It took until evening for the two of them to finally clean up after their raucous commotion. Julian Sterling lay on the bed, utterly exhausted, indifferent to where Ethan Caldwell wanted to carry him or what he wanted to do. His backside had not yet fully recovered; discussing business all afternoon followed by another round of intimacy in the evening left Julian feeling incredibly drained.
A while later, Ethan carried a bowl of food in from outside, serving him with attentive care. They ate and occupied themselves with this and that until nearly ten o'clock at night before finally settling down in bed. The moment Ethan climbed into bed, Julian rolled into his embrace, docile as a child. Ethan held him close, patting his back gently, then planted two kisses on Julian's cheeks. The atmosphere was both tender and passionate.
"The day for your department transfer is approaching, isn't it?" Ethan asked.
