Page 74 of Masters of Control

“Money isn’t everything.”

“Says the person who has it.” Daria turned her head, grinning at him, tossing several of her braids over her shoulder as she did so. “It’s a lot harder when you’re the one struggling, especially if she’s had trouble her whole life. Does she want you to be her Sugar Daddy?”

“No.”

Taking another sip of beer, Q considered that. Sam had a lot of pride. She’d had it back in high school. She had it still. No, he didn’t consider it a big deal that she didn’t have money… but that was because he did. He didn’t mind paying for things for her, but she minded, not something he’d really considered.

“Have you told her that you paid for her club fees?” Daria asked.

Another direct hit.

“No.”

“So, she’s not the only one who was keeping secrets.”

He wanted to protest that his secret had been to help her, and it had, but it had also been to help him. It was also the kind of secret that felt good to do but knowing Sam… there was a reason he’d kept it a secret. She would have found it embarrassing. Would have hated knowing he was paying her way into Stronghold and Marquis, even if it was only a tiny portion of her way since she was working off the rest.

Dammit. Life would be simpler if she just let him shower her with everything he had…

But then she wouldn’t be Sam.

“I need to talk to her.”

“You need to talk to her,” Daria confirmed amiably. “Probably regret it if you don’t. Maybe come clean about the fact that you were paying for her club fees while she’s still feeling guilty about not telling you about the job stuff.”

Devious. Q had to laugh. He held out his beer bottle so Daria could clink hers against it in a toast.

“That’s the best advice you’ve had so far.”

Sam

Christmas was so much lonelier than she’d expected it to be, even though she was with friends. She missed her dad, but she missed Q even more. Not that he was going to be here, at Morgan’s, but she felt his emotional absence even more keenly than his physical. She hadn’t heard from him since he’d texted that they’d talk when he got home.

Which meant she was on her own, completely, all week.

“Here, try the eggnog.” Morgan shoved a glass of frothy white liquid in front of her gleefully. At least someone was having fun.

Sam made herself smile. She knew Morgan was trying to cheer her up. Morgan and Noelle had been there for her for the past few days, though Noelle was spending today with her own family.

Sam and Kincaid had come over to Morgan’s in a kind of lonely-hearts-Christmas gathering, and they’d been surprised to find Amy there as well. Apparently, her plans with her family had fallen through, and she hadn’t been able to get a flight to join her fiancé, so Morgan had invited her to join them instead.

If Sam wasn’t so down in the dumps about her own situation, she would be pretty entertained watching Kincaid and Amy dance around each other. Neither of them seemed to know quite how to interact with each other when they were outside of the club and Zach wasn’t there as a buffer. They were stiltedly polite, pretending to be relaxed.

Meanwhile, Morgan had gone all out for festive cheer. Brian had helped her decorate the house they lived in, and it looked like Christmas had thrown up all over it. The outside was festooned with lights, garlands, and a blow-up snowman family. Inside, the couch cushions were red and green with gold writing, wishing season’s greetings upon anyone who entered the living room.

The giant Christmas tree next to the couch was covered in baubles, lights, and a giant star on top. Every single surface in the main rooms had some kind of Christmas decoration on it, whether it was a candle, a nutcracker, a snow globe, or whatever. Santa sat on a sleigh hitched up to eight tiny reindeer on the mantle above the fireplace where the stockings hung down.

It was like a child’s dream of what Christmas should look like, and Sam absolutely refused to ruin this for Morgan because she knew that’s exactly what this was—the Christmas Morgan had always wanted and never had. She hadn’t missed that there were several presents under the tree from ‘Santa’—most likely from the Doms at Stronghold and Marquis who had all come together to help Morgan out.

Taking the eggnog from Morgan’s hand, Sam took a sip. Eggnog wasn’t her favorite, but this one was pretty good. Creamy, cold, and sweet but not overly so

“That’s good,” she said smiling, glad she could be honest about it. Morgan beamed at her, then turned to serve glasses to Kincaid and Amy. She was dressed up in a sexy Mrs. Claus dress with green and red striped tights. Sam had gone for a red sweater and jeans, while Amy was wearing a sweater with Santa Claus riding a T-Rex for some unknown reason. The T-Rex was also wearing a Santa hat. Kincaid had on a dark green button-down shirt and jeans, which was dressed up for him.

While Morgan was serving their drinks, Sam’s phone buzzed, and she was pathetically, desperately quick to check and see who was texting her.

Her heart started pounding in her chest when she saw it was Q.

Q: Merry Christmas. I hope you’re having a good day.