POV - Landon

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1370

-Begin Chapter-

I allowed Josh to lead me to the elevator, his hand still in mine as we walked in, Josh pushing the button for us to descend.

"So Landon," he said, causing me to look at him, "Why don't you tell me about yourself?" he asked politely, a twinkle in his eye.

"Uh, okay. Well, I just graduated high school about a month ago." I started.

"Congratulations."

"Thanks but it really wasn't all that special. I was sort of an average student, I didn't do much or anything." I said, wanting to take my eyes away from his intense stare.

"Now there's nothing wrong with that. My partner Ethan was the same way and now look at him, he now runs Behzinga Inc. The number one company for building design and such. He did a good portion of it on his own too. I know, too many people, it may seem that we got our start from the Sidemen Corp. but we actually all didn't meet JJ until many years after we started our businesses, well, except for me. I didn't start Sidemen Clothing until after we joined with JJ and instead I worked with Tobi at TBZL Inc."

"Really? I never knew that." I said, fascinated.

Josh nodded and I felt him squeeze my hand before releasing it just as the elevator doors open, leaving my hand feeling cold. I could hear the hustle and bustle of the people on the main floor and the realization hit me of why Josh did that.

People talk too much.

Rumors caused problems and I knew that. I had seen Rob and Preston go through so much because of them. The worst though when someone tried to prove that Vik was a Pedophile. That did not go over well though and was shut down within less than a week from the original breaking story. The person who had made the accusations disappeared after losing custody of their child and everything they owned.

You never messed with any of the partners from the Sidemen Corp., they will eat you alive.

"Come on Landon," said Josh, bringing me from my thoughts.

"Okay," I said and began to follow him as he exited the elevator, making sure to stay next to him but not too close, watching him from the corner of my eye as we walked across the floor and through the crowd of people and to the front door.

The doors were opened for us by the kind, elderly, doormen we had there, Preston was a kind-hearted sucker who gave jobs to as many people who needed them as possible. It frustrated Rob sometimes but he put up with it. Preston was lucky enough to never hire anyone who was actually bad for the company or stole or something, despite the number of people he hired with criminal records.

He was so proud of this fact that Preston invited some big news stations to come and check it out and interview a few of the willing employees, earning him a good reputation with the public, to a degree of course. There were always those negative people but they we were few and far in between.

I guess that just proved you can't always judge someone by their past and that people can change. It may not always be true but for the people Preston hired, it was.

I was pulled out of my thoughts once more as I walked with Josh to the curb where a sleek black car stood, two guys, standing next to it, dressed in comfortable looking suits, looking sort of mean. I noticed also that they looked identical, making me think they were twins.

"Landon." said Josh as we approached the side of the car, "I would like you to meet Lachlan's security team, Danny and Michael. Guys, this is Landon, Preston's cousin.

"Hi," they said in unison, smiles coming to their faces, scaring me slightly.

I heard Josh chuckle next to me and I felt the heat come to my face as I willed myself to speak.

"Hello, nice to meet you," I said, keeping to Josh's side.

"Nice to meet you too." said one of them, his Australian accent coming out thick, unlike Lachlan's which seemed sort of weak.

"I have heard we are taking you two to go get food." stated the other one.

"That is correct. Do you know where you are going?" Josh asked.

"Yes. Preston gave us very good directions." said a twin.

"Plus we looked it up." said the other.

"To be safe."

"Because you know,"

"That's our job."

I was impressed with the way they spoke after each other without breaking flow, making me think they were definitely twins. No one could do that without having been raised together or something.

"Excellent. Well." said Josh, bringing his hands together in a clap, "Shall we go, Landon?"

I nodded my head and moved towards the car, one of the twins stepping to open the door for me. As I stepped in I felt Josh's hand press on my lower back, much like Rob's did earlier, but this time instead of a warm heat, the was a shock that ran through my spine.

I had force myself to keep moving instead of pausing, crawling into the car and to the other side, Josh following right behind me.

Josh's hand disappeared as I sat down but once he had seated himself, he reached out again and placed his hand on my knee. I felt my whole body tense at the feeling, not because I didn't want it or anything, I just wasn't used to it.

I have never really been the object of someone's attention before so the gentle touches I was receiving from Josh and the ones I got from Rob were all new to me, overwhelming me.

"Landon?" called out Josh, squeezing my knee, causing me to turn and look at him. I know my eyes were wide and my breathing was slightly labored which would explain the worried look on his face.

I hear the doors to the front of the car slam and the engine start before the car began to move.

I swallowed before I spoke, feeling embarrassed for the way I was reacting.

"Sorry," I mumbled, my face heating up.

"Why are you sorry?" Josh asked me, sitting up and moving slightly closer to me, his thumb stroking my knee sending small shocks up my body, making it hard to think.

"For..."I paused, unsure how to word this, "for how I am reacting now. I must seem like a mess."

"There is no need to apologize," said Josh, squeezing my knee with one hand while his other reached out to grab one of my fidgeting hands in his bigger one. "You are perfectly fine. I believe I should be the one apologizing."

"Why?" I asked, my voice small, my heart beating faster as he stroked the back of my hand with his thumb in such a tender gesture.

"Because I know I am the one causing you to react like this," he whispered, bringing his face closer to mine. "And I love it."

"You do?" I spoke, butterflies beginning to flutter in my stomach as I looked up into his eyes, my breathing labored, my mind lost in how close he was to me.

"Yes. It's beautiful," he said softly, the hand on my knee moving so it could cup my cheek, his warm palm smooth against my heated cheek.

"It is?" I know I wasn't making intelligent conversation but I couldn't, Josh being this close made it hard to think, hard to breathe, hard to do anything.

"Yes. So beautiful." he whispered, leaning closer to me, his face now inches from mine, "Landon." he spoke, his warm breath brushing across my heated lips.

"Yes?"

"When I come back in a few weeks, I was wondering if I may use some of that time and spend it with you?"

"Yes." I breathed out immediately, my mind not fully processing what he was asking but I didn't care, I wanted to be with him for all the time I could. I wanted to keep feeling the way Josh made me felt, the fact that I barely knew him barely crossing my mind.

"Thank you, Landon." he breathed out, his face moving closer to mine until our lips touched in a sweet, easy kiss.

My first kiss.

-End Chapter-

I hope you enjoyed reading this and may your day be filled with love, smiles, and laughs.