Page 25 of Masters of Control

“You feel like the odd man out?”

“Yeah. Not because they mean to make me feel that way, and all of them are great to hang out with even when they’re being all couple-y, but it’s been nice having a few single friends to hang out with. Especially since Connor is also pretty new to all this.”

That made sense. Sam envied him the ease with which he talked about his friends. She’d felt like the odd woman out of the entire club for a while, which was probably how she’d ended up being friends with Morgan since they were both the odd woman out. Both were new to the scene, and poor Morgan had had even less idea of how to make friends than Sam had.

Q’s words made her wonder if he was intent on remaining single… though Law now had a girlfriend and as far as she could tell, he and Iris were serious. She didn’t know for sure since it wasn’t like she and Iris were friends. Iris had been picked up and added to a little group with two of the other submissives who had been in the first class Sam had taken, the one where she’d met Morgan. Rae and Domi had been nice, but kept to themselves, which had left her and Morgan to make friends.

Why they’d suddenly decided to start reaching out after the class and made friends with Avery, another submissive, and Iris, she had no idea. It had hurt to know that, for some reason, she hadn’t made the cut, but she tried to take Morgan’s lead in not caring.

“I get that. Especially here. I’m sure it can be disconcerting knowing your friends are going off to have sex.” She laughed when he made a face.

“Or knowing you could go watch them if you wanted.” Q shook his head. “That’s something I’m still getting used to.”

“Not into public sex?”

“It doesn’t bother me, but it doesn’t do much for me, either,” he confessed. “Not really one of my kinks. What about you?”

“Pretty much the same.” She shrugged. “If given the choice, I’d rather be private.”

Q’s fingers squeezed her knee, sending a sizzle of awareness through her as he caressed the sensitive inside of her leg. That one small touch heated up all her senses.

“Speaking of being more private, are you planning on going to Stronghold or Marquis this weekend?” he asked, angling his body a little more toward hers. Sam’s heart pitter-pattered with excitement as she realized he was going to ask her to scene again.

Unfortunately…

“I’m helping Morgan move on Saturday,” she replied regretfully. “We’re getting an early start and I’ll probably be exhausted at the end, so I actually hadn’t planned to go this weekend.”

“Ah. I’d offer to come help, but I already have plans for Saturday afternoon… maybe we could get together for dinner afterward?”

If her heart had pitter-pattered before, now it did a happy little jump in her chest.

“Like on a date?” The question popped out before she really thought it through. She wanted to groan because she sounded so desperate. Q just smiled, not at all put off by her over eagerness.

He leaned in, lowering his voice to a seductive croon.

“Exactly like a date.”

Excitement pulsed through her.

“I’d love that.”

This time, when he walked her to her car, he kissed her before letting her get in. A toe-curling, panty-wetting kiss that left her panting for more, hot all over despite the cold night air.

Holy crap, I have a date!

10

Date Prep

Sam

“A date with Q? That’s so exciting!” Morgan beamed at her, bouncing between the boxes of her stuff that had been packed up. As always, she looked flawless.

Even though they were doing nothing more than spending the day moving boxes, Morgan was wearing a full face of makeup, and her hair was curled and pulled back in a messy bun that somehow managed to look deliberate. She was wearing form-fitting yoga pants and a top that showed off her midriff and clung to every inch of her body. Looking at her, you’d think it was the middle of summer, not very late fall. It was forty-five degrees out!

Dressed more appropriately for the weather in a long-sleeve t-shirt and jeans, with no makeup, and a ponytail that did her hair no favors, Sam felt positively frumpy next to Morgan. At least she wasn’t the only one. After hearing that Morgan was moving, Noelle had insisted on coming to help. Morgan seemed as delighted as Sam felt about making a new girlfriend and had gratefully accepted. Noelle was dressed more like Sam. Her expression when she’d first arrived at the door and gotten a look at Morgan had been pretty hilarious.

If she kept hanging around Morgan, she’d learn.