Page 17 of Controlled Burn

The guys who’d come before him had set the bar pretty low, but so far, he seemed okay. At least he’d bothered with a name.

“What are you drinking, Caleb?”

“Oh.” I glanced at my still half-full glass. “Long Island Iced Tea.”

“Well, let me order you another one.”

“That’s okay. I’m not sure I’ll want another.”

“Seriously, let me. I insist.” He motioned for the bartender.

So much for seeming okay. Totally disregarding my preferences was a big red flag for me.

“No, seriously. I’m not interested.”

He slipped off the bar stool and stepped towards me, getting all up in my space. I slid back as far as I could, but the bar stool was only so big.

He leaned down close to my ear, his hot wet breath brushing across my neck, making me shiver, but not in a good way.

“Come on now. A sweet thing like you is just what I’m looking for tonight. You can even call me Daddy if that’s what gets you off.”

This guy was putting off some serious doesn’t know how to take no for an answer vibes. I glanced around him, hoping to see my new bartender friend, but his back was to me while he talked with a small group of boys at the far end of the bar. Well, shit.

Chapter 7

Keith

I’d been worrying about today ever since they’d asked me to give the speech for my dad’s ceremony, but I shouldn’t have been. The whole day had turned out perfectly.

I loved spending time with my family, and that was what today had been about. And to make things even better, I was sitting at one of the back horseshoe-shaped tables at Kirby’s with my baby brother, his boy, Spencer, and his friend Julius.

I didn’t get to hang out with Nash anywhere near enough now that he’d moved off to River Gorge, and the more I got to know Spencer, the more convinced I was that he was perfect for Nash. I was thrilled for them. My brother was one of the best men I knew, and he deserved to be happy.

Julius was teasing them about how sappy they both were, and I was listening, thinking how right he was, when someone over near the bar caught my eye. At first, I thought it had to be my imagination, but then he turned to look at Jeff, one of the two guys sitting beside him, and I knew I was right.

“What the fuck is he doing here?” I growled, and everyone stopped talking to stare at me.

“Who?” Nash asked.

“Caleb Callihan. Right over there.” I pointed towards the bar.

Nash leaned over and spoke softly to Spencer. “That’s his best friend’s son. I went to elementary school with him before he and his mom moved away,”

“He’s a librarian, for fuck’s sake,” I said. “What’s he doing in a club on Daddy Night?”

“Looking for a Daddy?” Spencer asked hesitantly.

“Caleb?” I scoffed and shook my head. “He blushes if you look at him too long. There’s no way he’s here looking for a Daddy.”

Spencer leaned forward to make eye contact with me around Julius. “Well, you know there was this time someone”—he glared pointedly at Julius—“convinced me to come to Daddy Night and didn’t bother to tell me that’s what it was. Maybe that’s what happened.”

“Maybe?” I said, but if that was the case, where were these friends? What was he doing sitting at the bar all by himself?

I knew it was none of my business, but this was Caleb, and Robert would kill me if I didn’t keep an eye on him. I breathed a sigh of relief when the two guys who’d been sitting with him got up and went on their way. But that relief didn’t last long. Because as soon as they were gone, that same jerk I’d dealt with last month was sliding his ass onto the seat right next to Caleb. I gave it a second, waiting to see if Caleb would send him packing the way he had Cal and Jeff, but so far, that wasn’t happening.

“Well, shit!” I growled. “Freaking Sebastian Demarco is talking to him. That guy’s a worthless piece of crap. I keep waiting for the day the owner bans him.”

Julius nodded in agreement. “That guy is bad news.”