“Thank you,” Dex said softly, wrapping his arms just that tiny bit tighter around Sloane.

  Sloane stood, a sinful smile crawling across his face as he traced his thumb over Dex’s bottom lip. “Night’s not over yet, sweetheart. Open wide.”

  Dex did so with pleasure, humming around Sloane’s thick length. He slipped his hands around Sloane’s thighs, his eyes on Sloane’s as he moved slowly, one hand in Dex’s hair and his bottom lip between his teeth as he watched himself slide in and out of Dex’s mouth.

  “Fuck, you’re beautiful.” Sloane stroked Dex’s cheek, and Dex pulled back so his lips were around the head of Sloane’s cock. Sloane stilled, moaning as Dex pressed his tongue into Sloane’s slit. He flicked his tongue before tightening his lips around Sloane and taking him down to the root. Sloane cursed under his breath and started fucking Dex’s mouth in earnest, the sounds coming from him making Dex hard all over again. He palmed his erection as Sloane’s thrusts became quick, his hands holding Dex’s head in place. Dex felt Sloane stiffen just before he doubled over, coming in Dex’s mouth.

  Sloane shivered, his arms wrapped around Dex’s head as he emptied himself inside Dex’s mouth, and it was all Dex needed to reach his own release. He eased Sloane back down onto his lap, enjoying his mate’s languid kisses and soft caresses. The tension Dex had been feeling was gone, his heart happy. They made the most of the time they had in the private room, with Sloane announcing it was only fair that Dex got to ride his cowboy, and boy did he ever. Dex loved being inside Sloane, but there was nothing like the feel of Sloane’s thick, hard cock stretching him or the way Sloane held him in his arms. It was like nothing could touch him because Sloane had him.

  They’d switched positions, Sloane sitting back against the tufted banquette while Dex straddled him, kissing him everywhere. Their movements slowed, and Dex brushed his lips over Sloane’s closed eyelids. He kissed Sloane tenderly, his arms around Sloane’s neck, fingers caressing the back of Sloane’s head. Dex pulled back to look into those amazing glowing amber eyes, his movements slow and steady.

  “It’s kind of scary how much I love you,” Dex said quietly.

  “I was just thinking the same thing,” Sloane admitted.

  “Yeah?”

  Sloane nodded, his fingers tracing Dex’s spine as they moved together. “You’ve become everything. I can’t think of a better way to spend the rest of my life than at your side.”

  Dex kissed him, pouring all his love and need into his kiss. They laced their fingers together as Dex rode toward his climax, his body shivering as he felt Sloane’s release seconds before his own. They held each other for what seemed like the longest time until there was a knock on the door.

  “Give us a minute,” Dex called out gruffly. He kissed Sloane’s brow, then got up. They got dressed, Dex’s shirt hanging open due to his missing buttons, and Sloane shirtless, wearing just the snug dark jeans and the leather chaps. Dex wasn’t about to leave those behind. He grabbed the cowboy hat and stuck it on his head, grinning up at Sloane.

  “I definitely approve of the sexy bad-boy cowboy.”

  “I thought you would,” Sloane said with a chuckle. They walked out to find their friends outside. Everyone cheered and whooped, whistling at Sloane and catcalling. Ash stuck a twenty in the waistband of Sloane’s jeans.

  “There you go, buddy. Put that toward your college fund.”

  Sloane laughed and shoved Ash away from him. “You’re such a dick.” He nodded to Hudson—who handed Sloane his clothes and long gray overcoat—then winked. “Thanks for the idea.”

  Dex stared at Hudson. “This was your idea?”

  Hudson’s cheeks flushed, and he nodded. “Cael helped me arrange it.”

  Dex threw one arm around Hudson’s shoulders, the other around Cael’s, drawing them in close for a hug. “You guys are the best.” He got a little teary-eyed as he looked at his friends. He couldn’t have been more blessed. “Thanks, everyone.”

  Sloane said his goodbyes, then turned to Dex and wrapped him up in his arms. “Enjoy the rest of your night, sweetheart.”

  “This has already been the best night ever,” Dex said, kissing Sloane. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  As Dex watched Sloane go, his smile couldn’t get any bigger. Once Sloane was gone, Dex headed back toward the dance floor. No way was he ever going to forget this night.

  Four

  Sloane couldn’t believe he was doing this. As nervous as he’d been before his striptease at the club, he was far more nervous now. After changing at the club, Sloane had come straight to Tony’s. He’d made sure to leave his stripper clothes in the trunk of his car, in case they decided to go out for food or something. Last thing he needed was to have to explain leather chaps and a cowboy hat to his sergeant.

  The front door opened, and Sloane smiled. “Hi.”

  Wow. Not. Awkward. At. All.

  Tony nodded. “You gonna come in, or you planning on hovering in my doorway all night?”

  “Right. Sorry.” This was going to be an interesting evening.

  Tony stepped to one side, and Sloane walked in. He waited for Tony to close the door, then followed him into the living room. This was hardly his first time in Tony’s house. He’d been over plenty of times for holiday dinners, birthdays, and weekend family dinners along with Ash, Cael, and Dex. Sloane always had a great time. However, each of those times, he’d been with Dex, except for the day Sloane had come to tell Tony that he planned to marry his son.

  “I guess Dex arranged this little playdate so we could bond or whatever.” Tony took a seat on the armchair and Sloane on the large couch.

  Crap. Should he have brought something? Dex rarely did. Then again, this was Dex’s second home. It’s where he grew up. Sloane could almost see a young Dex running around, high on sugar, wreaking havoc with his little brother. He couldn’t help his smile. “Yeah.”

  “It’s weird,” Tony muttered.

  Sloane cleared his throat. “Yep.”

  “You and Ash have been like family for years now. Long before you got together with my boys. I don’t see why we need a bonding session.”

  Sloane tried his best not to chuckle at Tony’s griping. Dex was always teasing his dad about turning into a grumpy old man. How he’d soon be shouting at kids to turn down their boom boxes and chasing squirrels out of his garden. Tony would just shake his head and mutter something about how he knew he shouldn’t have given Dex all that radioactive cereal when he was a kid.

  “Agreed,” Sloane said. “I guess he just wants us to spend some time together outside of work.”

  “Makes sense, I suppose. Want something to drink?”

  “Um, I’ll take a beer. Thanks.”

  Tony got up and headed toward the kitchen. “You eat yet?”

  “No. I was going to order something earlier, but I got caught up in the horde gathered outside the house waiting for the limo, and then time got away from me.” What with stripping for your son and all that. He’d keep that part to himself.

  “How’s Sergio’s Subs sound?”

  Sergio’s had the kind of subs dreams were made of. “Sounds perfect. I’ll have that Therian-size chicken parm Dex always makes inappropriate comments about.” Sloane wasn’t one to indulge in foods drowning in sauce and smothered in cheese, but he figured he deserved some comfort food tonight. The evening was just getting started.

  Tony shook his head and handed Sloane a cold beer. “I swear, that boy and his food. Gets it from his daddy. That and the inappropriate comments. Dex might be pretty like his momma, but he got all his daddy’s weirdness.” Tony laughed and shook his head as he went off to place their order.

  Sloane smiled, and his heart squeezed for Tony. He couldn’t fathom trying to raise a brokenhearted little boy who’d just lost his parents, while mourning his own loss. Tony was one of the bravest men Sloane knew. He’d always looked up to him, respected him, and strived to never let him down. Sloane was still trying to wrap his head around Tony being his father-in-law, not to mention Tony’s secret relationship with Sparks. Tony was a very smart, sharp man. He’d been in the THIRDS for years. Sparks might be an exceptional undercover operative, but how could he not be suspicious? Something wasn’t adding up for Sloane. He’d tried bringing it up with Dex, but Dex was too close to the situation. He was having trouble seeing past Sparks and what she might have up her sleeve. Telling Tony about Sparks was a dilemma he and Dex didn’t completely agree on, and one of these days, something would have to give, and that was before Cael was thrown into the mix. Sloane had a feeling Cael was going to lose his ever-loving mind.

  “I can’t believe Cael put himself in charge of the crazy train tonight.”

  “Yeah, well. Cael’s a smart guy. He was in charge of putting it all together, but he put Ash in charge of making sure it got done. Everyone was present and accounted for before the limo arrived, even Austen. The limo left on the dot. I have no doubt that was down to Ash.”

  Tony chuckled. “They make one hell of a team, those two.”

  “That they do.” Sloane took another sip and braced himself. Tony was smirking.

  “How’s the wedding planning going?”

  Sloane groaned. “Lou showed us this giant book of color swatches and asked us which shade we liked. I looked down at the page and said they all looked the same to me. I mean, they were all blue. The look Lou gave me…” Sloane shivered at the memory. “I swear my life flashed before my eyes. I thought he was going to shank me with that giant bedazzled pen he keeps on his desk.”

  Tony’s eyes went wide before he let out a bark of laughter. At least someone was amused by Sloane’s traumatic experience.

  “You told that boy those color swatches looked the same? Son, that’s like telling Hobbs all explosives are the same, or telling Cal his momma’s pecan pie tastes like every other pecan pie. How are you still alive?”

  Sloane shrugged. “Probably because Dex was there. I mean, how the hell am I supposed to tell the difference between turquoise, teal, aqua, and the million variations in between? Did you know that there are certain color schemes for certain months?”

  “I did not know that,” Tony replied, sounding amused.

  “It was terrifying. I don’t think I’ve ever been more scared in my life than I was sitting in Lou’s office trying to pick a color. The man is frightening. I swear, if you ever need to break someone, just send Lou in with his swatches, and I guarantee you they’ll confess everything within seconds.”

  Tony chuckled. “Lou’s as fierce as any of Unit Alpha’s agents when it comes to his job. He deals with hostiles every day, devises strategical tactics for all his missions, and carries through with flawless execution. God help the poor bastard who throws a wrench in the works. He had Dex hunt down a florist who delivered the wrong flowers to one of his weddings. Last I heard, the guy moved to Alaska.”

  They both laughed. “Yeah, I have no intention of crossing Lou.”

  “Did you pick out a color scheme?”

  “Dex is going with tangerine and turquoise.”

  “Orange? Why am I not surprised?” Tony said, shaking his head.

  “To be honest, Dex has taken over most of the wedding planning. He knows how to handle Lou, and Lou knows how to say no to Dex, which apparently is something I still have trouble with.”

  “Because you’re a pushover when it comes to my son.”

  “Yeah, I guess I am.”

  “That’s not always a good thing.”

  The doorbell rang, and Tony went to answer it. Sloane supposed it was only a matter of time before the conversation turned more serious. Tony hadn’t mentioned TIN since Dex had told him, and Sloane was certain that was hardly the end of the matter. Unlike most of them, Tony had good timing. He more often than not knew exactly when and how to bring something up.

  Tony motioned over to the kitchen island counter, and Sloane followed him, then pulled out a stool for Tony and one for himself. He took a seat, thanking Tony for the fresh beer and the food.

  “I can hold my ground if I need to,” Sloane said as he unwrapped his giant sandwich. It smelled amazing.

  “Yeah?”

  Sloane frowned. “Yeah. If it’s important. If it means keeping him safe.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.” Tony took a big bite out of his meatball sub.

  Sloane took a chunk out of his own sub. A moan escaped him before he could stop it, making Tony chuckle. “Good?”

  Sloane’s eyes drifted shut as he chewed. “Dex was right,” he said around a mouthful of food. This sub was orgasmic. He finished swallowing and pointed at Tony. “Don’t tell him I said so. He’ll want to eat this every day. I just got him to eat pumpkin, and not the kind that comes in a pie.”

  Tony whistled. “Well damn, son. Look at you. I’ve only ever gotten him to eat peas, and only if they were sprinkled with shredded cheese.”

  “That’s how I got him to eat broccoli,” Sloane admitted. And a host of other vegetables. Of course, Sloane had failed to mention that the grated cheddar was made with two percent milk. They went back to eating and talking. Sloane was enjoying Tony’s sarcastic humor. Tony could say what he wanted about Dex inheriting John’s weirdness, but Dex had inherited plenty from Anthony Maddock. The man might be stoic a good portion of the time, and anyone who didn’t know him might think he had no sense of humor at all, but he did. It was all in his delivery. He also had a certain twinkle in his eyes.

  Once they’d finished eating and cleaning up, Tony handed Sloane another beer, and they went back to the living room. Tony turned on the TV, and Sloane held back a smile. It was one of the many shows Dex watched. Tony didn’t strike Sloane as the ghosts and monsters type.

  “Dex get you hooked on this show too?” Sloane asked, sitting back and making himself comfortable.

  “Yeah. I didn’t think I’d get into it on account of all the vampires, angels, and whatnot, but I like the brothers. The older one reminds me of Dex sometimes.”

  “That’s why he started watching it. Someone told him he reminded them of the brother, and Dex had to check it out for himself. Got hooked by the end of the first episode. Binge-watched like ten seasons and made me watch it with him. It’s fun.” Especially when Dex would get so absorbed in an episode he would completely zone out. One time, Dex had been so engrossed he hadn’t even realized Sloane had left the room or heard him when he said he was going to the kitchen. Sloane had come back upstairs and scared the hell out of Dex so badly that he’d fallen off the bed after scrambling into action and getting tangled in the sheets.

  Sloane and Tony watched the show for a while, until Sloane noticed Tony wasn’t actually watching the show. He was just kind of staring off in the direction of the TV. Well, it was now or never.

  “You’re worried about us and TIN.”

  Tony didn’t move or say anything for several heartbeats. Before Sloane could speak up again, Tony met Sloane’s gaze. “I am. I don’t think you boys know what you’re getting into.”

  Sloane thought carefully about how he was going to approach this. It was best to be honest. “Dex is good at what he does. He’s been training hard. It’s impressive, really. He jokes around, but he’s serious about being the best.”

  “Yeah, he’s never been one to do things half-assed. When he believes in something, he puts his all into it.”

  “Then what is it?”

  Tony’s gaze was unwavering. “I’m not as oblivious as everyone believes I am, Sloane. If I was a different type of man, I’d find it offensive.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means I might not know who all the players are or what their end game is, but I will eventually. I know that soon my son will be keeping even more secrets from me, but you know better than anyone that no secret stays buried for long. The truth will eventually come out. I love my sons. Hell, I love you and Ash and the rest of the team, but if we’re being honest here, it galls me that you all don’t trust me as much as I trust you.”

  Sloane swallowed hard. He opened his mouth to reply, but Tony held up a hand. “I’m not trying to put you on the spot. I know if it comes down to me and Dex, you’ll side with Dex, and I respect that. You’re going to be his husband, and you want to support him and the decisions he makes, but you need to remember that what Dex thinks is best for himself and everyone else isn’t always best. Sometimes his decisions, no matter how well-intentioned, are not the right ones. Sometimes he needs to let people decide for themselves.”

  Sloane knew Tony was referring to something in particular, but he had no way of knowing for sure. He wasn’t about to throw things out there and reveal something he shouldn’t. He nodded.

  “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” And Sloane meant it. He had a feeling that whatever this was, it was just the beginning. He hoped they were all ready. They continued to watch TV until Tony got up and motioned for him to follow.

  “How about some air hockey?”

  “Um… Sure. Sounds like fun.” Dex had warned him, but really. How bad could it be?

  Five

  Dex had consumed so many gummy bears in the last few hours, he was pretty sure he was going to be pooping rainbows. In between dancing, drinking, and snacking, he sent Sloane a text telling him he missed him and loved him. Hopefully his plan to get Sloane and Tony to bond was going well. He hadn’t heard back from Sloane, so he imagined the two were busy doing whatever it was they were doing.

  Later in the evening, Dex was starving. He leaned over to Cael, who was very drunk and sucking face with Ash. It was clearly getting to that time of night. The “we’re so drunk and horny we should do something about it right here, right now” phase.