Page 14 of Masters of Control

Sam was trying so hard not to be judgmental, but she wasn’t sure how she felt about Caroline. More than once, Caroline had mentioned her husband waiting at home, but Sam knew she’d seen Caroline scening with and having sex with people at Stronghold. Not my business. They might have an open relationship. She wouldn’t make assumptions.

“It’s always fun seeing if you can make them lose it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Patrick really lose it except the time that Lexie scened with Michael. That was hilarious.”

“Lexie scened with Master Michael?” Sam asked, surprised. She couldn’t imagine that.

“Yeah, forever ago, right before she and Patrick got together,” Caroline said, leaning forward with the juicy gossip. “That’s what pushed Patrick to finally make his move.”

Marissa snorted and leaned back in her chair. She had a sharp angled face, but she was very pretty, with long light brown hair that flowed down her back. The blue corset she was wearing made the most of her small breasts, though she was so skinny, she didn’t really need it to make her waist any smaller. She could actually lounge in her corset, unlike Sam, who looking forward to when she could get home and take the damn thing off. It wasn’t the lack of air, the way the movies made it seem, it was just that sitting up this straight for so long wasn’t comfortable. She wanted to slouch and twist.

“Patrick will do anything to stay in control,” Marissa said.

The familiar way she spoke about him and Lexie made it seem like she knew them, but there was a definite edge to her voice. Well, Sam thought there was. Should she ask? She wasn’t sure, so she took a sip of her drink.

“Amy, what are you doing?” Caroline asked exasperatedly, thankfully changing the subject. Everyone looked at Amy, who blushed hotly as she tugged on the tight top she was wearing.

“I… my top doesn’t fit me right anymore,” Amy mumbled. She hunched her shoulders forward a little, but her blonde hair was pulled back from her face, so she couldn’t hide behind it the way it seemed she was trying to do. “I’ve been putting on weight, and I don’t know what to do.”

“Stop eating cheese fries?” Caroline snickered. No one else laughed, so Sam didn’t feel bad about not doing so.

“I have,” Amy replied miserably. “I’ve been trying to get in shape for the wedding, you know that. I’ve been dieting and exercising, and I wasn’t losing, but now I think I’m actually gaining.”

Marissa frowned.

“You should probably go see a doctor about that.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Amy looked forlorn, which Sam hated to see. She’d had her own struggles with her weight over the years until she’d finally realized she was happy in her body and fuck whoever didn’t like it.

Amy had seemed that way, too, but weddings definitely did do that to people. If Sam ever got married, would she want to lose weight? She wasn’t sure. She didn’t think so, but who knew? Not that she was anywhere near getting married. Sam’s eyes drifted across the main room of Stronghold, taking in all the people packing into the space.

Would she find someone she could have a kink and romantic relationship with? Some people didn’t. Caroline kept hers completely separate. Sam had seen plenty of people who scened together without letting emotion get involved, and she’d seen plenty of people who became partners in every way.

If she was being honest with herself, that was what she wanted… but she wasn’t sure she’d be able to find it.

Awareness tickled the back of her neck, and she turned her head, feeling like someone was staring at her.

Dark brown eyes bore into her from across the room. Q was there, standing with Angel and Master Adam, and he was watching her. She could hear the others beside her talking, giving Amy suggestions, but none of it really registered as Q held her gaze.

Q

“Go ask her to scene.”

“What?” Q jerked his gaze away from Sam’s, wincing as Angel’s elbow jabbed into his side.

“Go ask her to scene. You’re not going to get anywhere just trying to eye fuck her from across the room.” Angel grinned up at him as Q pinched the bridge of his nose. Sometimes Angel gave him a headache.

“I am not eye fucking her.”

He kind of was.

For some reason, he didn’t want to admit it. He also wasn’t sure if he should go over. Sure, they were paired together during class, but that didn’t mean she would want to do anything outside of it.

It wasn’t as if they’d talked or anything since Monday after he’d walked her to her car. Not that she’d ever given him her number, but he had it. He’d needed it to change her ringtones, which didn’t make him sound like a creeper at all.

Ugh.

“You were definitely eye fucking her. Wasn’t he?” Angel turned to Adam for support, widening her eyes as she looked up at him. Her dark curls bounced slightly from the movement, and she leaned toward him to give him the best view of her cleavage. In her heels, she was nearly as tall as her blond Viking of a Dom, so it was quite a view.

Not that it had the effect she wanted.