Borrowing Trouble(11)

“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?”

No. No f*cking way. I’m losing my damn mind. Jay had to swallow again to get words out, wondering why in the hell he was hard for a man, why he wanted so badly to wrap his arms around a man.

“Yeah. I’m fine,” Jay croaked. “Think I need a break.”

It had to just be residual effects of seeing his ex and having not gotten laid in so damn long. Right? He wasn’t a teenager by any means, but men had needs, and eventually, they started making a man act a fool.

“Want me to go grab a beer?” Landon asked. Jay, grateful for a moment to get his shit together, sent Landon off to do just that.

He made his way to one of the rocking chairs on his front porch, trying to get his racing heart under control, but failed because again, he felt a strange warmth from Landon feeling at home in his house, Landon being so… domestic.

“Here you go,” Landon said, passing Jay a beer. Jay took it and chugged, happy not to have to talk for a minute.

“Damn, it’s hot for November,” Landon complained.

You have no idea. “Sure is. At this rate, it’ll still be in the 80s at Christmas.” He could talk about the weather. The weather was safe.

Landon didn’t respond, just sat sipping his own beer. Jay should have known that wouldn’t last. “You okay? You get too hot? Need water instead?”

Lord, no. He needed another beer, not to sober up. “Naw, I’m good.”

He glanced at Landon from the side of his eye, and Landon’s expression held a hint of concern. Jay sipped his beer again, then sighed. “I think maybe seeing my ex for the first time in a long while messed with my head a little.” No kidding.

Landon let out a sympathetic hiss. “Yeah, man, I can see that. Not that I’ve ever been divorced. Hell, never been with someone quite so long as y’all, either.”

“Almost twenty years, altogether.”

“Damn, man. I split up with someone after a year and that… that was hard, even though it was what we both wanted in the end. I can’t imagine all that time, with legalities and kids involved to boot.”

Maybe that was it. Maybe he was still just so flustered from everything. He sure as hell wasn’t queer. Couldn’t be.

“It takes it out of you.” They sat silently, Jay trying desperately to keep his tired brain from firing back up.