“Don’t waste your money. He’s not gonna take a drink from you.” The bartender gave me a snide look like he thought I was a moron as he started to walk away.

“Guess you don’t want a fifty then.” Shrugging as I not-so-subtly waved the folded bills around, I turned to head back over to my table where I knew the twink that’d been serving us would do what I wanted in a heartbeat.

“Wait.” The asshole bartender who thought he was hot shit leaned against the counter and studied me. “You have thirty seconds to satisfy my curiosity or I’ll have security toss you out.”

God, he was so full of himself.

It made me wonder if he knew that Niko only kept him around because he thought the guy was hot and he didn’t flirt with the dancers. I was starting to get the impression, though, that the only reason he was so professional with the other staff was because he was straight.

“Furniture? He wants a small business policy for custom furniture?”

“Yup.”

He couldn’t picture the bouncy guy being focused enough to have a business, much less one that made custom furniture. Maybe that was just his perception of him, but it wasn’t completely baseless. From what Garrett had seen, Wyatt was polite and perpetually cheerful but forgetful and constantly in motion. The two opposing pictures didn’t mesh.

“You’re sure?” He should have known better than to ask.

“How often am I wrong?” Calen gave him a look that spoke volumes. Bossy Dom. He should have known better than to have hired another Dom as an office manager. But when his closest friends were all in the scene he didn’t have much of a choice.

“What the hell, Calen? Are you drunk? It’s not even eight o’clock in the morning!” Garrett’s angry words echoed off the office walls as Calen walked in.

Why couldn’t Garrett have gotten in late? He had a new sub and a wonderful relationship. Surely there was something else he could have been doing this morning. But no, he had to be waiting right there at the front desk on the very morning when what Calen needed more than anything else was coffee and some space.

Melissa looked back and forth at the two men, then shook her head before focusing on her computer looking like she’d rather be anywhere else. The office was usually fairly calm. They all did their best to keep things businesslike and push their more aggressive tendencies to the side. Melissa seemed to understand this wasn’t going to be the most civil discussion.

Not that Calen felt like arguing this morning. He was tired. Fighting with Garrett was the last thing he wanted. Why couldn’t Garrett figure out that he simply needed to back off?

Wyatt sailed through the door of Hidden Treasures, almost dancing while saying, “I heard from a little birdie you had a date tonight.”

Carter fought to keep himself from rolling his eyes at Mrs. Jenkins as he handed her back her credit card. Hoping she would ignore Wyatt, he smiled and tried to keep things professional. “I’ll let you know if I can find those chairs you wanted. I’ve got some good contacts, so it shouldn’t be difficult.”

Her eyes twinkled as she took back her card. “A date? You didn’t mention anything like that.” Then she turned to Wyatt. “Hello, dear.”

He blushed a little. “Hello, Mrs. Jenkins.” Then, glancing back to Carter, he mouthed, “Sorry.”

She wasn’t going to give up on good gossip, so she turned to look at Carter. “Who is your mysterious suitor? I can’t remember hearing you mention anyone.”

He knew he should stay away, but he couldn’t. Something about the couple had called to him from the first moment he’d seen them. He’d tried to leave them alone and find someone else that attracted him, but it wasn’t possible.

Watching as Troy carefully wrapped a still-shaking Oliver in a soft blanket, he told his feet they needed to walk away from the intimate moment in front of him, but the traitors kept taking him closer. Inch by inch he worked his way toward the darkness.

The sounding scene had been for the audience at Bound & Controlled as well as the men, but now that it was over, the aftercare was only for the two of them. It was intimate, private. Every rule and piece of etiquette he’d ever learned screamed at him that he needed to leave them alone and give them their space, but something kept him orbiting their private world.

Bound & Controlled was a gay BDSM club that was open and accepting, but there were rules and boundaries. Bryce knew he should find someplace else to be, but it was impossible. It didn’t matter that he was supposed to let them have their space after a scene. Bryce couldn’t leave them. He’d managed to walk away in the past, but it was quickly becoming impossible.