THIRDS Beyond the Books Volume 2 Read online

  CALVIN GRABBED the large, insulated bag from the passenger side of his car. He’d ordered their dinner from Ethan’s favorite Thai restaurant. What with it being Valentine’s Day, the restaurant was busy, so it had taken a little longer, but he didn’t think Ethan would mind. He’d texted to let him know when he was on his way home like Ethan had asked.

  As he carried the bag to their apartment, he thought about today. He’d told Ethan he didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. And he meant it. Sort of. He’d never want Ethan to do anything he wasn’t comfortable with. That part he felt strongly about. But he couldn’t help the part of him that wished they’d be spending Valentine’s Day as a couple, doing something sappy and stupidly romantic. Not that they were a couple, officially. They hadn’t really discussed that part yet. He pushed that thought aside as he let himself into their apartment and closed the door behind him. It was strangely quiet. Usually Ethan would have the TV on or music.

  “Ethan?” He dropped the bag off in the kitchen. No Ethan. He hung up his jacket by the door and headed into the hall, stopping when he saw the pink rose petals on the floor. His heart skipped a beat, and his pulse shot up. Swallowing hard, he followed the trail of petals. They led to the door at the end. Bracing himself, he opened the bathroom door, stunned to find the room illuminated by dozens of carefully arranged candles in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Soft music played from the shower radio, and in the huge Therian-sized tub, Ethan sat surrounded by bubbles, a shy smile on his face and his cheeks flushed.

  “Join me?”

  Calvin blinked. It took him a second to react. He started to undress, aware of Ethan’s eyes on him. It sent a shiver up his spine. He’d undressed in front of Ethan before, but this time was different. Very different. As soon as he was naked, he walked to the tub, his face growing hot when Ethan stood. Droplets of water ran down his muscular chest and over his abs. Calvin wanted to follow the trails with his fingers or, better yet, his tongue.

  Ethan held his hand out, and Calvin took it, letting Ethan help him into the tub. He stood, uncertain of what to do. Usually he was the one taking the lead, always trying to find a balance at work and at home, doing his best for the both of them, always the one making the decisions. Now Ethan was taking the lead, and it felt… amazing.

  Ethan’s strong arms slipped around Calvin’s smaller frame. He bent his head and kissed him, their lips meeting in a burst of color and music. Calvin returned Ethan’s kiss, opening his mouth and allowing Ethan’s tongue inside. When they were all but breathless, Ethan pulled back. He tugged Calvin with him as he sat in the tub, turning him around so Calvin’s back was pressed against his chest. Calvin could barely contain his smile. He relaxed into Ethan and closed his eyes as Ethan washed his hair, loving the little kisses he planted as he did, along with the soft caresses. It always amazed him how some people only saw Ethan’s size and strength. How could they not see how incredibly gentle he was? Calvin had seen it from the day they’d met.

  The water was warm, and Calvin felt his muscles relaxing. The workday’s tension slipped away, and Calvin let out a low moan when Ethan started to massage his shoulders. It felt so good. Ethan’s strong fingers worked at the knots in Calvin’s muscles, kneading them until he let out a contented sigh.

  Ethan bent his head down, his lips close to Calvin’s ear. “You’ve always taken care of me. Tonight, let me take care of you.”

  Calvin looked up and over his shoulder at Ethan. His Therian eyes shone in the dim lighting, bright, green, and beautiful. “You always take care of me.”

  Ethan’s cheeks went pink despite his smile. “Not like this.” He reached around Calvin and whispered in his ear. “Close your eyes and relax.”

  Calvin did as he was asked. He closed his eyes and sucked in a sharp breath at the feel of Ethan’s hand on him, gently stroking and pulling. Calvin arched his back, his fingers digging into Ethan’s legs. He’d never last long, but he was determined to draw out the delicious feeling. He surrendered himself, his lips pressed together to keep from begging for more. Whatever Ethan was willing to give him, he would take. Ethan had already given him so much more than he’d thought possible. It was difficult not to be greedy. He wanted Ethan so bad, wanted all of him, to feel him buried deep inside him, to feel his heavy weight on him, to have Ethan take control of him.

  “Ethan,” he gasped as Ethan pumped faster, his lips on Calvin’s neck. His muscles tightened and his toes curled. Ethan’s low voice whispered a firm command.

  “Do it now.”

  Calvin’s orgasm hit him hard, and he held on to Ethan until he was completely spent. If Ethan let go of him, he was sure he’d float away. They’d kissed since the van incident but hadn’t done much else. Calvin didn’t want to push, and a part of him had thought Ethan might regret it. The water was slowly cooling, but Calvin didn’t care. He closed his eyes, enjoying the glow of his release. A few heartbeats later and Ethan chuckled.

  “You’re not falling asleep, are you?”

  Calvin laughed. “No.” He turned so he could wrap his arms around Ethan and snuggle close. He kissed his lips. “Thank you. For all this.”

  “I wanted it to be special.” He kissed Calvin’s lips. “To show you I want this too.”

  Calvin smiled and kissed Ethan. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Ethan.”

  “Happy Valentine’s Day, Cal.”

  There was so much Calvin wanted to say and do, but Ethan needed time. Calvin had waited this long for him; he could wait a little more. Whatever happened, Calvin would be with Ethan every step of the way, just like he always had. It was a little scary, facing something so new and different, but if they stuck together, they’d make it through anything.

  Prompt #31: Dex and Sloane shopping for groceries together, with Dex doing things like putting Froot Loops in the cart, Sloane replacing it with granola, Dex getting rid of Sloane’s carrots and putting the Froot Loops back in. =P

  SLOANE SCRUTINIZED the contents of the fridge with great prejudice. He was pretty sure that tube of sugar cookie dough hadn’t been there last night, which meant his boyfriend had stashed it somewhere before stealthily slipping it in. Dex was like a ninja when it came to eavesdropping and sneaking unhealthy foodstuffs into the fridge. They’d been eating out and ordering in lately because of Sloane’s injuries, and although Sloane was secretly enjoying every minute of Dex’s fussing over him, it was time to get back in the kitchen. But first a trip to the supermarket was in order.

  “Dex?”

  “Yes?”

  Sloane gave a start. He straightened to find Dex grinning at him on the other side of the fridge door. “Jesus. How long have you been standing there? And why didn’t I hear you?” He always heard Dex approaching. After closing the fridge door, he turned, grateful that he could now do so without those blasted crutches. Dex closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around Sloane’s waist, making him smile.

  “You were busy thinking of all the ways you could annihilate my cookie dough. Also, Austen’s been teaching me how to creep like a Felid.” Dex wriggled his eyebrows. “It’s freakin’ awesome. I won’t lie, the power might go to my head.”

  “With great power,” Sloane reminded him, his fingers brushing down Dex’s bare arm. He loved the little creases that formed at the corner of Dex’s blue eyes when he smiled or laughed. His full lips were slightly parted and oh-so-deliciously kissable.

  Dex laughed and returned Sloane’s kiss. “You’re such a nerd.”

  “Says the guy who owns Star Wars boxer briefs.”

  “Does the Death Star make my butt look big?”

  Sloane grabbed a handful of Dex’s ass and gave it a squeeze before pulling him up against him, his lips pressing to Dex’s neck. “I love your big butt.” He inhaled deeply. “Mm, you smell good.” With a nibble to Dex’s earlobe, he forced himself to pull back. “As much as I’d love to taste the rest of you, we have to make a trip to the supermarket. We’re not having sugar cookies for dinner, though I know yo
u’d love that.”

  “If I agree not to eat them all in one day, can I keep them?” Dex asked, smiling widely.

  With a sigh, Sloane released him and headed for the front door. Dex darted out in front of him and swiped up his boots before he could bend over to pick them up. “Dex, I’m pretty sure it’s safe for me to pick up my own shoes.”

  “Not taking any chances,” Dex said, bending down on one knee to help Sloane put on his boots. “You only just stopped needing the crutches. I don’t want you to do anything to set back your recovery.”

  “I’m fine,” Sloane grumbled, allowing Dex to help him. He hated feeling helpless, which was what he’d expected to feel during his recovery, and although at times he’d felt helpless while Dex ran around the city after Hogan, the rest wasn’t as he’d expected. Dex took care of him and refused to budge on the matter. He helped Sloane with everything, from getting dressed to helping him around the house, and all with a smile on his face.

  Since they’d soon be living together, Sloane insisted on doing more around the house. It was going to be a very new experience for the both of them. Dex might have lived with Lou for a few years, but Sloane had never shared a home with anyone since he was a kid. Truth be told, he was pretty damn excited about waking up every morning beside Dex and going to bed with him every night.

  “Here you go.”

  Dex handed him his winter coat, and they got wrapped up before heading out. They took Dex’s car since Sloane still wasn’t clear for driving because of his Therian meds. As they drove, Retro Radio spat out cheerful ’80s pop tunes, which Dex sang along to. Sloane was used to it by now. At one point they’d stopped at a red light, and Dex stopped singing. His knee bounced a little, and he looked thoughtful.

  “What?”

  Dex shook his head. “Nothing.”

  Which of course meant something. “You’re practically bouncing in your seat. How many unsanctioned gummy bears have you had today?”

  Dex blinked innocently at him. “Why do you assume my excitement is a result of unsanctioned gummy bears—of which I’ve only had one mini packet, by the way.”

  Sloane arched an eyebrow at him. “One? Really? Is that your final answer?”

  Dex considered it. “Two?”

  Sloane made a buzzer sound. “Wrong answer. Try again.”

  “All right, I had four,” Dex huffed. “But they’re the really small packs. They have like five bears. They’re lunch box gummies for kids. I’m a grown man!”

  “That’s debatable,” Sloane replied sweetly.

  “Funny.” The light turned green, and Dex’s cheeks went slightly pink. “I was just thinking how this is our first trip to the supermarket together, buying food together.”

  “It is, isn’t it?”

  The thought made Sloane smile. Then he discovered grocery shopping with Dex was like grocery shopping with a hyperactive kid. One who disappeared, then reappeared with an armful of random items, the majority unhealthy. It involved a constant battle of wits, bargaining, and flat-out refusals. It looked like Sloane would have to approach this strategically. By the time they reached the aisle containing the rice, Sloane had a good idea of how to handle things. Sort of. Right now he had no idea where Dex had disappeared to.

  Hm. Brown rice or quinoa? He recalled the last time he made dinner with quinoa and Dex’s reaction to eating “bird seed.”

  “Brown rice it is.” He stuck the bag in the cart. What the hell? How did that box of cereal get in there? The moment he spotted the colorful cartoon character it was clear how it had gotten there. Maybe he should have a word with Dex about how he used his new secret powers.

  Sloane picked up the box and checked the nutrition information. He wished he hadn’t. Not that he couldn’t have guessed how much sugar these little radioactive loops contained. He’d already removed from their shopping cart a box of triple-glazed donuts with sprinkles, some lime green sugar with water added, and some triple stuffed cookies. In the cereal aisle, Sloane returned the bright green loops to the shelf and picked up some granola with fruit instead. Dex appeared, carrying some potato chips. He held them up.

  “They’re kettle chips. I need them like air. And look, they’re low sodium.”

  At least Dex had started to read some labels. “Fine,” Sloane muttered.

  “Hey. Where’s my cereal?” Dex asked, dropping the chips into the cart as Sloane steered.

  “You mean your Diabetic-O’s? I put them back. You agreed to cut back on the sugar, remember?”

  “I plead the Fifth. Besides, they make a great snack.”

  Sloane smiled cheerfully. “You know what else makes a great snack?”

  “Don’t say it,” Dex groaned.

  “Veggies.” He’d already picked up several snack portions, along with ranch dressing and hummus.

  “Veggies will never be a snack. I refuse to give in to this madness!”

  Dex stomped off, and Sloane chuckled. Leaving Dex to his pouting, or undoubtedly to pick up the next seizure-inducing snack, Sloane had stopped to look at some whole-wheat pasta when he caught something red from the corner of his eye. Glancing over, he saw the radioactive loops had returned. Yet somehow Dex was nowhere to be found. How the hell was he doing that? Sloane scanned the aisle. There were a couple of other shoppers, a woman with a twin baby stroller, and a display of canned tomato sauce, but no Dex.

  Turning the cart around, he headed back to the cereal aisle and returned it to its spot. He stood there for a moment, waiting for signs of his sexy, blond-haired menace. Nothing. He was about to head toward the fruit section when he noticed there were no carrots in the cart. He could have sworn he’d picked some up on their way in. He headed for the produce aisle to pick up a few vegetables and spices and remembered to add the carrots. Hm, maybe he’d try that Thai noodle recipe he’d—

  “You have got to be kidding me.” Sloane plucked the red box of cereal from his cart. “All right, sweetheart. Two can play this game.” Sloane headed back to the cereal aisle, returned the box, and left the shopping cart parked on one side. He leisurely walked around the corner of the aisle, hurried to the other end, and peered around the corner. His suspect emerged from behind the tomato sauce display. Sloane used his naturally built-in Felid stealth to sneak up behind Dex, who was returning the cereal box to the cart. With a smile, Sloane leaned in.

  “What are you doing?”

  Dex let out a yelp and gave such a start he nearly dropped the box. He fumbled with it before catching it and stuck it back on the shelf.

  “Nothing.”

  “You gonna keep doing that nothing?” Sloane slipped his arms around Dex, who leaned back and craned his neck so Sloane could give him a kiss, which he happily did. A Human shopper walking by gave Sloane a dirty look. Sloane ignored him. Luckily Dex hadn’t seen. His partner wouldn’t have let it go so easily. He hated judgmental pricks.

  Dex jutted out his bottom lip, and Sloane’s unease melted away. Ah, so we’re moving on from tactical stealth to the pouty lip. Nice try. Sloane reached over Dex and plucked a different box from the shelf.

  “How about this one. Look, it even has a little puffin on the box. He’s a cute little fella.”

  Dex narrowed his eyes. “The cereal looks like cardboard boxes. Probably tastes like it too.”

  “Okay.” Sloane scanned the shelves until he spotted what he hoped would be perfect. He handed the box to desk. “They’re sweet, healthy, and animal shaped.”

  Dex inspected the cereal on the front before gasping. “There are lion shapes! I’m totally buying it.” He put it in the cart, his wicked grin making Sloane wary. He knew that look too well.

  “What are you going to do?”

  Dex didn’t hesitate. “I’m going to take them to work and eat them in front of Ash.”

  “Oh God.” Sloane headed for the checkout now that they’d picked up everything on the list they’d somewhat agreed on after parking.

  “Yep. Gonna bite their little heads and butts off.
It’s going to drive him batshit crazy.”

  This was going to be fun. As they placed everything on the conveyor belt, he noticed his carrots were gone. “Where are the carrots?”

  Dex stared at him. “What carrots?”

  “There were definitely carrots in here.”

  “Do you want me to grab you some? They’re just over there.” Dex pointed to the small produce stand by the entrance.

  “If you don’t mind.” He wasn’t losing his mind. He’d picked up carrots. Dex must have taken them out at some point. They were his least favorite of the orange vegetables. Dex liked to group his vegetables by color rather than type because it was, well, Dex. Sloane continued to place items on the conveyor belt when Dex returned with the carrots.

  “There you go.”

  “Thanks, babe.” Sloane paid and thanked the cashier. They headed for the car with their groceries, and he helped get the bags into the car. Everything was neatly packed into the trunk, and he was about to close it when he saw the corner of something red poking out from one of the bags. “You didn’t.”

  “I did. I also got you extra carrots,” Dex said with a smile.

  “One of these days, I’m going to win,” Sloane muttered before getting into the passenger side.

  Dex chuckled as he climbed behind the wheel.

  “You’re so adorable.”

  Dex turned on the radio and revved the engine. They listened to music and chatted about nothing in particular on the way home. After a strange conversation on waffles versus pancakes, Dex grew quiet. He took Sloane’s hand and gave it a squeeze. It wasn’t usual for his partner to get serious like this.

  “You okay?” Sloane asked him, concerned by the stern expression that came onto Dex’s face.

  “You could have told that guy to fuck off.”

  Sloane stared at him, puzzled. “What guy?”

  “The guy who gave you that nasty look for kissing me.”

  Sloane couldn’t help his small smile. He should have known better. Dex was too smart to let something like that escape him. “You noticed that, huh?”