Crashing the Net (8 page)

“Yes.”
Thank god.
It was what he wanted.
Needed
. And not just because he was embarrassingly inexperienced. It was bigger than that.

Cool lube circled his entrance but this time he held perfectly still. “I’m going to do what I want. That’s what you said.”

Mike’s entire focus was honed down to the press and tickle of that one finger. He could barely get it together enough to mumble, “I meant it.”

Alexei worked at the muscles surrounding his hole, pressing and messaging. Fighting tightly clenched muscles. Mike whimpered, begging for the invasion, straining to hold still and scolding himself to relax.

God, he thought he might die of happiness and relief when Alexei’s thick finger finally slid into him. Easing deeper, farther. He wanted to beg him to keep going, to stretch him more, faster, but then Alexei rotated his hand, his fingertip brushing against Mike’s prostate, and all he could do was groan.

“Does that feel good?”

Mike practically sobbed. “I thought we were done asking questions with exceedingly obvious answers?”

A calloused palm landed against his ass, hard, the loud crack of skin meeting skin echoing in the air around them. Fire spread from beneath Alexei’s palm straight into Mike’s cock, blitzing Mike’s brain.

“Do you want another?” Alexei asked, his deep voice loaded with threat.

“
Yes
.”

A second finger pushed into his ass, catching Mike off guard. He yelped.

Alexei stilled.

“I thought you meant another spank,” Mike gasped, his head floating somewhere above his body. He’d clenched tight when Alexei had spanked him and now Alexei’s second finger felt big. Bigger than it should. Way fucking better than anything.

“Is that a complaint?”

Mike gave a breathless laugh. “No. God, no.”

“Good.” Mike could hear Alexei’s smile.

His sweet reward was a whack to the other cheek. He clenched again, the zing heavenly. “More.”

“Do we need to review who’s in charge here, Michael?”

“No.” Not even a little.

Mike grabbed great handfuls of his own hair in his fists, trying to ground himself as he lay still, silent, and waited. He took a deep, stuttering breath when Alexei began to pump his fingers, deep in his ass. Thrusting, then scissoring them apart.

It was too much. Not enough.
Too good
. Mike was desperately afraid he was going to embarrass himself.

Alexei’s thrusts became more powerful, deeper, the muscles loosening quickly, opening for Alexei. Pleasure unraveled, sending jolts of ecstasy to every part of Mike’s body. He swore he felt each hair on his body stand at attention.

“Please, god. Hurry.”

“You’re not ready,” Alexei said gruffly, not bothering to remind Mike he wasn’t the one making the decisions. They both understood now that Mike was begging for exactly that reason.

“Yes, I am.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

I do. I want you to hurt me. Just a little. Please.

Mike couldn’t say it. He buried his face against the bedding and tried to breathe. Again, he lamented his utter lack of experience. Maybe lots of guys were like him? Maybe Alexei would—

Insert a third finger.

Mike lifted onto his elbows and shouted something unintelligible.

Alexei chuckled. It was the sexiest sound
ever
.

Mike spread his knees wide, his cock dragging across the bedding with every trust, leaking pre-come on the sheet, his belly. Heat spooled in his spine, his stomach twisting with the need for the release he held back.

“Please, Alexei.
I need you
,” he cried.

Alexei’s hand stilled, thrust deep, and Mike hung his head between his tense shoulders, furious at his own stupidity as Alexei slowly withdrew his fingers.

Mike was ready to beg, seriously get down on his knees on the floor and
beg
Alexei to finish what he’d started, when he heard the sound of tearing foil.

He smashed his face to the mattress, his hands fisting in the sheets on either side of his head, and tried to remember to breathe.

Alexei stared down at Mike’s long, lean back. His thighs spread wide across the bed. His white-knuckle grip on the sheet.

He wanted to fucking
ravage
the man.

He counted to ten, slowly.

Alexei’s hands steadied enough to roll on the condom and slick his shaft with lube. He studied his red handprints on Mike’s ass and almost lost sight of his intention to go gently.

“Roll over.”

Mike did as he was told. Instantly. Without question.

Alexei ran his hand down Mike’s chest, admiring the strength, all the more entrancing because it lay waiting quietly, for him. “
Moi milyy.”

“Yes?” Mike couldn’t possibly know what the fuck those words meant, but he apparently could intuit they were for him.

“Kiss me again.”

Mike smiled. “If you insist.”

Alexei
would
have insisted if he’d had to. Anything to keep his mouth busy so more crazy declarations—in any language—couldn’t fall out.

Mike’s tongue twined with his, his hands rubbing over Alexei’s shoulders. Down his back. His legs came up to hug Alexei’s ribs. Alexei hooked his elbow behind one of Mike’s knee and pinned it to his chest. His other hand fisted around his own cock, desperately trying to force back the ferocity of his need while guiding the head to press against Mike.

Mike fingers scrabbling across Alexei’s back as a high whine leaked from his throat. Their mouths parted on a gasp. “Yes, please, please,
please
Alexei.”

Alexei’s head spun, trying not to allow Mike’s demands, his pleas, to distract him as he pressed forward, trying to be gentle. To go slow. It was almost impossible when every nerve in his body screamed at him to
take.

Mike lifted his hips, twisting, pushing back. Alexei dug his fingers into Mike’s thigh, trying to still him and probably only succeeding in leaving bruises, then shoved forward into unbelievable tight heat. With another push, he sank all the way to the root.

“Jesus, Michael.”

“Oh god, yes.
Finally.
”

Alexei chuckled at the relieved cry until he caught Mike’s gaze and the sound died. His mouth went dry.

Mike wrapped his hands around Alexei’s neck, thumbs brushing his cheekbones, and pressed his lips to Alexei’s. Alexei fell into the kiss, suddenly lost. Always, in the past, this was the part where his focus would hone down to one thing, one function, and the pleasure to be derived from that. From fucking.

But Mike confused the shit out of him.

Alexei’s hips moved—he couldn’t have stopped that if he’d tried—and Mike’s rose to meet them. The groans and gasps and the dull sound of bodies bumping against one another were all the same. But the kiss didn’t end. Alexei couldn’t stop clutching his friend closer.

God, he was such an idiot. He was
making love
to Michael.

His strokes got longer. Deeper, dragging out the pleasure. The sounds louder, but still his mouth was sealed to Mike’s. Alexei shifted and the head of his cock glanced over Mike’s prostate. Mike threw back his head and sucked in a deep, desperate breath before letting it out with a howl.

“
Alexei
!”

Alexei latched onto Mike’s neck. His collarbone. His shoulder. He thrust harder and faster, trying to nail that spot every time. Trying to give Mike what he needed, so that he could hear his name endlessly in increasingly desperate cries.

Alexei loved that sound. It dragged him to the edge. He’d been close from the moment they’d started this, but now teetered on the precipice. He held on through sheer will because Mike
had
to go with him.

Mike felt like he was coming apart at the seams.

Nothing he’d done to himself had prepared him for the feeling of Alexei stretching him open. Moving inside him. Stroking his cock over Mike’s sweet spot.

He bit his lip, trying not to make so much damn noise, but it was no good. He had to let it out. He wanted Alexei to know. Hell, he’d tell all of Moncton if he could.

“God, Alexei. Do it. Harder.
Please
.”

Alexei’s expression fierce as he reared up onto his knees and pinned Mike’s knees to his chest, tilting his ass higher. “Are you sure?”

The rough timbre of Alexei’s voice sent a shiver down Mike’s bowed spine. “Holy shit,
are you kidding me
?”

He thought he heard Alexei chuckle, but would never be sure because the next thrust blew his fucking mind. He gasped, wondering deliriously,
joyously
, as if Alexei had literally punched the air from his lungs. The grip on his thighs was bruising, perfect, but not as mesmerizing as Alexei’s face as he stared down to where their bodies were joined.

Stars burst to life in the edges of Mike’s vision with every thrust. He writhed. Shouted insensible, possibly insane things when Alexei grabbed his hips and lifted him higher.

Alexei punched his hips forward again.

Mike’s world went white and he bellowed Alexei’s name. He shook with the strength of his climax, hot come hitting his chest and chin, his balls twisting almost painfully with each convulsion. Sore, well-used muscles clamped around Alexei’s shaft, still sawing in and out of Mike’s body.

It hurt so fucking
good
.

Alexei shoved as deep as he could go, sending another shock through Mike’s body.

“
Michael
,” Alexei whispered, followed by that word Alexei had used before.

Shudders racked Alexei and shivered through Mike as his lover, his best friend, silently came apart. Mike cupped Alexei’s face, to the strong jaw that fit perfectly in his palm, and ran his thumb over a broad cheekbone.

Jesus, Alexei was beautiful. Mike wanted to watch Alexei like this for hours.

For a long time, they stayed like that, just holding on to each other and trying to remember how to breathe. It was still far too soon when Alexei’s grip eased and he focused on Mike’s face. His heart squeezed painfully at what he saw there.

“I’m sorry,” Alexei said quietly.

Mike narrowed his eyes threateningly. “Don’t you
dare
.”

When Alexei opened his mouth to speak, Mike pushed himself away, groaning as Alexei’s thick cock slipped from his wonderfully tender hole.
Holy crap, that’s good
. Alexei grunted, temporarily too occupied with the condom to say something Mike would hate him for.

He wasn’t going to let Alexei fuck this up. Not the sex. And not whatever else was between them.

“Mike,” Alexei began.

Mike rolled to his feet beside the bed. His legs were decidedly unsteady. His ass felt
fantastic
.

“I’ll get us something to clean us up.” Mike threw the covers back onto the bed. “You stay here.”

He grabbed what he needed and was gone before Alexei could say another word.

Mike was no idiot. He knew Alexei was going to try to regret this. But Mike didn’t. Wouldn’t. And if he never won another goddamn argument with the stupid man waiting in his bed, he would convince Alexei to give it—them—a chance.

Alexei thought he might have just done the stupidest thing he’d ever done. And that was really saying something.

Christ, it had been amazing, though.

He scrubbed his hands over his face and got out of bed, putting away the lube and straightening the bedding. He was tempted to make a run for it but that would be damn cowardly. Also, he’d never get past Mike in the hallway.

He hunted around for his pajama bottoms, searching in the sheets and under the dresser. Where the hell had they gone?

He turned to find Mike standing in the doorway, grinning. “Looking for something?”

Alexei planted his hands on his hips, almost grateful that he was too old to have recovered sufficiently to respond to Mike’s blatantly thorough study.

The last thing this night needed was another erection.

“Really, Michael? You stole my pants?” Alexei took a step toward the door. “It’s not like I can’t just walk to my apartment like this.”

Mike shrugged and leaned against the doorframe. “You can try.”

“I have to go,” Alexei said through gritted teeth. The thought of getting into a wrestling match was rapidly disproving his previous theory about his refractory period.

“Okay,” Mike said, surprising him. “I’ll come with you.”

Something embarrassingly like panic clawed at Alexei. “No, you won’t.”

“I have a key. You going to barricade the door?”

“I might.”

Mike nodded and yawned, clearly unimpressed.

Alexei suddenly recalled they had a playoff game tomorrow. Jesus Christ. Where was his head? “You need to get to sleep. You have a big day tomorrow.”

“Yes,
we
do.”

Alexei looked over Mike’s shoulder, then at Mike, who had crossed his arms over his chest. Mike raised his eyebrows, daring him to try it.

“Fine,” Alexei growled. He climbed into the bed and jerked the covers over his legs. It wasn’t like he could fuck this up any more thoroughly than he already had. Jesus H. Christ, he’d just fucked
Mike
. A man who meant more to him than…well, than
anyone
. Alexei knew from experience that nothing was more likely to fuck up their friendship and force Mike from Alexei’s life than trying to make them into something that couldn’t possibly last.

And yet, here he was. In Mike’s bed.

He glared at Mike and gestured at the empty space beside him. “Well? Let’s sleep.”

Mike smiled the goddamn smile he always wore when he won an argument, turned off the light, and got into bed. Alexei smashed his head into the pillow, certain he wouldn’t sleep a wink. Particularly once Mike scooted closer and put his head on his shoulder. A long, heavy thigh draped across both of Alexei’s and a warm hand came to rest on his belly.

Alexei’s arm was going to go numb in under five minutes if they stayed like this. With a long-suffering sigh, he curled it around Mike’s shoulders.