridiculous in that way, and Landon needed to find a way to clock more quality study time.