Laurent's blue eyes were wide then, surprised either by Damen's admission itself or the timing of it. Apparently, it was an evening for revelations.

But it could not have been a secret, Damen thought. If everything was as Laurent had said, and Damen believed it in a way he couldn't describe, then there wasn't any possible way Laurent was unaware of how attractive Damen found him.

And he was absolutely certain Laurent had been made aware of his desirability in far greater detail and from a far greater number of people in his life.

His breath caught as Laurent then took his hand, gently twisting his wrist to bend and press a kiss to his palm. Light a touch as it was, Damen felt a flush of heat all through him, his heart pounding as, for a moment, he was struck utterly dumb. 'I'll take the opened bottle,' he said when he could again find his voice, rough as it suddenly was. He curled his fingers lightly as though to capture the kiss in his fist and fought every urge in his body to take another with his lips.

'Keep the others,' he decided. 'I do hope we will have occasion to share another soon.'