Damen's confidence was returning as he began, very slowly, to understand what made Laurent tick. His sense of achievement soared to see Laurent openly inviting him to disrobe him; his heart turned a strange aching somersault inside his chest at the smile Laurent gave him.

Carefully, he disentangled his lover's upper half from the silky shirt. He'd been glad of the covering when his amorous attentions were put on hold; now, he looked his fill, his gaze caressing the beautiful planes of Laurent's torso.

"I believe there's a Veretian term for the experience of reliving a particular memory," Damen said. His thumb traced the elegant line of a collarbone. "Deja vu?" A recent memory at that. They had been bare-chested all last night and this morning, but this time, the stakes were all different. He still hesitated to move too quickly, to lose all that they had gained thus far.