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Overview
When you come to the end of a ten year search, what comes next?
As an eight-year-old, Zeke Straus couldn't help his big brother Kade when their father kicked him out, but he vowed to find him no matter what it took. At the age of eighteen, Zeke struck out on his own to fulfil that promise. Now, after ten years of fruitless searching and living in rundown motel rooms, he lands yet another bartender job. The last thing Zeke expects is the attraction he feels for the club's owner.
When Fallon's on Fifth closes after its owner's conviction, Reid Jackson and his best friend Alec Demakis decide to buy the bar and turn it into Clean Slate. When a sexy as sin bartender walks through the door to apply for a position, Reid finds he has several in mind he'd like to try with Zeke.
Kade Straus overcame his past and found the love of his life in partner, Lark. Although he's often thought of the brother he left behind, guilt has kept him from contacting his family for twenty years. When he hears that a Zeke Straus with a matching birthdate was hired to work at a friend's bar, he has little choice but to leave Cattle Valley and come face to face with a past he's never confessed to Lark.
Zeke is torn between his unexpected feelings for Reid and reconnecting with the brother he's devoted his adult life to searching for. He's never found a place he wanted to settle down before, so now that his journey's at an end, how will he choose where to make his home?
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781781843239 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Totally Entwined Group |
| Publication date: | 05/24/2013 |
| Series: | Campus Cravings , #17 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 84 |
| Sales rank: | 784,911 |
| File size: | 1 MB |
| Age Range: | 18 Years |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Zeke Straus stared up at the neon Clean Slate sign and shook his head. It was a typical gay bar in a typical college town. Unfortunately, he was out of money, again. He glanced at the newspaper in his hand. Finding a job as a bartender had never been a problem for him, thank God. His looks and attitude had always landed him the primo Friday and Saturday night shifts even if the bar already had a regular bartender. Needless to say, he was used to a hostile work environment between him and the rest of the staff.
Zeke had never given a shit if people liked him. The important thing was making as much money in tips as possible so he could move on. He stepped inside the bar and called out. "Hello?" While he waited for an answer, he studied the place. He took back what he'd thought earlier. The interior of Clean Slate was nothing like the dives he'd worked in previously. Classy was the word that came to mind. "Hello?"
"Just a minute," a deep voice called from the back.
Several minutes later, a gorgeous young blond appeared. He was closely followed by an older, muscular guy, dressed in an old pair of jeans and a white Clean Slate T-shirt. The smile on the blond's face made Zeke wonder if sex was a condition of employment. Not that he minded. He was used to giving the boss man a taste of what he had to offer. He got a good look at the older man and decided he wouldn't mind taking him for a ride at all. Fuck, the man was built. He could do without the short gray and black spikey hair that stuck up at odd angles, but everyone needed at least one flaw. Zeke had one testicle that hung a little lower than the other or else he'd be perfect. God didn't like total perfection, so he always had to give something for people to obsess over.
"I'll see you tomorrow night," the little blond said, holding several new white T-shirts.
Zeke waited for the blond to leave before approaching the sexy boss. "I'm here about the bartender position," he announced.
The man looked Zeke up and down. "I'm Reid Jackson, coowner of Clean Slate."
Zeke shook Reid's hand. Zeke couldn't get over the size of Reid's paw as it swallowed his hand. "Zeke Straus, just a man looking for a job."
Reid grinned. "Well then, let's see what you've got."
Zeke inwardly groaned as he reached for the fly on the best pair of jeans he owned. His zipper was halfway down before Reid held up a hand to stop him. "I'm flattered, but I meant make me a drink," Reid clarified.
With no embarrassment whatsoever, Zeke zipped up. "Okay." He headed around the bar. "What'll you have?"
"Make me a margarita, a cosmo, a dirty Martini and a Long Island iced tea," Reid instructed.
With practiced ease, Zeke set about making the drinks in the order they had been given. "So, I take it from looking around that you aren't open yet."
Reid sipped the margarita before nodding his head. "It's good, maybe one of the best I've had." He took another sip before answering Zeke's question. "You're not from around here, are you?"
Zeke set the cosmopolitan on the bar. "Just rode into town yesterday. Why? Does that matter?"
"This place used to be called Fallon's on Fifth until the owner fucked up and tried to kill a college kid. It sat dormant for months until after Fallon's trial. My old college roommate, Alec Demakis, called me up and suggested I come to town and check it out. That was two months ago, and, to finally answer your question, yes, we open tomorrow night." Reid tasted the cosmo. "You're good."
"Yep," Zeke agreed. While he finished the last drink on the list, he caught Reid staring at him with a furrowed brow. "Is there a problem?"
"You're small." Reid dragged a hand through his short dark hair. "We're hoping, with the new name, we won't have trouble with the locals, but you never know."
Zeke wanted to point out that five-eight wasn't exactly small, but, comparing himself to the man on the other side of the bar, he guessed he could see why Reid thought it was. "I can hold my own in a fight if that's what you're worried about." Hell, he'd fought off drunk bastards for years.
"I've already hired two security guys, and I hope to add a few more to the payroll. But, yeah, I guess I'm worried about someone giving you trouble."
Zeke leaned against the bar. "Like I said, I can take care of myself."
Reid nodded. "Okay, you're hired."
* * *
Reid was finishing up some paperwork when Alec and Max walked into the office. "Hey," he greeted his old college roommate.
Alec took a seat in the white leather wingback chair and pulled Max into his lap. "Are we ready for tomorrow?"
"I've got a few more positions to fill, but we're good for now." Reid reached across the desk and handed Alec several files. "Those are our newest employees."
Alec started flipping through them one by one.
"Good," Max said, pointing to the file belonging to the blond server Reid had hired. "Jeremy's in one of my classes. I told him to come down and apply, but I wasn't sure he would."
"He doesn't have much experience, but I figured with a face and body like his, most customers will be forgiving until he gets the hang of things." Reid leaned back in his chair. "The only one I'm skeptical about is Zeke Straus. He mixes drinks like he was born to it, but I'm afraid he might be a little too sexy for his own good."
"Straus?" Alec questioned. "Any relation to Kade Straus?"
Reid shrugged. "I have no idea. He said he just rode into town last night."
"I'll have to find out," Alec said. "Kade's a friend who used to live in town. He and his partner moved to Wyoming several years back."
"If he looks anything like Kade, I can only imagine how sexy he is," Max spoke up. He received a sharp slap to his ass and a scowl from Alec. "Not nearly as sexy as you are," Max added.
Reid was used to the dynamics between the pair, so he had a pretty good idea that Max had purposely made the comment. Reid couldn't imagine spanking someone, but to each their own. Alec had never condemned Reid for his particular appetites when it came to sex, so he tried to do the same with the pair across from him. "I don't know what Kade looks like, but Zeke's gonna earn a fortune in tips. I just worry that someone'll try to take things too far and security won't be able to get to him in time."
"Just tell Jude to keep an eye on him for a few days until we see how he handles himself." Alec repositioned Max on his lap. "Max and I'll be here early tomorrow to set out the reserved signs and go over any last minute details you need help with."
"Sounds good." Reid couldn't get Zeke off his mind. When he'd handed Zeke the uniform T-shirts, Zeke had demanded a smaller size and had asked if they could be modified. Thrown off guard, he'd told Zeke as long as the logo showed and his chest was covered he could do what he wanted. He was now regretting that decision.
Alec stood and set Max back on his feet. "If there's nothing else, we're going to take off."
"Yeah, I'm done for the day. I think I'll go upstairs and relax in front of the TV." Reid walked Alec and Max to the front door before locking up. On the way to his upstairs apartment, he called Brody, his manager at the bar he owned in Philadelphia.
"Place 2B," Brody answered.
"How's business?" Reid let himself into his apartment and tossed his keys on the coffee table.
"Booming. I just sent last week's financial report to your inbox. How's the new place?" Brody asked.
"Ready for business. Although the time of year sucks. With classes coming to an end for the summer, half our business will be leaving town." Reid had already planned for less than stellar sales through the summer, but that didn't make it any easier to handle. "At least by the time classes start up again the staff will be trained and ready."
"It'll be a success," Brody told him.
"I hope so." Reid's family thought he was crazy to move across the country to open a bar when he already had a successful one in downtown Philadelphia, but he needed the challenge. Life in Philly had become stagnant both professionally and socially. He couldn't exactly say he'd fucked every available gay man in the city, but damn close.
"Well, I'd better get ready for the crowd," Brody said.
"Make me money." Reid hung up as he headed for the bedroom. A quick shower and a slow jack-off session in front of the TV were all he was in the mood for.
* * *
With a towel wrapped around his trim waist, Zeke withdrew the phone book from the bedside table. Already flipping through the pages, he sat on the edge of the hotel bed and tried to find his brother's name.
"Shit." He tossed the book beside him on the bed when he came up empty. Falling back onto the mattress, he stared up at the popcorn ceiling. For years he'd followed leads to his brother's whereabouts as he'd worked his way across the country.
After nine years of coming up empty, he was beginning to think it was time to write Kade off forever. Although his search hadn't been constant, the longest he'd ever stayed in one place was a year, and that was only because he'd been tricked into signing a twelve-month lease.
He glanced at the phone book and groaned, realizing he was at the end of a trail. It would help if he knew something about his brother. Kade had been kicked out when Zeke had been barely eight years old. The only thing he could remember about his oldest brother was that he was always working on a piece of shit motorcycle in the backyard and he had the prettiest hair Zeke had ever seen.
Chuckling to himself, Zeke reached up and ran a hand over his closely cropped hair. He'd been the unfortunate member of the Straus family to have inherited his father's curls. Girls had curls, not guys, and the minute he'd left home he'd cut those fuckers off.
He scooted out of his towel to rest his back against the headboard. Staring down at his waxed groin, he ran a finger over the small patch of black ink that decorated the skin above his cock. It had been a stupid thing to do, but he'd been young and dumb and so turned on by the tattoo artist. He'd originally gone in to get 'Continue to search and you will find ...' tattooed on his arm. Unfortunately, after sharing a fifth of whisky and a good fuck, he'd left with two different tattoos and a sore ass. The ass had recovered before he'd made it to the next town, but the tattoos continued to follow him.
Turning his attention away from his cock, Zeke stared at the door to his room. It was early enough that he could go out, stir up some trouble and still be in bed before midnight. Or, he thought as he kicked his way under the covers, he could stay in and watch television. Not nearly as exciting as blowing some guy on the dance floor, but he might need to stay in town for a while until he found his next lead and getting a reputation for being a slut so early in the game was a bad idea.
Zeke turned on the TV. "It's just you and me tonight, Sherlock."
* * *
Kade Straus was in the process of turning out the downstairs lights when his phone rang. Rushing to get the call before it woke Lark, he stubbed his toe on the leg of the couch.
"Fuck," he said, picking up the phone.
"Is this a bad time?" Jace asked.
Kade sat down and rubbed his foot. "Stubbed my toe," he told his ex-boyfriend and best friend.
"Ouch."
When Jace said nothing else, Kade started to get suspicious. "Did you call for a reason?"
"Yeah." Jace sighed into the phone. "Sammy got a phone call earlier from Max, and I need to ask you something."
"Okay ..." Kade dragged out.
"Do you have a brother named Zeke?" Jace asked.
Shit. Kade hadn't heard that name in years. "My baby brother's name is Zeke."
"Well, I think he's here in town. Alec's business partner hired a guy named Zeke Straus to be the new bartender at Clean Slate."
Kade sputtered, "Wait. What? No way would a member of my family work at a gay bar." Hell, he'd lost his entire family when he'd come out. He rubbed his tightening chest.
"Max said the birth date on the employment application is July twenty-third, if that helps. We're going to the opening tomorrow night. I could snap a pic with my phone and send it to you?" Jace offered.
Kade was ashamed to tell Jace it wouldn't do any good. Zeke had been a kid the last time he'd seen him, but the birthday was the same. "Sure," he mumbled.
"You okay?"
With his head swimming and his heart threatening to beat out of his chest, Kade knew there was only one person who could calm him. "Not really, but I think I'll wake Lark up and talk to him."
"I'm sorry. The last thing I want is for this to affect your health."
"My physical health is good right now. So don't worry." Given his HIV positive status and his past experiences with severe depression, Kade was more worried for his emotional health. "I'll call ya tomorrow."
"Cool." Jace hung up.
Kade sat for several minutes before going upstairs. Lark was sound asleep with a book on his chest and his wire-framed glasses dangling from one ear. Kade's chest eased immediately. He smiled and began to undress.
Kade slid under the covers and moved Lark's book to the bedside table before removing his glasses. "Hey, baby?"
Lark's lashes fluttered several times before his eyes opened fully. "What time is it?"
Kade pulled Lark into his arms. "A little after eleven. Max called."
Lark snuggled against Kade's chest. "How're they doing?" "Good, I guess. He didn't say." Kade took a deep breath. "He called to tell me Reid hired a bartender at Clean Slate with my youngest brother's name and birthday."
Lark pushed himself to a sitting position and rubbed his eyes. "Alec's new club?"
"Yeah." Kade scrubbed his hands over his face. "I didn't wanna believe it at first, but the odds of two men named Zeke Straus born on the same day are pretty slim."
Lark moved to lie on top of Kade. "If it is Zeke, you need to go see him."
Kade tried to distract himself by running his hands down Lark's back to land on his ass. How could he look his baby brother in the eye after the way he'd been forced to leave him? "I don't think I can."
Lark shook his head and kissed Kade's chin. "I know what your family did to you, but I don't think you can blame Zeke."
Kade closed his eyes. "I don't blame Zeke. I guess I'm more ashamed of myself. I'm not sure I can face him."
CHAPTER 2By the time Zeke had arrived for work, he'd already jogged five miles and sweated through five hundred crunches. Keeping his body in top form made him more tips in one night than an average bartender earned in a week. Despite having moved around a lot, he took great pride in his job.
Reid was running a dust mop over the polished black-tiled floor when Zeke walked in. "Don't you have people for that?" Zeke asked, taking off his denim jacket.
Reid stopped mopping to stare at Zeke. "Are you sure you wouldn't like a bigger shirt?"
The extra small shirt was perfect in Zeke's opinion, except for the restriction around his arms. "Sorry about the sleeves, but they were too tight."
"The whole damn thing's too small," Reid gestured to the bared skin between the bottom of the shirt and Zeke's super low-rise jeans. "Every time you reach up for a wine glass, you'll be testing fate."
Zeke grinned. He knew exactly how far he could lift his arms over his head before his cock made an appearance. It was all part of the game. "Gotta show the tats."
Reid stared down at the two inked dollar bills snaking out of his waistband. "This isn't a strip club."
"I make my money in tips." He took a step toward Reid. Fuck. The man was sexy in jeans and a T-shirt, but he was devastating in a suit. "And I'm very good at what I do." He stood toe to toe with Reid and looked up into those big brown eyes he'd dreamt about the previous night. "Trust me, and I'll make this place the hottest club in town."
Reid started to reach for Zeke but quickly pulled his hand back. "I think we'll do just fine without a strip show.
Zeke could tell Reid was interested, so he decided to push. He ran a hand up under his shirt to rub across his nipples before slowly drawing it down to tuck just inside his pants. "Don't worry, I don't actually strip. It's all about illusion. The possibility that I could is what sends the horny co-eds into a frenzy."
Reid removed Zeke's hand before replacing it with his own. He narrowed his gaze as his middle finger rubbed back and forth across the base of Zeke's cock. "Stop trying to get a rise out of me or you'll be sorry."
"Really?" Zeke palmed the front of Reid's suit pants. "It feels like I'm doing a good job so far."
The front door opened. "I hope I'm not late. I missed the first bus."
Reid removed his hand and took a step back, breaking the contact between them. He turned to address the fresh-faced blond. "You're not late, Jeremy."
"Cool," Jeremy said, obviously breathing easier. "I was so worried."
"If you two will follow me, I'll show you where to clock in." Reid took off toward the back of the club without a backwards glance.
Zeke grabbed his jacket from the bar and followed Jeremy. The kid had a nice ass, but he preferred muscular men like Reid. He licked his lips and wondered how far Reid would've gone with the showdown had Jeremy not interrupted them.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Watch Me"
by .
Copyright © 2013 Carol Lynne.
Excerpted by permission of Totally Entwined Group Limited.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
