Page 3 of Liam

I plopped myself down in the seat next to him.

"They abandon you?" I teased and swept my hair away from my face.

Jamal smiled at me. "Duties of the grooms, I suppose." He blinked at me, and I was immediately enthralled. Might have been the alcohol. Not sure. But his dark eyebrows and thick lashes capped eyes the deepest shade of brown I'd ever seen without the irises being fully black.

His breath quickened.

I was staring.

I cleared my throat. "Did you enjoy the ceremony?"

"It was beautiful, don't you think?"

"I did." Not quite as beautiful as Jamal, though. Beneath those alluring eyes, a strong nose—classical in its presentation. And pink lips on the plumper side of thin.

"Gave my heart a few flutters," he said.

I smiled. "Yeah … even got to me." Jamal was aware of the way I conducted my life. He followed me on social media and often liked my photos. Never commented on them. He knew I wasn't a relationship guy. That most days of my life consisted of getting by and getting laid.

"My parents' marriage was arranged," he said.

Really?

I leaned on the table. "How did that work out?"

"They fell in love. They're still going strong."

"Someone knew them well enough to set them up together." I took a long sip of my drink, enjoying the instant comforting effect. Jamal let his gaze roam over the sliver of my bare chest.

"I think most people can find common ground," he said.

I snorted. "I'll take your word for it." Jamal obviously hadn't been in the same room as me and Charlie when frustrations were running high. Ouronlycommon ground was sex.

"You have an argument against that?"

"Not one I want to get into."

Jamal held still as my gaze wandered over his face, taking in all the little details. His skin, colour, and texture reminded me of a strong and smooth mocha cappuccino.

It was the perfect shade of darkness, and it was flawless.

Beautiful.

The only time I'd been in the same room as Jamal was at the fundraiser Noah had hosted at his pub to replace the stolen computers at the LGBTQ+ Rainbow Youth Centre. We hadn't spoken at that because I'd been busy running the bar. I held his gaze. I liked the sound of his voice.

"How are the computers working out at the centre?" I asked.

"They're great. Such a necessity, plus we have a couple of teachers who donate their time and help the youth with their homework. The computers are great for completing assignments."

"That'll make a big difference. Are they seeing improvements in their grades?"

"Across the board. Our kids will have a real fighting chance out in the world."

"I admire what you do. You actually care."

Jamal's eyelashes closed over his eyes as he dipped his head forward, a slight uptick in his cheek. "Thank you. It's a labour of love." He set his gaze back on me. Intense. I could see myself happily drowning in the depths of those eyes. "You should come by the centre sometime."

Something came over me. "Should we exchange numbers?"

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