Page 84 of Touch In Excess

‘Rami told me you don’t talk to your parents.’

Skye nodded. ‘I haven’t seen them much since they handed me a check and the key to my first apartment. But growing up, my house was never like this.’

‘We were lucky,’ Ahmed told him, though he looked a little sad. ‘They did the best they could—even if their best wasn’t always great.’

‘Signing?’

Ahmed let out a long sigh, an unconscious hum following. ‘Not just me. Rami too. They thought they could parent the Autism out of him. They were frustrated when it didn’t work. Just like they thought if they forced me to speak instead of sign, I would assimilate better. Eventually, they understood that Rami and I are different.’

Skye didn’t know what to say to that. ‘I like him different.’

Ahmed laughed and rolled his eyes. ‘I know. It’s very obvious. And I’m happy. I’ve never seen him loved the way you love him. I haven’t seen a lot of people loved the way you two are with each other.’

Skye felt warm in his chest. ‘I didn’t think it was possible.’

‘You scared me at first,’ Ahmed confessed.

Skye’s brows flew up. ‘Me?’

He shrugged. ‘Rich, white, drives a sports car. I thought maybe you knew about his secret and were playing with him.’

Shaking his head, Skye turned his gaze out onto the horizon for a long beat. ‘By the time I found out, I didn’t think twice about it. It’s just part of him. I love everything he is.’

‘I believe you,’ Ahmed assured him. He turned, resting his side against the railing. ‘I hope I find someone as good as you.’

‘Aren’t you?—’

Ahmed shook his head. ‘It’s over. Neither of us were sad about it. I think I realized after seeing you two, I want something more.’

‘It’s worth the wait,’ Skye told him.

Ahmed looked down, then took a breath and nodded. ‘I hope so. Anyway, I just wanted to come out here and tell you that of all the men lucky enough to know my brother, you’re the most worthy.’

Skye grinned and knocked his elbow against Ahmed’s. ‘Thank you.’

‘And if you’d like to call me your brother someday…I’d like that.’

Skye’s stomach did an almost violent swoop. He hadn’t thought about that before. Not marriage or kids or anything so…average. But his life wasn’t always going to be the Tower or Rami’s channel. There was room for other things too—a foggy future that was coming more into focus every single day.

And God, he was so happy.

‘I’d like that,’ he eventually answered. ‘You might be the first to know.’

Ahmed grinned at him, then turned and settled by his side, watching as the last tendrils of dust faded into the dark night sky.

“I’m going to marry you someday,” Skye whispered. He was sated now, still breathing a little heavy, his cock slowly going soft inside Rami. He’d have to pull out soon so the condom didn’t leak, but he was taking a moment.

Rami stiffened, then eased away, releasing Skye in a soft slide as he turned onto his back. “What?”

Skye swallowed heavily, then reached for Rami, cupping his cheek. “I’d like to marry you someday,” he amended.

Rami licked his lips. “Officially?”

“Mm. If you want. Only if you want.”

“When you ask me, I’m going to say yes,” Rami told him.

Skye didn’t realize how badly he wanted to hear those words. He had no idea if the other Sins felt this way. If they thought about actual marriage and what came after all this. But he realized he didn’t want to live his life in some sort of faded echo of their own.

He wanted to walk his own path. And Rami was part of it. He leaned in and took a small, quiet kiss. “I love you.”

Rami laughed. “Yes. I know. You tell me every day.” He kissed back. “I like it. Never stop.”

Skye pulled back and met his gaze. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I never will.”

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