Hold Close (Biker Daddy Bodyguards #2) - Sue Brown Page 0,34
Strada.”
Craig’s stomach took a nasty roll.
“What about him?”
Chapter 10
Louis
“I had a session with him,” Louis admitted.
He turned to see Craig gaping at him.
“What?”
Louis turned back to look out of the window. He didn’t need to see the condemnation on Craig’s face. “This was after he split from Cade. I met him on a night out. We talked. He was lonely. I was lonely.” He grimaced. “I thought he’d just had a messy break up, and I could sympathize. I had no idea what he was like of course.”
“You were his boy?” Craig’s voice was carefully neutral.
“Not beyond the one session. He didn’t call me again. I was relieved. We didn’t seem to have any personal connection. It relieved an itch, is all. Of course, if I’d known about Cade, I wouldn’t have gone near him.”
“Do Cade or Quinn know?”
Louis shook his head. “I didn’t want to make Cade upset.”
Craig hummed. “This gives you a direct link to Strada. It bumps him up the suspect list.”
“It was one session, and he didn’t call me. It’s not as if I dumped him.”
Louis winced even as the words came out of his mouth. He had dumped Craig, the man he had loved. Still loved. Would always love.
Craig didn’t react beyond a blink. “I know, but they need to know.”
Louis sighed. “Cade’s still in London.”
“I’ll call Quinn. He wants to see me anyway.” Craig hesitated before he said, “You don’t have to tell me. It’s none of my business. But what kind of session was it?”
“It was a spanking, nothing more. I needed something.” Louis hated the defiant note in his voice. He was a successful businessman. He didn’t need to justify himself to Craig Booker.
“It’s okay, Louis. You had needs that weren’t being met.”
And Louis hated himself even more for feeling like he’d begged for forgiveness from his Daddy. He jumped as Craig laid a hand on his shoulder.
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Craig murmured in that deep voice.
Louis hung his head. “Not the session, but I should have told you about it.”
“Yes.” Craig sighed and rubbed soothing circles between Louis’s shoulder-blades. “You should. But I’ll talk to Quinn about it. Jamie told you to tell me?”
Louis leaned into the touch. There had been none of this with Strada. Craig could reduce Louis to goo just with his hands on him. “Yeah. He’s like an old mother-hen.”
“I’ll thank him later. Are you hungry?”
Louis wasn’t, but he knew that wasn’t what Craig wanted to hear. “Maybe a little.”
“How about an omelet?”
Louis thought about it for a moment. “I could make it and you could call Quinn.” His cooking skills were limited, but Craig had taught him to make omelets. That was the only thing he could make without burning down the kitchen.
“Good idea. Are you all right to cook?” Craig asked.
“I’ve got to start living sooner or later.”
“That wasn’t what I asked.”
Louis knew from the edge in Craig’s voice he was treading on thin ice. “If I need help, I’ll ask,” he promised. “Do I need to cook for the guys outside?”
“Good boy,” Craig said. “No, they’re already sorted. I checked.”
Louis tried not to melt at the praise, but it had been so long since anyone had taken care of him like this.
Craig disappeared into the den and Louis stared at the stove blankly before he remembered what he was supposed to be doing. Omelets. Right.
He took his time, knowing from experience that Craig would be on the phone to Quinn for a while. Once the Daddies started talking, they forgot all about the time.
Fifteen minutes later, he slid fluffy cheese omelets onto plates and took them to the table, just as Craig walked back in. He was tired, but triumphant at doing something so mundane.
Louis looked at Craig’s pinched face. “What happened?”
Craig let out an explosive breath and sat down at the table. He studied the plate in front of him as if it were going to give him the answer to life, the universe, and everything.
“Craig?” Louis nudged as he sat down.
His Daddy looked up with a resigned expression. “I’d forgotten what it was like to be part of a community that likes to know all about your business.”
Louis looked down at his omelet, sure Craig wouldn’t appreciate seeing his lips twitch in amusement. “Quinn?”
“Nosy bastard,” Craig muttered.
“What did he want to know?” Louis asked curiously.
Craig pressed his lips together.
“Craig?”
“He wants to know my intentions toward you.”
Louis would have liked that answer too, but he could see the tense lines of Craig’s