But he’s guarded. If you try to move fast, you’ll spook him.”
“Good to know. Slow won’t be an issue,” I promised him. William followed me to the front door,
unlocking it so I could get out. I pushed the door open, then turned back. “Any other tips to help me
stack the deck?”
“Yeah, don’t expect anyone to make this easier on you.” I flipped William off and he chuckled.
“Seriously though, you need to tread carefully. Jack has a way of hiring complicated boys, and Sam’s
got things he doesn’t share easily. If you’re not willing to stick by him once you learn who he is, walk
away now.”
Well, that didn’t sound ominous at all.
William held up his hand to silence me before I could reflexively say there was nothing about
Sam that could scare me away. “I’m serious, Theron. It’s not my place to say anything, but I want you
to think long and hard about why you’re attracted to him. If it’s only skin deep, walk. Now.”
He didn’t give me a chance to respond before stepping back into the bar and closing the door
behind him. I stared at the heavy wood plank, wishing like hell I could figure out the hidden message
it felt like he was giving me.
3
Sam
Two weeks later, I was convinced I was going crazy. I couldn’t get Theron out of my head. If I
concentrated hard enough, I swore I could still feel his strong hands massaging my shoulders. I’d been
getting better about talking to Corey when something was bugging me, but this wasn’t the type of
problem I could take to him.
I spent as little time as possible at home, and today was a prime example of why. It was easier to
push Theron further back in my mind when I couldn’t hear myself think over the thumping bass below
me interspersed with shouting. My roommates were more concerned with perfecting their gaming
abilities than studying. Most of the time, I was certain living in a frat house would be more peaceful
than living with these animals. And to think this was a quiet night.
By nine o’clock, I gave up on making any headway on my capstone project. Tomorrow, after
class, I could sneak into my office at the club without anyone questioning me. It wasn’t ideal, but I’d
be able to work in peace. And if I happened to fall asleep on the couch in there, oh well. If Jack knew
I slept there more often than in my own bed, he’d never said anything.
