Discovering Dalton (Manchester Menage Collection #2) (30 page)

Chapter
33

D
alton had just arrived home from an afternoon appointment with the counsellor at work, when a knock at the front door spoiled his plans for a relaxing bath. He was feeling more upbeat, and the counsellor agreed with him. There was another session planned, then she was going to chat with him and Milo about returning to work. It would probably be on lighter duties, but Dalton was edgy and needed to do something other than sort through his dad’s house.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Samuel there, and right behind him was Blue. Both of them smiled brightly, each of them obviously a little nervous, but glad to see him.

Dalton leaned against the doorframe and gave them a slow once over. “So, Milo’s sent in the big guns, huh?”

“Dalton,” Samuel breathed out his name, stepping up to place a kiss on his cheek. “We missed you.”

Blue waved from behind him. “Hey, sexy. Looking good.”

Dalton sighed into the long mane of Samuel’s hair. “Hey, Blue. Come in. I just got back from the office.”

“Good news?” Samuel took his hand as they walked in, Dalton hovering at the side and accepting the soft kiss of Blue on his other cheek.

“Yeah. Looks good, but I guess I’ll wait until I find out what Milo thinks.”

Samuel must have caught the slight edge to his voice because he stopped mid-way through the sitting room door and tilted his head. “Milo misses you. He wants you back at work, Dalton.”

“I know and I miss him, it’s just… It’s different. Him being the boss and all.”

“He’s still adjusting to it. You're not the only one who’s a little off centre.” Samuel took Blue’s hand and they sat opposite Dalton on the sofa, both pairs of eyes settling on him, and Dalton felt a little nervous. “We came to see if you’d like to come out for a few drinks.”

“With you two? Just you two?” Dalton wasn’t too sure about that, and the way Blue stared at him made him feel like he should stay well away from further trouble.

“Well, Danny said he invited you out with his station but you turned him down, and Milo, well, you obviously don’t want to talk to him at all.”

Dalton sighed, the sad, blue eyes of Samuel piercing right through him.

“It’s just a bit of fun for Blue’s birthday.” Samuel’s puppy dog gaze went up a notch and Dalton shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

“You can't possibly say no to
my
birthday, Sexy.” Blue crossed his legs, Dalton catching sight of the shiny neon blue of another pair of killer heels adorning those slim ankles.

“Well…” Dalton adjusted his collar. “I guess a couple of drinks will be okay, but, and this a
big
but, no talking about me. Not one thing. I just want to… not think about me for a bit.”

Samuel and Blue both bounced up and down in their seats, squealing loudly. The scene made Dalton laugh, and he sat back in the armchair. One night out would be fine. It was time he got back into the real world. “You’d better be good. I don’t want any trouble.”

Blue grinned, green eyes opening wider. “Honey, trouble is my middle name.”

“
That
I could have guessed.” Dalton winked jokingly at him before looking back to Samuel. “So, you look dressed up and ready to go. Shall I get in my going out clothes and order a taxi?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Samuel rose, kissing him quickly. “I’ll just let Milo and Danny know what’s happening. You know how they worry.”

“They have good reason to.”

“They’ll feel better knowing I'm with you. Thank you for coming.”

“Thanks for not giving up on me and inviting me out.”

~ ~ ~

Liam was waiting for Troy at the bar. It was stuffy. The weather didn’t seem to know what it was doing, and Liam had worn a jacket when really he should’ve just gone out in a t-shirt. He slung it over a barstool and looked up and down the long bar, watching out for Troy. They’d not seen each other for a couple of days, and that was down to both of them working later shifts and then Liam running off, trying to work himself out of the bad mood which clung dangerously to him every second of the day.

It felt like time to make up, and being out for a friendly drink and surrounded by strangers felt better than being alone. Liam needed a break from the pressure and a few drinks could ease his tension before he ran home with Troy and blurted out how he felt.

Troy sent him a text saying his last appointment had run over. Some issue with the bloke passing out. Liam snorted when he read it. It was always the big ones. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, Troy would say. Liam checked his watch. Eight thirty. His shift at Aspire ended at eight and he’d come straight there. Troy was changing at home, so Liam guessed he had about half an hour to wait.

After grabbing a couple of beers and heading outside, he saw all the tables were full. Not wanting to sit inside, he perched on the wall running around the front of the bar and people watched. He knew some of them, fucked a couple from memory.

Usually he’d be checking out the local talent and seeing what caught his attention, but all he’d thought of since the first kiss with Dalton had been him. No one else stood a chance. Even Troy had taken a back seat, and that never happened.

Liam drained the first bottle, moving on to his second when the vision of a skinny, blond-haired guy in heels breezed past him. Liam huffed, looking up and down the slender figure—tight, shiny blue jeggings and a frilly, short sleeved white blouse—oh, not forgetting the matching blue heels. Liam gave a short shake of his head, chuckling to himself. It was when the blond started to laugh loudly, leaning more to face Liam, he realised who he was.

It was Tinker Bell. Liam couldn’t remember his real name, but the short cut, spiky hair arranged around his petite features, little turned up snubby nose and big, wide, green eyes—those all jogged his memory, and Liam recalled seeing the little pixie all over Dalton before things got heavy with the two of them.

Tinker Bell had been out with friends of Dalton's the last time they met, and Liam perked up a bit, his heart beating faster and his breathing picking up over the possibility of seeing him. He looked around for Dalton just in case, but couldn’t see him anywhere and his stomach dropped into his shoes.

He did spot one of Milo’s partners swaying to the music, wine glass in hand, blond hair floating around him like a cape, but Liam couldn’t see Milo or Danny around, so he sat back and watched them.

They were in a group, some sort of celebration by the looks of it, and the way Tinker Bell was getting most of the attention, Liam guessed it was something to do with him.

It didn’t take long for some bloke to catch the scent of Samuel, and Liam glared at the drunken dickhead now trying to chat him up. The little blond obviously didn’t want the attention, and when the drunk laid a hand on Samuel’s arse, pulling him closer, Liam stood up, ready to pounce into action. Before he got a foot toward them, Tinker Bell jumped onto the guy’s back and started hitting him over the head with the sole of his heavy platform shoe. Liam burst out laughing at the scene, but the bouncers didn’t think it was so funny.

As they moved toward the scene, Liam moved—quickly getting behind Tinker Bell, who was still sitting on the guy’s back, and moving on him like he was taking part in some rodeo bull riding challenge. He was jostled free and Liam reached out, catching the feather light weight of the young lad in both his arms and holding onto him as the bouncers gave him a nod of the head and removed the drunken twat from the place. It was nice having members of Aspire in the place, and was one of the reasons why Liam liked the bar so much in the first place.

“Hercules!!” Tinker Bell was drunk, and overly touchy. “My hero.” A kiss was placed on his cheek, followed by high pitched laughing.

“You okay?” Liam looked to Samuel, who was smiling and nodding at Liam.

“I'm fine. Maybe Blue overreacted a bit.”

“He touched you!” Tinker Bell, or Blue, as he was called, swung his shapely legs in Liam’s arms, happy to sit there for the moment. “No one touches you without your consent. You didn’t give him that.”

“No,” Samuel whispered out, a little more hesitant and looking around him.

Liam placed Blue carefully on the ground and touched Samuel’s elbow. “You really okay, or do you want me to stick around?” Liam looked over the group. Milo was protective. Liam didn’t know much about his personal life, but he knew from the news he’d been involved in a big court case, and reading between the lines, the case involved Samuel. “You're not usually alone.”

“I know.” Samuel smiled up at him.

Blue was now clinging onto Liam’s arm and looking all blurry eyed and swoony over him.

“Erm…” Liam rolled his big shoulders and just let him continue. “So…”

“I'm okay. Honestly.” Samuel gave a quick look around, and then sighed. “I am missing a certain someone, but I'm sure he’ll turn up soon.”

Blue separated from Liam and stood on one of the chairs, precariously balancing in his heels. Liam placed a hand on Blue’s slender back to help keep him upright, noticing his hand spanned the width of his waist and thinking how afraid he’d be having Blue in bed in case he snapped him in half or something.

Blue looked over the tops of everyone’s heads for a few moments, and then squealed loudly, waving his hand toward the other end of the patio. “He’s over there with some sexy bit of rough. Oh, very nice. I'm hurt.” He pouted.

“What?” Samuel tiptoed, trying to see over the crowd.

Liam looked over to where Blue was pointing, catching sight of a familiar shaven blond hair cut and a broad back. “Dalton?”

“Oh, Hercules. It’s your man. Go get him.” Blue fell into a fit of giggles, but Samuel gave Liam a quizzical look.

Liam wanted to barge through the crowds and take hold of Dalton, rush him up against the wall and kiss him, tell Dalton he was wrong to let him go. He was talking to someone though. Liam couldn’t see who, but the description of a sexy bit of rough Blue used riled him up. Dalton was his, and Liam was about to make claim to him, not caring who saw them or what they thought.

“Liam, wait.” Samuel took hold of his arm, the feather light touch almost not registering on Liam’s flesh, but he turned to look down into those pretty cornflower blue eyes. They searched deep into Liam, and a small look of recognition filtered across Samuel’s face.

“He’s mine,” Liam whispered gruffly.

Samuel let go and stood back, open-mouthed, but not stopping Liam when he started walking toward Dalton again.

~ ~ ~

Seeing Dalton in the place where he’d had agreed to meet Liam freaked Troy out. His arm had been taken in the firm grasp of Dalton and Troy stood in silent shock for a moment while it sunk in. He wanted to duck out of the night entirely rather than risk the wrath of Liam in his favourite bar, but as soon as he was pressed up against the wall, Dalton’s blue eyes meeting his, all those fears were swept away and he found himself moving to him, not away, placing a much needed kiss on those lips.

The day had been filled with one bad event after another, and he was late out. Having Dalton hold him, those full lips claiming his own, sweet tasting tongue sliding between his lips, Troy held onto the only good moment in the last twelve hours and kissed him back, both of them quickly stiffening in their clothes. “I thought you weren’t out?”

Dalton smiled, their lips parting for the first time since they'd set eyes on each other. “It never really crossed my mind. Does it have to be a big deal? It doesn’t feel like one. I guess kissing you in front of my shocked family may have been different, but still not something I would second guess.” Dalton brushed his lips over Troy’s again. “Besides, I couldn’t have stopped myself from kissing you even if I wanted to.”

Troy stepped back, giving them a little room, and smiled. Dalton always said the right thing and it cheered him up. “This is a nice surprise. I just got off work. I had someone pass out on me.”

Dalton grinned. “Some big guy?”

“Yeah.” Troy had regaled him with horror stories from his years of working as a tattooist during their own sessions. “If I'd known you were out tonight, I would’ve met up with you. I agreed to meet my brother for a drink. We’ve not really seen each other over the past few days. I think he’s hurting because he's only this pissed off when he’s upset, but him being him, he’s not speaking about it.”

Dalton placed his hands in his pockets and nodded. “I guess you need a bit of bonding time with him then. We can always meet up later. We’re moving on soon, so just give me a call if you fancy it.”

Troy glanced over Dalton’s sexy body, tight bright white t-shirt stretched over his chest, slim waist on show, arse looking hot as hell in those stone washed jeans. “Fancy what exactly? A late coffee at your place?”

“If that’s what you want.” Dalton grinned, moving closer to him, brushing a strand of hair from his face. “I'm not promising I won't keep my hands off you if you come back though. Sober, I struggle, so slightly drunk, you’ve got no chance.”

“Hmm.” Troy tilted his head to the side, making a big show of thinking about his options and Dalton laughed. “I know I shouldn’t, but I want to come back with you.”

“I'm so glad you said that.” Dalton was on his lips again, this time holding his arse in a tight grip, pushing their cocks together and grinding into him as their lips entangled in a rush of teeth and moans. “I want you,” Dalton whispered over Troy’s lips.