"I think we both know where we'd eventually like this to lead," Laurent said, with a wry little smirk. He kissed the skin of Damen's shoulder, nestling closer into Damen's arms. "I know you would have respected me enough to wait, no matter how 'impatient' you felt," Laurent said, fond and teasing, amused that Damen had fastened upon that with some significance. "I didn't want the guilt of knowing that you must be aching for it, and me constantly pulling back."

Hugging tight to him, Laurent sighed, nuzzling his face into Damen's throat. "I like the way you smell," he confessed, and then immediately regretted the honesty. It was simply too embarrassing.