Page 106 of Light Up
“I’ve never done that before,” Corey said. “I’ll do better next time.” He sucked in a breath. “Aftercare. Let me get a cloth.”
Tal caught his wrist. “Not yet.”
Corey snuggled up against him and made patterns with the come, swirling it around Tal’s abs and nipples. Then he put his finger in his mouth and sucked. “Yum. A hint of mint chocolate and sausages wrapped in bacon with overtones of apple juice.”
Tal laughed. He pressed his face to Corey’s ear. “You do bad things and you do them well.”
“Can I do them again? I get it if you’re too tired… You’re older than me. Nearly forty. Wow. Can you get hard twice in one night?”
“You…”
Tal could. He could do anything.Could he fall in love with me?
Corey thought he could love Tal. In a way, he already did. It was too soon, Corey got that. But the fire was burning and Corey would do everything he could to keep it that way.
Epilogue
Two years later
Corey looked through the window at the falling snow. “Remind me again why we’re doing this.”
Tal put a mock-stricken look on his face. “Because I love you.”
“And not because you’ve fallen in love with skiing? And this way you can kill two birds with one stone, you heartless monster?”
“It’s a good thing I know you’re joking.” Though Corey thought Tal looked a little concerned.
“I am joking. It’s romantic and beautiful. Christmas in the snow and there is lots of snow but no danger, well at least not unless you and Louis are zooming down the slopes scaring me and Mojo to death or showering us with snow as you slam to a stop at our sides as you regularly do.”
Tal came up behind him and wrapped his arms around him. “That was Louis’ idea.”
“Right. And you listen to Louis?”
The relationship between Corey and Louis was better than Corey could have imagined. It had taken Louis a while, but now Louis actually liked him and he didn’t like many people. Tal said it was because Corey stood up for himself and didn’t take any shit but Corey thought it was because Louis had finally understood how much he loved Tal.
“What a view.” Corey stared out at the snow-covered mountains lit up by the setting sun. “Fancy living in a place like this. That wasn’t a question.”
“I’ve never designed a house suitable for a snowy climate.”
“What would you need to think about?”
“Structural integrity, durable materials that can cope with heavy falls of snow. Insulation, ways to make the buildingshed the snow, window placement, orientation so you maximise solar benefit and minimise wind exposure. Blending in with the landscape. Heated drives… Have your eyes glazed over yet?”
“No.” Corey squirmed round to face him. “If I was cleverer, I’d love to be an architect.”
“Forgive me for laughing but you’ve said that about forensic pathology, ER doctor, pilot, vet and tax inspector. You’re clever enough to do anything you set your mind to.” Tal paused. “Are you not happy working for me?”
“I love working for you. I do okay as an office manager, right?”
“You know you do. More than okay.”
Corey leaned into him. Tal had set up his own architectural practice when Maddox, his former boss, had decided to retire after a health scare. That had been the announcement Tal had missed when he’d left the party the night he’d met Corey. He’d sold the business but Tal had moved on, taken a few of the architects with him and they were doing really well. Corey had struggled to find something he wanted to do once he’d decided he no longer wanted to go to university and when he’d gone in to help Tal set the office up, having him there as an administrator had turned into a ‘thing’. And he was good at it. And he’d studied accountancy at the same time. He still wasn’t qualified. It took a long time but Corey had been surprised how much he liked it for someone who wasn’t naturally good at maths.
“I am in awe of you,” Tal whispered into Corey’s hair.
“I sold another song,” Corey blurted.
Tal spun him round. “You did? Who to?”
