They started again and Noah was careful to keep even more distance between himself and Andrei. Every time Andrei stepped inward, Noah jumped back two or three steps, staying out of the man’s reach. Noah finally threw a kick to get Andrei to stop his advance, and the fighter caught it. Andrei paused, the leg tucked under his right arm, his hands on Noah’s thigh and knee. Noah groaned, realizing his mistake, just before Andrei twisted inside into Noah’s body while dropping down to his knees. Noah whipped over Andrei’s shoulder, slamming down onto his back.
“Japanese small circle jiu-jitsu. Dragon screw leg sweep,” Andrei murmured as he stood.
“So…stop me if I’m wrong,” Noah started above the cheering, “but I’m getting the impression that you don’t like porn.”
Rowe groaned and someone in the crowd admonished Noah to just stay down, but Rowe knew that was not going to happen. If Noah’s mouth was still running, then he was still fighting.
Noah rolled back to his feet with a soft groan but didn’t have a chance to get his bearings. Shooting forward while dropping low, Andrei pressed his face into Noah’s tight abs while at the same time, grabbing Noah by the back of the thighs. Muscles flexed in his powerful biceps as he pulled Noah’s legs forward and up in a double leg takedown that smacked Noah right back onto the mat. But Andrei didn’t stop there. Releasing one of Noah’s legs, he floated over the other, grapevining his legs around Noah’s leg so that Noah was forced to roll over onto his stomach. Rowe wanted to shout at Noah to keep rolling, but it was too late. Andrei already had Noah’s foot tucked under his armpit and his legs locked. The submission hold was locked in and Andrei was already applying pressure to Noah’s hip, knee, and ankle. There was no escape. Noah had to tap or something had to break.
A loud shout of pain jumped from Noah as he tried to pull away from Andrei, but he couldn’t move. He slapped his hand on the mat again and again, tapping out, but Andrei didn’t release him.
“All right! You win!” Noah cried, still twisting to try to relieve pressure on his joints.
“You’re going to remove the porn?” Andrei asked calmly.
“Yes! I swear! It’s gone today.”
Andrei’s gaze darted over to Rowe and he smirked. Rowe could only roll his eyes. Andrei really needed to start going on these out-of-town business trips with Lucas. Andrei was too easy of a target when Lucas was gone and the man took too much pleasure in beating up his employees.
Releasing Noah, Andrei slid away so that Noah could roll onto his back, sucking in huge lungfuls of air as the pain started to recede. To Rowe’s shock, Andrei crawled over Noah on his hands and knees with his usual cat-like grace. Both their sweat-slick bodies gleamed in the bright overhead lights. Noah’s breathing stuttered when he realized that Andrei was just inches above him. With his hands on either side of Noah’s head, Andrei leaned down, his cheek brushing Noah’s as he whispered something in the man’s ear. Rowe’s breath caught in his throat and his dick throbbed at the sight of the two hovering so close together in an intimate moment. He didn’t know whether to step forward and rip Andrei off his man or join them. Fuck, they looked hot together.
He couldn’t hear what Andrei said, but Noah chuckled, the worry disappearing from his features completely before Andrei was back on his feet and grabbing his tank as he walked back to his office.###
Rowe shut his office door and watched Noah disappear into the bathroom. He’d had a shower installed in there after too many sweaty classes, and they both kept extra clothes here, so he knew what Noah planned. Rowe had other ideas first. He walked to his desk and unlocked the drawer where he kept the lube. He had it in hand when he strode to the bathroom.
“I don’t want one drop of that sweat removed,” he said when he reached the open door.
Noah froze with a towel near his face. He stared at Rowe, his blue gaze roaming down to the tube in his hand, then to the obvious attraction Rowe couldn’t hide in his pants. A slow grin crept over his mouth. “Liked seeing me get my ass handed to me, did you?”
“You held your own.”
Noah snorted as he dropped the towel.
Rowe didn’t even give him time to blink before he had him up against the counter, his mouth latched to his jaw, his shaky hands wrapping Noah’s biceps. Fuck, he wanted him. He licked the sweat on Noah’s neck, sucking his skin into his mouth. Rumbling sounds vibrated against his lips. He loved the scruff just underneath Noah’s chin. He kissed it, then down over his Adam’s apple. He licked the sweat from his collarbone, reveling in the flavor of salt and man…and just…just Noah.