There's little value to the love of many. It was a house of cards, ready to tumble down at the first gust of wind. Being rich and powerful earned him enemies, and his position with the mayor gained him toadies. The two groups overlapped and intermingled until the only people Demetri trusted were his siblings. It meant that even though he was always surrounded by acquaintances and those who wanted him for his name and all that it entailed, he was rarely around friends.

Tonight was different. Fabrice wasn't an ally or an enemy, and he also wasn't someone who only wanted Demetri for the benefit it might bring. He was smart enough, Demetri hoped, to see the complications that this could bring to both their lives. Yet he believes that Fabrice is here in spite of all of that. Because of a few flirtatious words and touches that had set them both afire.

When he can't hold on any longer, Demetri gives in. He cries out, still moving inside of Fabrice, the last few strokes the deepest. It's all over too quickly, though his laboured breathing and sweat slick chest tell him otherwise.