Buy One, Get Two and Three... - 21. Chapter 21

Carlos

Carlos sat watching Daniel nibble at his food like a little bird.

He cast about for a safe topic and an idea came to him. “So, how long have you lived with your brothers?”

Daniel smiled at him, causing a flutter in his chest. He hoped he wasn’t setting himself up for a fall.

“I’ve lived with Silas all my life. Toby only returned just over a year ago and we moved in here with him.”

“Returned from where?”

“Oh, wherever the government had sent him. He worked on secret missions that he still to this day can’t talk about. But, from what little I have heard I don’t think I want to know the details.”

Carlos nodded. His own experiences with government work weren’t the best and he definitely didn’t want to talk about them—ever.

Carlos stared at the blue flowers in a decorative vase that sat in the middle of the table, but, before he could think of another safe topic Daniel spoke again, “What about you? When did you decide to become a bartender?”

Carlos grinned. “I’m not just the bartender, I’m co-owner of the club with Tara and Oliver. We opened over four years ago. I’ve known Oliver all my life, but we lost contact until I was discharged from the army. Oliver and Tara were still in the planning stages for the club and they needed someone who knew about bar work. I worked in a bar through college and I had a hefty payment due to me. So, I decided to invest with them. It took a while but the club took off and now we’re the place to be seen. The waiting list for membership is longer than my arm. I don't envy Oliver his job of checking into all those Doms.”

“Checking them?” Daniel sounded curious.

Carlos nodded. “Yep, all Doms who apply to the club are background checked. Oliver has a contact in the police and he makes sure that anyone who is granted membership has no violent charges against them. He also checks they are who they say they are. Then he oversees their training and the rules of the club are drummed into them.”

“Sounds like a lot of work,” Daniel mused.

Carlos nodded and returned to his food, should he bring up the Dom that slipped by? Or would that spoil the mood? After a few moments of silence, he pushed his concern to the side and his curiosity got the better of him.

“Do you always eat so slowly? You’ve barely made a dent in your meal.”

Daniel flushed. “Um, it is something I started doing when I was younger. The longer I was at the table, the less chance I had of being…”

Carlos pushed down the urge to make Daniel finish what he was saying. Less chance of being what? Shouted at? Beaten? Whipped? Carlos really wanted to know who had hurt Daniel—and, from the little he knew, Silas too. He wanted a person he could go out and find. He would then take great pleasure in showing the bastard exactly what it felt like to be…

“Are you okay, Sir?” Daniel's worried voice pulled him from his thoughts. Fuck, he needed to be more careful. He didn’t want to scare the boy off.

He dredged up a smile. “I’m fine. Just got lost in a daydream.”

On a whim Carlos pushed his chair back and crooked a finger at Daniel. Frowning Daniel rose and drew nearer. Then, he let out a startled yelp as Carlos pulled him down into his lap.

After he’d settled his boy, Carlos pulled Daniel's plate nearer and broke off part of the sub. Holding it to Daniel's mouth he waited patiently until his boy finally opened and took the food delicately from his fingers.

By the time Daniel's plate was empty, his boy was a lovely shade of red. He almost matched his hair.

Carlos dropped a chaste kiss on Daniel’s flushed cheek. “Now that we’ve quite finished with lunch, I believe you said I could see your studio.” He picked his boy up by the waist—the young man needed to put some more meat on his bones—and set him on his feet. “Well, come on boy.”

Carlos gave Daniel a tap on the ass to get him moving and rose to follow behind his sub—and what a behind it was, mmm-mmm.

“My studio is just upstairs, Sir. It’s not that big, only—”

Whatever Daniel was going to say was cut off by the front door opening.

Toby's voice echoed through the foyer. “Daniel, where are you? Whose car is that in the drive? Who’s here with you?”