Chapter One

Ezra

"I'll be right back. I'm going to take the trash. Wait for me. I'll walk you out tonight."

Ezra rolled his eyes at his best friend and manager. They both worked inside the small coffee shop located in the biggest and best casino on the Strip. Ezra had only been there for about six months, but Dom had been employed there for years, working himself into the position of manager. "I can get to my car on my own."

Dom narrowed his eyes, which pulled the three piercings in his brow down. He might appear to be a tiny little goth twink but Dom was fierce. Especially when it came to Ezra. "You'll wait on me," Dom ordered.

"Fine." Sometimes it was better not to argue.

"I mean it." Dom pointed his meticulously painted black fingernail at him. "Don't go anywhere."

"I won't!" Ezra threw his hands up in the air.

Dom pushed through the swinging door that led to the back. At least Dom was taking care of the trash. Ezra hated the long poorly lit hall that led to the back doors and alley. Almost everything in the casino was top-notch—everything except that hallway. He shivered, remembering his recent run-in with security back there. No, Ezra would clean the toilets, every night, with a toothbrush, if it got him out of taking out the trash. Luckily, Dom didn't mind. And Ezra didn't have to use a toothbrush to clean anything.

Since there was nothing to really do as he waited and only two customers that had already been taken care of, Ezra pulled his big thick textbook from under the counter. He opened the book to where he'd stuck a sheet of notebook paper and began to reread the paragraph that had been giving him trouble.

Checking out books from the library on children's sociology might be stupid, but Ezra was aware that he needed all the help he could get. Children, kids, well they needed a lot. More than Ezra had ever known was even possible.

He was deep into the reading when he felt the shift in the air. He wasn't alone. Goosebumps broke out along his arms. Raising his head, Ezra barely managed to hold in a sigh.

Directly in front of him was the most beautiful man that Ezra had ever seen. Above being attractive, Eric Smith also appeared to be a genuine nice guy. Not that Ezra was a good judge of character. For some reason Ezra had a habit of attracting the users, abusers, and scary partners. He knew that a man like Eric Smith would not be interested in a little weirdo like him.

"A little light reading?" Eric asked with a smirk.

Ezra's face burned. He really hated that his pale face never hid his embarrassment. "Uh…"

Leaning against the counter, Eric gave him a blinding white smile. Damn, this guy had to know what he was doing to Ezra. Eric loved flirting with Ezra, which always flustered him.

"Are you in school?" Eric asked with a frown. "Isn't it hard to attend classes when you work so late here?"

Ezra shook his head. He didn't owe this man any explanation about his life. Hadn't he learned early on working there that it was better to keep his private life, private? "Drink?" Ezra blurted out abruptly.

Eric straightened as his face fell.

Damn! Ezra was always messing up in front of this guy! Not that Ezra was going to take the full blame. Security for the casino made him nervous. Attractive men made him fidgety. Big men in general gave him anxiety.

Eric cleared his throat. "If you don't mind. I'll take my usual."

"I don't mind. It's sort of my job," Ezra mumbled as he picked up a medium cup. Of course, Ezra knew Eric's usual order. The man came in every single shift that he worked. It wasn't up to Ezra to point out that it was nearly ten at night and Eric shouldn't be drinking espresso this late. It wasn't his job to point that out. Ezra needed to make the coffee shop money, but Ezra really wanted to say something.

Ezra quickly made up the extra hot double Americano with two pumps of sugar-free vanilla. He turned to catch Eric reading the front of Ezra's textbook.

Well, that was just plain rude. He placed the cup down next to Eric's hand on the counter harder than he should have.

Eric let the book fall back to the counter with a sheepish expression. "Busted."

Ezra crossed his arms over his chest. He wasn't intimidating in any manner, but boundaries were a thing!

Eric grinned at him. "I'm sorry."

No, Ezra was not going to fall for that charming smile.

"I'm just the nosy sort. And that is a very thick book."

Hearing the word thick come from Eric's mouth was torture. Ezra had often fantasied about how big and thick Eric might be under those well-tailored suits he wore. All of security for the casino dressed in dark suits except for Eric. Eric tended to favor light gray or tan. He also added small touches like his ties and pocket squares better than the thugs that Ezra was used to. Damn, Ezra had it bad.

The corners of Eric's lips twitched.

There was no way that Eric knew where Ezra's thoughts had gone. No way. That was when Ezra realized that his gaze kept dropping down to the crotch of Eric's very well-fitting slacks before Ezra pulled it back up and Eric had caught him.

"Uh," Ezra managed.

This man was going to think that Ezra couldn't form two sentences together.

Eric winked. "I was talking about your book."

Of course he was.

"But I suspect that's not what you were thinking about."

Did Eric move closer? Ezra would swear he could feel Eric's breath on his face. Ezra shook his head. Nodded. Shook his head. Groaning, he knew he was acting like an idiot.

"What were you thinking about, Ezra?" Eric asked. He picked up his cup to swipe his tongue over the lid.

Ezra's whimper escaped and wasn't quite enough.

Eric totally moved closer! Ezra knew it. Eric leaned practically halfway over the counter. Ezra wanted so bad to reach out for the other man. He wanted to touch! It had been so long since he touched someone that he was attracted to. Hell, Ezra never made the first move but if Eric even hinted, he wanted something from Ezra, it might be worth the risk.

Memories flashed in his mind, jerking Ezra out of the lust fog. He took several steps away.

Eric backed off immediately. He had responsibilities and that didn't include getting mixed up with someone from work. Ezra needed his job too much. He not only had to support himself, but he was building a new life there in Las Vegas. It was nice to see that Eric had read Ezra's change in behavior and responded accordingly.

"Are you okay?" Eric asked quietly. "I apologize for…making you uncomfortable."

Ezra hated to see how Eric shut down the emotions on his face. With the memories still fresh in his mind, though, Ezra couldn't even attempt to assure the other man.

"I'm going to leave," Eric said. He was gripping his cup so hard that Ezra worried the lid would pop off. He pulled a ten-dollar bill from his pocket before sliding it across the counter.

He made a small sound of protest. Security didn't need to pay for drinks, but Eric always insisted and included the tip.

"You sure you're, okay?" Eric pressed. He left the money by the register.

"Fine." Ezra cleared his throat when his voice came out as a squeak. "I'm fine."

Shaking his head, Eric backed away.

Damn, Ezra didn't want to see the other man sad. Eric was turning to the exit when Ezra finally managed to say something. "I'll see you tomorrow?" He hoped he didn't sound too desperate.

Lifting the cup in his hand, Eric smiled. "I wouldn't miss it. See you tomorrow."

He was gone before Ezra could say anything else.

"That was just sad."

Ezra jumped before whirling around.

Dom stood next to the swinging door.

"How long have you been there?" Ezra demanded.

"Long enough to see that man wants to bend you over that counter and you would have let him. Then something happened."

Ezra grunted. He closed the book on the counter before shoving it in his backpack that he'd placed on the little shelf.

"So…" Dom dramatically danced across the space then lifted himself to sit where Ezra's book had just been. "What happened?"

"Is Tony here?" Tony was Ezra's replacement for the late-late shift and Ezra was ready to go home.

"In the back getting his apron and washing his hands," Dom supplied. "You have plenty of time to tell me what happened between you and Mr. McHottie."

Ezra hated that nickname for Eric. He despised the fact that everyone that worked at the coffee shop, male and female, thought Eric was hot. They all drooled over the newest addition to the security team. Just like him. Still Ezra liked to pretend he was someone that could interest a man so put together and handsome.

"Nothing," Ezra lied.

Dom lifted that pierced brow at him. Ezra had never learned how to do that. It looked cool when Dom did though.

"Nothing. He was teasing me about my book."

The disbelief was evident on Dom's face.

"Really. Can we just drop it?"

"Hmm." Dom pressed his lips together. "I don't think so."

Ezra could have hugged Tony when he pushed the swinging door open and walked to the front.

"Hey, Ezra," Tony greeted.

"Hey. How are you doing?" Ezra enjoyed working with all the team members, Dom being his favorite most of the time, but Tony was a close second.

Tony shrugged. "Not bad. My grandma had a doctor appointment today and her blood count is coming back up. The doctor thinks the transfusion…" He sniffed. "He thinks she'll be okay."

Ezra yanked Tony into a hug. Tony lived with his grandma and was her sole caregiver. The benefits of working for Jesse Lambert and the Lambert Entertainment Corporation were many, but the health insurance was beyond amazing. It was one of the reasons that Ezra had worked so hard to get on anywhere within the company. Even running the coffee shop inside the casino came with the much-needed benefits.

Dom joined the hug, so Ezra adjusted his arm so that he was holding both his friends. The three of them all had different reasons why they had joined the team there, but the struggles of everyday life made them family.

Tony patted their backs before drawing away. "I'm fine." He wiped the tears that had fallen. "Just happy."

"We should celebrate!" Dom declared.

Ezra and Tony groaned.

"What?" Dom asked. "It's been forever since we've all been to the club."

There was a reason it had been so long. Ezra couldn't get away often. He'd been to the club twice but hadn't really been able to relax fully. "Dom—"

"No!" Dom set his jaw. He stared at Ezra.

His friend knew why Ezra couldn't just go to clubs. Go out in general. It wasn't just about the money. Ezra was working on getting out of the cheap dingy apartment, but he had savings now. He shouldn't. Ezra really shouldn't. He wanted too though.

"We deserve one night," Dom told him.

Tony was nodding.

"Maybe next weekend," Ezra hedged. That would give him several days to come up with an excuse.

Dom laughed. "Don't even try to get out of it. We'll make sure everything is covered, and you can get a few hours to yourself"

That was easier said than done. There was a kernel of hope that Dom would help figure out how to manage his promise, but life usually had other plans for Ezra.

* * * * *

Eric

He waited until he was in the employee parking garage before Eric dumped the full coffee into the trash as he passed. It was too late for him to drink caffeine and get any sort of sleep. Already the late nights were starting to catch up with him.

Eric hadn't been able to resist making his nightly visit to the coffee shop. Not when he had passed by and spotted Ezra working the counter. As busy as Eric had been, he'd made damn sure that he got to talk to the sweet soft-spoken boy.

He climbed into his SUV and buckled up before starting the engine and his ride home. Eric was tired but it was a good tired. He felt a sense of accomplishment for the night.

The investigation that had him undercover had finally heated up.

Eric had narrowed down his suspects and pinpointed the group dealing drugs from the casino. It had taken longer than Eric had wanted but he had his proof that the head of security was running drugs. That made his undercover role as part of the security team even more dangerous. Eric had failed to get close to Joey Collins, the man who currently held the head of security position, but some of the other security guards weren't as paranoid.

From what Eric had seen, Collins had a reason to be paranoid. The amount of product that he was moving would get him decades in jail.

It was smart of Jesse Lambert to contact the Las Vegas Metro department with his suspicions. As soon as Jesse had suspected something hinky was going on at his businesses, he'd contacted them.

Used to working with a team, Eric was finding this undercover assignment difficult. He couldn't really make friends with anyone since he was technically lying to them. And they were all on the suspect list.

Well not all of them. His LT and close friend Remi North had taken on running background checks on every single employee for Lambert Entertainment Inc. All of Jesse's business fell inside that corporation. While Eric used his instincts and brain to try to narrow down the search, Remi had been backup on the computer. Luckily, the entire staff at the coffee shop had quickly and easily been ruled out of having any involvement with drugs. Eric did not have to worry about his small crush on the cute barista.

His brother would give him hell if he knew the thoughts that Eric had been having about the younger man.

All his research into Daddy kink so Eric could make the house comfortable for his brother had now bled over into other aspects of his life. Ezra always looked so tired. Dark circles under his chocolate eyes were permanent as far as Eric could tell. Ezra blushing and stammering anytime he was embarrassed had Eric wanting to pull him into his arms. Eric wanted to wrap Ezra up and hold him close. Not a feeling that he was familiar with, but Eric was also not unhappy about it.

Thriving as a good big brother was giving Eric more value in his life than he'd experienced previously. Even all the years of working as a cop didn't compare to how good caretaking his brother made him feel.

Of course, most of what Eric had read, watched, and researched hadn't been implemented in real life. He could act as a big brother to Brandon, but he couldn't be the Daddy that Brandon needed. Not full-time anyway. Ezra…he probably wasn't even a little. Had most surely never heard of the kink. That didn't stop Eric's imagination.

He pulled into the drive of his house and peered through the front windshield.

Eric loved his new house. Brandon had taken to finishing up the decorating, including furniture. Eric's prior tiny apartment hadn't been nearly enough to fill the large house. Every new item, whether it was a rug, pillow, or vase that Brandon added, gave the house the feeling of a real home. Something that neither he or Brandon had ever had before.

The curtains at the front window moved. Eric spotted his brother and grinned. He had a hard time coming down after a shift. It usually took hours for Eric to relax enough that he could force himself into bed and sleep. Brandon had taken to staying up and waiting for him when Brandon wasn't working the next day.

Brandon still hadn't returned to work full-time, deciding that he would pick up shifts at the hospital a few times every couple of weeks. Eric wanted his brother happy and knew that Brandon loved being a nurse, but he'd miss his brother waiting up for him when Brandon did go back to work full-time.

He climbed out of his SUV before rushing up the front walk.

The door opened just as Eric reached the welcome mat.

"You're late," Brandon said.

"Ten minutes," Eric defended. He just hadn't been able to resist stopping to talk to Ezra. Not that he'd tell Brandon that.

Brandon scowled. "The popcorn is probably cold," he grumbled.

That perked Eric up. "You made popcorn?"

"And I put a couple beers in the freezer for you, so they'd get icy. Just the way you like it."

"Best brother ever!" Eric declared as he wrapped his arms around Brandon's waist and lifted his little brother off his feet.

"Hey! Stop!" Brandon complained but he also wrapped his arm around Eric's neck and laid his head on Eric's shoulder.

Eric carried his brother inside before he stopped and locked the door. He took Brandon to living, where he already had two blankets and pillows on the cushions. There were two bowls of popcorn on the coffee table in front of the couch.

"What are we watching?" Eric asked as he carefully set Brandon down. He immediately started to yank on his tie.

Landing on his knees, Brandon batted his eyelashes.

Eric pulled the tie free from his collar before removing his suit jacket. "No!" He groaned. "We watched Housewives last night!"

Brandon huffed.

"We have to be caught up on the latest episodes."

"We are," Brandon agreed with a pout.

"Then? What are we watching?"

"The new Survivor is on," Brandon told him.

Eric grinned. He would never admit to watching reality television to anyone, but he secretly adored all the shows that Brandon had gotten him addicted to. He did have his limit though. Eric could handle a few hours of Brandon's favorite, but he really liked the survivor or competition shows. Okay, he liked the housewives too. He just couldn't tell his little brother that. Brandon would probably make him rewatch old seasons.

"I'm gonna go change," Eric said. "Get the show ready."

"Fine." Brandon grabbed the remote. "But if we're still awake after this episode, we get to watch the cop drama on Reels ."

Eric made his groan as loud as he could. "I deal with cops and criminals all day and night!"

"But that one host is so hot!" Brandon yelled after him.

He was chuckling as he entered his bedroom and removed his button-down shirt. Eric knew exactly who his little brother was talking about. And that host had quite the resemblance to one of his best friends.

Not that Eric was going to think about Dane and Brandon. He was waiting for Dane to approach him about his interest, but so far, the stubborn tattooed detective had remained silent on the topic of Eric's brother. Maybe not silent. Every text that the two of them shared ended with Dane asking after Brandon. Yeah, there was interest there on both sides.