Page 47 of Saint

“Stop making all of the decisions for me!” In a burst of energy, Nix shoved Lake onto his back and crawled on top of him. He pressed one hand to the center of Lake’s chest, the other settling over his throat. “Fuck me, mate,” he practically sneered, “or I’ll go to West right now and have him do what you couldn’t.”

At first, Lake was too shocked to react. His Songbird had gotten angry before, had gotten physical when pushed too far, but he’d never displayed this level of dominance.

Then his threat really registered, and Lake realized with a burst of his own anger that Nix meant it.

His eyes narrowed and he settled his hands on Nix’s hips. “Lift.”

Nix stared down at him for a second, clearly trying to figure out if he meant to go through with it. Once he was satisfied with the answer, he did as he was told, planting his knees more firmly on the mattress at either side of Lake before straightening and repositioning his ass directly over Lake’s concealed cock.

“Well?” Lake quirked a brow, feeling a bit like he was regaining control when Nix’s brow furrowed ever so slightly.

“Dry humping? Really?”

“Do you want it or not, Songbird?”

“I want it,” he grumbled.

Lake almost lost his composure when Nix started moving over him, grinding down on his hard-on. He twirled his hips, the glint in his eyes making it clear he knew exactly what he was doing, and Lake recalled how frisky Nix could be when he was in the mood for it.

The image of him tugging West’s face toward the now bandaged side of his neck flashed in Lake’s mind and a growl escaped him before he could help it. In the next instant, he’d flipped their positions, pinning Nix beneath him once more, this time on his back.

Nix laughed, splaying his thighs wide and resting his hands at either side of his head on the pillow. A show of submission that would have been convincing if not for the way he was still smirking at Lake.

“You used to have more self-control,” he teased, and Lake rubbed against him with more force, pleased when Nix’s eyes rolled back and he moaned.

“Keep taunting me, Songbird,” Lake said. “I dare you.”

“If it gets me what I want?” Nix shrugged.

Lake snorted. “You’ve been hanging out with West too long.”

“Whose fault is that?”

“Yeah, yeah.” He reared up so he could unsnap his pants and free his aching cock. “Everything is my fault. I get it.”

“So long as we’re on the same page.”

“We are,” Lake assured him. “Finally.”

He gave himself a few strokes, mostly because he knew how much Nix liked to watch. Sure enough, the tip of Nix’s tongue swept out across his bottom lip, his gaze landing on Lake’s flushed crown.

“Scared?” He was bigger than West and Yejun. The first time Nix had seen him naked, he’d been unable to hide his doubt.

There wasn’t so much as a hint of that on his face now, however. If anything, Nix appeared…eager.

Lake had never lied to himself about the physical need between them. But he was greedy now. He wanted more. Wouldn’t settle for anything less, even if that meant dragging this out when it was obvious the both of them were ready to skip to the good stuff.

“Tell me you don’t hate me,” he urged. “Give me that at least.”

“I don’t hate you,” Nix replied.

But it wasn’t enough.

“I’m talking about me. Not Maestro.” Lake was also aware that Nix sometimes separated them in his head. In the beginning, it’d no doubt been an attempt to keep himself sane after being forced into this life that he’d never wanted. He’d gotten his footing now, however. Surely something had changed for the better… “I need to know there’s something here between us, Nix. Something more than just—”

“You’re getting selfish again,” Nix cut him off, but he didn’t get upset like earlier. Instead, he sighed. “I’ve been telling you that this entire time. It isn’t my fault you’re too dumb to listen. I’ve said it with words and I’ve said it other ways as well. It’s not my job to make you feel less insecure, not after everything you’ve put me through without caring how it made me feel.”

Nix sat up and planted an almost chaste kiss on Lake’s mouth before settling back down against the mattress. “I like you, Lake. Not all the time, and not always the same amount. There are days when I’ve hated you, and I’m sure there will be days in the future when I want to punch your aristocratic chin. I didn’t come here tonight to stroke your ego or wax poetic. I came for something else. So, if you’re not going to stick your cock in me then—”

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