It was a bit of a stupid question, Damen knew. If Laurent wasn't all right, they'd both know it. Damen was indulging his own affectionate care for his husband by asking, and Laurent was showing him exactly how all right he was by being his playful, incisive self. And all was well.

Breath hissed through his teeth at the firmer bite, but he no longer jolted. Now, it seemed to set the flesh all around on fire. Damen was learning to associate those feelings with Laurent's arousal, and his own, and he found himself eager at the prospect of another proof of it marked on his body.

"I thought you'd never ask," Damen teased in a caressing voice, cradling so much of Laurent in his hands. Slowly, very slowly, his hips rocked forward. Dark with lust, his eyes stayed fixed on Laurent's face. It would be so easy to close them and lose himself in this pleasure. But Laurent's comfort was too important to him.