Learning to Love [A Dragon's Growl 9] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) Read online

  He hadn’t even been out in high school.

  Marxus walked right up to him. Zane nearly jumped for a third time in so many minutes after being snuck up on.

  He really was losing his edge. Or he’d already lost it. “You feeling okay?”

  “I…” Zane looked to the side. Lucian was already walking off with Sorin, his arm around his mate’s shoulder, both talking in small whispers.

  “I’m good,” Zane said quickly. He swallowed hard. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, this wasn’t what he wanted to be doing right now.

  “I had a nightmare.” Not what he’d meant to say. “I looked out the window and saw you fighting with Lucian.”

  Marxus lifted a brow. “How did you know that was me?”

  How to answer that?

  Zane looked to Seth, wanting to say something to him, ask him absolutely anything that might get him out of this.

  Seth, of course, was walking off, hands in his pockets, not looking at Zane or Marxus at all.

  As if he were abandoning them both.

  Marxus clearly noticed where Zane’s gaze had gone. “Did you come out here to see Seth?”

  “No!” Zane cleared his throat. “No, nothing like that. I was just wondering how you were. I didn’t know you liked to spar at this time of night. Or morning.”

  He wasn’t usually this much of a flake, but God, he really hoped Marxus let the whole thing go. He didn’t want to explain to the man that gut feeling he had in knowing the onyx dragon had been him.

  And why did his skin have to glow like that in the moonlight?

  “Your heart’s pounding,” Marxus said, crossing his arms. “You sure you’re all right?”

  If Zane had realized for one second that coming out here would put him in this strange position, he would have stayed inside. Why did Marxus’s arms have to get bigger when he crossed them? Why did Zane have to be totally into that?

  Whatever. He was going to be a man about this, and maybe this wasn’t as big of a deal as Sorin made it out to be.

  Sexual attraction didn’t mean anything had to go deeper than that. If Marxus was up for it, then what did it matter what happened after the fact?

  “Actually, I was wondering something,” Zane said.

  “Wondering something. Okay, shoot.”

  A few weeks ago, they never would have been speaking so casually. It wasn’t like they were friends, so there was no relationship to ruin. It was actually kind of perfect.

  Zane closed the distance. His hand came up behind Marxus’s neck, pulling him closer while Zane leaned forward.

  He let himself feel brave as he kissed the dragon softly, even a little sweetly. They were nothing to each other, so if Marxus turned him away, then it was no big deal. He could take what he needed and be perfectly content with everything else.

  Marxus didn’t kiss him back. Not at first, which was ruining this bravery Zane was putting on because he kind of needed the other man to go along with this for him to not feel like a complete idiot.

  Then, miracle of miracles, Marxus did finally kiss him back, his mouth hungry, tongue probing and searching against Zane’s lips until he opened for the man, opened himself to being dominated by him as Marxus held his jaw in both hands and tilted his head back, and it was fucking amazing.

  Chapter Two

  Okay, so this was new, and something Marxus never in a million years thought he would be taking advantage of.

  He’d always gotten the feeling the human would come to him, eventually. It was strange to think about, considering Zane had once been so angry with Marxus that he’d literally spat at him.

  Of course, that was when Zane had thought Marxus had been an accomplice to rape, so he supposed the other man had an excuse.

  He never thought the human would work up the balls to initiate the kissing.

  Marxus thought he would have to be the one to do that, and he’d expected to be turned away in the end, all things considered.

  All right. If the man wanted him, then Marxus was going to give it to him.

  Marxus pulled back from the kiss with a heavy gasp. “You want me to fuck you?”

  Zane nodded. “Right, as soon as possible.”

  “Sounds good to me. Come on.” He grabbed Zane by the hand, yanking him forward, but not to the house.

  “Wait, where are we going?”

  “I’ve got a better place in mind,” Marxus said, moving around to the back. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while.” And it was going to be so awesome making that particular fantasy come true.

  “You’re not going to tie me up in the woods and decorate me with berries or something, are you?”

  “What?” Marxus sputtered. The question was so ludicrous and stupid that he nearly stumbled and tripped as he looked back at the other man. “No!”

  “Sorry.” Zane had the decency to at least look somewhat abashed. “I don’t know anything about how dragons fuck.”

  “How do humans fuck?”

  “I don’t know!”

  “You don’t?” Marxus lifted a brow.

  Zane rolled his eyes, growling a little as Marxus began pulling him along again. “I do know, but there’s not a…normal, I guess.”

  Marxus chuckled. There were so many different ways that could go, but he was glad enough with the way Zane had said it.

  “Well, normal is the way dragons do it, too, so don’t worry.”

  “You’re not going to try having sex with me in your dragon shape? Because I don’t think I want you doing that.”

  “Jesus, no! Are you kidding? I might end up killing you!”

  “I was just asking.”

  “You ask weird things. Kills the mood. Get over here so I can fix it.” Marxus yanked the other man, pulling Zane flush against his chest.

  The man was shorter than Marxus was, not quite as broad in the shoulders, but he had good muscle definition. Had he been a dragon, he might have been an alpha or a powerful beta. Marxus liked that. He enjoyed his men strong. It made dominating them and taking them an extra pleasure to behold.

  And Zane allowed himself to be dominated and held so sweetly. Marxus almost wished the other man would put up a bit more of a fight as he kissed him.

  It was there. Marxus needed to work this time to coax Zane’s mouth open, to slide his tongue inside and take what should already belong to him.

  When he did, Zane growled, pushing his tongue back against Marxus’s, and that was when the fun began for Marxus.

  He allowed the man to fight back against him, to try his hardest to take control, but there was no way in hell Marxus was going to let him take it because, as far as Marxus was concerned, Zane had already given it up when he’d shyly kissed Marxus up front.

  Marxus put his hands into Zane’s hair. It was longer now than it had been when they’d first met. It had been buzzed military style. Zane was a good-looking man, so both looks suited him, and Marxus couldn’t help but fist the man’s hair excitedly.

  Zane moaned, yanking himself back from the kiss.

  “Don’t do that.”

  “Do what? Grab your hair?”

  Zane nodded, wetting his lips as his gaze traveled down to Marxus’s mouth and the little steel ring Marxus had pierced there. “Yeah.”

  Marxus didn’t immediately release the man, however. He kept his fingers right where they were, though he did loosen his grip. “Trust me, I can understand your reasoning, but at least let me do it this time.”

  “What? Why?”

  Marxus leaned in, purring against the human’s neck and ear. “Because you might like it if I’m a little rough with you when I’m inside you.” Marxus gripped Zane’s hips tightly, yanking his pelvis until their bodies came together, feeling the heat of Zane’s hard cock beneath the shorts he wore. “You’ll moan for more when my cock is in your ass, making you feel good.”

  Marxus’s dick jolted against the heat there. As a dragon, he could retain his clothing when he shifted from human to dragon shape. He was only wearin
g a pair of good running shoes and joggers to keep himself loose and free when he’d been rolling around with Lucian.

  “Do you usually take control? Or do you let other people do it? Do you like it when someone else is in charge?” Marxus reached down, cupping what felt to be a nice, firm length between Zane’s legs.

  “Depends,” Zane growled, pushing his hips forward, searching out more of the friction he clearly craved.

  “Depends on what?” Marxus asked. He had to know.

  “On whether the guy I’m in bed with is any good or not.”

  Marxus stopped short. He blinked at the other man and then snorted. “You little prick.”

  Zane grinned at that. It must have been the first time Marxus ever saw the man grin. It wasn’t nearly as exciting as seeing the man actually smiling for him, but it was something, and he was more than willing to take it.

  “That piss you off?” Zane asked.

  “A little. Not gonna lie.” Marxus leaned down, curling his arms around Zane’s knees, and then pulled the man up and onto his shoulder.

  “Hey!”

  “Don’t wiggle. I might drop you.”

  “Yeah? Well, maybe you shouldn’t be carrying me, asshole.”

  Now Marxus was grinning as he walked himself and his soon-to-be lover toward the pool. It was an indoor pool, but it had a set of doors coming out onto the back patio. Marxus supposed it was designed that way for whenever the vampires wanted to have a little middle-of-the-day swim so they could look outside. The closest a vampire could get to enjoying the great outdoors when the sun was out.

  “I can walk, you know,” Zane said.

  Marxus loved that he was clearly uncomfortable with this. He wasn’t sure why he loved it so much. He really shouldn’t love it this much, but he did. He fucking adored the way this man couldn’t stand to be carried.

  He wasn’t used to letting go. Marxus was going to change that.

  “Are you listening?”

  “I am. Quit squawking in my ear. It’s ruining the effect of your hard-on against my shoulder.” Marxus smiled as innocently as he could up at the other man when he made that comment.

  The wide-eyed, scandalized blushing he got in return was more than worth it.

  “Watch your head,” he warned, opening the door to the pool room and stepping inside.

  Zane barely managed to duck in time to keep from getting smacked.

  “I don’t squawk,” Zane muttered, but that was basically about as far as his protests went.

  Marxus chuckled. Zane was a handsome guy, but he was also cute. Marxus didn’t think the proud human would enjoy being called such a thing, so he kept it to himself.

  For now. Maybe he would tell Zane at a later time how he really felt about him. Until then…

  Marxus threw Zane into the pool, laughing all the while at his shocked shout just before he hit the water.

  Marxus splashed himself with how close to the edge he’d thrown the other man, but it was worth it just to hear that noise and to see the look on Zane’s face as the man came up for air, shaking his head to get the water off him.

  “Are you fucking crazy?”

  “Relax. You’re not in the shallow end.” Marxus pushed his joggers down, toeing out of his shoes. “Now get your clothes off. You shouldn’t be wearing anything in the pool.”

  “You were the one who threw me in here!”

  “Don’t argue with me,” Marxus growled, keeping his tone only as a light warning. He wanted to make the other man really squirm.

  Zane had said he only let some people dominate him, but now it was time for Marxus to find out just how deep that desire to be dominated went. He got the feeling his human liked it when someone didn’t just take control but when they really took control.

  Zane swam over to the shallower end of the pool where he could stand up without his head going under. He glared at Marxus the entire time. “This better not be some bullshit trick.”

  “I would never do that to you,” Marxus assured him, following the man with a slow walk over to the shallow end. He didn’t get into the pool right away. He went to the doors. Locking them.

  The chances were decent that no one would walk in on them, but if any of his fellow dragons were still up and about at this time of day, then he didn’t want to take the risk that they might want to come in here for a relaxing little dip when he was in the middle of trying to get laid.

  Zane tossed his sopping wet clothes onto the edge of the pool. That was when Marxus decided to join him.

  He stepped into the water, one foot at a time, hardly able to contain himself or to ignore the throb in his cock. The pool was supposed to be room temperature, but after his heated spar with Lucian, the water felt almost cold on his skin.

  Even that wasn’t enough to calm down the heat of his dick. He wanted this man. More than he’d thought possible.

  “So you’ve had a fantasy about fucking me in Varrick’s pool?”

  Marxus smirked, coming up close to the other man, close enough their chests were almost touching, and beneath the water, their dicks definitely made a light contact. “Something like that.”

  Zane looked at him. His throat worked in a swallow. There was no way this man could know how vulnerable he looked right then, and for someone with his training to have that kind of expression on his face…it was enough to bring out all the protective instincts Marxus had for him.

  He put his hand behind Zane’s neck. “I’ve been thinking about this since that day I pinned you when you first came here.”

  Zane lifted a brow. “The day I thought Dimitri was forcing himself on my brother?”

  Marxus nodded. He couldn’t contain the grin. “Uh-huh. You were a spunky little thing.”

  If Zane had hackles, they would have risen at that moment. “Little?”

  Marxus shut him up with a kiss before he could get anything else out.

  Zane shut up all right. The man’s eyes popped wide, but it was almost instantly after that when his mouth softened, opened, accepting Marxus inside.

  Marxus slid his hand along the back of Zane’s neck, feeling the soft hairs there, pulling the man closer, urging him to let his head fall back so Marxus could take what he wanted.

  What was his.

  At least for tonight and, maybe, if they were lucky, a few days after this. That would be amazing.

  It was always fun getting the tough guys to submit to him. Zane was almost not putting up enough of a fight for it to have that same adrenaline high, but the rush Marxus got seemed to be coming from somewhere else. He couldn’t figure out where, not really, but he didn’t bother himself with thinking about it.

  All he had to do was take it.

  Zane moaned, a soft, sweet little noise that made Marxus growl. His inner dragon, for one of the few times in his life, felt like an entirely separate being from himself.

  The creature wanted back out. It wanted to wrap itself around Zane and keep him there forever, not sharing with anyone or anything.

  Yeah, well, that was too damned bad for the dragon because Marxus was the one who was going to get in on this. He yanked Zane around, noting the soft shocked noise Zane let out against Marxus’s mouth.

  Marxus bit the man’s lower lip, grinning and wiggling his brows at him as he put Zane’s back up against the wall of the pool.

  Zane propped his arms up over the ledge, allowing Marxus all the room he needed to lift Zane’s hips.

  “Curl your legs around me.” He nearly moaned when Zane did as he was told. “God, you are so fucking sexy.”

  Zane grinned, though there was an edge of uncertainty in it. “Well, I’m glad you approve.”

  “Do you approve?” Marxus purred.

  “Of what?”

  Marxus reached down, taking his cock in hand and letting the head slide back and forth against the crack of Zane’s ass. He watched, grinning stupidly as Zane’s eyes widened and his pink, kiss-swollen lips parted.

  Marxus couldn’t resist. He leaned in,
capturing that mouth in another quick kiss.

  He almost wasn’t able to pull away when Zane did a little lip biting of his own, only he caught the ring in Marxus’s mouth.

  The playful grin on Zane’s face when Marxus looked at him was enough to make Marxus growl at the man.

  Yeah, he understood what was being said here. Just because Zane was handing his ass over to Marxus for play didn’t mean the man was going to entirely submit.

  Well, they were going to have to see about that, weren’t they?

  Eventually, Zane let him go.

  “Thought you liked biting lips.”

  “Only yours, and that’s a weird way to phrase that.”

  “No it’s not!” Zane chortled.

  “It sounds weird. You thought I liked biting lips. Sounds nefarious and kind of cannibalistic.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I’m the one ruining the romance, I get it. Hurry up and get inside me.”

  “You’re not worried it’ll hurt?” Marxus cooed, letting his cock head slide again and again at Zane’s pucker.

  He could see exactly what sort of effect he was having on the other man. He could see just how it made him shiver, how it made his thick lashes flutter, and how the color in Zane’s cheeks increased each and every time Marxus pulled back just before he could push inside.

  Zane got ahold of himself, and he glared at Marxus. “I’m not a virgin, and I’ve done it with just water before. It’s not preferred, but I can handle it. If you turn out to be any good at this. That last part is entirely on you, by the way.”

  So spunky. Marxus had been annoyed by it when they’d first met. Zane had been a snarling wild thing. Now it was exciting to be able to play this game with him and to know he was going to make the man come undone in good time.

  “Uh-huh,” Marxus said. “Sure, if I don’t get you off, it’s my fault, got it.”

  He pressed his cockhead a little harder against the man’s asshole, feeling it give in just a little. The pressure threatening to consume the head of Marxus’s dick was almost too much. He was just barely managing to keep himself under control. He wanted Zane to look at him and think that Marxus had control, that this was nothing to him and he wasn’t going slowly insane from the teasing, but at the same time, there was only so far his acting skills could stretch.