Damen laughed, but his arms tightened in turn around Laurent, feeling the growing tension in his inexperienced lover's body. "Not much more," he said, only half-teasing, for Laurent had worked him up adroitly with just those soft kisses and motions. Damen gently tipped Laurent's hips with his hands, adjusting the angle so he would fit more comfortably inside Laurent.

"Still all right?" he murmured in Laurent's ear. He loved the way Laurent said his name. Like he trusted him, like he was giving himself over to Damen. The breadth of his chest rose and fell against Laurent's, and Damen held him completely, the warmth of his body spread out beneath the cooler Veretian. His muscles were taut with the effort of holding himself still, gripped intimately by the tightness of Laurent's channel but letting his husband be the one to choose when he was ready for more.