Trust in Me - Quinn Ward Page 0,1

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 could not let 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…

Nope. No point going down that road.

“Now, what do you say we get out there and open the playroom?” William pulled me in for a hug, rubbing my back until my breathing slowed and my stomach settled. “You got this?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” And if I wasn’t, I’d fake it the same way I’d done with everything else around here. I wasn’t qualified for a management job when I’d walked in for my interview but, somehow, I’d convinced Jack I was the perfect candidate. Since then, he’d slowly been handing over more control to me. I slipped my hand into William’s, allowing him to guide me through the bar.

I felt the eyes on me, but I was safe standing next to William. He wouldn’t let anyone tear me down.

No one wants to tear you down. You’re not living that life anymore. Believe in yourself.

Instead of napping this afternoon, I should have gotten online to talk to Maverick. He’d have told me…

He’d have said the same things William’s telling you, but you’d rather believe a faceless person you met online.

“What was that?” William stopped me near the end of the bar. I blinked a few times, truly seeing the sight before me. The crowd wasn’t nearing fire capacity or anything, but there were dozens more than I’d convinced myself would show up.

“Nothing. Sorry, sometimes I talk to myself and the words escape my head.” It was only the fact that William had gotten to know me that kept me from sounding like a total loon.

William gave me the, what are we going to do with you, look I’d gotten used to over the years, ruffled my hair, and led me through the crowd. When Corey joined us, I tried to imagine what we looked like to outsiders—the burly Daddy with his boys on either side of him.

Not his boys. I couldn’t let myself fall into that trap. Corey might have only agreed to pretend to be with him for the night, but I knew better. Corey was losing his ability to resist. I couldn’t exactly blame him. If it was anyone else, I’d have been jealous as hell. Still, I’d be willing to bet William was the envy of the room with the way things looked to those who didn’t know better.

“We’d like to thank you all for coming out tonight,” William greeted them. The room fell silent and every pair of eyes in the room focused on us. “I can still remember when Jack first talked about opening The Lodge. He wanted it to be a place where people could safely explore whatever kinky desire their dirty minds latched onto.” A wave of laughter filtered through the room. “And now, thanks to Sam, we’re taking another step on that journey. It’s because of the man to my left that this room exists.”

Their praise came at me from every direction, and I couldn’t make out what any of them were saying. I took a step closer to William, then back, uncomfortable being on display. It was easier if I blended in. But William had other plans. He led me to the door, taking my hand and placing it on the doorknob. Corey placed a hand on my shoulder, leaning in to whisper the reassurance I desperately needed. “Show them, Sam.