Nix perked up at that even as Sascha blinked in surprise.
“Oh.” Sascha cocked his head, studying Ivan. Or, most likely, studying the impressive array of hickeys Nix had left the night before. “Okay…”
“I want my demon close at hand.” Ivan raised a brow, as if daring Sascha to question him. “Is that a problem?”
Kai growled. “Speak to Sascha nicely or I’ll throw you out myself.”
“I think—I think I’ll go upstairs,” the young man Sascha had called Matteo stammered, climbing out of his nest of blankets and bolting away.
Well, weren’t they all off to a lovely start?
Some hours later, dinner was no less tense. Ivan clearly didn’t want to get into the reason for them being there, so they all made awkward small talk, followed by slightly less awkward talk about the business he was setting Sascha up with.
“You still like it here?” Ivan eventually asked Sascha.
Sascha’s lips quirked into a small smile. “You mean have I changed my mind since a few weeks ago?” He shook his head. “I still like it here.”
Ivan sneered in the direction of the window, where dark clouds had gathered. “I hope you like it just as much when you’re snowed in for months on end.”
There was resentment there, pulsing out of him in little waves, and not directed at Nix for the moment. Did Ivan not like that his little brother had relocated? Maybe for all his posturing about his useless brothers, he’d enjoyed having Sascha close.
“Oh, Kai will keep me warm,” Sascha crooned, finally showing a hint of sass. Nix approved. “Demons run hot, you know.” Sascha’s eyes flicked to Nix, then back to Ivan. “Not that you’d know anything about that, would you, Vanya?” he asked sweetly.
Matteo, who’d crept back down to dinner at the very last minute and was nibbling at his pizza crust like a little mouse, choked.
Ivan only cocked a brow coolly. “I must keep him fed, mustn’t I? He’s an incubus. His tastes are…specific.”
“The contract should keep him fed well enough,” Kai broke in, sounding disapproving.
Nix stuck his tongue out at him. He didn’t need his meddling.
“I’m afraid I need him in top form,” Ivan countered. Meanwhile, he still hadn’t so much as looked at Nix this entire dinner.
“What does an incubus eat?” Matteo asked, his curiosity seemingly stronger than his timidity for the moment.
Ivan glanced at him. “He’s a sex demon, little stray. What do you think?”
Matteo immediately flushed beet red, dropping his gaze back to his plate.
Nix shot him a wink anyway.
It washard to shock Nix, but he was still a little bit surprised when, after shutting themselves in their shared bedroom, Ivan began undoing his belt buckle, his eyes suddenly molten hot.
“Strip,” he ordered, his voice somehow still as cold as it had been all day, in sharp contrast to the heat of his gaze.
Nix gaped at him. “Excuse me?”
“Strip.”
So Nix hadn’t misheard.This fucking human.
“No.” Nix’s tail flicked in agitation even as heat pooled in his belly at Ivan’s commanding tone. That wasn’t his fault though. His body was all hardwired to find Ivan’s bossiness sexy. “You’re too angry with me for that.”
Ivan narrowed his eyes at him. “I’m tense and annoyed. I like to fuck when I’m tense and annoyed.”
Nix hummed, stepping to the bed and taking a seat on the foot of it, crossing one leg over the other. “Sounds delightful,” he said truthfully. “But not when you’re annoyed withme.” He pursed his lips into a mock pout. “I’m very sensitive, you know.”
Ivan seemed to realize only then that Nix was serious in his denial. He paused by the door, his hands still on his belt. “Ithought you liked that I’m vicious,” he said coolly, managing to sound accusing. LikeNixwas the problem here.
