Page 169 of Masters of Control

“Well, for starters, I don’t really want to tell them that we met at a kink club,” he said with a grin. “As funny as it might be at the moment, the longer-lasting repercussions would be a lot less amusing.”

“I see.” Morgan pressed her lips together, her eyes unfocusing. “We could say friends introduced us. It’s true.”

“That’s what I was thinking, too. And that we spent some time together just hanging out, and we hit it off… it was casual and has only gotten more serious lately.”

“Like when you asked me to come with you to the wedding?”

“Exactly.” He chuckled. “I thought we should also probably know more about each other. We’ve scened together, but we haven’t really had a whole lot of conversation, at least not the kind that people who are spending time together would.”

“Oh. What do you think we need to know?”

This was where it was going to get a little tricky, thanks to Morgan’s past, but Asad figured he’d better prepare her. On the off-chance his parents decided to actually pay attention to him and Morgan, there might be some nosy questions. He wanted to know if there was anything that would be particularly upsetting to her or that he would need to protect her from.

No, stepping in to shield someone else wasn’t his norm, but he was going to be responsible for her for a whole week. Thankfully, no longer than that, but for that week, he would take the responsibility seriously, even if it made him uncomfortable.

“Well, for one, I told you that my brother is the one getting married, but I didn’t tell you that Cyrus had childhood leukemia, which is something a girlfriend would probably know.” There was a heavy feeling in his chest, remnants of the fear he’d felt growing up, far too aware he could lose his little brother any day.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. That must have been hard.”

“It was.” In so many ways. “There’s a good chance my family will ask me about your family as well.”

Understanding flashed in Morgan’s hazel eyes, then she shook her head.

“I’m no-contact with them.”

“I know,” Asad reminded her gently. He also knew that was the line she’d been told to use when people asked. “It’s possible they’ll try to pry, which I want to prepare you for. If there’s anything specifically you want me to say or that you think you might say, so we’re on the same page.”

Morgan

Master Asad’s—no, just Asad since they were in a restaurant, not at a club—statement made sense. She’d seen a lot of television shows and movies with nosy parents. She just didn’t have any firsthand experience since she’d never been allowed to date, then she’d been with Master Jason—who definitely hadn’t introduced her to his parents—then with Master Richard, whose parents had already passed away.

She didn’t like the idea of having to talk about her past with people who were meeting her for the first time. Even though she would be Asad’s fake girlfriend, she still wanted to make a good impression. She didn’t want to be treated as an oddity or breakable.

Part of the appeal of going away for a week was to be around people who knew nothing about her or her past. To see what it would be like to be around people who knew nothing. That was why she’d always liked scening with Master Asad. Rather than treating her like she was made of glass or like she didn’t know her limits, he seemed to trust her to tell him what she wanted and didn’t want.

Most people accepted that she was no-contact with her parents, and if they did press, she brushed them off with “I don’t talk about that.”

It might be harder to brush off her fake boyfriend’s parents.

“We can tell them my parents were very religious and kicked me out at sixteen when they caught me with a boy.” The words came out in a rush, and Asad froze for a moment, his gaze jerking up to meet hers. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She suddenly realized she was smoothing her hands over her napkin, over and over, feeling the silky material against her palms. Immediately, she pulled her hands away, dropping them to her lap and folding her fingers to clasp them tightly.

That was a little detail she hadn’t mentioned at the time she’d been interviewed by Master Patrick and Lexie. Naomi and her husband knew, but she’d asked them not to share it with anyone. With everyone she’d met, she’d shared a little less of her past, and things had gone better for her. Mostly.

She wasn’t going to tell Asad that Master Jason had been no boy. He’d been twenty-five and her piano teacher, which had made her parents even angrier. Not with him, with her. The evil seductress who had tempted a good man into sin. She knew now that had hardly been the case, but back then, she’d truly thought she’d done something wrong.

“I’m very sorry about that,” Asad said, sympathy filling his dark eyes.

Morgan frowned. She didn’t want him to change how he saw her. This was why she didn’t tell people things.

“It’s fine. I have come to the conclusion that I am better off without them.” Especially after the one attempt she’d made to get back in contact with them last year. It had reaffirmed her decision to focus on her current life and not on her past.

“Well, I’m sorry about that, too. My parents might be a pain in my ass, but they love me.” There was something odd in his voice as he said the words, and he seemed almost relieved when the server reappeared at their table with their drinks.

Morgan was relieved, too. Once the server stepped away, she decided to see if she could move the conversation to a different topic.

“What else do you think your parents might ask about?”

“Probably when you want to get married and have babies.” Asad grinned at the expression on her face.