Tried & True

by Charlie Cochet

  Dex shook his head. “You were in a lot of pain.”

  “That’s no excuse.” Sloane took Dex’s hand in his and brought his fingers to his lips for a kiss. “But thank you. Thank you for all your patience, for your smile, for taking a chance on a guy who thought he was too broken to ever know what real happiness looked like.”

  “And now you know what it looks like?”

  Sloane smiled. “Yeah. Looks like you.”

  “You know what Ash would say if he were here?”

  Sloane lowered his voice and did his best Ash impression. “You two are disgusting. I’m getting cavities just from breathing the same air as you.”

  Dex threw his head back and laughed. “Oh my God, that was perfect.”

  Sloane took advantage of Dex’s exposed neck and nipped at his skin. “You know what we should do tomorrow?”

  Dex melted against Sloane with a moan. “Hump like bunnies?”

  “After that. I think we should call the gang up and have a night out at Dekatria.”

  Dex let out a dreamy sigh. “Karaoke, booze, and shenanigans. You know me well.”

  Yes, he did.

  CHAPTER 4

  SLOANE PEERED at the full coffeepot, then checked his watch. By this time, Dex was usually sitting at the counter next to Sloane, drinking his coffee as he roused himself from his zombie-like state. Like most mornings, Sloane woke up before Dex. Sometimes he stayed in bed watching TV or reading until Dex woke up, but this morning he wanted to get a few chores out of the way. Maybe yesterday’s scenario hit Dex harder than Sloane thought. After finishing his coffee, he washed out his cup and headed back upstairs to check on Dex. What greeted him when he walked into the bedroom was a decadent, mouthwatering feast for his senses. Dex lay in the center of the bed, on his stomach, not a stitch of clothing in sight. His perfectly plump ass had Sloane biting down on his bottom lip. Fuck, he was stunning. He was also very awake.

  Dex propped himself on his elbows and looked at Sloane from over his shoulder, his now amber eyes hooded and filled with molten desire. Sloane would never get tired of seeing the change in his sexy partner’s eyes, especially since it was usually a result of Dex being so aroused by Sloane that he couldn’t help the change. Dex ran his tongue over his lush bottom lip, and Sloane was forced to adjust himself.

  “Hey, handsome. Why don’t you come join me? I’m feeling a little lonely here on this big bed.”

  Sloane all but dove onto the mattress. Dex turned and sat with his back to the headboard as he drew his knees up and spread his legs. He leisurely stroked his hardening cock. His hair was wild, and the tattoo on his arm made Sloane’s dick twitch in the most erotic way. He’d never seen anything so fucking hot.

  “Fuck,” Sloane groaned.

  “That’s the plan,” Dex purred, sliding his hand over his chest to tweak one nipple.

  As much as Sloane wanted to watch, he wanted to touch a whole lot more. He purposefully kept himself from mauling his gorgeous man, and raked his gaze over Dex’s body, appreciating the results of Dex’s hard work. Dex had been pushing himself during every training and workout session for months, and it showed in his sculpted muscles, in the thickness of his biceps and thighs. He was still leaner than Sloane, with a slim waist Sloane loved to wrap his arms around, but Dex was at his physical peak, and no matter what he was wearing, whether it was a faded T-shirt and jeans or a suit, he turned heads.

  Sloane grabbed the bottle of lube from his nightstand drawer and tossed it on the bed before kneeling and leaning in to kiss Dex, hungry and eager to see what Dex had in store for him. Dex got on his knees, returning Sloane’s kiss with enough heat and fervor to have Sloane moaning. His hands roamed Sloane’s body, Dex’s fingers caressing, pressing, squeezing. Sloane brought their bodies flush against each other, their hard, leaking cocks rubbing together.

  “How do you want it?” Sloane growled, nipping at Dex’s jaw, loving the scruffy stubble.

  Dex pulled back, turned, and gripped the top of the headboard, his knees spread, and his back arched. Holy fuck. Sloane snatched up the lube, flipped the cap open, then poured a generous amount onto his palm. As he slathered his cock up, he traced Dex’s spine with his fingers, loving the sensual curve that ended down at a perfectly rounded ass. The muscles in Dex’s back flexed, and his breath hitched when Sloane slipped a lubed finger between Dex’s asscheeks.

  “Sloane,” Dex breathed. “More.”

  Sloane teased Dex’s hole, making Dex shiver. “You want me to fuck you with my finger, baby?”

  “God yes. Please.”

  Sloane placed a kiss on Dex’s shoulder and reached around to palm Dex’s rock-hard erection, pressing a finger into him, Dex’s gasp music to Sloane’s ears. Speaking of music…. There was nothing Dex loved more than a good hard fuck to some classic rock. Releasing Dex for a second, Sloane snapped his fingers, and Foreigner’s “Juke Box Hero” filled the room. Dex laughed.

  “Oh yeah. Rock my world, baby.” Dex leaned into Sloane, his hand cupping the back of Sloane’s head as he craned his neck to crush his lips to Sloane’s. It was sloppy, messy, wet, and so fucking incredible.

  “I aim to please,” Sloane said, breathless. “Now brace yourself, because I’m about to put stars in your eyes.”

  Dex laughed and turned to face the headboard, his back arched as he wiggled his ass for Sloane. With a groan, Sloane continued to finger-fuck his sinful love. When Dex was writhing and all but ready to fall apart, Sloane lined himself up, then gently pushed in. He moved slowly, sinking himself inch by inch until he was balls-deep inside Dex’s sweet round ass before pulling almost all the way out and then plunging back in, making Dex cry out in surprise. Sloane groaned at the sight of his painfully hard cock being swallowed by Dex’s tight heat time and time again.

  “Oh fuck. Sloane.”

  “You’re so damn beautiful.”

  “I need….”

  Sloane sank closer, then leaned in to murmur in Dex’s ear, “Tell me what you need, baby.” Dex pushed against him, and Sloane followed his lead, sitting on his heels. Dex held on to the headboard, pulled up, then impaled himself on Sloane’s cock.

  “Holy fuck!” Sloane dug his fingers into Dex’s hips as Dex pulled almost all the way off, then slammed himself back down onto Sloane, the fast-paced guitar riff and pounding drums from AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” setting the pace for Dex fucking himself on Sloane. Sloane’s heart hammered in his chest as he was swept up in the vigorous ride.

  Needing more, Sloane gripped Dex’s hips tight, spread his knees, and thrust up every time Dex came down on him.

  “Oh fuck, fuck!” Dex panted, his gorgeous skin flushed and muscles strained as he rode Sloane hard.

  “Dex,” Sloane growled, throwing an arm around Dex’s chest as he pushed himself to his knees and plastered his chest to Dex’s back. He covered Dex’s hand with his, their fingers lacing together as Sloane pounded into Dex, the headboard slamming against the wall and the bed rocking beneath them, the music barely drowning out Dex’s cries. Sloane shifted his angle, and Dex jerked against him.

  “Fuck me! That’s it. Right there, baby. Fuck me right there. Make me fucking scream.”

  Sloane hit Dex’s prostate again, and Dex clamped his left hand over Sloane’s arm, the tips of his claws only just piercing Sloane’s skin, and Sloane lost it. He thrust himself deep and hard, frantically chasing his orgasm as it rolled and thundered right in front of him. With a fierce growl, he bit down on Dex’s shoulder as he flew over the edge, his orgasm slamming into him. He let out a roar as he came hard inside Dex. He tugged at Dex’s cock once, growling in his ear.

  “You fucking come right now.”

  Dex didn’t hold back, screaming into the music-filled air, cursing up a storm as he came against his chest and Sloane’s hand. Sloane milked him of every drop until Dex was a quivering mess, sagging against him, his breath as ragged as Sloane’s. Dex lolled his head to one side, and Sloane kissed him, his tongue slipping between Dex’s
soft lips, drawing out a moan.

  “That was kind of intense, huh?” Dex snapped his fingers, and the music turned off.

  Sloane chuckled. “I think you have a music kink.”

  “Hey, nothing wrong with a little mood music.”

  “Oh, I’m not complaining,” Sloane promised. “It’s hot as hell.”

  “I can’t move,” Dex groaned. “You fucked me numb.”

  Sloane laughed. “I’ll take care of it.” He got up and gently laid Dex on the bed before heading into the bathroom to wash his hands and grab a soft cloth, which he ran under warm water. When Sloane got back to the bed, Dex had his eyes closed and his lips slightly parted in a sweet, almost shy, smile. His face was still flushed, and he was already asleep. How was it possible to love someone this much? It was pretty scary.

  Sloane very carefully cleaned Dex up, smiling when Dex stirred, his voice dreamy as he hummed.

  “You’re so good to me.”

  Bending over, Sloane kissed Dex, who sighed against his lips.

  “Mm, upside-down Spiderman kiss.”

  “You’re such a dork,” Sloane said with a soft laugh.

  “And you love it.”

  “I do. Now get up, get dressed, and come downstairs. I’ll make you some breakfast.” Sloane returned the towel to the bathroom, ignoring Dex’s grumbling at having to get up, but when Sloane returned, Dex was pulling on a pair of orange boxer briefs, followed by the black V-neck T-shirt Sloane had left on the armchair last night. The shirt used to hang long and loose on Dex. Now, not so much. Sloane let out a groan.

  “What?” Dex asked, running a hand through his disheveled hair, his pouty lips quirking up on one side.

  “Can you at least put on some pants? I want to be able to cook you breakfast without the possibility of setting myself on fire because I’m distracted by your ass and the way you look in my T-shirt.”

  With a laugh, Dex walked to the dresser and grabbed a pair of old jeans. They were faded, fit snugger than they used to, and were torn on his knees and under his left asscheek.

  “Better?”

  Sloane narrowed his eyes. “Just get that bubble butt downstairs, you troublemaker.”

  “Hey, I resemble that remark.”

  Sloane let out a playful growl, and Dex yelped before taking off downstairs, Sloane on his tail. He caught Dex before he reached the kitchen, grabbing him and lifting him off his feet, making him laugh. Sloane lived for that sound. It was full, rich, and genuine. When Dex laughed, it formed little creases at the corners of his beautiful eyes. Sloane put him on his feet, and popped a kiss on his lips before heading into the kitchen.

  Dex went about making his latte while Sloane got started on breakfast. Thankfully, he managed to do so without incident.

  “Everyone got back to me about tonight. They said they’d be there, so I texted Bradley to let him know to expect us around eight,” Dex said before taking a sip of his coffee, then releasing a moan that went straight to Sloane’s groin every time. He placed the plate with a breakfast sandwich in front of Dex and earned himself a dreamy sigh. “Sexy and a great cook. How did I get so lucky?”

  Sloane took a seat beside Dex and turned on his tablet while Dex ate. He held back a smile. “Hm, funny that. I’m pretty sure two days ago you said I had—what was the word you used? That’s right, cuckolded. I had cuckolded you, and was trying to kill you with my food. Where did that word even come from?”

  Dex narrowed his eyes at Sloane. “I’d just finished reading one of Hudson’s smut novels. Cuckolded was used several times, and Lady Amelia’s husband was totally onto something. Like him, I had been cuckolded by my love! You said you were making breakfast burritos. I expected some yummy burrito goodness in my mouth, and instead I bit into a load of birdseed. There was birdseed in my burrito, Sloane. Why was there birdseed in my delicious breakfast burrito instead of bacon and cheese?”

  “I already told you, it was quinoa.”

  “It was birdseed. And I don’t care what you say, seaweed belongs in the ocean. Do I look like a mermaid to you? Do mermaids eat seaweed? Never mind. Stop trying to feed me things that have no right being called food.”

  Sloane hid his smile behind his mug, but there was no way he could keep his shoulders from shaking. Dex bit off a huge chunk of his sandwich, then stilled.

  “There’s bacon and cheese in this,” Dex said around a mouthful of food.

  “I know.”

  Dex gazed at him dreamily and grinned around his sandwich. “I lub you.”

  Sloane winked at him and playfully nudged his cheek. “I know, sweetheart. I lub you too.”

  “COME ON, people! That the best you got?”

  Dex played air guitar across the stage, his fingers moving in time with the sweet riff. He switched to drums as he sang into the microphone, shouting out at the crowd when there was a pause between lyrics.

  “Come on, you all know this.”

  The bar broke off into cheers and sang the chorus of “Juke Box Hero” by Foreigner. Dex hadn’t been able to help himself when he’d scrolled through the song list and it popped up. The best part was that every time the chorus sang “stars in his eyes,” Dex met Sloane’s gaze and Sloane blushed.

  Sloane was right. Dex needed this. After their little training session yesterday, he wanted to cut loose and let it all hang out, so to speak. The bar was packed, the regulars all fired up and joining in as he rocked out. Those who weren’t singing along were dancing. Dex winked at Sloane, then motioned for him to come up. The crowd cheered, and Sloane had no choice. He shook his head, his eyes lit up in amusement, and his face flushed as he joined Dex up on stage.

  Dex grabbed the microphone and sang loud, the music pumping through his veins, thrumming and reverberating through every inch of his body, deep to his soul. He tapped his foot, his hands grasping the microphone stand. Sloane wrapped an arm around him from behind, and Dex leaned back into him, slipping a hand to the back of Sloane’s neck as they moved together. Everyone whooped and cheered. Dex picked a song list guaranteed to keep everyone revved up, passionate, and excited. Tonight they were all family. They were invincible, the fire in their spirits never to be extinguished. This right here? He could never lose sight of this. Even Ash was laughing and enjoying himself from the table where Cael sat on his lap as he sang along.

  The song ended, and the next one in the queue started up. The crowd went nuts as Dex started singing Kiss’s “Rock and Roll All Nite.” When the chorus came, he tilted the microphone stand out, prompting everyone to join in, and they did. West was jumping around Dom, fist up in the air as he sang at the top of his lungs. Hudson was laughing as Seb played air drums while Taylor and Angel sang loud, Taylor’s arm around Angel’s shoulders. Cael was playing kissy-face with Ash, while Calvin and Hobbs did their best Lady and the Tramp impression with a mozzarella stick they were sharing, both snickering like a couple of schoolboys. Rosa and Letty were rocking out, and everyone was having a great time.

  After a couple more songs, karaoke time was over, and Dex bowed as everyone cheered. He waved at them and took Sloane’s hand in his, then gave him a kiss on the cheek before they walked off the stage together. Sloane resumed his seat next to Ash, and Dex sat next to him, thanking Bradley for the frosty bottle of water he brought over to him.

  “Killed it again,” Bradley said. “This place gets crazy when you do karaoke. They love it.”

  “You should sell tickets,” Hudson teased, winking at Dex.

  Ash rolled his eyes with a groan. “Please don’t encourage him. His ego’s big enough. Next thing you know, he’s going to hire a manager and backup dancers.” Ash cast Sloane a wicked grin. “Wait, he’s got Sloane.”

  “Fuck off, Keeler,” Sloane said with a laugh, everyone joining in. They’d had to put together several tables since their motley crew was growing, with Dom, West, Taylor, and Angel having been officially adopted by Destructive Delta thanks to Seb and Dex. They ordered a truckload of food and drinks for everyone. />
  A familiar song came over the speakers, and Dex jumped to his feet. “Holy shit.” He spun around and thrust a finger at Sloane. “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”

  Ash let out a long, loud groan. “Bradley, you’re killing me, bro.” He shook his head, his frown deep. “How much is he paying you to play this shit?”

  “Nothing,” Bradley said, his grin wide. “Come on, man. He’s getting married. I couldn’t say no. Look how happy it made him.”

  Dex grabbed Sloane’s hand and pulled. “You gotta dance with me, babe.”

  “Really?” Sloane said, his eyes alight with amusement. “Do I really gotta?”

  Dex nodded. “Yep. We can either dirty dance here, or at our reception where it will forever be immortalized by both photographic evidence and video. The choice is yours.”

  Sloane blinked up at him. “Um, in that case, let’s dance. But I get to be Swayze.”

  “You got it.”

  Ash shook his head in disgust at Sloane. “You know, the word no exists for a reason, pal. You should try it sometime.”

  “Pot, kettle, Keeler,” Sloane called out over his shoulder as Dex led him to the dance floor. They joined several other couples as they got up close and sexy. Sloane put a hand to Dex’s lower back and pulled Dex hard against him, making Dex laugh. He slipped his leg between Dex’s, and Dex ran his hands up Sloane’s chest before wrapping his arms around Sloane’s neck. Dex lip-synched to the song as they moved together. As the song neared the end, Dex gave him a wicked grin.

  “You know. If I—”

  “You are not jumping off a table for me to catch.”

  Dex threw his head back and laughed. “Damn, I’m getting too predictable. Might have to shake things up.”

  After a couple more songs, they headed back toward the bar near where their tables were. Dex listened to their friends from several feet away, and it made his heart swell. He could hear Dom’s boisterous laugh above everyone else’s, and it was hard not to smile. Whatever was going on had everyone in tears. Sloane sat down, and Dex moved his chair in close. He leaned into Sloane as Sloane put his arm around Dex’s shoulders.

  “What’s going on?” Dex asked Cael.

  “We’re playing that game where you ask who’s most likely to be the one to do whatever.”

  “Oh my God, I love this game. What was the last question?” Seeing as how Hudson was taking several sips of his drink, it was clear he’d been the one pointed at by everyone.

  Cael leaned in to reply. “Who’s most likely to get a tattoo while drunk. Then Dom told Seb he should probably keep an eye on Hudson before Hudson ends up with a butterfly tattoo on his ass.”

  Dex let out a bark of laughter. No wonder poor Hudson lost. If anyone thought getting a tattoo while drunk was a good idea, it’d be Hudson. Everything was “brilliant” to Hudson when he had a few too many.

  “Okay, my turn,” Calvin declared. He cast Dex a wicked grin, and Dex knew he was fucked.

  “Who’s most likely to get arrested for running naked down Fifth Avenue?”

  “Why you gonna do me like that, Cal?”

  Everyone pointed at Dex as they burst into laughter.

  Dex flipped them all off, two fingers reserved for Calvin especially. “You can all bite me,” Dex said as he started lining up shot glasses.

  Cael tilted his head to one side, thoughtful. “Didn’t you already do that?”

  Dex’s eyes widened. Holy shit. He slid his glance over at Sloane, who was suddenly fascinated by whatever Cael had to say. Dex subtly shook his head, but his little brother promptly ignored him.

  “Oh my God! You did,” Cael said, loudly. “When you turned thirty, and you took that trip to Europe. You were in Barcelona, and you got drunk.” Cael turned to the table. “He streaked naked through a highly populated area filled with tourists and locals, sporting nothing but a souvenir paper fan to cover his boy bits.”

  The table erupted into full-blown laughter and catcalls. Sloane gaped at Dex, who busied himself taking shot after shot. “You got arrested for streaking in Spain?”

  Dex shook his head. “Nope.”

  Cael let out a snort. “They never caught him. It was in Vegas that he got arrested.”

  The girls were laughing so hard they were in tears, and Calvin was trying to ask him something but couldn’t breathe, much less speak. His friends were ass-hats.

  “What did you do?” Sloane asked, poking Dex in his side. “Tell me. As your soon-to-be husband, I should know these things.”

  Dex shook his head. Was this shot number seven or eight?

  “He went for a swim in the Bellagio’s fountain,” Cael said with a snicker. “Dad had to go bail him out. But wait, there’s more.”