Catch a Tiger by the Tail (22 page)

“Sure.” Calvin headed for the male locker room. They might as well change and get dressed. The guys were going to need them to perform PSTC, and he’d rather not be half-naked while doing it. Having Ethan naked would be enough, especially since they’d have to wait until their shift ended to do anything more than a little kissing.

Dex entered the shower next to him and spoke up. “Listen, I have an idea for a tattoo, but I’m not so great at drawing. Actually, I’m kinda shit. I was thinking maybe you’d design it for me?” Dex asked hopefully. “I’ll pay you, obviously. Dollars, favors, snacks. You name it.”

Calvin peered at him as he removed his shower gel from his toiletry bag. “I’m not sure if I should ask what kind of favors you mean.”

Dex eyed him in return. “What kind of favors do you not want it to mean?”

“Sexual.”

Too many weird coincidences lately. Dex looked unimpressed.

“You and Sloane, man. I am not looking for a foursome.”

Calvin hummed. “Well, the evidence is kind of stacked against you.”

“No sexual favors. I can’t believe I have to clarify that,” Dex said with a sad shake of his head. He turned on the shower and tested the water’s temperature. “Favors like, I don’t know, pick up your laundry or something. We’ll figure it out later. So do you think you can do that for me?”

“You really want me to design your tattoo?” Calvin couldn’t help how stupidly happy that made him. He’d designed tattoos for plenty of people but never for a friend.

“Yeah. Hobbs keeps going on about how awesome you are, and we both know he’s not one to bullshit. Anyway, if you’re interested, I’d love to run some ideas by you. It would mean a lot to me.” Dex stopped to put his hand on his arm, the one carrying Sloane’s mark. It was pretty much all healed up, the scars from Sloane’s claw marks prominently displayed for all to see. “It’s for me, but really, it’s more for him. Something to remind him I’ll always be here when he needs me.”

Aw, Dex was such a sappy romantic. Calvin couldn’t help his smile. “Wow, that serious, huh?”

“Yeah,” Dex replied, his wide grin almost shy. “It’s kind of scary how much I love him, and this mark… it’s weird. It’s like when he’s not around, I can still feel him, and I miss him like crazy. Like everything I felt before has been amplified. Does that make sense?”

“Makes sense. I don’t know much about Therian marks, especially on Humans, but I know it’s pretty powerful stuff on Therians. That’s why you don’t see a lot of it happening. No offense, but I’m surprised Sloane went through with it. That’s pretty much as committed as you can get. It’s more binding than a marriage, which isn’t even very binding these days.”

Dex cocked his head thoughtfully as he rinsed off. “I’m still kind of surprised too. My dad was all up in arms about it because of what happened with Hudson and Seb.”

Calvin sighed. “Yeah, that’s messed up.” Marking was for life. These days there wasn’t a whole lot that was permanent. Tattoos could be removed, cosmetic surgery could repair and replace, but Therian marks? That shit went deep. Even if surgery fixed the scar, the mark was still there, under the skin. It was so uncommon it was still being studied and researched. A Human marked by a Therian was very rare.

“I can see why your dad would freak. I mean, if a Therian mate is no longer with their partner, it’ll be tough to find another mate, especially Therian. But they could still potentially be in a relationship with a Human. For Human mates, that list of potential partners drops even more. There’s a lot of stigma surrounding Humans who are marked. Not everyone is so open-minded. Mainly they tend to think it’s some kind of kink.”

“That’s because there’s still a lot of stupid out there.”

“Preaching to the choir,” Calvin grumbled. He’d been dealing with anti-Therianism most of his life.

Dex rubbed at his eyes and blinked. He stepped out from under the water and dried his face before rubbing his eyes again.

“You okay? Getting a little emotional?” Calvin teased.

“Fuck off,” Dex said with a laugh. “Dick. No. My eyes are itchy. I think I must have gotten something in them at some point. They keep itching.”

“You might want to get them checked out just in case. You know we’re always walking through gross shit out there.” Calvin cringed at the thought. Sometimes he didn’t want to know what they were stepping in or walking through when they were called out to Greenpoint. Their equipment could only protect them from so much. Suddenly he felt the need to use a little extra shower gel.

“Yeah. It started a few weeks ago, but it’s been getting worse. It’s not unbearable or anything, just annoying. Sloane looked, but he couldn’t see anything. It’s fine.”

“Okay, then. So tell me about this tattoo.”

Dex’s cheeks flushed, and he let out a shy laugh. “This is probably going to sound cheesy, but when he’s feeling uncertain, or the world’s coming down on him, I want him to look at my arm, see the artwork, know what’s underneath, and know without a doubt that I’m there to guide him back home.”

“That’s not cheesy,” Calvin assured him. It was incredibly sweet. “How about we hang out sometime soon, you pick a day, and we can get together to discuss ideas and styles. Then I can come up with some sketches, see what you think. Are we talking black and white, or color?”

“Color. I’m thinking something kind of old-school. From my wrist to my elbow.”

“You do realize that tattoos can get addictive. Once you’d have one, especially that size, you might want another.”

Dex held his arms out and wriggled his eyebrows. “I got plenty of room.”

“Okay, that’s way more than I needed to see,” Calvin said with a laugh. “I’d love to design your tattoo.” The more he thought about it, the more excited he got. “This is going to be awesome.”

“Thanks. And let’s keep this between us. I want it to be a surprise.”

Dex turned off the shower, and Calvin finished up. He joined Dex in the locker room just as Sloane and Ethan came trotting through the doorway. Ash and Cael most likely were already in the Therian changing rooms being helped with PSTC. Calvin got dressed, swatting at Ethan when his boyfriend swiped a paw at his butt.

“Hey, watch it, mister.”

Ethan chuffed and sat down, his tail swaying and thumping cheerfully on the floor. Sloane had to get his scent all over Dex, rubbing his face against his partner’s legs and circling him. Dex didn’t even bat an eye anymore. It had freaked him out a while back. Now he went about his business while his lethal jaguar Therian partner rubbed up against him, purring like a big house cat. As soon as Calvin was back in his uniform, he opened Ethan’s locker and removed his uniform, along with his duffle bag containing his boots, socks, and underwear. He threw it over his shoulder and turned to give Ethan’s ear a playful tug.

“Come on, you.” He waved as he walked out of the locker room, calling out behind him. “See you guys in a bit.”

As he neared the Therian changing room, Ash and Cael were walking out. Ash narrowed his eyes at Calvin and thrust a finger in his face.

“I know you put him up to that.”

“Me?” Calvin blinked innocently. “I would never.” It’s not like he didn’t know Ethan could get away with it. Next to Cael, Ethan was the only one who wouldn’t get his ass kicked by Ash.

Ash moved a menacing finger to Ethan. “That’s sad, man. You are so whipped.”

Ethan licked Ash’s finger, and Calvin had to bite down on his bottom lip to keep himself from laughing. The scandalized expression on Ash’s face was too much.

“You’re a dick.”

Ethan chuffed, and Ash grunted as he walked off, Cael chuckling beside him. Calvin turned to Ethan and held his hand out.

“Low five.”

With a mew, Ethan smacked Calvin’s hand with his huge paw. Calvin was in a good mood, despite knowing they’d be attending yet another one of Sparks’s training sessions later today. He was looking forward to working on Dex’s tattoo. The fun part, aside from the actual designing, was finding the right style. For Dex, something old-school would look great. Something vintage maybe.

Calvin stood to one side of the empty changing station and waited for Ethan to go in before he followed and pulled the curtain closed. There was a little kitchenette-type station on one side with a small fridge and supplies the THIRDS kept stocked. The THIRDS might not be perfect, but they made sure to provide their agents with all the essentials, and that included keeping changing stations stocked with Postshift Trauma Care kits and supplies.

As Ethan began to shift back, Calvin collected the supplies he’d need. A bottle of Gatorade from the fridge, some protein bars from the cabinet, along with hefty beef sticks. He flinched instinctively at Ethan’s pained screams as he changed. He’d never get used to that. By the time Ethan was done, Calvin had set out everything they needed, and he’d hung up Ethan’s uniform.

Ethan sat on the bench, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands as he waited for the wave of dizziness to pass. Calvin sat next to him and placed a kiss on his boyfriend’s shoulder. Ethan raised his head and smiled.

“Hi.”

Ethan’s smile was beautiful, and it reached his bright green eyes. He leaned in to Calvin and placed a kiss on his lips.

“Hungry?” Calvin asked him.

Ethan nodded. With a quick kiss, Calvin stood and grabbed the Gatorade and some of the beef sticks. He handed the beef to Ethan and tilted his head back, holding the bottle for him as he drank. When it was all gone, Ethan ate his snacks while Calvin fetched the protein bars. They’d head off to the canteen to get Ethan some real food as soon as his partner was able. Of course, as soon as his partner was able, he had a different hunger in mind.

Calvin was clearing up the small counter when Ethan slipped his hands around his waist, something hard poking into his back.
Well, now. What’s this?
Okay, so he had a pretty good idea of what it was, but he really hadn’t been expecting it. Ethan nuzzled Calvin’s temple, his soft words in Calvin’s ear.

“I might need a little more care.”

Calvin turned in his arms, groaning when Ethan thrust his hips forward. “Is that so, Agent Hobbs?”

Ethan nodded. “And you’re the only one that can give it to me.” He took hold of Calvin’s hand and moved it onto his hard dick. A shiver went through Calvin, and he all but melted against Ethan. Man, he was so in trouble. With a brush of his lips, Ethan walked to the bench and sat down. He leaned back on his hands and spread his legs, his pupils dilated as he watched Calvin. Damn, he was gorgeous. Powerful, muscular, yet so incredibly sweet and gentle, it took Calvin’s breath away.

Calvin stopped in front of Ethan and stood between his knees. He bent down to kiss him, his tongue slipping between Ethan’s lips as he explored and tasted every inch of his mouth. With a wicked smile, he got down on his knees and palmed Ethan’s erection. It was a thing of beauty, much like the rest of Ethan.

“We can’t be too long,” Calvin told him, receiving a nod in response. He brought Ethan’s cock into his mouth and swallowed it down to the root. A gasp escaped Ethan, but other than that, he was completely silent. Calvin did his best not to moan as Ethan huffed and writhed underneath him. Ethan clutched onto the edge of the bench until his knuckles were white, resulting in Calvin doubling his efforts. He loved driving Ethan crazy, loved watching the way his muscles tensed, the look of absolute ecstasy on his handsome face. Calvin drew back to the tip before plunging back down, his lips tight around Ethan. He sucked, licked, and laved when Ethan slipped his fingers into Calvin’s hair with a quiet strangled noise. Calvin nodded, and Ethan came, folding over Calvin as he spilled himself inside Calvin’s mouth.

Calvin swallowed, his fingers digging into Ethan’s thighs. When Ethan was done, Calvin pulled off him, letting out a low moan as Ethan kissed him, tasting himself on Calvin’s tongue. Calvin could have stayed here all day, but they’d already spent far too long here. Someone might come looking for them. A horrific thought struck him. He stood and grabbed Ethan’s boxer briefs.

“You better get dressed before Dex shows up.”

Ethan blinked at him before bursting into laughter.

“I’m glad you find that funny. He’s already caught you once with your pants down.”

Ethan stopped laughing and nodded somberly. He stood and pulled on his underwear before taking his pants from Calvin. As soon as he was dressed, they headed upstairs to the canteen so Ethan could have his favorite Therian-sized burger, cheese fries, and strawberry milkshake. As they took a seat, Sloane slid in next to Calvin.

“Hey, Cal.”

“Hey. Are you looking for Dex, because I haven’t seen him since the locker room,” Calvin said, pilfering one of Ethan’s fries. Ethan narrowed his eyes, but Calvin knew he didn’t mind. Of course, he wouldn’t recommend anyone else try it. Not unless they wanted to lose a hand.

“Yeah, I know. Sparks called him into her office to discuss his training schedule. I figured it was the perfect chance to come see you.”

“Everything okay?”

“Are you designing his tattoo?”

“Um….” How did Sloane know that? Then again, Dex had seemed interested in their tattoo discussion that night at Dekatria when Bradley brought it up.

“Never mind,” Sloane said waving a hand in dismissal. “I know you are. Dex isn’t exactly subtle. Anyway, when the design is finalized, could you show it to me?”

“Well, he’s got his heart set on surprising you.” This meant a lot to Dex. Calvin didn’t want to do anything to disappoint his friend, even if it was Sloane asking.

Sloane seemed to think about it. “Okay, how about this. When you finalize the design and you know exactly what he’s going to get, can you let me know? Not what it is, just that he’s set on something. I want to run something by you.”

Calvin nodded. “Sure. I can do that.”

“Thanks, man.” Sloane clapped him on the back as he stood. “Don’t tell him I spoke to you about it.”

“Got it.”

With a wink at Calvin and a wave at Ethan, Sloane was off. Calvin shook his head in amusement. Those two belonged together. They were each as crazy as the other. Calvin had an idea what Sloane wanted to run by him, and he was looking forward to it. It was sweet, how in tune they both were.