“Nikolas was initially here under the guise of my doulos, as you know.” Vasili explained, each word clipped for efficiency. “The ruse is over. He is to be treated with respect and decency befitting his station as my personal advisor.”
Julian blinked. “Advisor?”
“Is there a problem?”
Whenever Vasili asked that question, it usually meant someone was about to have their throat cut.
“No, of c-course not.” Julian stammered. “Just unexpected.”
“Yes,” Vasili said, with a half-hearted wave, “Nikolas is very good at deception. Make sure his status is well known among the staff and my family, especially Amir. He won’t take kindly to the news, so perhaps send a note so he can burn it instead of you.”
“Of course, yes,” Julian said again, stumbling over the words. His gaze bounced between the prince and Niko.
“Now leave. Both of you. I must take my seat at the council. Julian, I will require your presence this afternoon. Until then, you are dismissed.”
Julian walked beside Niko as they left the prince’s chambers, armor clanking. Tension made his strides long and sharp, and Niko wasn’t sure if it was anger or anticipation winding him up. He had every right to be angry. Niko had abandoned him for three weeks without a word.
Whatever he had with Vasili was none of his concern. Julian had never said Niko meant anything more than a convenient fuck. His relationship with Vasili was clearly complicated and enduring. Looking back, the signs were there. Julian’s wounds, his insistence they didn’t matter, his devotion to the prince. He loved Vasili. Niko wasn’t sure where he fit into all of that.
Julian passed through his chamber door, held it open for Niko, and lunged into a kiss the moment they were both inside. Desperation made his mouth clumsy. Julian’s gloved hands were on Niko’s face, then his ass. Niko’s back hit the wall with a thud and Julian pulled back.
“Gods… I missed you.”
“I gathered.” Niko grinned. He touched Julian’s face, committing to memory the brush of golden stubble and the softness of his lips. He drew him close, brushed his open mouth with his own, and teased his tongue in, gently this time. There was no need to rush.
Julian sighed, withdrew a little, and brushed his cheek against Niko’s. “Undress me?”
Pale blue eyes flicked over Niko’s face. Concern knotted Julian’s brows, like he truly believed Niko might not want to.
Niko eased his fingers around Julian’s waist and worked the buckles free. Julian’s quick breaths warmed Niko’s neck, then his jaw, and skimmed his lips on a kiss waiting to happen. The breastplate came loose and Niko set to work on the pauldrons, every piece of Julian’s armor a puzzle coming undone, revealing the prize inside. The placard came away, and Niko made sure to stroke Julian’s lower abs with his knuckles, making Julian shudder. The tasset went next, and more, until Niko had stripped his soldier of his armor. His erect cock trapped inside his undergarments revealed his obvious desire. Niko absently brushed it a few times, making Julian’s breath hitch.
By the time Niko straightened in front of him, Julian breathed hard, his gaze fixed on Niko’s face. “You left.”
Niko winced. He couldn’t talk about that just yet. “I’m back.”
Julian pulled off his gloves and dropped them. His fingers mapped Niko’s face, his jaw, his lips. “He refused to tell me where.”
Because Vasili didn’t know, or because he was protecting Julian? Niko grabbed Julian’s hands and kissed each of his fingers. “Doesn’t matter,” he mumbled.
“It matters to me. I thought—”
Niko pressed his finger to Julian’s lips. “Hush.” He dragged it over the man’s chin, past his neck and his chest, then down further, twisting his hand around to sink his grip over Julian’s restrained erection. He sucked one of Julian’s fingers into his mouth and cupped Julian’s balls through the fabric, tugging gently.
“Oh gods.”
Niko groaned low in his throat and Julian arched, angling his cock deeper into Niko’s grip. Niko ran his teeth down Julian’s finger, then grabbed the man by the back of the head and savaged his mouth, feeling Julian loosen and submit. Niko backed him into a wall and braced his hand on either side of him, trapping him. Julian’s plump lips lifted, his eyes widening. He was a golden fruit ripe for the picking. Niko yanked the man’s undergarments down, freeing his cock, and captured its warm, thick length in his fist.
Julian twisted his fingers in Niko’s shirt. He tried to drop his hand to touch where Niko’s cock strained inside his trousers, but Niko knocked the advancing touch aside. “This is for you.” He pinned Julian’s wrist to the wall and the man relented, his body a devastating display of soft and hard all at once.
Julian’s back arched, his mouth open, his eyes closed. Niko gritted his teeth to keep from rubbing himself against Julian’s hip. His neglected cock throbbed and leaked and ached to be seated deep inside something hot and tight. But Niko had left him, he’d hurt him, just like Julian feared, and so this moment belonged to Julian.
“Ugh… oh gods… can’t…”
“Yes,” Niko hissed against his cheek, getting him off hard and fast. Julian’s cock twitched and pulsed, its tip slick. Julian panted harder, his small, beautiful moans becoming desperate. “Come for me.”
Julian flung his head back, arching, then held still as he crested. Spurts of wet seed dashed against Niko’s wrist. Julian slumped into Niko’s arms, his head falling onto his shoulder. “Definitely sent to kill me,” he whispered.
Niko laughed and scooped his man up, wrapping him tightly in his arms. Julian clutched at Niko’s shoulder.
“I’m not done with you,” Niko growled. He pulled him by the hand to the bed, then let go to tear off his own shirt.
Julian’s lazy gaze roamed, devouring, watching Niko undress and quickly reveal himself. They both stood naked, facing each other. Julian reached out and brushed the new, thin scar on Niko’s side from the elf’s blade. His touch skipped higher, danced over Niko’s abs, and then higher, circling a nipple.
Niko caught his wrist and pulled him in, but Julian laughed and broke free, then crawled onto the bed and lay sprawled like a feast, head propped on his hand, hard cock nestled among golden hair. Niko absently took his own cock in hand and gave himself a few eager strokes. Julian watched, lips parted, fingers moving over his hip.
“Will you fuck me, Nikolas?” Julian purred.
Niko needed no more encouragement to straddle the man’s thighs and plant his hands either side of his shoulders, pinning Julian beneath him.
Julian looked up at him, his face warm, his smile gentle. Niko was something dark towering over him, something hungry and insatiable. Gods, he wanted to fuck him, to bury himself so deep that Julian would think of him even when Vasili’s whip lashes landed.
“What is it?” Fine lines appeared at Julian’s pinched brow.
“Nothing.” Niko’s smile ticked. Damn. “It’s nothing.” He sucked on Julian’s lip, trying not to think about Vasili, or the whip, or how Julian had been stretched in front of the prince like a canvas waiting for its artist’s brushstrokes.