He realized Landon’s brows had risen and he’d begun shifting uncomfortably. He couldn’t tell the man to fuck off. He didn’t want Landon to leave.
He also didn’t want Landon in his face right then, either. “Uh, yeah. Yes. Sure. Thanks.” He motioned with his hand for Landon to follow him. “I appreciate it.” He only half meant it.
He led Landon into his detached, tin-sided carport and dug out the weed-eater. “The oil-gas mix for this is in that orange can over there. If you don’t mind getting around the flower beds.”
“That’s what you call those dirt piles?”
“Look now,” Jay scolded, laughing as he handed over the weed-eater. “I had other stuff to get around to before I could do anything with the beds.” Truthfully, he didn’t know the first thing about annuals and what-not.
“Shame. Some gladiolas would look nice over there.”
Jay smirked at Landon, who scowled. “Mama made me help her in the beds every year.” The defensiveness in his tone made Jay drop that line of teasing. It also brought up stereotypes to things his fragile hold on the moment couldn’t even handle.
“Well, if you don’t mind doing that,” he continued like they’d not made that detour in conversation. “I’ll do the lawn. It usually takes me about two hours.” His yard wasn’t too large, dwarfed by some of the neighbors’, but still took a bit of time with his finicky old push mower.
“Alright. I’ll get on it.” And they did. Jay’s mind was blissfully quiet as he handled his task. The repetitive motions of walking in circles with the rattling mower calmed him. He’d always enjoyed working in the yard. Just being outside gave him a sense of peace, and nothing beat that smell of fresh cut grass.
At some point, while dodging an old fire ant bed, he happened to glance over, noticing Landon. Damn the man to hell. Landon had lost his shirt at some point. The plaid button down was draped over the railing on the front porch as Landon moved the weed-eater over the side of one of the large flower beds that flanked each side of the front porch.
Jay almost tripped right there. He wasn’t entirely sure whether he’d tripped over the mower, the ant bed, or his traitorous tongue. Landon’s smooth, powerful back flexed with his movements, sweat rolling down from his blond hair, over his neck and down toward the rise over his ass.
Jay blinked, unsure when a man’s ass had become something he couldn’t look away from, but there it was; two firm, round buns barely contained in Landon’s threadbare 501s. When Landon moved just so, you could see his broad shoulders and rounded biceps bunch, showing off their power, their strength. And Jay could see in his mind’s eye his own body wrapping around Landon’s from behind, rubbing his cock against that firm ass, running his fingers over those shoulders. A trembling breath left his mouth as his body suddenly yearned to feel another person’s skin against his own.
He’d never yearned like that before, and it almost made him weep with loneliness.
The lawn mower shutting off snapped his attention back to reality, his nerves roiled so hard he felt like he could vomit suddenly. Landon turned his way, his marble smooth, hairless torso gleamed with sweat in the afternoon sun. His muscled chest and smooth stomach were something you’d expect to see in a magazine, a level of physical perfection Jay had never once possessed. He wasn’t anything to throw rocks at, not paunchy or anything, but he was softer around the middle, like anyone in their late thirties who didn’t have time to live in a gym. His own torso was also hairy, nothing like the near baby-smoothness of Landon’s.
The only imperfection was one dark brown mole just below Landon’s left nipple. And nipples… Now Jay couldn’t stop looking at Landon’s large round nipples that were a pretty shade of pink. Perfect for sucking on.
He swallowed thickly as Landon tilted his head.
“You okay?”