“I want to go to a club,” he had whined, following his older brother around the mansion like a persistent shadow. “It’s just one night! I promise I won’t get into trouble.”

At first, Cole had been firm. “No.”

Jay was too young, too reckless, too important to their family to be wandering around in a public place. But after enough pestering—and Jay’s reminder that he wasn’t a kid anymore—Cole finally relented.

“Fine. But I’m going with you,” Cole had said. “And I’m bringing some of the bodyguards, including Daniel.”

Jay had pouted at the idea of being babysat but ultimately agreed.

And so, later that night, they arrived at Inferno, a high-end nightclub buzzing with energy. The music was deafening, the lights flashing in hypnotic rhythms, and the air thick with alcohol and sweat. Cole stuck close to Jay at first, his sharp eyes scanning the crowd, always on alert. But Jay, ever the manipulator, pulled him closer and whispered:

“Can you, like… chill for once? You’re suffocating me.”

Then, with a smirk, he turned to the bodyguards, including Daniel. “You guys too. Have fun. That’s an order.”

The moment those words left Jay’s mouth, the bodyguards exchanged glances. An order was an order. A few hesitated at first, but soon enough, they let loose. Drinks were passed around, shots were downed, and laughter filled the air.

Daniel, reluctant at first, eventually gave in. Big mistake.

After a few shots, his usual sharp, guarded demeanor started to slip. His body felt lighter, his mind hazy, and his tongue… a little too loose.

Cole noticed.

He had been keeping an eye on Daniel the whole night, watching as the man downed shot after shot. Dumbass, Cole thought, shaking his head.

When Daniel swayed slightly, Cole made a decision.

“Come outside with me,” he ordered.

Daniel blinked at him, slow and unfocused, before following him through the back entrance.

The cool night air hit them like a slap. The alley behind the club was dimly lit, distant music still thumping through the walls. Cole leaned against the cold brick, taking out a cigarette, while Daniel stood a few feet away, blinking up at the sky.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then, Daniel—drunk, reckless, and entirely unfiltered—laughed.

“You know…” he began, his voice slightly slurred. “I had a dream about you.”

Cole arched a brow but kept his expression unreadable. “Oh?”

Daniel nodded, running a hand through his messy hair. “Yeah… It was weird. You were… touchin’ me.” He snorted at his own words, not realizing what he was saying. “And I wasn’t even mad about it.”

Cole’s grip on his cigarette tightened.

Daniel continued, completely oblivious. “I mean, fuck, it felt so real.” He leaned against the wall beside Cole, too close, too intoxicating. His breath smelled like whiskey and something sweet. His lips, slightly parted, looked—

Shit.

Cole swallowed, suddenly feeling an ache deep in his stomach. An ache he was not supposed to have.

Then, before he could stop himself, he reached out—grabbed Daniel’s chin between his fingers—and turned his face toward him.

Daniel blinked up at him, confusion flickering in his glazed-over eyes.

And then, Cole kissed him.

It was firm, demanding, possessive.

Daniel let out a muffled sound of surprise but didn’t pull away. Instead, he melted into it, his lips parting, his body surrendering.

Cole had never felt this kind of hunger before. This heat. This need.

But then—

“Cole?”

Jay’s voice snapped him back to reality.

Cole immediately pulled away, his jaw tightening. He turned to see Jay standing a few feet away, eyes wide with shock.

“Time to go,” Cole said immediately, his voice cold and unreadable.

Jay looked between him and Daniel, opening his mouth as if to say something, but then he just shook his head. “Yeah. Sure.”

Back at the Mansion

Daniel was still drunk when they arrived.

The moment they stepped inside, Cole felt it—the tension, the heat still lingering in his chest from the kiss. But worse than that, he felt something lower—something hard, something aching.

Fuck.

He needed relief. And Daniel… Daniel was right there.

One look at him, swaying slightly in the dimly lit hallway, and Cole knew.

He wasn’t going to fight it.

With zero hesitation, he grabbed Daniel’s wrist and dragged him inside his bedroom, slamming the door shut.

Daniel stumbled, blinking up at him. “Huh?”

Cole didn’t answer.

Instead, he shoved him against the wall, eyes dark with something primal.

“You talked too much tonight,” Cole muttered, his voice low, husky. “Now… you’re gonna make up for it.”

Daniel, too drunk to process what was happening, let out a small laugh. “You’re so bossy.”

Cole didn’t laugh.

Instead, he leaned in, pressing his body against Daniel’s, letting him feel exactly how hard he was.

Daniel sucked in a breath. “Oh…”

Cole smirked. “Yeah. ‘Oh.’”

And then—

He took what he wanted.

When it was over, Daniel was completely spent, lying on the bed, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His mind was a blur—he couldn’t tell if he had been dreaming again or if this was real.

Cole, on the other hand, was already getting dressed.

His expression was unreadable.

“Go back to your room,” Cole said, his tone cold, detached.

Daniel groaned, rolling onto his stomach. “Mmm… can’t move…”

Cole didn’t have time for this. He pulled out his phone and called Aike.

“Come get him,” he ordered. “Now.”

Aike, unaware of what had just happened, arrived a few minutes later and helped Daniel back to his room.

Cole watched them go, arms crossed, his mind still clouded with the lingering heat of what just happened.

But even as the door closed, even as he was left alone in his dark bedroom—he knew one thing for sure.

This wasn’t the last time.

The Next Morning

Daniel woke up with the worst headache of his life.

His body felt strange. Sore. Like something had happened.

He sat up slowly, his mind struggling to recall the night before.

The club. The drinks. The walk outside with Cole.

His stomach twisted. The kiss.

And then—

His breath hitched.

The rest.

His heart slammed against his ribs. No. No way.

Did that actually happen?!

He shot out of bed, throwing on his clothes. His hands were shaking as he stormed down the hall, his body still feeling the effects of the night before.

When he reached Cole’s room, he didn’t even knock—he just shoved the door open.

Cole, sitting on the edge of his bed, barely looked surprised.

Daniel’s voice shook with fury.

“What the hell did you do to me?”

Cole smirked, leaning back casually.

“You don’t remember?”

Daniel’s fists clenched. His mind was screaming.

But deep down, underneath all the confusion, all the anger—

There was something else.

Something he didn’t want to admit.

Desire