Page 24 of Mutual Desire

“All right, babe.”

They fell into a comfortable silence, but Damien’s mind wasn’t as settled. He found himself replaying hismultipleencounters with Nabokov, particularly the moment when the man had bent close, whispering that compliment.

Your scent… it’s exquisite.

And with it, the ghost of a scent—something dark and refined, like expensive leather and smoke, still clinging to the collar of his thoughts.

Why was he still thinking about that? Why was Nabokov, a man he barely knew, taking up so much space in his head?

Damien swallowed hard and pulled Craig closer, burying his face in the familiar warmth of his chest.

Enough.

Tomorrow, Nabokov would be nothing more than a strange memory. A blip. He reassured himself that their paths wouldn’t cross again. There was no way.

NINE

Fated Encounter

Damien kept his word. He did everything he’d promised—well, almost. They didn’t exactly take a shit together. But Damien stayed glued to Craig’s side all day, determined to make up for lost time. They started their morning with a lazy sleep-in, followed by a series of intimate exchanges—a blowjob from Craig, another one from him, and a shower that soon became a slow, sensual exploration of each other’s bodies.

By the time they settled in for lunch, Damien’s grin hadn’t faltered once. A day like this was just what their relationship needed after the recent argument.

Yet, despite the joy of being with Craig, an unwelcome thought occasionally infiltrated Damien’s mind—a persistent echo of Nabokov. It felt wrong to entertain thoughts of another man while Craig, who loved him dearly, was right there. How could he be so easily haunted by a stranger he’d met just the day before? Some people had a knack for leaving an indelible impression, but it baffled him that, even as Craig dressed for work after their second bout of lovemaking, his mind drifted to Nabokov. It made no fucking sense.

“Hey, Dam! You with me?” Craig’s voice pulled him back to the moment, grounding him in the reality of their shared space. Each time Nabokov crossed his mind, Damien found himself slipping into a daydream, and it annoyed him.

“Yeah, I’m here,” he replied, shaking off the distraction. Craig stood in front of the bed in his blue uniform, looking at Damien with a hint of concern.

“You okay?”

Damien offered a shy smile, pushing away the remnants of his wandering thoughts. “You’re leaving me all alone, so no.”

Craig returned the smile and leaned down to plant a soft kiss on Damien’s lips.

“At least I’ll have you all to myself tomorrow too,” Damien said, excitement bubbling in his voice. Craig would be off work, and the thought of reliving their delightful day fueled his anticipation. But as he watched Craig’s expression darken, a sense of foreboding crept in.

“About that…” Craig started, and Damien’s heart sank slightly.

“Yeah?” he asked, wrapping his arms around Craig’s neck, hoping to brush away the disappointment.

“I completely forgot about a meeting regarding the clinic tomorrow afternoon,” Craig said, his voice apologetic.

“The clinic? What clinic?” Damien arched an eyebrow, surprised.

“I think I mentioned it before? Some of my colleagues and I are planning to open a private practice,” Craig replied, a hint of pride in his tone.

Damien’s eyes lit up. “Seriously? That’s amazing, Craig!” Damien exclaimed, genuinely thrilled for Craig despite the lingering shadow of their interrupted plans. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I had no idea! You’ve got my full support. If there’s anything I can do, just let me know.”

Craig smiled, his eyes soft with affection. “It’s still in the early stages. But thanks, babe. It means a lot.”

They kissed, a spark reigniting between them, but Craig gently pulled away, checking the time on his phone.

“Babe… I really have to go,” Craig managed to say, his voice muffled against Damien’s lips.

“Are you sure you don’t have just a little more time?” Damien teased, trying to pull Craig back in for another kiss.

With a playful grin, Craig responded, “Dam, I really need to go.”

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