Indian Giver by Kris Klein

Heat Rating: Fire

Content Warning: GLBT Homoerotica, Happy For Now ending

Gary finds overtime worthwhile when he's paired up with Raji, a charming young Indian intern.

I nodded my approval, leaning back on the sofa--then noticed that the collar of his shirt was sticking straight up now on one side, pulled up that way when he'd removed his tie. It was cute--so charmingly dorky--that I was instantly crushing on the guy.

"Your ...uh ..." I said, pointing to him and then gesturing toward my own shirt collar.

Raji looked down at his shirtfront, brushing away at some stray dirt before looking back up at me--not getting it. "Huh?

I sighed, sitting up and leaning toward him.

"Your collar ..." I replied, and leaned over into his face, turning his upturned shirt collar back down with my right hand. We were almost nose-to-nose now, and I could smell his scent; his cologne. Wow. He smelled like sex, and I wanted to kiss him so bad, my chest hurt.

Raji glanced down, understanding now, and pressed his collar down again with his own hand--which brushed against mine. "Oh," he laughed, suddenly nervous.

I stayed where I was, his face in mine as we sat together on the couch. My fingers wrapped around his before he had a chance to pull his hand away, light on dark.

"I ..." My mouth had gone dry, and I was terrified by what my mind was pushing me to say--something that could cost me my job, not to mention ignite a sexual harassment suit, if I was wrong about the vibe I thought I was getting. But I said it anyway:

"I really ...really ...want to kiss you," I whispered, staring into those glittering, impossibly-black eyes behind the tiny glasses.

Raji blinked, startled eyes looking up and down my face. He licked his lips nervously. "I'm sorry, but I--I've never kissed another man before, Gary" he said, voice trembling.

"Oh. Oh, God--I'm so sorry." I let go of his hand and sat up straight again, feeling the heat rising in my cheeks--which I knew must be red with embarrassment. Boy, had I screwed things up. "God, I am so sorry, Raji," I repeated, setting my soda can down on the coffee table in front of us and shaking my head. I couldn't even look him in the eye. Would he tell? Cost me my job? I hunched over, elbows on my legs, and put my face in my hands. "I'm sorry," I said to him yet again. It was all I could think of to say.

Then I felt a hand on my arm--at the same time feeling Raji's weight shift as he moved closer to me on the couch.

"Gary."

I looked up, turning my head to where he sat on my left. Raji was staring down at me with those dark, fathomless eyes.

"What?" I asked him, feeling more foolish than I ever had in m life.

Raji gave me a small smile, though his eyes were still skittish; tense. "I said I'd never kissed another man before," he told me, pushing his glasses back up on his nose again. "I never said I didn't want to."