Crashing the Net (12 page)

Alexei’s big hand stroked his cheek. “So eager. There’s no rush.”

Mike closed his eyes and nodded when Alexei’s hand brushed his cheek again, soothed by his touch and the timbre of Alexei’s deep voice. He forced himself to slow down, then tried again, worshipping Alexei’s cock with his tongue. His lips. Figuring out what was manageable. Confirming what he loved about it—everything he’d thought he would,
and
the rude noises, the drool on his chin, the ache in his jaw—and set about discovering everything
Alexei
loved about it. The latter was trickier, but he thought he was learning to read the signs.

He wrapped a fist around Alexei’s shaft and listened to him gulp air. He dug the tip of his tongue into the slit, and noted how Alexei shifted on his feet.

Throughout, a hand petted his hair. His cheek. Quiet murmurs of pleasure and encouragement flowed over him and he sped up, so the words came faster. Louder. Mike felt drunk with relief. With joy.

He was
finally
doing this.

“Take my clothes off.”

Mike pulled off with a gasp and Alexei’s strong hand at the back of his neck pressed his face to Alexei’s belly. They both fought to catch their breath as Mike wrestled Alexei’s jeans down his legs and licked any and every inch of skin he could reach.

Alexei toed off his shoes and kicked out of his pants, his shirt landing on top of the pile beside them. Mike wished he could have taken it off for him, but it was just as well Alexei had spared him having to stand up. Mike was pretty sure his legs wouldn’t support him right now.

He stared at Alexei, naked, gorgeous, standing in front of him. Mike’s hypersensitive fingertips skimmed over Alexei’s long, strong legs, his thick thighs and perfectly round, rock-hard butt. Burying his face against the thatch of hair above Alexei’s cock, his forehead pressed to the soft skin on his belly, Mike inhaled deeply.

Alexei groaned. “God, what you do to me.
”

The words were another caress. Another pleasure Mike stored away. Savored. He took Alexei’s shaft in his mouth again, only this time, he kept a hand around the base as he worked up and down the length. He rubbed his tongue under the head, tickling the divot there, then plunged. Retreated. Soon Alexei had a fistful of his hair and was guiding his head. He didn’t shove Mike down, though Mike sort of wished he would, gag reflex be damned, but he turned his head this way and that, sometimes smashing Mike’s face to his belly to lick around the base of his shaft, other times holding Mike away so he could gently thrust just the head through Mike’s lips.

“Jesus, Michael. So good.”

Yes, it is.
Mike’s dick ached where it was bent in his pants, but he ignored it. He needed both hands on Alexei. Hell, he wished he had more than just the two. He had so many things he still wanted to try, to experience, he thought he might never get to them all in this lifetime, let alone today.

When the grip in his hair eased just a little, he pulled off Alexei’s cock with a crude popping sound that made him smile. He lifted the shaft and eagerly licked his way down the underside but then paused and looked up at Alexei.

Alexei cocked one eyebrow, clearly understanding what Mike wanted. “Go ahead.”

Mike opened his mouth wide against Alexei’s firm sac and sucked the soft skin into his mouth. With a roll of his tongue, he eased one ball past his teeth and wrapped his lips around it.

Alexei hissed, “Holy shit,” his voice a strangled mixture of laugh and groan. The hand in his hair curled into a tight fist again.

Mike hummed, intending only to indicate he’d heard.

Alexei shuddered under his hands.
”Fuck!”

So Mike hummed again, leaning in when Alexei rose up onto the balls of his feet, his grip on Mike’s hair eye-watering. He massaged Alexei’s sac with his lips. His tongue. He’d seen this, read about it, but as with everything else he’d tried so far, the reality was so much fucking better. The salty taste, the even more intense musk, set his blood on fire. His poor cock, still trapped and at an ever-more unfortunate angle in his jeans, strained and ached.

He wrapped a hand around Alexei’s big thigh and pushed it away. Up. Trying to lift it.

Alexei grunted above him. “What are you doing?”

“Please,” Mike said, his voice muffled as he released Alexei’s sac and nosed along the seam. He felt frantic. Pushed harder on Alexei’s leg. It was awkward as hell, his neck straining, but Mike shoved his nose behind Alexei’s balls and licked along his perineum.

Alexei froze, then Mike’s head was yanked away by the fierce grip in his hair.

“If you’re going to do it, let’s do it right.”

Mike’s cheeks burned. “I don’t know how,” he admitted.

“Yes, you do. You were doing it better and with more enthusiasm than anyone else I’ve ever been with.”

Mike felt his flush deepen at the compliment. Then he watched, wide-eyed, as Alexei turned, slid a knee onto the island counter, and spread himself open.

He’d seen Alexei go almost into a split in the goal, but this was just…
wow
.

Mike threw caution and every insecurity he had about his inexperience to the wind. If Alexei liked enthusiastic, he’d fucking get it. Mike buried his face against Alexei’s ass, running his tongue the length of the crease and bumping over the knot of muscles before tickling the perineum again. He lavished his attention there, licking, sucking, biting as best he could, his hands clamped around the globes of Alexei’s ass to spread him open and tilt him to Mike’s mouth.

He had no idea what the hell he was doing, but Alexei clearly liked it. He shoved his ass into Mike’s face, barking out orders that Mike gleefully followed.

At Alexei’s command, Mike teased the tip of his tongue around the edges of Alexei’s anus, soothing the muscles there. He’d done this with his fingers to himself countless times, but he was still amazed to feel Alexei’s muscles easing. To hear Alexei shouting his approval.

He thrust a finger into his mouth, then pressed the tip right alongside his tongue.

“Put that finger in me, Michael.
Now.
”

Mike eased forward gently.

“Harder! Push it in!”

Mike shoved his finger deep into Alexei’s ass and Alexei cried out something in Russian, his hips rocking. For one stunned moment, all Mike could do was stare at his finger plunging in and out of Alexei’s ass.

He was perilously close to coming in his pants. “God, that’s so hot,” he breathed.

“Another.”

“What?”

“Another finger, Michael. Now.”

Mike did as he was told, his arm shaking, his head spinning. Alexei barked out orders, each one dragging Mike closer to the abyss. He thrust and scissored with his fingers, fucking Alexei exactly as he demanded.

Mike fucking
loved it
. Too much, it seemed. Without so much of a brush of a hand against his cock, he was losing it. “Shit, I’m going to come. I’m gonna—”

He gasped when Alexei grabbed his wrist and yanked his fingers out of Alexei’s ass. Alexei grunted at their abrupt departure, then spun and took Mike’s face in both his hands.

“You don’t come until I tell you to. Understand?”

Mike nodded, his stomach knotted from the need that had been boiling there for what felt like hours. Being told he wasn’t allowed to climax only brought him that much closer to the edge. Jesus, how did Alexei know how to push all his buttons?

“Yes,” Mike said, his voice hoarse. “I understand.”

Alexei held his upturned face and stared at him like he’d never seen him before.

“You really do want this,” Alexei said, amazed.

“More than anything.”

Alexei was still having a hard time believing his eyes. What was right in front of him.

He knelt, his bare knees framing Mike’s jean-covered legs. He couldn’t seem to stop touching Mike’s face. Kissing him gently. Licking into Mike’s mouth before dancing their tongues from one mouth to another. Mike never tried to take control. He just…followed.

Which was all the more remarkable, and sweet, because Alexei knew he could stop and toss out any number of topics that got Mike’s back up, and his friend would argue with him until he was blue in the face.

Alexei had the sinking suspicion that he was an idiot. He’d always been attracted to a particular kind of man. He admired strength and toughness, both physical and mental. Traits he found frequently among hockey players—often to his dismay. And from these men he’d sought out lovers who were not just submissive in the bedroom, but who’d been willing to carry that submission over to all other aspects of their relationship—until they couldn’t do it anymore and left.

Now, looking down into Mike’s flushed face, he felt incredibly stupid. Mike waited quietly for Alexei. No doubt eager to do whatever Alexei asked—just as Alexei had always wanted in a lover. And when they were done, they would argue about dinner. Or who should do the laundry. Or whether or not Alexei should have let that goal in the second period get past him.

And
that
, Alexei realized with a terrifying mixture of shock and excitement, was what he
really
wanted.

What, apparently, Mike wanted too. Alexei took in how Mike’s hair stood on end from Alexei’s fingers. His eyes bright with arousal. He’d never looked more handsome. Or so debauched. Alexei glanced down at the rigid line of Mike’s erection straining against his jeans.

“Does that hurt?”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you adjust yourself?” Alexei wouldn’t have been able to resist freeing his dick and probably jerking off by now, had the situation been reversed.

“You didn’t tell me to.” He said it like it was obvious, with just a hint of sass in his smirk.

Alexei smiled. Kissed him again. Longer and harder this time.

“Come to the bedroom,” Alexei said, rising to his feet. He reached down to take Mike’s hand and helped him to stand.

Alexei had only been on his knees for a few minutes and they ached. Mike didn’t so much as wince.

Alexei’s heart beat so hard, it felt like it was banging against his ribs. That was probably why he couldn’t draw a deep breath when he looked at Mike. Why his chest ached.

He laced their fingers together, led Mike down the hall to his bedroom, and stopped just inside the door. He’d never brought another man here before. And he was glad.

“Take off your clothes,” he said as he released Mike’s hand and walked farther into the room.

He heard the sound of fabric rustling behind him and smiled.

“Go lie down on the bed.”

Mike slid past him and was halfway onto the tall king mattress before Alexei recalled the other night and Mike’s shameless presentation of his ass in the air. His cock twitched and his smile grew.

“On your back, Michael.”

Mike paused in the process of planting his face against the mattress and flipped onto his back.

Alexei sat on the edge of the mattress. “We won’t fuck tonight,” he said, mindful of Mike’s inexperience. If Alexei had known then what he knew now—

“We won’t?” Rather than reassured, Mike appeared to be disappointed.

“You’re probably sore.”

Mike smiled. “I am. A little.”

“Then we will find other entertainments,” Alexei promised, his mind pretty much reeling through the possibilities like an X-rated slide show.

He was yanked back to reality when a hand landed on his arm. He blinked, then stared down at Mike, momentarily shocked again to see the gorgeous defenseman stretched out across his bed.

Mike said, “We can do whatever you want,” but then he seemed to hesitate.

Alexei was instantly wary. “I like to be in charge, Mike, not an asshole. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

“I like being sore.”

Some men hated it, but Alexei couldn’t pretend to be anything but delighted that Mike wasn’t one of them. His adults-only slide show was getting longer by the second.

Mike’s eyebrows drew down, and his color edged toward pink. Embarrassed?

Alexei gripped his arm. “The truth, Michael.”

“I like
fucking
when I’m sore.”

Alexei battled a fresh surge of lust trying to cripple his higher brain function. “I don’t understand. You said I was your first.”

“You are.”

“Then explain.”

“When I would play, you know, by myself, I liked it when I was already sore.” With every word Mike spoke, he turned a shade pinker, but he didn’t falter. “I’d think about you, and what it would be like to feel you like that, and I liked it better—”

Alexei pressed an unsteady finger to Mike’s lips, silencing him. “Did you really think of me? When you fucked yourself?”

Mike didn’t look away. “Yes.”

“With that monster in your drawer?”

“Yes. Sometimes.”

“I’m not that big, Michael.”

Mike’s cheeks glowed red. “No, but you’re better.”

“How?”

“Alive. Warm.” His lips quirked. “You move of your own volition.”

Alexei chuckled. “I see your point.” He ran a hand down Mike’s chest and tried not to laugh out right at how his knees bent and spread the closer Alexei’s hand came to his cock. He gripped the hard shaft in his hand and Mike planted his feet wide on the bed. “This feel more warm and alive than your own hand?”

“No,” Mike admitted with a quick inhale and a wobbly smile. “Just…
better
.”

Alexei stroked the smooth length once, then slid his hand between Mike’s legs. His knees fell open onto the mattress.

So damn flexible.

Mike flinched when the pad of one finger stroked across the tender hole in question. Alexei forced himself not to think too long about how tight and hot it had been. Just because Mike said he liked it, didn’t mean Alexei was going to leap on the damn man.

“Sore, huh?”

“Yes.” A bead of pre-come dripped from the head of Mike’s cock onto his stomach.

Jesus
. Alexei pressed harder. Mike squirmed, his eyes wide and unfocused.

Alexei stilled. “Michael, if I do something you don’t like, you have to tell me.”