Emptying his mind, ignoring the pain, he reached down and grabbed Hale’s descending knee. He lifted and pushed forward, dropping Hale to his back on the forest floor.
Justin was on top of him in no time flat. Hale tried to block, but Justin grabbed a wrist, leaving only one hand for Hale to guard with. Justin hooked punches into Hale’s side and chest. One. Two. Three blows he landed, and he didn’t hold back.
Hale tried to recover, but Justin had him down solid in a full mount. If this were a Fray, he’d start the ground and pound, and Hale would be finished.
This fight was potentially over too soon. For all Hale’s bravado and trying to rattle Justin, Justin had him. But despite what Hale had said prior to the fight, Justin wasn’t ready to be done yet. Even if it did end up costing him more than he bargained for.
He let Hale’s wrist slip out of his hand and gave the man a little room to maneuver.
Hale scooted back, wrapping Justin’s thigh with his legs and grabbing him around the head and shoulder. “Almost, kid,” Hale panted. Hale used his grip to leverage Justin down, scooting out from under him even more. Both were now in crouches, and Justin found himself with his face bent near Hale’s crotch.
Instead of trying to break the hold, Justin gave in suddenly. He buried his face in Hale’s midsection. He could smell the laundered synthetic along with new sweat, could feel Hale’s semihard cock under his chin. Justin ducked down a little farther and gave a playful nip to the top of Hale’s shaft through the material.
Hale’s grip relaxed as he gave a surprised cry. Justin used the opening to change his arm position and grab both of Hale’s legs under the knees. He lifted, and unless Hale wanted to end up on his back again, he needed to stand up. As he did so, Justin slid his arms up Hale’s body. He had no time to linger or play this time. He had to be on his guard. They were at a draw—back to standing.
Justin bounced back, eyeing Hale. From the bulge in Hale’s sweats, it looked like he had his mind on more than sparring. Good. Time to take it up a notch.
“What made you think I was going to kiss you?” Justin taunted. “The thought never crossed my mind….” He cursed himself for not being more specific with the bet, because a kiss was indeed what he had been thinking. Oh well. No reason for Hale to know that. No reason Justin couldn’t change his mind, anyway, and he just had. “Why don’t you turn around for a second and give me a look at my prize before I knock your ass back to the ground again?”
Hale’s eyes darkened. “You wanna fuck me? You’re gonna have to fight better than that.” Hale moved in slowly, circling Justin like a shark in an old movie.
Justin stepped in, circling in return. The distance between them fluctuated; they were swiping, playing, looking for an opening as they danced. They each jabbed for the chest and shoulders several times, but without the head as a potential target, it was easy to watch for and block. Justin’s legs began to burn as he and Hale bobbed and swayed through the leaves.
Hale was crouching lower as they sparred, and Justin noted the strategy being used against him, wary. On Justin’s next jab, Hale ducked and went for a hold on Justin’s leg, but Justin cut back, Hale’s fingers only grazing him.
“You have a gentle touch,” Justin said, smirking.
“Just wait,” Hale warned. “Later I’m—”
Justin took another jab at Hale’s chest, going for the surprise hit. Hale dropped back and grabbed Justin’s arm, pulling him forward. Shit. Hale was fast. With Justin off-balance, Hale was able to grab both of Justin’s arms. Justin closed the distance, pushing his arms forward before Hale could get a good grip, forcing a clinch that looked like an embrace, body to body.
“Ha!” Justin laughed. “Thought you—” Justin lost his words as his back hit something, hard. Shit, he’d gotten turned around. The bark of the tree behind him cut into his back as Hale pushed against him.
“Maybe I’ll take you against a tree, Justin. Make you like it rough. Force your body against it while you scream my name.”
Justin pushed aside the image—and not because it was unpleasant. They ground against each other, jockeying for foot position. Damn, this was pretty hot. Justin felt the scruff of Hale’s cheek against his bare shoulder. He was sweating freely now, which made it a little more difficult for Hale to grip him and try to take him down. The tree wasn’t comfortable, but it was keeping him up.
Hale changed his tactic; instead of trying to get Justin on the ground, he pushed into him, crushing him against the tree so tightly Justin could barely breathe. Something had to give. Justin relaxed slightly in his grip and gyrated his hips. He was hard and rutted up against Hale while he tried to catch his breath. He could feel Hale’s hardness pressed against him, Hale’s face in Justin’s shoulder.
Justin lowered his head and licked Hale’s ear.
He hoped the distraction would be enough. Hale was tight against him, so Justin shifted one leg behind Hale’s ankle. He pushed against Hale, and Hale stumbled backward over the hook.
It wasn’t much of an opening. Unable to escape, Justin used the minimal space he created to spin around. Rather than get pushed forward into the tree again, he dropped onto all fours. Hale followed and had him from behind now, pushing on top of him to bring him to the ground, but at least Justin was free of the tree. He flexed his ass to see if Hale would fall for the distraction. Unfortunately, Justin found it a little distracting himself.
Hale’s fingers slipped as he struggled to get a grip around Justin’s sweaty midsection. He could use that.
Justin scooted backward and lifted his hips. It wasn’t flirting, but hopefully Hale thought it was. In fact, it was a move he’d used at the church. Like then, Hale started to shift with gravity, sliding up Justin’s body and falling forward. Hale fell to the ground head first as Justin stood yet was somehow able to get his feet under him. Justin stayed low and lunged for Hale’s knees, grabbing him and driving him backward. Once again, Hale fell on his ass, but the guy was fast—he bounced up and backed away before Justin could get on him.
Back to draw.
Justin was breathing heavily, his words choppy yet precise. “Almost had you again. Is that what they mean when they say head over heels? Because you’ve fallen for me twice now.”
Hale growled as Justin smiled.
Hale’s right leg whipped out and caught Justin behind his thigh with an outside kick. Shit—he’d gotten complacent. He bounced back with a limp, his leg muscles stinging, trying to shake it off. Justin attempted to rebound and close in again while ignoring the pain. It was a mistake, because he didn’t have full use of the bruised muscle yet. Hale saw the weakness and dashed forward. Justin blocked for a punch, but Hale drove in with his knee, catching Justin in the soft flesh right under his sternum.
Justin wanted to gag but breathed through it as he hopped backward, regaining his balance and, at least outwardly, his composure. Damn. How did this go from sexy to shitty so quickly?
“How you dealing with the pain?” Hale joked, perhaps giving Justin a moment to catch his breath.
“Just fine, thanks.”
“Good, because this is nothing compared to what you’ll get later. I hear the first time really hurts.”
“Make a mental note for yourself, asshole.”
“I’ll make your ass—” Hale’s breath left him in a wheeze as Justin threw out a hard right hook, pounding into Hale’s breastbone. That would leave a mark.
Hale tried to block as Justin faked another right but came in with his stronger left hook, landing the hit on Hale’s shoulder between bicep and triceps. Not as effective, but he’d take what he could get. If he bruised the muscle, it would take a little power off Hale’s right arm attacks, not that Hale was punching much.
Hale bounded back to get out of range. A little distance and the dance continued.
Justin entered what he called the zone. Everything else fell away. It was just him and Hale. They began trading kicks, as with these rules it was harder to play a punchin
g game, something Hale seemed to have figured out early on. Neither one was gaining the upper hand. If this kept up, it would come down to pure stamina.
The sweat ran into Justin’s eyes. He was dirty and getting dirtier by the minute. Bits of leaves stuck to his body, and soil stained his skin. None of that mattered. All that mattered was beating Hale.
Both were wary of a takedown. Justin breathed out his frustration. This fight wasn’t going anywhere, tending toward more kicking than anything else. Despite Justin’s longer legs, Hale was fast enough to always get away. What should have been a direct kick would be a glancing blow. Hale would manage to sneak quick attacks, in and out like a striking snake. The open area of the forest clearing was working to Hale’s advantage. Hale was moving a lot more than Justin, though. Eventually he would have to wear down. Get slow. Justin needed to stay in the game until then.
Twice Justin dove for Hale’s legs, trying to take the fight to the ground, but each time Hale slipped out of his grasp, landing punches on Justin’s back as he shifted away. It was like Hale was just toying with him.
Screw that. Justin would not be his plaything.
Justin made as if to go for Hale’s legs again but this time bounded fully toward Hale, staying high. He caught Hale off guard, striking with his dominant left, a hook that smacked into Hale’s chest. He felt Hale go a little soft and hooked again to the same spot.
Hale was struggling for breath, which made the takedown surprisingly easy. Fast, fast, fast—in the tussle of bodies, Justin wrapped his arms around Hale’s neck and under his chin in a classic guillotine position. This was it. He had Hale right where he wanted him.
“One,” Justin counted. Hale was squirming beneath him, trying to shift onto his side or back to break the hold. Justin was so slick with sweat that what should have been a sure thing suddenly became questionable.
“Two.” Hale somehow twisted onto his back. Fuck. Justin tried to keep his grip around Hale’s neck and as Hale twisted, Justin rolled with him.
Both on the ground now, Hale was on his back and Justin only partially on top of him, no longer in position to keep counting. Justin still had a grip on his neck, though. Hale shifted some more underneath him and planted a hand on Justin’s thigh.
Justin felt Hale actually lifting him up, like in a bench press. Impossible. What the—somehow Hale flipped him, and Justin landed on his back on the ground.
Hale quickly swiveled and twisted, jumping on top of Justin and pushing him into the ground. How had he done that? He latched onto Justin’s arm, bending it at a weird angle. Justin tried to escape, his heart beating like crazy, the panic a warning, a precursor to doom. He had to get out of this. Fast, fast, fast.
He rolled, risking injury to his arm. He wasn’t going to lose this fight.
Hale seemed surprised by the move, paused for a second, but rolled with him. They flipped, spinning on the ground, turning again and again, but each time Hale’s grip on Justin’s arm tightened. When they stopped rolling, Justin was on the bottom, and Hale in even better position on top. Justin’s face was pressed into Hale’s stomach as the man drove him into the ground, his grip like a vise.
“One.”
Now it was Justin’s turn to squirm, but he couldn’t roll anymore, couldn’t move. His arm felt like it might snap.
“Two.”
This was it. He was going to lose.
“Three.”
Hale released him.
Justin lay on the ground.
Hale kneeled next to him, panting.
On his back, Justin could see the blue sky overhead, clouds drifting lazily in the bright morning light.
He’d had him. He’d had Hale. Had him twice. How had he lost? Again?
Justin sat up. Looked at Hale. Glared at him.
Hale gave him a mischievous smile. Justin wanted to punch it.
“Fuck!” Justin screamed to the forest. He picked up some debris from the ground and flung it.
A bet was a bet, but he didn’t have to like losing, and he didn’t have to like what was coming next.
He got to his feet, noticing the surprised look on Hale’s face. He stomped to where he’d discarded his shirt and hoodie. He grabbed his things and without looking at Hale, said, “I’ll meet you at the truck. You can claim your prize. But I’m not fucking kissing you.”
Justin walked fast. He was exhausted, but his rage had him wanting to run. Where were these emotions coming from? He liked Hale. A deal was a deal. So what was his problem?
Maybe he was being a sore loser. Maybe it was the endorphins from the fight. Maybe it was all the shit that had happened in the last week. Maybe this was all happening too fast.
But a deal was a deal. Justin wasn’t afraid of a little pain. So what was he afraid of?
And then it hit him. He was afraid. The anger was just a mask. He was terrified.
He was terrified of a kiss, and now he was going to have sex. God, he needed to man up. He wanted this, right?
All these stupid fucking emotions. But what was about to happen didn’t need to mean anything. They were attracted to each other. When people were hot for each other, they had sex. This was the natural progression of things. Everything was happening the way it was supposed to. He had nothing to be afraid of.
Just have fun with it. You want this. So why was he practically running away?
As the truck came into view, Justin slowed down. He took a few deep breaths.
He could do this. He just needed to calm down.
Arriving at the truck, he tried the door handle and then remembered Hale had the keys. Dammit. Now he’d have to wait for him and look him in the eyes and try to explain his behavior. He really didn’t feel like talking.
“Hey!” Hale shouted, seemingly enraged as he grabbed Justin’s wrist and spun him around.
“What the f—” But Justin didn’t have time to say the word or even finish the thought.
Hale shoved him backward against the door of the truck, the step cutting into the back of Justin’s knees. Gravity tried to bring him down, but the cab held him up, along with Hale’s strong hands that were grabbing him under his arms along his ribs, pinning him in place.
“You don’t have to kiss me, but I sure as hell am kissing you.”
Suddenly, Hale’s lips were on his, Hale’s tongue pushing deeply into his mouth.
Even in his anger, Justin welcomed it.
Justin pushed his face forward, forcing his own tongue into Hale’s mouth, their teeth knocking together.
He dropped his shirt and hoodie, grabbing on to Hale as if for dear life. No more thinking. Only feeling. And Hale’s mouth felt so good.
The kiss was awkward with power, like a bulldozer on an anthill. Hale bit Justin’s bottom lip and sucked on it. Gasping with the novelty and pleasure, Justin let his head go backward into the metal of the cab, opening his neck. So be it. He exhaled his anger, his next breath a gasp of desire.
Hale seemed to hear it, becoming bolder. Hale’s teeth slid from Justin’s lip to his chin, biting it, his tongue flicking out, teasing the sandpaper texture. Christ, it felt so good. Hale used his tongue, gliding it along Justin’s neck over the sweat-slick skin. Sweat from the fight, or from this new heat that was building in him?
He couldn’t maintain this half-back position with his knees bent, so he pushed Hale away, his hands on Hale’s shoulders. He stood to his full height as Hale continued to trace down his neck, using his tongue and teeth on Justin’s collarbone.
Justin gasped again, thoughts jumbled. He’d been wrong to deny this experience. He wanted Hale like he’d never wanted anyone before. How could he let Hale know? How could he reciprocate?
“Let me kiss you, Hale.” In the place of fear and anger was a need, a request, for tenderness.
Justin tilted Hale’s head up and looked into his eyes. He saw all the contradictions hidden there. They were dark eyes but lit with a gleaming brightness. They were sad eyes—the eyes of a lonely man. But he also looked ba
ck at Justin with joy and a hint of childlike playfulness. They were the eyes of hunger—a hunger partially satisfied and a new, bottomless hunger opening up. They were eyes of violence hidden now by a lovely gentleness. Blue had never been so beautiful.
Justin grabbed Hale’s face and lifted it to his own, using his grip to hold Hale in place so Justin could control the kiss, lips and tongue turning it from something desperate and primal into something more sensual. Hale physically relaxed in his hands. Their tongues moved more slowly, softly. He slid his hands down to Hale’s waist. The distance between them closed, Hale pressed completely against him.
It felt so damn good—this delicateness in their embrace, in their tongues sliding together, their lips moving close. Even the sounds were now soft—sounds of breathing, sighs of want and satiation.
Justin craved this softness. He loved the sensual feeling of Hale’s tongue in his mouth, and he allowed himself to think of Hale inside him elsewhere. Would it feel as good as this did?
Without his knowing it, he had moved his grip to Hale’s taut ass. As the kiss continued, Hale countered, his hands sliding along Justin’s hips, above his sweats to the skin on his lower back. Hale’s hands were slick and smooth with Justin’s sweat. He reached down under Justin’s pants to seize his ass and pull him closer.
Justin liked Hale’s hands on his ass.
Their erections pressed together. Justin being taller, Hale’s hard dick ended right under Justin’s crown. The protruding ridge was rubbing up against that very sensitive triangle beneath the head, the most sensitive spot.
“Yes,” Justin breathed. His voice was shaky and soft and barely his own. He had wanted this for a long time, wanted it badly, but had let too many thoughts get in the way.
But he was ready now.
At some point their kiss had stopped, and Justin’s forehead was against Hale’s. In the sudden quiet, Justin could feel his heart beat, hard and fast. He could feel Hale’s heart too, a distant thud behind his own. Hale’s head turned up, Justin’s turned down—they were breathing heavily, lips nearly touching. Justin couldn’t be close enough, wanted to crawl inside Hale’s skin.
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