Tried & True Page 2

  “I never said you were weaker,” Seb replied, his eyes narrowing.

  “No, you’re just treating me like I am.” Dex motioned to Sloane. “Would you attack Sloane the same way?”

  Seb frowned, puzzled. “Well, no, obviously.”

  “Why? Because he’s bigger? Stronger? A jaguar Therian?” Dex shook his head. “Never underestimate your opponent.” Seb took a step forward, and Dex put a hand up to stop him. “Stay there. Both of you. Observe.” Dex turned to Sloane and took his position. “How about showing them how it’s done?”

  Sloane ducked his head, his amber eyes almost black as he met Dex’s gaze. “My pleasure.”

  Dex readied himself. This was going to hurt oh so good. He’d done it before. Several times. Dex grinned wickedly. Sloane wouldn’t attack first. He never did. His Felid half wanted to stalk, to catch Dex unawares, which was why Dex wouldn’t give him the opportunity. He took off in a run toward Sloane. Sloane was heavier, bulkier, and weighed a fuckton more than Dex, which worked to Dex’s advantage.

  Whatever Dex did, Sloane would do his damn best to keep his feet on the mat. The floor was not where he wanted to be. Which was why it was exactly where Dex had to get him. The bigger the Therian, the harder they fell. Sloane took his stance—left leg forward, right leg back, knees slightly bent as he anchored himself. He held up his fists, ready to strike. Dex picked up speed, grabbed Sloane’s shoulder, flung himself up in a flying scissor kick, and wrapped his legs around Sloane’s neck, using the force of his momentum to bring Sloane down, flipping him over onto the mat. Dex kept his legs wrapped around Sloane’s neck. This was where Dex would have gouged out the dude’s eyes, but he wasn’t about to do that to his beloved, so instead, he tightened his hold and smacked Sloane in the face.

  With a feral growl, Sloane rolled with Dex still on him so Dex had his back to the mat. He thrust his hands down against Dex’s groin and jerked backward, but Dex only squeezed his legs around Sloane’s neck. He grabbed Sloane’s thumb and bent it back, forcing Sloane’s arm—and more importantly his elbow—away from Dex’s groin area. Had this been a real scenario, Dex would have won by now. Sloane twisted and threw his weight against Dex, thrusting his elbow back and hitting Dex in the balls.

  “Fuck,” Dex said through gritted teeth, loosening his grip enough for Sloane to force one leg off him and giving Sloane the room he needed to slip out. Dex rolled away just as Sloane came down elbow first, hitting the mat right where Dex had been. That would have hurt like a son of a bitch. Dex pushed through the pain to his boy bits and got to his feet in time to have Sloane slam into him from the side. Dex landed several feet away, his whole left side throbbing from being bodychecked by a two hundred forty pound—probably more like two hundred fifty pounds now—Therian.

  All he could do was push through it and get on his feet quickly. When Sloane lunged at him, Dex dug deep. His eyesight sharpened, and he let out a fierce growl as he threw one arm around Sloane’s waist and grabbed at the back of Sloane’s right leg, jerking it forward so he could lift Sloane off his feet and slam him onto the mat where he brought his knee down against Sloane’s stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He was mindful to use just enough force to hurt but not seriously injure his boyfriend. With an arm pressed to Sloane’s neck, his knee ready to do some damage, and a fist over Sloane’s face, Sloane tapped out.

  Dex grinned down at him and kissed him before rolling off. Sloane laughed softly as he lay on the mat, his chest rising and falling in rapid breaths. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his wrapped hand. He turned his head to look at Dex.

  “Nicely done.”

  “Thanks.” Dex got to his feet and held his hands out to Sloane, then helped him up. He turned to Seb and Hudson, who were gaping at him. “Obviously that would have ended a lot sooner had I gouged out his eyes, but I kind of like his eyes,” Dex said, batting his lashes at Sloane. “They’re pretty.”

  Sloane chuckled. He shook his head and wiped more sweat from his brow.

  Rolling his shoulders, Dex turned back to Seb and Hudson, his expression stern. “Now, let’s try that again.”

  “HOLY….” PANT. “Crap.” More panting.

  Sloane dropped onto the mat. He was dripping with sweat, and every muscle in his body ached. He wiped his face with the clean towel, then chuckled at Seb, who dropped next to him and lay sprawled on his back.

  “I think… my heart… is going to… explode,” Seb said, breathless.

  “I warned you, didn’t I? But you didn’t listen. Your exact words were ‘how strong can he really be?’”

  Seb turned his head to pout at Sloane, his brows drawn together. “I was wrong, Sloane. So very wrong. I will never doubt your words again.” He sat up with a groan and grabbed one of the rolled-up towels beside him to wipe the sweat off his face. “I can’t believe Dex took me down.”

  “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”

  Seb narrowed his eyes at Sloane. “I’m a tiger Therian. Your not-even-two-hundred-pound boyfriend is not supposed to be able to take me down.”

  “Except he’s been training his ass off, is no longer Human, and I’m pretty sure he’s still getting stronger.” Every time Sloane sparred with Dex, he noticed an increase in Dex’s strength. It was in minimal increments, but enough for Sloane to see the difference. “It seems to come in little bursts when he gets worked up or pissed off, but when that happens, he’s stronger than I am. If this keeps going, he may even end up stronger than you, or who knows, maybe even Zach. Not even TIN knows what’s going on inside him. The tests are starting to come back inconclusive again.”

  “How is that possible?”

  Sloane shrugged. “No one knows. TIN’s brought in their top specialists, and every time they run a test for something, whatever they’re looking for, it’s gone, but they know it’s there because they can see it. They did a blood test, and it came back Human, but when they did a different test that wasn’t specifically looking at his blood, it pinged Therian. It’s like his DNA and everything that makes him a hybrid is trying to protect itself by avoiding detection.”

  Seb seemed to think about it. “So if someone ran a test to see if he was Therian, they’d get something else?”

  Sloane nodded. “Not sure if that’s a good thing or not. My worry is when he’ll need to get treatment. Unless whoever’s treating him knows what he is….”

  “Fuck. It’ll be a mess.”

  Which scared the living shit out of Sloane. They had Hudson and TIN to provide the best medical attention possible, but what if either wasn’t an option? How the hell did a regular hospital treat a half Human, half Therian? Especially if every test they ran came back screwed-up? Hopefully they’d be able to get to the bottom of it soon. Sloane didn’t like the idea of them not being able to get Dex medical treatment when he needed it.

  Seb stared at him. “Shit, Sloane. What the hell is in that DNA of yours?”

  “I don’t know, but as long as it doesn’t hurt him, I’m okay with it. Knowing he can hold his own against whatever he faces out there is good enough for me. Hopefully the rest will get sorted out.”

  A slew of British curses met Sloane’s ear, and he cringed.

  “Your man does not like to lose.”

  Seb’s eyes went slightly wide. “Are you kidding me? Everyone’s always surprised when he kicks their ass at pool, or football, or soccer, thinking that he’s this awkward science nerd, but he is ruthless when it comes to competition, and yeah, he hates losing.” Seb drew his knees up and let his elbows rest on them. “He doesn’t get pissed at his opponent, though. He gets pissed at himself. As if his losing reflects how inadequate he is. A complex gifted to him by his asshole father.”

  Sloane turned his attention to Hudson, whose brows were drawn together in concentration as he circled Dex. Both had their shirts plastered to their skin with sweat, and Hudson had smartly worn contacts, even though he hated them. Sloane lost count of how many times Dex had dropped Hudson to t
he mat. Hudson charged, and Dex spun on his heels, ended up behind Hudson, threw his arms around his waist, picked him up, and slammed him down.

  “He’s being a little hard on Hudson, don’t you think?” Seb asked, concern etched on his face.

  Dex wasn’t holding back, but he had his reasons. “Hudson means a lot to Dex, and he wants to make sure Hudson’s prepared for whatever we face. If that means he pisses Hudson off, then he’ll do it. Dex might be a joker in a lot of respects, but when it comes to the safety of those he cares about, he’s hard-core.”

  “I can see that.”

  Even though Sloane felt for Hudson, especially every time he hit the mat, he couldn’t help but admire Dex. His perfect posture, his expertly calculated moves, the way his muscles flexed beneath his clothes. The loose black workout pants accentuated Dex’s perfectly rounded ass, and the sweaty shirt stuck to his skin outlined the delicious curve of his spine and the muscles of his finely sculpted torso. He’d wiped the floor with Sloane, and Sloane couldn’t be prouder.

  Seeming to have had enough of being floored, when he next hit the mat, Hudson wrapped his legs tight around Dex, and the two crashed down together, thrashing about as each one tried to get the upper hand. They rolled around, grunting, Hudson’s legs wrapped around Dex’s waist, Dex’s head in a choke hold. Somehow, they ended up with their shirts halfway up their bodies, and Seb cleared his throat.

  “I know this is probably inappropriate, but is it me, or is this kinda… porny?”

  Sloane tilted his head for a better angle as Hudson arched his back to try to budge Dex, but Dex had managed to get out of the choke hold and had Hudson’s wrists pinned above his head.

  “Uh, yeah, definitely porny.” Sloane stood at the same time as Seb. “Maybe we should take a break,” Sloane called out. Dex looked his way, and Hudson twisted his body, flipping the tables on Dex and rolling them over so he was sitting on Dex’s stomach.

  “Ha!” Hudson threw his arms up in victory when Seb took hold of his wrist and pulled him up. Hudson smiled at his husband. “Hello, darling.” He put a hand to Seb’s cheek. “Your face is so red. Didn’t you get any rest?”

  Seb cleared his throat again. “Um, yeah, just, you know, why don’t we hit the showers, and meet up for something to eat later?”

  Before Dex could reply, Sloane spoke up. “Great idea.” He helped Dex to his feet, pretending he hadn’t noticed Dex narrowing his eyes at him. They agreed to meet up later, and Sloane took hold of Dex’s hand and quickly led him out of the training bay.

  “Um, Sloane? What’s going on?”

  Sloane shook his head. “Nothing. Just going to hit the showers.”

  “The locker room is the other way.”

  Sloane had no intention of showering anywhere near anyone else.

  “Sloane?”

  Sloane led Dex back to his new private training bay, and more importantly, his office with the fully stocked, brand-new shower. As soon as they got into his office, he put the room in privacy mode, turned, and pounced.

  DEX HAD no idea what had gotten into Sloane. Not that he was complaining. The moment Sloane put the room into privacy mode, he captured Dex’s lips, his tongue demanding entrance. Dex happily obliged, parting his lips, meeting Sloane’s tongue with his own as they tangled in a searing kiss. Sloane ran his hands over every inch of Dex, groping, caressing, squeezing, as he stripped Dex of his clothes while walking him backward toward the bathroom.

  When they were naked, Sloane trailed kisses down Dex’s jaw to his collarbone, down his chest to a nipple that he tongued, then sucked into his mouth. Dex dug his fingers into Sloane’s shoulders, his head back and his eyes closed as Sloane’s tongue drove him crazy. He sucked and teased one nipple before moving on to the other one, his fingers digging into Dex’s skin. He slipped a finger between Dex’s asscheeks, and Dex bucked his hips when Sloane’s finger teased at his hole.

  “Sloane… please.”

  Sloane pulled away long enough to turn on the shower and check the water’s temperature. The entire bathroom was tiled, so they had plenty of room to maneuver. There was even a padded bench.

  “Sloane? Talk to me.”

  Sloane pulled back, his pupils so wide his amber eyes were almost all black, his feral half lingering beneath the surface.

  “When I saw you on the mat, all sweaty and writhing underneath Hudson, I couldn’t keep my eyes off you. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t share, and no one is ever laying a finger on you in that way except me, but seeing you move like that, your face flushed, I had to get my hands on you.”

  Dex’s brows shot up. “Are you saying my training session with Hudson turned you on?” No wonder Seb had been in such a hurry to get Hudson to himself. A sinful smile spread across Dex’s face, and he ran a finger down Sloane’s arm. “You like to see me all sweaty and groaning, don’t you?”

  “Only when it’s me causing you to make those noises.” Sloane grabbed the soap and led him under the shower before proceeding to wash Dex. He stood behind Dex, their bodies all but pressed against each other as Sloane soaped him up, his hands running over every inch of Dex, over his arms, down his legs, and between his asscheeks. He quickly washed himself before rinsing off and turning Dex to face him. Dex shivered at the hunger in Sloane’s molten amber gaze. “I want you on that bench, on your hands and knees so I can fuck your ass with my tongue.”

  Dex almost came right then. He nodded fervently and quickly went over to the bench, where he got on his hands and knees. He lowered his head against the soft padding of the bench, his ass in the air as Sloane stood behind him, his fingers kneading Dex’s cheeks. Dex moaned when he looked back in time to find Sloane getting down on his knees. He parted Dex’s cheeks and licked at Dex’s hole. Dex did his best not to wriggle too much or he might end up falling off the bench, and that was most certainly not sexy. He’d fallen off their bed plenty of times, but here there was no cushy carpet to break his fall. However, it was hard remaining still with Sloane working that sinful tongue over Dex’s hole, spearing Dex, nipping at his skin, and driving Dex out of his mind.

  When Sloane moved away, Dex whimpered. He glanced over his shoulder at Sloane, a shiver going through him as Sloane lined up his beautiful, hard cock with Dex’s entrance. Fuck, that was hot. Dex let out a low groan, his body trembling with need. He couldn’t get enough of Sloane, of his touch, his kisses, the way he set Dex’s body on fire.

  “That’s it, baby. I want to hear how much you like having my dick inside you.”

  “Sloane, please.”

  “Please what?” Sloane growled.

  “Fuck me. Make me come.” Dex was all but vibrating with need. He wanted it hard and rough, wanted to feel Sloane inside him for hours. His muscles already ached from training, but he wanted to feel the burn left behind by Sloane’s fucking him.

  Sloane plunged inside Dex, and Dex cried out. He gripped the edge of the bench until his knuckles were white, holding on with all his strength as Sloane plowed into him over and over. Steam filled the room, along with the sounds of Dex’s loud moans and panting. His wet hair was plastered to his face, and he thrust back as Sloane plunged in deep, making Sloane release a hoarse cry. Dex loved it when Sloane lost himself, when his feral half growled and roared.

  Dex reached under him and took hold of his cock, jerking himself off. “Sloane….”

  “No.”

  “Please.”

  “No.”

  Dex whimpered. He was so painfully hard. Behind him, Sloane’s fingers dug into Dex’s hips as skin slapped against skin. Sloane changed his angle, and Dex saw stars. He screamed Sloane’s name, his muscles tightening around Sloane’s cock as Sloane let out a roar and folded himself over Dex as he filled Dex with his come. Sloane’s body wracked with shivers as he held on to Dex until he’d emptied himself in Dex’s ass.

  “Please, Sloane.” Dex was begging, and he didn’t care. He was so painfully hard and so very close.

  “Sit,” Sloane ordered, his voice l
ow and rough.

  Dex did as asked, turning to sit up on the bench and spreading his knees so Sloane could kneel between them. Sloane kissed Dex before swallowing down Dex’s cock.

  “Oh fuck!”

  Dex slipped his fingers into Sloane’s hair and grabbed fistfuls of it. When Sloane stopped moving, Dex planted one hand on the bench, and with the other braced himself so he could thrust up into Sloane’s mouth. Sloane let out a guttural moan, and Dex could feel his orgasm looming.

  “You like that? You like it when I fuck your mouth, don’t you?”

  Sloane nodded around Dex’s cock, and Dex almost came right then. He grabbed hold of Sloane’s hair again with one hand as he thrust into Sloane’s mouth over and over.

  “You look so fucking hot with your lips around my dick.”

  Sloane’s tongue was sinful as it did dirty things to Dex’s cock, the tip pressing into Dex’s slit, then pushing against the underside of Dex’s cock before once again moving to work Dex’s slit. His cheeks hollowed as he sucked, his free hand fondling Dex’s balls.

  “Oh God, Sloane. I’m gonna come.”

  Sloane picked up his pace, the sweet friction building inside Dex as he watched his cock moving in and out between those full lips. A white light burst in front of his eyes, and Dex screamed Sloane’s name, his muscles straining and his body shivering as he emptied himself inside Sloane’s mouth. Sloane swallowed every drop, and when Dex was a boneless mess, Sloane stood and kissed Dex so he could taste himself.

  “Holy fuck, babe,” Dex murmured, his knees a little unsteady as Sloane led him back under the shower to wash them again. “I think training just got a whole lot more interesting.”

  Sloane chuckled as they finished up and turned off the water. As Sloane dried Dex, he nuzzled his hair, his voice soft, yet full of promise. “As long as I’m the one taking you home and getting you all sweaty in bed.”

  Dex turned and slipped his arms around Sloane’s waist. “You’ve got a deal.”