Page 5 of Touch In Excess

Rami looked up, his face serious. “I have really terrible situational awareness. I had to learn first aid so I didn’t get infections. My sister went to med school. And my brotherthought about it, but they gave him a lot of shit about being a Deaf doctor, so he ended up becoming an audiologist.”

“Is that what you meant about being the family disappointment? The artist amongst medical professionals?”

Rami swallowed heavily as he used a cotton swab to smear what Skye could only assume was antibacterial cream over the skin. “When you’re an artist that only sells three pieces a year, it doesn’t really hold up to doctors, does it?”

Something about the way he spoke made Skye want to pull him close and hold him. Which was a wild goddamn reaction, considering Rami was a total stranger. So he bit his tongue and said nothing as Rami finished dressing the two small wounds he had on his body.

Before his ride arrived, he was sporting two gauze patches and way too much medical tape. But Rami looked pleased with his work, which was enough for Skye.

“No one’s taken care of me like this in…” Skye hesitated. “Ever?” The Sins were there for him emotionally, and physically if he ever asked for it, but this felt different.

Rami ducked his head as he set the first aid kit aside and then stood up, offering Skye a hand. He took it, holding on a little too long as he climbed to his feet. His phone buzzed again, and he knew that was the five-minute warning.

“Do you like lunch?” Rami asked.

Skye blinked. “I don’t have strong feelings for or against lunch.”

“Is it hard for you to eat out? Because it’s hard to hear,” Rami clarified.

Skye felt a little off-kilter. For a second, he thought Rami was maybe asking him out. Now, he was starting to think the guy was just overly curious about everything. “Sometimes. There are a few restaurants in town that are decent and have quiet dining rooms.”

Rami nodded, then said, “Okay. You can take me out to lunch to say thank you.”

Skye burst into laughter. What thefuck? Who even was this guy, and why was that so goddamn endearing? “Is that what I’m supposed to do?”

Rami shrugged. “No, not really. I don’t think there’s some social contract we entered because I helped keep you from dying of tetanus. Or getting lockjaw, which would also be pretty bad. Though you sign, so you’d just have to deal with the pain, I suppose.”

“Okay,” Skye said slowly. He took a breath, then took a leap. “I’d really like to take you to lunch to say thanks.”

“I was hoping you’d say that. Let me give you my number.” He snatched the phone from Skye before he could offer it out, and Skye watched as his fingers flew over the pad, typing in his name and then his number. “You can text me whenever.”

“I will,” Skye said. There was movement to his right, and he glanced over to see a car approaching. “My ride.”

“Make plans soon?” Rami pressed.

“Tonight,” Skye said. He didn’t have clients. He wanted a meal, a hot shower, and comfy clothes. And then maybe to spend the evening texting with this oddly charming man. “Thank you for preventing an untimely death. Or lockjaw.”

“You’re welcome. You’re very pretty—sorry, is pretty bad for a man?”

Skye stopped midway through his turn toward the car. “Maybe for some. I like it.”

“Okay. Because you are,” Rami said.

Skye looked at him, and his grin widened. “So are you?”

Rami laughed softly and shook his head. “I like that. Tell your driver to be safe.”

Skye nodded, knowing damn well he wasn’t going to speak more than a few words to the driver, but it didn’t feel quite like a lie, so guilt didn’t chase him.

He took one lingering, gluttonous look at Rami before getting in the car, and he kept his gaze on him until they were well on the road. When he was out of sight, Skye felt a strange sensation in the pit of his stomach. It was new and alien and a little terrifying.

But it was also so good he couldn’t wait to text the man and see if the feeling lasted. He wanted to hold it close, hoard it for himself, and share it with no one at all. And in spite of loving his friends and not wanting to ever keep secrets, this one felt important.

This one felt like life or death.

Two

Picking at his nails,Rami stared at his bank account. The numbers were high but not high enough. He hadn’t realized inheriting a house would come with such severe complications—like an unpaid tax bill and a threat to foreclose and throw the place on the market for auction.

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