Nicolo di Genova was a patient man. He was willful and self-restrained. He fought his body every step of the way and forced it to do as he wanted, not what his base desires screamed at him to do. He'd spent the better part of 60 years denying himself the love of his life.

He was also a man who'd never once allowed himself to touch himself like this. He'd had an orgasm before, of course, but it was always the result of a too racy dream and happened before he'd been awake enough to stop himself. His willpower was a force in and of itself....but in this, he was no better than a boy just beginning to learn what that part of his body was for.

Yusuf's hand sped up and Nicolo let out a ragged moan as he felt a strange hollowness start in his belly and spread downwards. His nerves stood on end and everything trembled and he came with a genuinely startled sob, his body rocking with the force of it, his breathing just short, hard pants against his husband's neck. All the strength drained from him, leaving him supple and pliant in Yusuf's lap, trembling with aftershocks and whispering Yusuf's name over and over again with the same reverent tone that he'd previously only used for his God.