Trust in Me - Quinn Ward Page 0,43

sorted by both color and size. Sammy was meticulous about keeping everything organized.

My palms were sweaty, and I nearly cut off my finger when I tried cutting into my steak. Fuck. I should not be this nervous. When I’d been trying to quell Sammy’s fear, I’d been totally cool and confident in saying William wouldn’t tell me he thought it was too soon for us to go further than we already had.

And, really, this entire situation was ridiculous. Sam was a grown man. Yes, he’d asked William for help, but that was when he didn’t know how I’d react to him being trans. Now he knew, and we were having zero issues in that regard.

“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 that home, 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