Unknown (Hooked Book 3) (8 page)

“Different good or different bad?”

Malik didn’t answer right away. Logan assumed he was gathering his thoughts. Malik’s lips touched Logan’s shoulder. “Just different,” he answered, dragging his lips along Logan’s shoulder as he spoke. “I don’t have anything against MMA. It’s just never appealed to me. Did you change soaps? You smell different.” Malik sucked in a deep breath as he asked the question. The chill bump situation worsened.

“Different good or different bad?” Logan asked, making Malik laugh. The vibration of the sound brushed Logan’s neck along with Malik’s lips. “New shampoo,” Logan admitted as he stretched, giving Malik more access to his throat.

Malik’s tongue stroked Logan’s skin. His hand slid low, caressing Logan’s stomach before slipping beneath Logan’s shirt. Logan’s back arched as Malik’s hot palm pressed against his stomach. “It’s intoxicating as hell the way you can’t stay still when I touch you.”

Logan couldn’t argue. His body had a mind of its own when Malik was involved.

“I swear I didn’t come here for this,” Malik said, repeating his earlier claim, even as he pushed Logan’s shirt higher. Malik shifted positions. Logan automatically countered the move, rolling onto his back. Their lips met. Malik came at him with everything. He sucked and licked at Logan’s mouth. Logan’s head left the bed as he fought to match Malik’s every stroke. He’d always loved the way Malik kissed, as if he was starving for Logan. It was talent mixed with desperation and need. There were no thoughts. Malik filled his head and controlled his body.

“I swear I’ll stop in a minute,” Malik said, as he moved lower.

“Don’t,” Logan begged. Soft locks slipped through Logan’s fingers as he gripped Malik’s hair and held on. Malik’s lips closed around Logan’s nipple, making Logan’s hips leave the bed. He couldn’t help it. Logan needed more. His dick begged. It throbbed behind Logan’s zipper. A whimper left Logan’s throat. He tried biting it down. It was useless. The sound came out loud and desperate even to Logan’s ears.

Malik massaged Logan’s erection through his jeans. “Fuck. The front of your jeans is already wet. Everything you do feeds my ego.”

Logan was beyond speech.

Malik didn’t seem to need any encouragement. “Damn, Logan. I’m sorry,” he said, tearing at Logan’s zipper. “I need that salt on my tongue. My fingers buried in your ass. I have to have you riding my face and hand.” The desperation in Malik’s voice had Logan near to coming in his jeans before Malik peeled them off. With nothing between them, Malik buried his face against Logan’s cock, nuzzling him. Logan stared down the line of his body, incapable of looking away. Malik’s hand shook as his fingers encircled Logan’s erection. The sight tightened Logan’s chest. “Goddamn, Logan. You’re everything.”

Logan didn’t have time to puzzle out Malik’s claim, before Malik’s hot mouth opened over Logan’s cock. Every muscle in Logan’s body tensed. Malik sucked dick the same as he kissed—like Logan would never be the same afterward. Rough fingers probed at Logan’s asshole. He dutifully spread his thighs, giving Malik everything his touch demanded. Malik pushed his way in, making Logan gasp. At the sound, Malik shifted, openly licking Logan’s asshole and easing his entry, before going back down on him again.

Logan’s dick scraped the roof of Malik’s mouth. The sensitive nerve endings in Logan’s crown sang. His hips moved of their own accord, doing just as Malik predicted—fucking his mouth and riding his hand. He held his breath, incapable of focusing on even the most basic of life necessities with his orgasm on the horizon. When his lungs screamed in protest, Logan sucked in a deep breath before forgetting to breathe once more. He writhed beneath Malik’s ministrations. Just when he thought relief was upon him, Malik shot upward, claiming Logan’s mouth. Logan cried out in protest as his own flavor coated his tongue.

Logan struggled beneath Malik’s massive weight. He needed the release Malik denied him. Rough fingers dug into Logan’s knee as Malik lifted it higher. Malik’s crown pushed at Logan’s asshole and Logan went still. Without mercy, Malik shoved his way inside, stretching Logan wide with his huge cock. An orgasm slammed into Logan, stealing all the oxygen from the room. Logan gasped for air as wave after wave of pleasure wracked his body and his cum coated the space between them. Malik’s tongue filled Logan’s mouth, taking away any chance he had of breathing. Logan didn’t care. He fought to ride Malik’s dick as rough as possible. The sound of their skin slapping mixed with their moans. The air smelled like Malik’s cologne and dirty sex. Logan wanted more. He clawed at Malik’s skin, trying to get closer. Giving Logan everything, Malik fucked him harder. He knew Logan’s body. He knew Logan. Logan’s lips stung as Malik bit at them. Malik’s name continuously left Logan’s lips. He couldn’t control it. Malik’s muscles tightened. Logan held on. A cry tore from Malik’s throat. Logan’s nose stung and his arms tightened around Malik. They were both still partially dressed. Malik more than partially. Ice cold fear twisted Logan’s insides. If Malik straightened his clothes and left, Logan would die. Malik moved to push himself away.

Logan scrambled to hang on. “Please don’t leave?”

Malik’s gaze flew to his. Logan knew the man could see the desperation inside him. He didn’t give a fuck. He’d beg. “Never,” Malik said, sounding harder and more determined than Logan had ever heard him before. Still, he pushed away from Logan. When Logan had headed to the bedroom straight away, he’d needed to know if Malik would leave. Now, he had his answer.

Logan’s arms fell limp at his sides. He was empty as Malik climbed from the bed. Instead of leaving, Malik pulled his shirt over his head and used the wadded up material to wipe the mess from Logan’s skin. After tossing it aside, he helped Logan pull off his shirt before pushing his own jeans to the floor. With them both nude, Malik climbed onto the mattress and gathered Logan into his arms.

Logan’s heart pounded against the wall of his chest. There was no way Malik couldn’t feel the way it raced. He’d been so sure Malik would leave him. Logan could barely breathe beneath the lingering fear.

Malik’s fingers linked through his. “Where’s your wedding ring?”

Logan’s brain scrambled for the answer. Everything was too foggy to think. “Um. It’s on the dresser.”

Malik’s lips touched Logan’s temple. “I don’t want to see you without it again.”

“Okay.” Because really, there was no other response. Logan couldn’t pretend this marriage wasn’t forever. They’d proven they couldn’t survive alone, and Malik had never—as far Logan knew—ever removed his wedding band.

*

The fear in Logan’s eyes as Malik went to move away was a sight Malik would remember until the day he died. He’d done that. The man he’d promised to love and protect now believed him capable of anything. As he’d climbed from the bed, Logan’s expression had transformed, becoming empty—dead. The sick feeling in Malik’s gut wouldn’t relent. His hold kept tightening on Logan until Logan gasped in protest. At the sound, Malik broke. He leapt from the bed.

“I can’t do this.”

Malik didn’t glance over his shoulder as he stormed across the room to the dresser. If he saw the panic or hurt in Logan’s eyes again, it might finally break him. He searched the contents of the dresser. It didn’t take him long to spot Logan’s wedding ring. Logan had always been the cleanest person alive. There wasn’t as much as a single speck of dust on any of the furniture. Malik’s house was a horrible mess since Logan went away.

With the ring in hand, he returned to the bed. Climbing on, he didn’t stop until he straddled Logan’s hips, keeping him pinned to the bed. Logan’s features were blank, giving nothing away. He’d learned to hide his feelings sometime in the past eight months. Before they’d split, Malik had always known exactly how Logan felt. A pain hit Malik in the chest. That wasn’t entirely true. He hadn’t for one second suspected Logan would leave him.

“You made me promises,” Malik said, hearing his hurt and incapable of hiding it.

“I did,” Logan agreed, sounding every bit as sure as he had the day he married Malik. Every ounce of Malik’s inner rage slipped away. He knew he was always on the verge of losing his shit, and even he didn’t know which side he would come down on from day to day, but he fucking loved Logan with everything he possessed. That had never and would never change.

“As I said the other night, I don’t expect you to rush home.”

“I know.”

“But you will wear this fucking ring, Logan,” Malik said, emphasizing every word.

Logan smiled.

The sight did something to Malik’s chest. He was scared to look at it too closely. He feared he knew exactly what was going on inside him. In spite of every lecture he’d given himself, Malik expected Logan would take him back in every way, and that would break him in every fucking way if it didn’t happen.

“I can’t wear it if you don’t let me have it,” Logan said, bringing Malik back to reality.

Malik quickly slipped the ring onto Logan’s finger before Logan changed his mind. As the warm metal moved over Logan’s knuckle, and settled back into its rightful spot, Malik felt the same as he had the day they’d gotten married. They fit. This was right. Anything else was a sham. He wouldn’t settle for less. Logan stared at his hand for a moment before meeting Malik’s gaze once more. Just as he had the day they’d married, Logan said the one thing that always took Malik’s breath.

“You are the greatest love of my life.”

Those blue eyes. Those lips. Fuck. He loved this man so goddamn hard, it was nearly impossible to breathe around it. Leaning in, Malik went down on his forearms, leaving barely an inch between them. “You are everything,” Malik said, keeping up his end of the bargain by giving Logan his truth. They’d be okay. It had to happen. Otherwise, they’d both eventually fade away.

Chapter 5

One month later…

“You’re not concentrating today,” Ryan yelled, clipping Malik across the cheekbone—again.

“Fuck. Sorry, man. I’m exhausted today.” The words came out sounding breathless, lending truth to his statement.

Ryan didn’t look appeased. In fact, he looked pissed as hell. “You don’t have time to be tired. Not with your fight coming up in three days. Where the hell is your head?”

In bed with Logan. No way in hell would Malik utter those words to Ryan. For the month they’d been working out together, Ryan hadn’t let up on his taunting of Malik with Logan. The man swore he could steal Logan away any time he wanted. While it still drove Malik batshit, and he thought it was mostly goading, there was a small part of Malik that was still over-the-top insecure in his relationship with Logan. They never felt completely on solid ground. Not to mention, it was hard to argue with Ryan’s looks. The man was gorgeous. If Logan could be stolen, Ryan would be the person most likely to succeed.

At Malik’s silence, Ryan growled. “Fine. Again!”

With Ryan’s barked order still reverberating off the walls of the sparring room, Malik put his gloved hands up and closed the distance between them. The harder he tried predicting Ryan’s next move, the more Ryan thwarted him. Malik threw a punch. Ryan ducked. The mat smacked Malik between the shoulder blades. He stared up at the ceiling. It took him a minute to figure out why. Ryan had swept his legs out from underneath him. Malik shot to his feet.

“What the fuck, Ryan? That’s cheating.”

Ryan’s green eyes flashed with rage. “Not in my world.”

Malik growled. “We’re not training for your world. We’re training for mine, and it’s cheating.”

Ryan paced the length of the ring, eyeing Malik without bothering to hide his anger. Malik had never trained with anyone with such a hot temper before. In this instance, Malik didn’t think Ryan’s rage had anything to do with him. “Did it ever occur to you that I’m taking away from my training to work with you?”

He didn’t give Malik time to answer.

“No. I’m sure it hasn’t. Yet, you keep letting your guard down. I know this isn’t your world, but you need to face off against every opponent with the mindset that he’ll do anything to make you bleed.”

Malik set his gloved hands on his hips. He was glad they had the entire sparring area to themselves because something was up with Ryan. Malik couldn’t figure out what. “Look, I’m sorry I’m taking away from your training. How can I help?”

Ryan threw a punch. Malik automatically blocked it and jumped back into fighting mode. Ryan laughed. “Good. That’s what I want.”

“What’s up with you today?” Malik asked between ducking and throwing a jab. “You’re always strange as hell, but not this bad.”

Malik easily avoided his every attempt at landing a hit. “Maybe I’m just sick of you somehow hanging onto that sexy husband of yours when you’re obviously a pansy-ass.” As if emphasizing his point, Ryan threw out a series of punches almost too quick for Malik to track. His avoidance attempts caused him to lose his balance. When he stumbled, Ryan snagged both Malik’s wrists and pulled him forward. With his attention on trying to stay upright, he didn’t see the kiss coming. Ryan’s mouth landed hard against his. He nipped at Malik’s bottom lip before Malik shoved him away.

Fury raced through Malik’s veins. “What the fuck are you doing?”

Ryan’s eyes shone bright with laughter. “If you don’t like it when unwanted things to happen to your face, keep your fucking hands up.”

“Well, this is getting interesting.”