Smoke & Mirrors

by Charlie Cochet

  He walked into the living room and straight to his iPod. He found one of his favorite playlists filled with his all-time favorite bands, cranked up the volume, and nodded. Whitesnake.

  “Oh yeah.” Dex played his air guitar on the way to the kitchen and sang along. He knew all the words to all the songs he owned. He rocked out, danced to his eighties pop, and sang cheesy romantic ballads into his spatula as he baked. Feeling much more like himself, he propped his phone up on the counter and pulled up the empanada recipe he’d gotten from Letty. The Cuban ones were slightly different from Rosa’s Puerto Rican ones. There were no plantains in them. Dex had trouble with vegetables, so he decided all meat would be fine. Sloane loved any kind of empanada. It was the one carb-filled food he couldn’t get enough of.

  Dex congratulated himself on cooking the ground-beef filling without eating too much of it. He filled the circular pastries, folded them over, and pressed the edges down with a fork to seal them. Then when the oil in his frying pan was nice and hot, he carefully slipped them in one by one. He used his metal salad tongs to turn them over, and once both sides were toasty brown, he moved them onto the paper towels he’d laid on the large tray. Once he was done, he covered the tray with aluminum foil and left it on the stove to one side. He finished cleaning the kitchen and airing it out when he heard a car door slam. Sloane was home!

  The front door opened, and Sloane walked in. He’d just closed the door behind him and dropped his bag on the floor when Dex pounced. He landed on Sloane, his arms wrapped around his neck and his legs around Sloane’s ass.

  “Holy shit.”

  Sloane laughed against Dex’s lips as Dex kissed him. He needed Sloane so bad. Why was he wearing so many clothes? Off. It all had to come off. Dex tried pulling at Sloane’s jacket while kissing him, frustrated that Sloane was still dressed.

  “Fuck, I need you naked.”

  “Dex,” Sloane breathed, pulling back long enough to see where he was going as he carried Dex into the living room. “You should be resting.”

  “I rested all day. I’ll rest more later. When you fuck me.”

  Sloane let out a husky laugh. “I was only gone one shift.”

  God, he smelled so damn good. He’d showered before he came home. Dex could smell the lime and ginger shower gel. “I know, but I need you to fuck me, Sloane. Please.” Dex planted kisses down Sloane’s jaw, his fingers slipping into Sloane’s hair and giving it a tug. The low groan Sloane let out went straight to Dex’s cock. He was so hard it hurt.

  Dex unwrapped his legs from Sloane’s waist and dropped to his feet. He took hold of Sloane’s wrist and pulled him along as he hurried up the stairs. At the top, Dex spun around and started stripping him.

  “Jesus, maybe I should be away more often,” Sloane teased as Dex broke records getting them undressed.

  “Nope. Not happening.” Dex kissed Sloane, his tongue dueling with Sloane’s as he tasted and savored before demanding more. He needed more. He scraped his fingernails down Sloane’s chest, making them both wince. He’d forgotten about his stupid fingers. Didn’t matter. Not now, not with Sloane in front of him, naked and sexy as sin. Sloane cursed under his breath as Dex dashed over to the nightstand to grab the bottle of lube. He tossed it at Sloane and climbed onto the bed. With a wicked grin, he got on his knees facing Sloane and took hold of his leaking cock. He stroked himself and ran his tongue over his bottom lip.

  Sloane’s eyebrows shot up. “Fuck.”

  “That’s what I’m waiting for, handsome.”

  Dex didn’t have to wait long. Sloane was on him in a heartbeat, his lips all over Dex, his teeth nipping, his fingers digging into Dex’s skin.

  “Tell me what you want.”

  “I want to ride you,” Dex said, his voice husky.

  Sloane shivered, and Dex felt like his body might combust at any moment. Sloane lubed himself up and sat back against the headboard. Dex was so glad they’d opted for the Therian king-size shortly after Sloane moved in. For what Dex had in mind, sturdy was definitely a must. Dex straddled Sloane’s lap, and he cupped his face to kiss him. Sloane’s hands went to Dex’s asscheeks, kneading them, parting them. Dex lifted himself up, reached behind him, and lined Sloane’s cock up with his hole. He pushed down, wincing at the deep burn as he was stretched. There was no need for prep. Dex was ready for Sloane, ready to take him deep inside, down to the root.

  Sloane let out a strangled cry as Dex impaled himself the rest of the way. He took hold of Sloane’s shoulders, his head tossed back as he fucked himself on Sloane. He rode Sloane hard, coming up and almost off Sloane’s cock, then impaling himself down again. Their bodies became slick with sweat as Dex alternated between fucking himself and sitting on Sloane, rotating his hips, pushing himself farther down.

  “Oh God, Dex,” Sloane groaned as Dex bounced on him.

  It felt so damn good. The pressure, the heat building up inside him, the delicious ache in his muscles. He was burning up inside, but he didn’t care. It was amazing. But he needed Sloane deeper inside him, wanted to feel Sloane down to his soul.

  Dex rolled off him and got onto his hands and knees. He looked back over his shoulder at Sloane. A tremor went through him at the sight of Sloane’s muscular naked body, but it was the wildness in his amber eyes that had Dex begging. He wanted to be claimed.

  “Make me yours, Sloane.”

  Dex’s voice was rough, thick with want. He whimpered at Sloane’s fingertips digging into his hips, then cried out at the blinding pain of Sloane’s thick cock driving into him. Sloane draped himself over Dex’s back, hissing in his ear.

  “You’re already mine. You’re always mine.”

  Sloane pulled out to the tip, then plunged inside Dex’s ass, making him gasp.

  “Yes, oh please, yes. Harder, Sloane.”

  Dex grabbed fistfuls of the blankets as Sloane pounded into him, the sound of skin slapping against skin like music to Dex’s ears. His skin was too tight for his body, his pulse was through the roof, and Dex still wanted more. He pushed his ass back, meeting Sloane’s thrusts with his own. Sloane let out a feral growl, and Dex almost came.

  “You had someone else’s scent on you,” Sloane hissed in Dex’s ear, his hand coming to wrap around Dex’s neck. “Someone I know.”

  “Hudson,” Dex panted. “He came by to talk.”

  Sloane nipped at Dex’s jaw. “I don’t like it when you smell like someone who isn’t me.”

  “I know. Yours. Always yours.”

  The mattress moved beneath them as Sloane pulled back onto his knees and took hold of Dex’s shoulders, pounding Dex’s ass until Dex’s arms couldn’t hold him up anymore. He pressed his head against the mattress, his ass high in the air. Sloane stood on the bed and lowered himself into Dex, his angle causing him to hit Dex’s prostate again and again. The thrusts were deeper, harder, faster, and Dex saw stars in front of his eyes when his orgasm hit him. He didn’t even have to touch himself. His muscles tightened as he cried out, his whole body a fiery mass of enflamed pain and incredible pleasure. Sloane pushed down against Dex’s lower back with his hands and pumped himself inside Dex before his cry reverberated through the room. His hot come coated Dex’s insides, his hips thrusting until he seemed too sore to continue. He lowered himself onto Dex’s back, and Dex slid down onto the bed. Sloane’s weight on him made it a little hard for Dex to breathe, but Dex didn’t care, and he groaned in protest when Sloane rolled off him.

  “Holy shit,” Sloane said, breathless. He turned his head to smile at Dex. “That was fucking amazing.”

  Dex chuckled as he tried to regain his breath. “I’m glad you approve.”

  “I don’t think approve is the right word.”

  “Man, when Hudson said it would feel euphoric, he wasn’t kidding.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He came by today to see how I was doing.” Dex rolled over to face Sloane. “He didn’t buy the whole ambush thing either, but then he’s a doctor. Kind of hard to hi
de injuries from him. Anyway, he knew I had questions about being marked, and he offered to answer them.”

  “Questions?”

  Concern came onto Sloane’s face, and Dex leaned in to kiss his worry away.

  “Hudson’s the only one we know who’s marked. I hadn’t asked because I didn’t want to bring up anything painful. We had a really good chat. He said it was normal to feel loss when you left, and when you returned it would be almost euphoric. That my body would soon get used to it.” Dex propped himself on his elbow, and wriggled his eyebrows. “Not that I’m complaining.” He scrunched up his nose when he recalled the other side of it. “The being sick part I can do without, though.”

  Sloane sat up. “You were sick? When?”

  “This morning. After you left. I didn’t really think anything of it. I was kinda groggy after I woke up.”

  Sloane frowned, and Dex sat up. He went when Sloane pulled him onto his lap, followed by a soft kiss to his head. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “It only came to me after we talked. I was hungry. It’s weird. I can’t really remember. I must have really been out of it.”

  “And Hudson said it’ll pass?”

  Dex nodded. “He says it’s my body trying to get used to the thought of you leaving me.”

  “But I’m not going for good,” Sloane replied thoughtfully.

  “I know that, but my body hasn’t gotten the memo.” Dex planted a kiss on Sloane’s shoulder. “It’ll catch up. In the meantime—” He trailed kisses up Sloane’s neck before nipping at his stubbly jaw. “—How about a little more reassurance? You know how hardheaded I can be.”

  Sloane slipped his fingers into Dex’s hair to give it a gentle tug, tilting his head back. His amber eyes glowed wickedly. “You know me. Always happy to help.”

  OH MY God, this suuuucks.

  Dex washed out his mouth in the sink before heading for the couch. He and his body were not getting along. Usually they got on like—what was that saying Hudson used? Like a house on fire. That made absolutely no fucking sense to Dex. Surely a house on fire was bad. How was someone’s residence engulfed in flames a good comparison for people getting along? Brits were weird. Then again, Hudson thought the same about Dex. No argument there.

  For the last two days after Sloane left for work, Dex had to run to the kitchen where he proceeded to lose the contents of his stomach. Although it wasn’t as bad this morning as the previous days, it still sucked. Why now? Why was he feeling sick now? Everything kept coming back to what happened with Wolf. What if whatever that shit was that he gave Dex triggered something? Did it have to do with his bond to Sloane? It had to. It would explain why he only felt sick when Sloane left for work without him, and why he was so damned horny when Sloane got home. Not that Sloane didn’t normally make him horny, but this was something different altogether.

  Dex dropped onto the couch with a huff. Not even his music was cheering him up. He felt like a prisoner in his own home, and he’d never felt that way. He loved his house and never had any trouble entertaining himself. Now he felt caged. He stood and paced. Two days left. How was he supposed to get through another two days? He’d spent a fortune online ordering random crap to keep himself busy. He’d watched movies, read, even masturbated while wearing Sloane’s T-shirt during a particularly intense moment of missing him.

  The doorbell rang and Dex sprang from the couch. At this juncture, he’d welcome any distraction. Even Ash. Dex opened the door, and threw his arms out in excitement.

  “Cal!”

  Calvin gave a start and pulled back a fist, his eyes wide. When he realized it was only Dex, he put his arm down, and let out a heavy sigh. “What the hell, man? You scared the shit out of me.”

  “Sorry,” Dex said with a laugh. He moved so Calvin could come in. “Just excited to see another living person.”

  “Didn’t you see Sloane this morning before he left for work?”

  Dex closed the door and motioned to the living room where he followed Calvin in. “Yeah, but that was this morning. It feels like decades ago. It’s driving me nuts.” He dropped into the armchair, taking note of Calvin’s amused expression.

  “Nuts, huh?”

  “More so than usual, smarty pants.”

  “You okay?” Calvin asked, his expression turning concerned. He sat back against the couch cushions, his sharp blue eyes studying Dex. “You look a little… restless. I mean, you’re normally fidgety, but this is different. How are you holding up?”

  “I’m working on it,” Dex admitted. Calvin, like the rest of Destructive Delta, was up to speed on Dex’s recent encounter with the not-so-charming Mr. Wolf. According to Sparks, the team had been called in by Ash after Sloane woke up to find Dex gone. A lump formed in Dex’s throat when he thought about how everyone had dropped everything to support him and Sloane. TIN had escorted most of the team home after Dex had been found, but Sloane insisted they be kept in the loop. There was no telling what might come next, and their friends deserved to know the truth. Especially if there was a chance they might get sucked into the danger.

  Calvin gave him a nod. A smile appeared on his face, and he removed his sketchbook from his messenger bag. “I’ve got something for you.”

  Excitement rolled through Dex, and he quickly joined Calvin on the couch. “Is it what I think it is?”

  “Yep.” Calvin opened his sketchbook, flipping through pages filled with incredible artwork. Some were just rough lines, while others were exceptionally detailed. Dex reached out to stop him from flipping away from one particular page.

  “Holy shit, Cal. That’s fucking amazing.”

  Calvin’s face flushed, and he gave a shy smile. “Thanks. I could probably draw him in my sleep now.”

  Dex was blown away by the detailed sketch of Hobbs. He was lounging on the couch, propped up against a multitude of throw pillows, one long leg bent at the knee, and a book in his hand. He was clearly absorbed in whatever he was reading. The details in his face, hands, and the folds of his clothes were incredible. Dex could see the sparkle in his bright green eyes.

  Calvin flipped the page, and Dex gasped. “Is that…. That’s it, isn’t it?”

  “What do you think?” Calvin held the book out to him, and Dex took it, his eyes on the gorgeous design. “We can change anything you like or even scrap it and start from scratch.”

  Dex shook his head. He was finding it a bit tough to speak past the lump in his throat.

  “No, it’s shit? Or no, don’t scrap it?”

  Dex swallowed hard. “It’s perfect.”

  “Really?” Calvin’s smile went wide. “You sure?”

  Dex placed the book on the couch beside him, and turned to face Calvin. “I’m going to hug you now. Sorry, I’ve been doing that a lot to people lately.”

  “Um, okay.” Calvin clearly didn’t know what to make of the situation, but he let Dex hug him, even patted his back. He laughed softly as Dex pulled away. “Better?”

  “Much. Can I take a picture of it? I’m going to need to stare at it some more. A lot more.”

  “It’s going to be on you for the foreseeable future, but go for it.”

  Dex removed his smartphone from his pocket and snapped a really good picture. He was so excited he was practically bouncing. The design was gorgeous and exactly what he wanted. He hoped Sloane liked it.

  After Dex fanboyed over Calvin some more, they talked a bit more about art, tattoos, and even spoke to Bradley about booking a consultation with the guy who did all his ink. Bradley was almost as excited about the tattoo as Dex was, and cheerfully volunteered to accompany him. Apparently Dekatria could survive one day without him. A couple of hours later, Dex thanked Calvin for coming over. They’d spent most of the day together, talking and laughing. Dex had a great time hanging out with Cal. Maybe the next couple of days wouldn’t be so bad. He had Sloane and his friends to keep him from going stir-crazy.

  Feeling better about being indoors and excited about the tattoo he’d be
getting on his marked arm, the remaining couple of days went by much quicker. Dex was riled and ready to go. Just one more evening until he was back at work. He’d never been more relieved to be back on the job. But first….

  Dex tackle hugged Sloane at the kitchen sink while his partner finished washing up the last of the dinner dishes. “Tomorrow I’m back at work. How about we celebrate tonight? A few drinks out with Ash and Cael.”

  “You sure?” Sloane turned in his arms, pulling him in close for a kiss.

  “Just a couple of drinks. Cael’s getting antsy. So am I.” Dex never went this long without seeing his little brother or his dad. Come to think of it, Dex was surprised his father hadn’t shown up since the first night Dex had gotten home after the incident. He’d called to check in but seemed to be working late a lot this week. He wasn’t exactly the most patient guy when he was waiting on answers, especially if it concerned Dex or Cael. His dad seemed to be kind of preoccupied lately. Then again his dad was always buried in his work. Maybe he’d mention it to Cael tonight, see what he thought. “Besides, I need to get outside the house for a while. Get my groove on.”

  Sloane chuckled. “Okay. Sounds good. You text Cael. I’ll call Ash.”

  “They’re probably at Ash’s sucking face anyway,” Dex said with a grimace. He did not need that image in his head. With a spring in his step, Dex grabbed his phone on the way to the bathroom. It was time to resume his regularly scheduled program of bugging his little brother, tormenting Ash, and loving up Sloane. Bring it.

  Chapter 5

  MAYBE THIS hadn’t been such a good idea.

  Dex was his cheerful, playful, energetic self, or that’s what he wanted everyone to believe. Sloane knew better. It was obvious to him that Dex was far from all right. It showed in his subtle reactions. The barely there flinches when a door slammed or glass shattered. The stiff shoulders when someone other than Sloane touched him. When they’d arrived at the bar, Dex hesitated in the doorway, snapping himself out of it when Cael asked if he was okay. Dex’s smile had been wide, but it didn’t reach his bright blue eyes. After Dex walked in, Cael glanced at Sloane, his concern evident. Sloane wasn’t the only one who’d noticed something was wrong.