one of the good guys, even if he was a bit intense at times. I wondered how long I’d been hiding out in
the bathroom if he was threatening property damage.
I swiped the back of my hand across my mouth as I stared at myself in the mirror. I’d been
working here for three years now, and no one had made me. Someday, I might even believe in myself.
“Coming,” I called out. My mouth tasted like… Well, about like what one might expect their
mouth to taste like after puking to the point of muscle strain. Jack was counting on me. I needed to get
my shit together. I stared down my reflection, leaning in for a pep talk. “You’re a smart man. You went
through every possible scenario before meeting with Jack, and he agreed with you. There’s nothing to
worry about.”
“Open the door and I’ll tell you the same,” William told me. I could almost picture him leaning
against the opposite wall, looking all domly and brooding. “Come on, Sam. There’s a room full of
Daddies and boys out there, but we aren’t opening the playroom until you open the doors. This is your
baby and it’s time to show the world.”
I pulled a paper towel out of the dispenser and wetted it. I felt marginally better after washing my
face, but I wished I had some toothpaste. When I cracked the door open, I found William leaning just
as I’d imagined he would be. I wished I could hate the guy for how easy he made it to look cool.
The noise coming from the main bar was deafening—even through a closed door. Or maybe that
was me hallucinating. Either way, tonight was far from a normal night and I didn’t trust myself to keep
it together.
William gripped my shoulders tightly, turning me to face him. “Look at me, Sam.”
A shiver surged through my body at the stern tone in his voice. One of the hardest parts about
working here was that I longed for someone to use that tone with me and mean it. But doing so meant
making myself vulnerable, and after the last time, I wasn’t sure how long I’d suffer before working up
the courage again. And yet, I was powerless to resist William’s command.
“You’re going to walk out there with your head held high. You’re a brilliant young man and
everyone’s going to know it.” He dragged his thumb across my cheekbone. I closed my eyes, soaking
in the warmth of his palm. I couldnotlet myself get attached to him. Even if he was sweet and tender
under the gruff exterior he portrayed around here, he was off limits. There was no way anyone could
miss the chemistry and tension between him and Corey, one of the bartenders.
And yet, he instructed you and Corey to lay down together for a nap earlier today. What if…
