As Reid's fingers ghosted down his palm to his wrist, he could feel the quicker heartbeat. It made his breathing get heavier. He remembered one of his few romantic partners once telling him the effect his careful touches had. If Rossi was going to make his heart beat faster, he decided to do the same.

He focused on Rossi's hands. Earth hands, characterized by broad palms, deep-running lines, and long fingers. He ran his finger down Rossi's fate line, then traced the curves of the sun line, the girdle of Venus, the Mercury line, tracing the crosses and hatched pattern in his skin. He felt the soft spots, the callouses, the tiny ridges and spirals.

Then, almost without thinking, he pulled one of Rossi's hands up, brushing his lips carefully against his wrist, his breath blowing against the older agent's carefully examined palm.