Revived (The Dungeon Black Duology 2)

Max’s smile widened. “Hi.”

Sean chuckled. “Hello.”

And still, Max kept his sleepy eyes glued firm. Like he didn’t trust Sean to stay, even though Sean said that he would.

Sean sighed and looked away, his gaze meandering down Max’s torso. He was wearing a pair of dog tags. The ones Sean saw on Max’s mirror? When he laid bound to his bed for over an hour? Sean smiled. He kept going, taking in those glorious pecs. Not to mention Max’s mouthwatering nipples. They were sporting barbells again. Sean wanted to suck them. At the rate things were going, Max would probably let him.

So different. Max was so fucking different tonight…

It made a part of Sean wish he’d never sober up.

Sean’s gaze roamed down Max’s six pack, past his navel to his ink. The very tattoo Sean had worshipped not so long ago. Only with his lips, though. Now he wanted to worship it with his tongue.

He reached out and skimmed its sensual arcs with his finger, down until it dipped beneath Max’s jeans. “Is there something to this marking? Or do you just like the design?”

Max shifted under his touch. Sean could feel his abs contracting. “It’s Navajo,” he answered. His voice had gone quiet.

“Nice,” Sean murmured, retracing the paths. “A symbol?”

“Yeah.” Max popped his fly’s button, then downed its zipper.

Oh, fuck. He wasn’t wearing any underwear again. And while his boner was shoved to the side and mostly covered, Sean could still see a glimpse of its base.

He swallowed. Cleared his throat. Tried to focus on the tat. But goddamn, he really wanted that in his mouth. “So, the symbol… What’s it stand for?”

Max stroked his straining bulge. “Lone strength… And fortitude.”

Shit, his timbre. All husky and low. Sean’s dick gave a nudge. He quickly readjusted it. There. A little better. Max’s words sank in.

“Sounds like you.” He smiled. “Which parent is Navajo?”

Max’s hand paused. “My mom.”

“Nice. She live close?”

A single nod. “Two towns over.”

“Cool. With your dad?”

“No.”

Sean eyed him. “So, where’s he?”

Sadness flickered in Max’s gaze. “Dead.”

Sean stilled. “Oh. I’m sorry.”

Max shrugged a little. “I was young.”

Damn. Two huge deaths in the span of one childhood. Sean’s chest squeezed. Another puzzle piece. Another layer peeling back. No wonder Max was so reluctant to form bonds.

And leave it to Sean to find the biggest buzz kill ever.

Time for more damage control. His fucking motto these days.

Tonight he was going to go with stark distraction.

Forcing a brazen smile, he sat up and straddled Max’s thighs.

“I’m thinking about getting my dick pierced. Any thoughts on which I should get?”

Max blinked. His brows rose. He blinked again. Then started laughing. “You are so fucking full of it.”

Sean laughed, too. “I’m serious.”

“Yeah, uh huh. And I’m the Pope.”

Max was smiling again. Phew. Bullet officially dodged.

But before Sean could come clean—no way in hell he’d pierce his dick—Max sat up and pulled him back into his arms. Just straight-up hugged him out of the blue, his face nuzzled snug against Sean’s neck.

“Stay. Don’t go.”

Sean wound his arms around him, too. “Max, I’m not leaving.”

“But you will,” he mumbled. “It’s gonna happen.”

Sean frowned. Max said that like he was referring to something else. Like they weren’t even discussing the same thing. His heart pounded anxiously. Max was acting strange more than drunk. It made Sean uneasy. Like he was missing some crucial part of the picture.

He pressed his cheek to Max’s head. “I won’t if you don’t want me to.”

Max’s drunk chuckle sounded dismal. “It’ll happen regardless. I’ll look away by accident and you’ll be gone.”

What? He’d be gone? Max wasn’t making sense again. Sean would never leave without at least saying goodbye.

Max’s mouth brushed his skin, right in the nook of Sean’s neck, then parted with a rumble and started sucking. Current shivered down Sean’s spine and plunged into his junk, sending every single inch of him back to sizzling.

His eyes rolled back. “Fuck, Max,” he moaned. He wanted this man more than words could ever express.

Max’s lips roamed higher. His hands clutched Sean’s ass. “Cat…” he rasped. “Need you. Need inside your body.” He shifted onto his knees, nearly toppling over in the process, then sat back on his heels with Sean straddling him.

Oh, shit. In this position, his dick was pressing against Sean’s ass. Sean’s body lit up again. Max wanted to fuck. And Sean absolutely wanted to, too.

But they couldn’t. Because, again, Max was motherfucking drunk.

Damn that whiskey to fucking hell!

“Sean…”

Ungh, God. Max’s breath just grazed his ear.

Sean’s whole body undulated, even as he cursed. “I can’t, Max. I want to. So fucking bad. But I can’t.”

Max growled. “Why not?” He snagged Sean’s lobe and bit down. Not hard, per se, but enough to make Sean gasp.

“Because we can’t with you wasted like this. That’d be taking advantage. And I won’t take advantage of you, Max. I won’t.”