Page 112 of Out of the Shadows
“So you’ve just done the walk of shame,” Cosmo says as we take our place on the dance floor, so close I can feel the warm breeze of his breath.
“No, not shame. Never shame.”
I cup his face between my palms and lay a gentle kiss on his lips. My heart leaps and twists, an acrobat deep in my chest, as he sighs and closes his eyes.
“You’ve crossed a line,” he murmurs, as I pull him in close and wrap him in my arms.
“You told me I’d have to do that, too. If I had a rainbow flag, I’d fly it high.”
I press a kiss to his head, and hold him tighter still. The music weaves its way around us; the song is for us alone as everybody else around us fades to nothing. I close my eyes as we sway together, less in time to the music, more in time to our own quiet rhythm and the steady beat of our hearts. He feels good and right in my arms… My chest tightens and knots… I’d almost thrown this all away as I’d given into fear and cowardliness…
I tighten my hold.
The music slows, grows quiet, and stops. Cosmo steps away, and takes the warm press of his body with him. He looks up at me, and there’s a question in his eyes.
“The dance is over. What happens now?”
“What do you want to happen?”
“I want you to tell me again that you love me.”
I lift his hands to mine, and lay a kiss on his fingers.
“I love you, Cosmo. I mean it with every piece of who I am, I mean it with every piece of my heart. Do you think you could love me too?”
His smile takes every one of my breaths away. It’s bashful and bold, it’s shy and confident. It’s every contradiction that makes up this complex, wonderful, captivating man.
“Yes Daniel, I think I could.”
His smile grows wider, bigger and brighter, and my heart beats hard and heavy against my ribs. I want to get us away, from here, from everybody, from all the curious eyes I know are following our every move.
“Come on let’s go—”
“Well, looks like I won’t be getting that dance after all.”
Cosmo and I both swing around. Fiona wears a crocked, wry smile as she holds out two glasses of champagne.
“I reckon what you just did deserves a toast. You two look good together.”
“Thanks, Fi.” Cosmo leans in and kisses her cheek. She smiles, before disappearing back into the crowd.
“You know we’ll be the big talking point back in the office?”
I shrug. “I don’t care.”
“Don’t you? You’re sure about that?”
“Yes.” I lock my gaze to his. He needs to know I mean it. “I will never retreat to the shadows, I will never step back across the line and I will never, ever stay silent. I won’t deny you and I will never betray you.”
Cosmo answers with a dark smile. The glitter’s back in his deep green eyes, and it’s laced with danger.
“Words are cheap, Daniel. I need you to show me, with clear and decisive action, you mean every one of them.”
