“That’s part of what I wanted to talk to you about,” I explained before taking another draw off my beer. I wished I’d pulled out something a bit stronger. I wasn’t a heavy drinker by any stretch, but my nerves could use a little dulling. “I’d like to take over Sammy’s care. We’ve been getting to know one another, as I’m sure you’re aware, and things are going very well. As much as I appreciate you stepping up to help him, I think we’ve reached the point where he trusts me to be the one to take care of his needs.”
William’s fork clattered against the plate. When I looked up, he was leaning back in his seat, arms crossed tightly over his chest, and he looked almost pissed.
What.
The.
Fuck.
“Oh, do you now?” He pursed his lips tightly and stared at me.
My stomach flipped and I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling nauseated. He knew something I didn’t. My mind jumped straight to Sam not being happy, but there had been no signs of that whenever we were together, and he was a horrible liar. Maybe he felt like I was pushing him too fast? No, if anything, he complained we were going too slow.
William picked up his bottle of beer, dangling it between two fingers before lifting it to take a sip. “So, tell me, if things are going well for you and you think you’re ready to be the Daddy he desperately needs, why is he still sleeping in the office most nights? I’d been hoping that would stop but, so far, it hasn’t.”
I blinked slowly as I parsed what he’d just dropped in my lap. Sam was sleeping where? Why? I knew he wasn’t fond of his roommates, but this was news to me. My thoughts spun around inside my head so fast, I wasn’t sure which emotion to latch onto. I was saddened that he didn’t feel close enough to tell me he was sleeping at work. I was angry that his roommates were so disrespectful. And, mostly, I was hurt because I thought we were building something here, and I felt like William had just pulled the rug out from under me.
“By the fish impression you’re currently doing, I’m assuming this is news to you?” It didn’t seem shocking to him that I was utterly clueless. If anything, the asshole sounded amused. “I thought that might be the case, but I also felt you needed to know. Sam’s a great boy, but he’s dealt with a lot of shit in his life. If you really want to take him on, you need to learn how to see through the bullshit and call him on it.”
“Oh, we’ll definitely be having a chat about this,” I reassured him. If it wouldn’t be rude to storm out of the house when I’d invited him over for dinner, I’d already be in my car on my way to The Lodge. Sam might not want his personal life leeching into work, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t plant my ass on a barstool until his shift was done so I could bring him home where he belonged.
But then, maybe I harbored some of the blame, too. I was the one who insisted he go home after work instead of coming here. If I’d had the faintest clue thathome, to him, meant sleeping at the bar, I wouldn’t have suggested it.
“Don’t beat yourself up.” William placed a hand on my forearm. “Sam’s turned filtering what the world thinks of him into an art form. One of his biggest fears is feeling like he isn’t enough. And, honestly, he’s been crashing on the couch in his office for so long, I’m not sure he realizes why it would be an issue to anyone.”
“Well, it’s not happening anymore,” I insisted. “I hope you won’t be offended when I kick you out as soon as we’re done eating, but it seems I need to make a trip to the bar.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” William cut the rest of his steak and started eating again. “If you’d like company, we could go down there for the night. That way, I can keep an eye on my boy as well.”
“The one from opening night?” William had insisted they only had an arrangement for the exhibition, and I’d nearly called bullshit then. The sexual tension between them was palpable, and Corey looked at William the way Daddies dreamed a boy would.
“Yeah.” If I wasn’t so distracted by trying to figure out how to tell Sam he wasdonesleeping at the bar, I’d have given William a hard time about his dopey grin. “Anyway, he’s working tonight and I’m not because we’re trying to sort some shit out. That doesn’t mean I can’t head down there with you so we can leave one of our cars at the bar.”
“Is the employee lot secure?” I asked because, as long as I wouldn’t have to worry about it being broken into or stolen, Sam’s car was likely going to be right next to Corey’s for the night.
“Never had a problem yet. Some of our regulars park back there if there’s a spot and they’re planning on drinking or going home with someone.”
“Then, not to sound like a dick or anything, but eat up. We’ve got boys to remind who’s in charge,” I told him. He took the hint, and it was a matter of minutes before our dishes were in the dishwasher and I was locking the door behind him.
Sam smiled when he noticed me walking through the bar, but his happiness faded when he saw William behind me. He approached cautiously, as if he knew he was in trouble. “I didn’t expect to see you here tonight.”
“Funny, I didn’t plan on coming down until a little birdie told me about your sleeping arrangements.” Yeah, I was bitter about that. William wasn’t wrong to call me out for not knowing Sam’s whereabouts on the nights we weren’t together, but I honestly thought he was going home. So he wouldn’t think I was angry with him to the point of pulling away, I wrapped my arms around Sam’s waist, not giving a damn who saw us. As far as I was concerned, everyone in the joint might as well know they could look but I’d break fingers if they touched. I was possessive when I was in a relationship and I wasn’t going to apologize for that. After kissing Sammy’s hair, I said, “We’re going to talk about this when we get home. Until then, I’m going to enjoy a night out with a friend.”
“Yes, Daddy,” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around my waist. “Are you mad at me?”
“I’m upset, not going to lie.” I held him tighter, leading him to a quiet corner. “I wish you would have told me.”
“I thought you wanted time to yourself.”
“Baby, it was never about that,” I clarified. “I wanted to make sure you knew you were free to live your own life. But I wish you would have told me how rough things are at home. If it comes down to you sleeping on a couch or in bed next to me, I want you next to me.”
“I want that, too,” he admitted.
“Good. Then get your ass back to work and come find me when you go on break.” I didn’t let go of him right away. I couldn’t until he realized I wasneverletting him go if I had my way. I’d known he was special from the first time I saw him, and I could no longer deny that I was quickly falling in love with my special boy.
William and I gravitated toward the playroom. It wasn’t necessarily quieter in there, but it was a space that allowed both of us to feel close to our boys without hovering over them. As I watched a group of littles playing on the floor, I was in awe of my own boy who’d made all of this possible. He’d told me a bit about how he’d used the bar as the subject of a project for one of his classes and later brought the concept to Jack. He was so much smarter than he gave himself credit for.
Sam stopped by a few times, easily dropping into my lap and wrapping his arms around my neck. The easy affection was a shift, and I hoped that was because he felt like I did. He didn’t need to worry about anyone seeing him with me because we were going to get over the speed bumps to make it work.
