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 was done sleeping 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 was never letting 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