[ It's more to himself than to Laurent, the words smothered by their soft delivery and the slosh of the bath water. Damen is still standing in the middle of the room, out of line of sight. He remembers the cream of Laurent's skin, the way his hair curled at the nape of his neck when the humidity of the baths had saturated it. He remembers the yank of the collar around his neck, and the sensation of skin splitting under the unrelenting fall of the whip.
Laurent reappears, stressed ankle to throat. His hair is still dark and damp, the high of his cheeks is coloured with warmth. For a moment, Damen sees the glittering dangle of sapphire— and then remembers he is still shirtless and dirty and standing in the middle of the room. Oddly, he feels caught doing something he shouldn't, like a small boy, and the flush darkens the skin on his olive chest. In the low light, it's almost imperceptible.
He has a room of his own. There is no reason to use the bath in Laurent's.
That, in itself, is a kind of invitation. He says: ]
no subject
[ It's more to himself than to Laurent, the words smothered by their soft delivery and the slosh of the bath water. Damen is still standing in the middle of the room, out of line of sight. He remembers the cream of Laurent's skin, the way his hair curled at the nape of his neck when the humidity of the baths had saturated it. He remembers the yank of the collar around his neck, and the sensation of skin splitting under the unrelenting fall of the whip.
Laurent reappears, stressed ankle to throat. His hair is still dark and damp, the high of his cheeks is coloured with warmth. For a moment, Damen sees the glittering dangle of sapphire— and then remembers he is still shirtless and dirty and standing in the middle of the room. Oddly, he feels caught doing something he shouldn't, like a small boy, and the flush darkens the skin on his olive chest. In the low light, it's almost imperceptible.
He has a room of his own. There is no reason to use the bath in Laurent's.
That, in itself, is a kind of invitation. He says: ]
I brought your cheeseboard.