Hold Close (Biker Daddy Bodyguards #2) - Sue Brown Page 0,13

why. What are your plans for the day?”

Louis sighed and rubbed at his eyes, before the pain reminded him what a bad idea that was. “I’m gonna work from home. I’m wiped after all the traveling yesterday.”

Craig looked pleased. Of course, it would be easier to keep an eye on him from home. “Why don’t you take a shower, and I’ll make breakfast?”

“The shower sounds great, but I’m not hungry. I’ll just have coffee.” Louis needed a lot of caffeine to face the day.

Craig frowned. “You need to eat or, if you’re feeling rough, why don’t you nap?”

“Jesus, Craig, you’re not my mother,” Louis snapped. “I’ll eat when I’m ready.”

Craig said nothing. The silence stretched out endlessly between them. Louis looked anywhere except at Craig.

Finally, Louis hung his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.”

There had been few hard rules between them, but rudeness was one of the things Craig didn’t tolerate from his boy.

Louis got up and walked over to stand in front of him. “I really am sorry, Craig.” In his heart, he still said, “I’m sorry, Daddy,” but he couldn’t say that out loud, not now, and he could hardly call Craig ‘sir’.

Craig reached out to caress Louis’s hair. “I know this is difficult, baby, but you’re all beat up and exhausted from all the traveling. The last thing you need is to pass out from lack of food and sleep.”

Louis pressed into the touch and Craig didn’t take his hand away. “I’d like eggs Benedict please.”

Craig smiled at him. “I can make that.”

It had been one of their favorite breakfasts when they were together. Sunday morning in bed together, if Craig wasn’t on assignment, while Louis read a book and Craig read the newspaper. He’d refused to allow Louis’s business to interrupt their one morning together. Ironically, it was Craig on constant assignment which help to drive them apart.

But Louis didn’t want to think about that now. Not as Craig smiled at him and caressed Louis’s hair one more time before he dropped his hand.

“I need a shower,” Louis said.

“You clean up. I’ll see you in the kitchen in fifteen minutes.” Craig said.

He turned and went downstairs before Louis could ask for his help in the shower. Louis sighed and left the den. Fifteen minutes. That was going to be fun.

Craig

Fifteen minutes later Craig put the freshly poached eggs on the plate and served them with smashed avocado.

“Uh, can you help me.”

He turned to see Louis entangled in a T-shirt. Craig snorted and loped over, gently disentangling Louis and helping him finish dressing. Louis wore thin sweats and a T-shirt from some promotion his club had held when he was with Craig, and his hair was damp and sticking up all over the place. After breakfast, Craig was going to take time to brush it into its usual smooth perfection.

“Come sit down. I thought you’d prefer the avocado to toast.”

“You’re spoiling me,” Louis said.

Craig put the plate in front of him. Spoiling his boy had been one of his greatest joys in life. That, and reddening his ass until Louis was crying and begging to come.

He offered Louis hot sauce then sat opposite with his own scrambled eggs. He frowned as Louis kept checking his phone rather than eating.

“Louis.”

“Huh?” Louis looked up from the screen.

“You’re supposed to be eating.”

“I know, but—”

“No buts,” Craig said firmly. “Give me the phone.”

He held out his hand.

Louis’s jaw dropped open and he clutched at his phone as if Craig was going to snatch it away. “You’re kidding me.”

“Give me the phone.”

“I’ll leave it alone while I eat.”

Craig held out his hand, and Louis slammed his iPhone into it. Craig slipped it into his pocket and ignored Louis’s sulky face. He calmly went back to eating his eggs. He could see the storm brewing in Louis’s eyes and waited to see what Louis would do next. He was more stubborn than he was a brat, annoyed when Craig interfered in his business. Craig had only interfered when he thought Louis wasn’t taking care of himself. When business was intense, he forgot to eat and drink, and would pull all-nighters. They had had their worst arguments over Louis’s long hours, and Craig was struck once again by the dichotomy of the hard-edged businessman and the sweet boy he remembered.

Louis huffed and glared and poked at his eggs like they were the enemy, but finally he took a bite, and that seemed to drain the tension from him. “You haven’t forgotten