Claude didn't move at first. He patiently waited for the go signal. His weight was balanced perfectly, so he wasn't touching Jade more than necessary, though the air between their bodies had already gone thick with heat.
The small fire meters away flickered softly, casting dancing shadows across Claude's back, his arms braced on either side of Jade's head. Their breaths were uneven, and the tension trembling between them like a taut wire.
Jade could still feel where Claude had pressed against him. It burned into his thigh like a brand, like a question left hanging, or a hard iron rod that scorched him.
Claude's voice was hoarse, low, as if he was holding something back with every word.
"Say no, and I'll stop. Say yes, and I won't hold back anymore."
