Trust in Me - Quinn Ward Page 0,45

lap and wrapping his arms around my neck. The easy affection was a shift, and I hoped that was because he felt like I did. He didn’t need to worry about anyone seeing him with me because we were going to get over the speed bumps to make it work.

I paid careful attention to some of the little details around the room. Sam would deny it, but this was a glimpse of what he wanted in life. He’d come alive sharing various websites with me, explaining what he loved on each one. When I’d asked if he’d bought anything from them, he’d admitted his only experience buying for littles was to fill the room and make it a place those into the regression lifestyle not only felt welcome but wanted to tell their friends about. He didn’t know it yet, but I had plans for a place that wouldn’t be open to the public but would blow this one out of the water.

“Penny for your thoughts?” William asked when he came back with two more beers. We’d been taking it easy because we had to drive but, I had to admit, something to knock the edge off was welcome.

“Do you think Sammy would like a playroom like this at home?”

“Well, I think it might be something to build up to, and you definitely have the room, but maybe it’s a little too soon to be planning any major renovations?” William suggested. He was being sensible, but I couldn’t allow myself to think things between Sammy and I were temporary.

If this was the space he’d created in his dreams, I wanted to give him something even better to come home to. My basement was the one area of my house I’d barely touched since I moved in. It was finished and I went down there from time to time to make sure there were no leaks or anything like that, but it was wasted space. Yes, I’d considered turning it into a rec room and playroom, but I’d always worried about the questions I’d have to answer if anyone saw the space knowing I didn’t have kids.

I might never have kids, but I finally had myself a boy who I’d do just about anything for, starting with talking to the art teacher at the school to see if she knew anyone who could paint a mural along the unobstructed wall. And if it was truly going to become our space, that meant he needed a sanctuary where he could get away from everything. Even me.

“Come on, you’ve seen my place. It wouldn’t exactly be a hardship to use part of it for a playroom. Eventually, it would be nice to invite people over. I know Sammy’s never going to want to play here, and I’d bet your boy would be more comfortable having someplace a bit more private, too,” I told him. It felt an awful lot like I was trying to sell him on the concept. And maybe I was. Or maybe I was the one who needed some reassurance that I wasn’t going completely overboard. “I just want him to know that he has a home with me.”

“You really mean that, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do.” It might have been the truest statement I’d ever uttered.

11

Sam

I was in so much trouble. And I couldn’t even be mad at William because he didn’t know I hadn’t been honest with Daddy about where I spent the night when we weren’t together. It wasn’t the same, but I almost felt like I was cheating on him, because I wasn’t where I was supposed to be, and that made me sick to my stomach.

All night, I’d been distracted and grumpy. It was hard to believe it had only been hours earlier when Daddy was texting me naughty messages and I was begging him to let me rub one out when I got home. I wished there was a way to go back to that easy banter, but I had a feeling my night was going to be filled with groveling instead.

“You go back and count the tills,” William instructed me as he turned out the lights and Theron locked the front door. “We’ll help Corey finish up out here. That way all of us can have an early night.”

“I have to check on the back deck, too,” I reminded him. I hated having to go back there. Now that William had agreed to oversee the more hardcore side of the club, I didn’t spend