But then he’d jerked Nix off aggressively in the shower, kissinghim all the while like he was going to devour him right there and then, so Nix didn’t take his words too personally.
Plus, Nix was figuring him out a little, his Vanya. Talking about his feelings had clearly been trained out of Ivan by the toxic men in his life, but physical connection was where he kept meeting Nix again and again.
If Nix needed to be fucking Ivan “every second of every day” to keep those walls even a minute bit lowered, then so be it.
Oh dear.He grinned to himself.What a burden to bear.
Nix had taken Ivan to bed because his human had needed the rest, but then it had been Nix who’d fallen asleep first, all warm and cozy with Ivan toying with the nipple piercings he seemed to be becoming quickly obsessed with.
That was what Nix got for overeating.
But he hadn’t been able to help gorging—Ivan’s desire was so potent, and all of it was for Nix alone. The way he’d fucked Nix against that door, desperate and a little brutal? Not to mention the way he’d let Nix ride him just the way he’d wanted, holding Nix’s hips tightly enough to bruise but letting him lead the pace anyway.
Nix rose from the bed, fishing Ivan’s button-down off the floor and slipping it on because he’d seen it in the movies and always wanted to try it. (Or, more accurately, he’d seen it while watchinghumanswatch movies.)
But he and Ivan were about the same height, so the shirt didn’t actually hang tantalizingly at Nix’s thighs. Instead, his bare ass and cock hung out, more silly than sexy.
So Nix threw on another pair of lace panties for good measure.
He left the bedroom portion of their suite to find Ivan at the hotel desk, one of the hotel’s white robes covering his nudity. He looked softer than Nix was used to seeing, his hair still mussed from sleeping on it wet, his neck displaying the numerous love bites Nix had left on him.
Nix strode over and settled sideways on Ivan’s lap.
Ivan’s hand immediately moved to toy with the hem of Nix’s panties. “I hate these,” he grumbled.
“No, you don’t,” Nix told him with confidence. Ivan could frown at them all he liked, but just the sight of them had increased the desire in the room by a third at the very least. “What are you doing out here?”
“Thinking about your proposal.”
“It’s a good one, isn’t it?” Nix liked it very much, if he did say so himself. Ivan’s hesitation around Nix had been cute and all at first, but if he was going to be the leader he had the potential to be, he needed to be able to embrace himself completely.
And that included, as far as Nix was concerned, having Nix at his side. And in his bed.
“We’ll need a show of force,” Ivan mused, his fingers stroking against Nix’s hip. “I don’t want to leave any room for thoughts of retaliation.”
“Well, Kai’s huge,” Nix pointed out. He really was, especially in his demon form. Seven feet tall before one included the horns. Plus, he had a mighty pair of leathery wings, when he felt inclined to display them. Which wasn’t often enough, in Nix’s opinion. IfNixhad giant bat wings, he’d be rocking them on every occasion. Building themed outfits around them, even.
“We’ll need more than just one intimidating demon,” Ivan told him, bringing Nix out of his sartorial musings.
“You said your other brother has a vampire.”
“That’s not an option.”
“Why not? Isn’t it a family business, this whole grand thing your father built for you?”
“Alexei left,” Ivan said, bitter as always. “Both me and the business. After blowing a deal and costing me millions. A little ‘fuck you’ to remember him by.” A frisson of hurt made its way through the bitterness. “He was supposed to be my right-hand man.”
Poor Ivan. Nix patted his shoulder. “Well, now you have me.” At the look Ivan gave him, Nix bristled. “What?”
Nix would be amazing right-hand man material. And if Ivan said otherwise, he was getting a kick to the shin.
“I had my cock in you just a few hours ago,” Ivan told him, like that was somehow pertinent to their conversation.
Nix frowned at him, trying to understand. “You’re not allowed to fuck your right-hand man?”
Ivan’s lips twitched. “Historically, no.”
“How boring,” Nix mused. And completely irrelevant human nonsense, which he would ignore as such. He tossed his hair over his shoulder. “Anyway, you should ask.”
