Chapter Seven

Osahar stretched, he'd been bent over this papyrus for hours. He was tired, thirsty, and ached in ways he hadn't thought possible. The pharaoh had a new project and all the scribes were being kept busy writing the stories as commanded. Osahar hoped this would pass soon as it was relentless work and given its importance, there was no room for error.

"You look like you could use this."

He glanced up to see Baniti. They had spoken a few times and he was one of the priests who had been kind to him. He was holding a cup. Baniti was so handsome, and Osahar was probably being a bit of an idiot thinking he was being anything other than just nice to ensure the pharaoh's project was completed on time. But he could pretend Baniti might be interested in him for more than his writing skills.

The cup contained beer, and it tasted wonderful. "Thank you. It has been a long day."

Baniti held out his hand and Osahar took it and let him pull him to his feet. "You have done more than enough. Come, I will see you are well-fed."

They were still holding hands and Baniti didn't seem to want to let go, so Osahar let him lead them out of the room he had been working in. He realised that the other scribes had already gone but it was not unknown for him to get lost in his work.

This was not the first time Baniti had come to check on his welfare. Over the last few weeks he had brought him drink or food, but he had never held his hand. Osahar wasn't sure what to make of it all, he'd never come to the attention of anyone of importance before, and throughout his studies hadn't been pursued in any romantic sense. He'd never been kissed, and when his peers had crept away to meet girls or other boys he'd stayed in the dormitory, not wanting to be caught and risk his future. He'd heard stories that many of the priests had favourites, and Baniti had taken many lovers, the idea he might be interested in Osahar made his heart beat a little faster.

"Thank you for this."

"You do not need to thank me. Why don't we collect some food and take it outside and find some cool shade? I have a private terrace we can use."

"I would like that very much."

He let Baniti lead him through the palace. Once at the kitchens, a servant jumped to fulfil Baniti's request for a meal for them and within minutes he had a heavily laden basket and were on their way again. "The kitchens must've thought you needed feeding up," Baniti said as they emerged into the grounds of the palace. "There will be plenty spare for you to eat later."

Osahar had not been in this area before, the palace had many places where only certain people were allowed, and while as a scribe he had more freedom than some, the priests were much more favoured.

"How about here, under the lotus tree?"

He loved lotus trees, and their flowers when in bloom. He was quick to sit next to Baniti who had dropped to the ground. Baniti fished out a fig and Osahar took it, he seldom got the plump ones and this was a beauty.

"I'm glad we had the chance to spend some time together," Baniti said, "I wanted to know more about you."

He was chewing the fig and was so surprised he almost choked. Baniti poured him some beer from a flask. "Sorry," Osahar said, once he'd drank and stopped coughing. "I didn't expect you to say that. Why would you want to know more about me?"

Baniti reached out and placed a hand on Osahar's thigh, its warmth making his groin tingle. He'd never been touched in such a way. "Why wouldn't I? We've talked a little over the last few weeks and I thought you interesting, and then there is your beauty."

Osahar snorted. "I am not beautiful."

Baniti reached up and stroked his cheek. "Yes, you are. Has someone told you differently?"

He leant into the touch, it felt so nice, and Baniti sounded so sincere. "No, no one has ever said anything like that, but I can see my own reflection."

"A young man like you should be cherished by his lovers. You should have been told of your worth. They have been remiss."

He chewed the inside of his cheek. "I've never had a lover. Someone who does not exist cannot be remiss."

Baniti frowned. "How can that be? How old are you?"

"I have seen nineteen summers, my mother kept count when I was still at home, and I have been in training here for five years." He knew many people were not sure of their age, especially those who were poor. His own family were affluent, or he would not have been in the position to become a scribe.

"Nearly twenty years old and you have never known the touch of a lover?"

Osahar shook his head. "I have been busy with my studies, and I don't have any interest in starting a family of my own."

"No beautiful girl caught your eye?"

"I have never really found women attractive." Baniti was so close, and Osahar was feeling brave. "There has been a man though."

He leant in and before he could talk himself out of it brushed his lips against Baniti's, hoping his words had been more than simple kindness. Baniti's hand came up to cup the back of his head, deepening the kiss and stopping him from pulling away. He'd never done this before, and he hesitated where to put his hands, wanting to touch. Baniti's skin was soft and warm and Osahar let his excitement wash over him, it felt so good.

Callum's eyes flew open, his lips tingling and his cock hard. He was in Dominic's bed, and Dominic made a huffing noise but didn't wake. They'd gone to bed to sleep, but now sleep was the farthest thing from his mind. The memories from when he had lived before told him everything he needed to know. Dominic was Baniti and they were together again. It would not be the same as before, it would be even better. He wasn't the na?ve scribe who had met Baniti, but a well-respected businessman who was closer to Dominic's equal and knew his own mind, and he wanted Dominic.

He tugged back the covers to reveal Dominic with his white shirt sitting tantalisingly at mid-thigh. He'd been with other men, but only using his hand or mouth. Those had been stolen moments in dark corners, but he wanted Dominic in every way just like Osahar had with Baniti. Their initial interactions had been tentative and careful when he was Osahar, he hoped Dominic would extend the same courtesy for his first time with Callum. Dominic began to stir and Callum placed his hand under the hem of Dominic's shirt, moving it up towards Dominic's groin.

Dominic's eyes flickered open and he grinned. "I see you've slept well and come to a decision."

Dominic's smirk was wanton and delicious. Callum moved his hand so he played with his pubic hair, the shirt hiding Dominic's modesty although the size of the bulge suggested he had nothing to be modest about.

"Let us say, it has been a long time since we have been able to unite, and I don't want to wait any longer."

Last night he had needed the calm, a chance to catch his breath and accept what had happened, now he wanted to embrace every opportunity they had been blessed with. He no longer cared that Baniti may have realised that the spell would work in a different way, but instead was ecstatic that they would be together, in a new and improved way.

Dominic reached out and Callum pulled Dominic on top of him, the feel of Dominic pressing against him was the vital thing he'd never known was missing from his life. Their lips met in a deep, fiery kiss, Callum moaned with need, he hadn't been this happy in years, maybe forever. Dominic was an excellent kisser and Callum canted his hips to let him know how much he was enjoying the situation.

"Will you let me make love to you?" Dominic asked, trailing kisses across Callum's jaw. "I want to worship you in every way."

He'd never done what Dominic was alluding to, but he wanted him to lead and take charge, as Baniti would have done when he was Osahar.

"Yes," he replied and gasped as Dominic sucked at his neck. If his kisses were this potent he could not wait for more. He would need to tell Dominic about his inexperience but was having trouble thinking straight.

Dominic moved away and Callum was bereft. He tried to pull Dominic back but received a chuckle. "I'm not going anywhere, just to retrieve some oil to make this easier."

All of Callum's encounters with men had been quick affairs, using spit-covered hands, but he knew Dominic was used to entertaining men. A moment of doubt flashed through him, the same doubts he'd felt when Baniti had professed he was interested in him crept into his mind. He wasn't a virgin, having been with several women, but no man had taken him, and while he knew the mechanics, he wasn't an expert, and when he was Osahar he'd only known Baniti's touch.

Dominic was rummaging in a casket on the nightstand and he snatched up a bottle of some sort of oil that was half full. "Got it."

"What sort of oil is that?" Callum asked.

Dominic must have noticed his uncertainty. "Just almond oil. But a good-quality one. Callum, are you all right?"

"I have never had the cause to use it, that's all."

"But you've lain with men?"

"I've been with men, but not in a bed. In the bushes in a secluded area of a garden, or a dark corner. Never with time to linger, never in such an intimate way that would need almond oil."

Dominic stroked a thumb over his cheek. "You deserve to be treated well and be lavished with pleasure. I will not rush you and it is the start of all the delights we will experience together."

He wanted that, and he knew Osahar had trusted Baniti and as Callum he trusted Dominic. "You'll be my first in that respect, but I do not need to be coddled."

His words were more bravado than anything else, but part of him wanted to be treated gently, although he did not want to lose face in front of Dominic.

"And I will also be your last." Dominic kissed him and any doubt deserted him. "Now we are reunited, no one will put us asunder. I want to ensure your every desire is catered for and make you mine in this life as well as what we had before. I will take care of you."

Baniti had been a kind and generous lover, and he believed Dominic would be every bit as wonderful.

Dominic tugged at the hem of Callum's nightshirt. "First let's start with getting rid of this."

He was happy to oblige and pulled the shirt off over his head, leaving himself exposed and open to Dominic's scrutiny. He knew he had nothing to be embarrassed about, he was in good shape and received regular compliments from many quarters. "You too," he said.

Dominic grinned and was naked in seconds, his cock hard and standing proud from a thatch of dark curls. As Baniti he'd been beautiful to Osahar, and as Dominic, Callum found him equally enthralling. He reached out and stroked Dominic's chest—he was a very fine specimen indeed. His hand ventured lower and he curled his fingers around Dominic's cock.

Dominic gasped and his hips bucked. "You are a bold one."

"I am not a stranger to stroking a man's cock. Just because I haven't had one inside this body before does not mean I need kid gloves, and I think you're more than able to show me the way and bring us both pleasure."

"I will spend this life, just as Baniti spent his, to ensure we are happy in every way."

Dominic leant in and kissed him, the press of skin against him was thrilling. He'd never been naked with a man and it was different to the softness of a woman—he wouldn't say better but as thrilling.

Dominic encouraged him onto his back. Another searing kiss had him gasping for breath and desperate for Dominic to consume him. Dominic was an experienced lover, and as when he was Osahar Callum put himself in Dominic's capable hands.

Kisses distracted him as Dominic began to work him open, the stretch from his finger burned a little, but the kisses and oil Dominic used made up for it, and he was lost in a sea of yearning. He'd never known such a desire, never been so willing to let someone take control.

Dominic withdrew his fingers and coaxed Callum to open his legs as wide as possible. "I want to see you, it might be more comfortable if you were on your belly, but I am too selfish. I need to watch you come undone."

"Make me yours again."

"Only me, from now on, you will never know the touch of another. Understand?"

Callum nodded. He couldn't believe he would ever want another, not after Dominic. "I love you." The words were out before he could stop them, Osahar speaking from the depth of Callum's heart.

Dominic's answering smile was blinding.

He braced himself as Dominic positioned his cock at his entrance, and he breathed deeply as Dominic breached him. Dominic whispered words of encouragement as he slid inside, but Callum could concentrate on nothing other than the sensation of being filled. Once Dominic began to slide in and out, Callum was no longer coherent, his babble of breathy moans and demands spurring Dominic on. He must have been imagining it but he would swear he could smell lotus flower blossom as his excitement began to build, Dominic's rhythm driving him to the edge of madness and delight.

He cried out as Dominic's thrusts hit a spot inside of him that made him see stars, he'd heard of this but never experienced such intensity. With only a glancing touch to his cock he came, spurting a thick ribbon of his release between them. Dominic was seconds behind and with a final deep thrust, he emptied himself into Callum.

Both of them panting, they exchanged a messy kiss and Dominic withdrew. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," he managed to reply. "I…"

Dominic stroked his cheek. "Shush, take your time."

He let Dominic manoeuvre him so he laid his head on Dominic's chest, and it took several minutes before he was able to form full sentences. His mind was full of prospects of the life they would have, and memories from their time before. Life was glorious.

"This version of you is every bit as proficient in bed as your previous self," Callum said with a grin, running his fingers through the soft hair of Dominic's belly.

"The same can be said for you." Dominic nuzzled his hair. "You belong in my arms."

"I fear the people now will not be as accepting of our union as they were before. We lived together, and although some might have thought us friends, we didn't hide our relationship."

"It was a different time, and my position protected us from anyone who may have wished to cause trouble."

He would mourn the loss of such freedom, but celebrate that they got their second chance. "We will just need to make the best of it. It is not unheard of for good friends to share a house, and we can begin to build a public friendship."

Dominic sighed. "I fear it will be more complicated than that. I am the son of a duke and although I am not next in line there is an expectation that I will at some point make a good match with a well-positioned wife."

Callum's situation was not so dire, his brother had already married well. "There must be a way."

"And we will find it." Dominic held his hand. "I will not lose you again. Callum and Dominic deserve to have a long life together."

"I intend to have it." He would do whatever it took to keep Dominic. "While I would prefer to stay in England, if needs be we can sail to a new country, where no one knows us. I have skills that will earn us a living and savings that would tide us over."

"I would hope we would not need to run away." Dominic held him closer. "There will be many options, you'll see, I could even find a woman to play my wife."

"That could be a dangerous game, open to blackmail, and we would still need to be careful." And if he were honest, he wasn't sure he could keep his jealousy in check. Dominic would need to play dutiful husband, and Callum would hate to have to stand by and watch him do so.

"True," Dominic said, "but I am sure there would be women desperate to be rid of their families or who have no desire to take a husband, and they would be a perfect spouse for me.

"I can't say I like the idea."

Dominic chuckled. "I'm not suggesting any old sparrow but the right little bird who needs rescuing from her gilded cage. Or a woman who wouldn't care as all she wants is a comfortable life. Either will work."

Callum didn't like either option. "Surely the latter would only lead to strife for someone in the end, and an excellent blackmail opportunity if you weren't careful."

Dominic gave him a considered look. "Callum, you are quite vociferous on the subject. I feel you have already rejected the idea before we could try to see if it could work."

He didn't think he was so obvious, but then he had never had such fierce emotions to hide before. "I don't want anyone to make claim to you, even if it is only for pretend. I know that sounds ridiculous—"

"No, I understand." Dominic pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "On reflection, I could not stand and watch you marry another. The thought of it chills me to the bone."

"Then the answer is no wives."

Dominic chuckled. "As you said, we are men with many resources at our disposal and while I am somewhat still beholden to my father financially, I have made significant investments, so we could take rooms as friends who are committed bachelors."

He thought it was by far the best solution. They would need to cultivate a growing friendship, and make it appear as if they had shared platonic interests, and that would be a lot easier than either of them pretending they wouldn't want to make their lover a widower.

"I suppose it would be no great shock to my father if I were to never marry. I could make it look as if I am too devoted to my work to make room for a wife. My own fortune is not that of my father's yet, but I am more than comfortable and that will only continue to increase."

"You already have a solid reputation," Dominic said, a hint of pride in his tone.

"And in order for me to keep it, I will need to make haste. I need to return home to change. Then I have plans to visit with a potential business partner that may yield great rewards." He didn't want to leave, but if he were to be caught lingering it would leave him open to many questions. "When can I see you again?"

"I intend to attend a lecture this afternoon, and then dinner with friends, but I have not made arrangements for tomorrow, if that suits you?"

"I could join you at your club for a late supper. I have commitments tomorrow until early evening." He suspected they would need to balance their social diaries. They were both important men with friends and acquaintances they couldn't start ignoring, still he didn't want much time to pass before he could get his hands back on Dominic's lovely pale skin.

"I will look forward to it, and then after supper we could retire here."