Page 23 of Mutual Desire

“What are you doing here?” Craig’s voice was flat, cold.

Damien stopped just short of him. “I came to see my man.”

Craig’s jaw tightened. “I told you I needed space.”

“And I told you we’re not letting this fight drag on any longer.” Damien’s tone wavered slightly, but he caught himself, taking a deep breath. He had to stay calm.

Craig set the yogurt down with a sigh, looking at Damien with a weary kind of frustration. “Now? You decide to show up now? What, didn’t realize it was my day off? Or did Nick need you again?”

Damien’s lips curled into a bitter smile. “Damn, you’ve got psychic powers now? Should I ask you for the lottery numbers?”

Craig’s forced smile matched his. “Being sarcastic won’t fix anything.”

“I was about to say the same thing,” Damien shot back, stepping forward. The tension simmered between them as Craig shook his head, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

“That’s why I didn’t want us to see each other, Damien. We’re clearly not ready for this.”

Damien closed the gap between them until their faces were nearly touching. He placed a hand on Craig’s waist and cupped his cheek with the other. “Who says we need to talk?” His voice dropped to a whisper, eyes softening.

He kissed Craig gently, but Craig didn’t respond at first, his eyes still open, guarded.

“You asked me when was the last time you touched me,” Damien murmured. “Well, do something about it.”

For a moment, they stared at each other, Craig’s gaze hardening before his walls finally crumbled. With a soft growl, Craig pressed his lips against Damien’s, their kiss turning desperate, hungry.

It had been too long since they’d last connected like this. Damien had almost forgotten what it felt liketobe wanted, to be touched with this kind of urgencyand it stirred something deep within him.With Craig, it always came from a place of love.

“I love you,” Craig whispered when their kiss broke, his breath warm against Damien’s lips. “I don’t want to lose you.”

With that, Craig spun Damien around, pressing him firmly against the counter. Before Damien could even process it, his pants were yanked down to his ankles. He heard Craig rummaging behind him, the clink of a cabinet door opening, and then—

Damien barely had time to react before Craig’s slick fingers trailed down the curve of his spine. His breath hitched.Wait, was that—?

He turned his head slightly, catching sight of the unmistakable dark bottle sitting on the counter. Olive oil?

A startled laugh almost escaped him, but it was swallowed by a sharp inhale as Craig’s fingers worked him open with surprising ease. It was insane. Improvised. But the heat in Craig’s touch, the rough urgency of the moment, burned away any hesitation. Damien’s desire far outweighed any concerns.

When Craig finally thrusted inside him, the familiar burn and stretch of it felt like both relief and punishment. Craig didn’t hold back. Each thrust was hard, unrelenting, as though Craig was making up for lost time. Damien moaned, his body pressed hard against the counter, fingers gripping its edges for support.

Craig was rougher than usual, and it only added to Damien’s pleasure, his mind swimming in the sensation. God, he’d missed this. Missed being with Craig in this way, missed the way his body felt when Craig filled him.

Damien reached for his own cock, stroking in time with Craig’s thrusts, his breath hitching as his body edged closer to climax. It didn’t take long. Craig came hard, followed shortly by Damien, both panting, spent.

Afterward, they showered together, this time taking their time, reconnecting in a slower, more intimate way. Clean and dry, they eventually settled in bed, the TV droning in the background as they lay together.

“I overreacted,” Craig said, his hand lazily caressing Damien’s back. “About Nick, I mean.”

Damien rested his head on Craig’s naked chest, staring at nothing in particular. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s just enjoy tonight.”

Craig smiled softly, kissing the top of Damien’s head. “Okay.”

“Are you working tomorrow?” Damien asked.

“Graveyard shift.”

“We'll spend the whole day together then. I'll be glued to you. We'll eat together, we'll watch TV together, we'll go take a shit together…”

Craig laughed aloud, the sound so full Damien felt it in his ribs.Damien had missed this laugh terribly.

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