Page 75 of Cosmo

“We barely know each other.”

“You know enough. So does he.”

Waving Goldie on, Cosmo tried to deny it, but then laughed to himself. “Looks like we need to have the talk.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Before the Friday shift,Taran met Liam in his room, staring bug-eyed at Liam in his “costume”. “You look so fucking sexy.”

Abs, of course, had complete control of his wardrobe for the weekend shows. He wore a pink crop top and skintight black jeans with a black choker around his throat. A touch of makeup around his eyes and a little pink lip gloss completed the outfit.

“I didn’t see you liking me in pink.”

“I like you in anything,” he said, then bit his lips together. He slowly moved his eyes up to meet Liam’s, and the paling of his skin was lovely. He hadn’t wanted to say it, to…admit it.

Liam took his hand and led him to the bed, and as they sat together, fingers threaded together while their hands lay on Liam’s thigh, Liam reasoned, “I’m…different, and it’s scaring the shit out of me. What you’re feeling, what I am, is scary for me. The last time I loved anyone, I was hurt so badly, I swore I’d never feel that again, and here I am, in this house with people that…I know they’re criminals,we’recriminals, but they’re goodpeople. Just the way that Murphy wants to work with you guys to save other people’s kids like they were his own?”

Taran’s eyes were sparkling, partly because tears were welling. “You don’t think I see that? I’ve actually known them…well, known about them, for a long time now. They’re good people with good hearts. You fit right in, and as for you getting these feelings, don’t worry about it so much. Feel what you feel, and I’ll do the same. For my own job, it’s not like we can get married and move to a house with a white picket fence. What we have now might be it for as long as you feel like having me around.”

That was the thing. Although they’d known each other for such a short time, Liam knew he’d want Taran around for a long time. “You make sense. We’ll…do what we’re doing and worry about the rest later.”

Taran’s head leaned to one side as he slowly moved to Liam, touching his lips to Liam’s glossed lips, and letting Liam feel things he never thought he could feel.

Warmth, companionship, sweetness. He pulled away and whispered, “You have to reapply my makeup. Abs will kill you if it’s a mess.”

“I know I’m a highly trained federal officer of the law…but…he scares me a little.”

“Me too! The sweetest man possibly on the planet, but man, those are the ones to be afraid of.”

Taran reapplied the lip gloss and then sat back to admire his work. “I’m gonna be watching. You learn any new tricks?”

“I actually have, and I’m scared shitless I’ll mess up tonight.”

“You’re gonna be great.”

Cosmo lined up with the others behind the bar as the crowds swarmed in around nine that evening.

The first ten minutes alone, he made thirty drinks. It amazed him how fast he’d gotten at concocting drinks that were slammed down like water and more ordered.

The crowd was all cheerful, with tons of laughter all around the big room. While making the drinks and waiting for the shows to start, Liam kept one eye out for Taran, and it wasn’t long before he was ordering a Slippery Nipple.

“You know I have to look that up in the bartender’s bible, right?”

“Oh! I don’t want the drink Slippery Nipple. I want your tongue on my nipple while you’re fucking me,” he said in Liam’s ear as he leaned way over the bar. “You can give me a beer to drink.”

“Evil man,” Liam said, laughing as he turned to grab a glass so he could pour some beer into it for Taran. “Gonna stay a while?”

“Yeah, but not just for you. Heard from a reliable source someone else is coming here tonight that is concerning.”

Suddenly, his upbeat mood darkened. “Who?”

“Nothing for you to worry over right now. Do what you do and let me do what I do.”

Liam was not only suspicious, but worried. “Take care of that ass. I happen to like it.”

“No worries. You’ll be seeing plenty of my ass later.”

Goldie leaned over to tell him, “It’s time for a bar dance. Remember, practice.”

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