but an illusion. Angelo might be his, but he’d never belong to Yuri. Not really. No marriage certificate could ever give Yuri what he really craved.
“Make me stop,” Angelo whispered.
Yuri shivered. It was completely unfair that being spanked by a man who wasn’t at all attracted to him was better than the very best sex he and Simon had ever had. Yuri couldn’t remember the last time he’d come this hard. He hoped Angelo didn’t realize the power he had over Yuri.
“Shouldn’t you go? Back to your own room, at least? Back to sexting with whatsherface?”
“Probably not the sexting. Livy broke up with me. That’s why I’ve been preoccupied, you dick. I’ve spent the past few days arguing by mobile.”
“Oh,” Yuri said, feeling a million times better, even if he’d never admit that to Angelo. “Yeah. Sexting is probably not a good idea. But you have a bedroom. And a bed. That you could go sleep in. By yourself.” Because I swear to god, Yuri added in his head, if you don’t leave soon, I’m going to go mad.
Angelo chuckled, a rich, delicious sound. “Perhaps. But I think I’ll stay here, where I can keep an eye on you. And making you sleep in your own wet spot is the least of what you deserve for being such a brat.”
“I am not a brat!” Yuri felt a hot blush go all the way to his ears. “Go. I want to sleep.”
“Then sleep.” Angelo pulled Yuri closer. “No one’s stopping you.”
“I hate you,” Yuri snapped.
“No you don’t.” Angelo yawned. “You think you do, and it would make everything a hell of a lot easier, but you don’t.” He was quiet for several moments then added, “Trust me. I know.”
6
Angelo Meets Lord Dickface
Over the next two years, Angelo and Yuri fell into a strange sort of holding-pattern relationship. Angelo went out with women and had a succession of girlfriends. Yuri went out with men and had a succession of increasingly bad relationships with them. They largely ignored each other, as they’d agreed they would when they got back to Oxford. Then something would happen, and both would be single at the same time, and inevitably they'd be in Angelo's bed or Yuri's, with Yuri bare-arsed and spent and Angelo full of feelings he didn't like labeling, although satisfaction was in there, along with restlessness and a nagging feeling of something left undone. Angelo would either go back to his college, or send Yuri back to his, then take a shower and wank. Every single time, he came almost as soon as he'd touched his cock, and his thoughts never centered on anyone female.
It was messy and stupid and Angelo didn’t like thinking about it, but it had become his existence. He took his irregular visits with Yuri for granted until they suddenly stopped.
He wondered if Yuri had started dating yet after breaking up with Ian, his latest rugby player. Angelo didn’t know the details of the split, but he figured he'd get an earful later that night when he happened to run into Yuri and Jacki at a coffee shop. Without being invited, he sat down with them.
“Hi, Angel,” Jacki said. “How's it going?”
He shrugged. “Fine.”
“No one asked you to sit with us.” Yuri crossed his arms over his narrow chest like a petulant child.
“Doesn't matter, princess. I've got a standing invitation. Goes with the whole betrothal bullshit.”
Yuri glared daggers at Angelo. “You can't just remember we're going to be engaged when it's convenient for you. That's not how this works.”
Angelo picked up Yuri's coffee and drank it. Cappuccino, and cooler than he'd have liked, but beggars couldn't be choosers. “It works however I say it does. You're not in charge, runt.”
“Fuck you,” Yuri muttered, and took back his drink.
Angelo chatted with Jacki for a few minutes then stood. “I gotta run. Tonight, Yuri? Text me.”
Yuri colored deeply and shook his head. “No,” he said, but quietly. Angelo barely heard him.
That “no” shocked Angelo to his core. Yuri had never refused to meet up with him. Not once. Angelo felt like an actor in a play who'd memorized the wrong lines.
“Come again?”
Jacki giggled. “I think that's his plan. Mr. Man here has a big date tonight.”
Yuri fiddled with his napkin nervously. His knee bounced rapidly. Angelo put his hand on Yuri's thigh to stop it. Yuri hissed and flinched away. “That's Prince Mr. Man to you,” he said to Jacki. “And yeah, I've got a date tonight.”
“Another rugby player?” Angelo asked with