10. Date Prep
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.
Morgan loved clothes, makeup, and doing her hair, unlike Sam who would put in the effort but only when she had to. She was pretty sure if she showed up tomorrow morning, unexpected, Morgan would look as flawless as ever.
Actually, that would definitely be true now that Morgan was moving in with Brian.
They weren’t together, but Morgan had once told Sam that she didn’t allow men to see her without her ‘face.’ Granted, Sam had never seen Morgan without a full face of makeup either, so it wasn’t necessarily a gender thing, but she would definitely be fully made up while living with a man, even if they were just friends.
“They’ve also had drinks after class for two weeks in a row now,” Noelle said. There was something in her voice that made Sam look at her, wondering if Noelle disapproved for some reason, but when their gazes met, Noelle smiled at her. Maybe she was reading too much into things.
“Maybe we could do drinks all together after class this Monday,” she offered. If she wasn’t seeing Q tonight, she might have wanted to keep the after-class connection going, but it wouldn’t hurt to include the others.
Especially if Noelle felt left out.
“Oh, that would be great!” Noelle beamed at her. Maybe she hadn’t imagined the tone of Noelle’s voice. There was a definite difference between how she sounded now and how she’d sounded a minute ago.
“You could come join us, too,” Sam offered to Morgan, who smiled at her.
“Maybe! I’ll probably still be unpacking. I also don’t know what Master Brian is going to want us to do during the week.”
“I think Brian is probably going to want you to make your own decision,” Sam reminded her gently, making sure to leave off the BDSM honorific out loud, even though she did tend to use them in her head. Crap. Was Morgan moving in with a man, and a Dom, really the best idea?
No, it should be fine. Master Brian wouldn’t let her bury her own needs or make him make all her decisions. He was a Daddy Dom and a caretaker, and part of that would be pushing her to be her own person.
Morgan blinked owlishly, then shook her head.
“Right, of course, but I’ll probably be busy unpacking. There’s going to be a lot to do. I need to get my ASMR room set up.” She shook her head again. “I should stay home. Maybe some other time.”
“Great.” Sam smiled encouragingly at her, aware of Noelle watching them closely and with some confusion.
She would not say anything, though. Morgan would share the details of her past with Noelle when she was ready.
Sam was pretty sure she didn’t know everything, though she’d found out an awful lot through the dribbles of information Morgan would sometimes drop.
“And you’re probably right, you’re going to be exhausted. ”
“Who’s going to be exhausted?” Master Mitch appeared in the doorway of Morgan’s bedroom.
“Cuz it’s not me. These guns can go all day.
” He flexed his bicep, making all of them crack up.
With the sweatshirt he was wearing, they couldn’t even see his muscles.
Blond-haired, blue-eyed, and perpetually joking around, he didn’t seem like a Dom until he turned on his Dom attitude, which he could flip like a switch.
He was newly engaged to Domi, but he’d always been friendly with Sam and Morgan.
When he’d heard Morgan was moving, he’d insisted on coming to help with the big furniture and brought Master Zach with him.
Master Kincaid was helping Master Brian move things around Brian’s house to make room for Morgan.
“Good, here’s a box.” Sam picked up the heaviest one, the one that she’d been about to do herself, and thrust it at him.
Mitch took it with his usual grin.
“Got it. Hey, slackers, come get some boxes. We’re almost done!” He turned and retreated from the doorway. Sam, Noelle, and Morgan looked at each other. They were almost done?
She’d thought Mitch was coming to check on them.
The guys had been clearing out the furniture and boxes from the main room.
Morgan didn’t have a ton of stuff, but she’d had most of the basics and a few things her old roommate had left for her.
Grabbing another box, which wasn’t nearly as heavy as the one she’d given Mitch, Sam followed him down the hallway.
Her mouth dropped open when they reached the living room. Holy crap! It was basically empty. She didn’t realize that she and the others had been talking for so long.
“Wow. We’re going to be done so much faster than I thought!” Morgan said from behind her, sounding thrilled.
Sam wasn’t disappointed. She’d much rather have more time to get ready and more energy than she’d originally planned for her date.
She still didn’t know what she and Q were doing or where they were going. She’d left it up to him. Maybe they’d go to Marquis… which she wouldn’t hate, but at the same time, she’d like to feel like what was going on between them wasn’t all about sex.
Q
A peal of laughter from Law’s basement made Q wonder what was going on down there. It also made Q think of Sam, knowing she was hanging out with her girlfriends today.
“They sound like they’re having fun,” Asad said, cocking his head toward the basement door and grinning. “Think they’d like some company?”
“Leave them alone. You’re supposed to be here to hang out with me,” Law replied with a pointed look.
Asad just chuckled. They were gathered around Law’s kitchen table—Asad and Law across from each other while Connor sat across from Q.
There was food, though Q privately thought the ladies had taken the better snacks downstairs with them.
“It’s not my fault they sound like they’re having more fun.” Even as he spoke, another round of laughter made its way up the stairs.
Law rolled his eyes. “We’re not here to have fun. We’re here to talk about my proposal to Iris.”
“Which you decided to do while she’s downstairs, rather than waiting until she’s not at home.” Connor raised his eyebrows, lifting his water to take a sip.
“She wanted to have girl time, and I figured it would be a good time to talk to you all since she was the one who suggested it.” Law rubbed his fingers together. “This way, she won’t be suspicious.”
The guy looked more nervous than Q had ever seen him.
He was contemplating proposing to a woman who he’d been with for less than a year, even if they had moved in together.
That would likely make anyone nervous, especially since Iris had only moved in because circumstances—aka her ex-roommate Noelle—hadn’t left her with a ton of choices.
It had made sense at the time, and she and Law were doing so well, they’d decided to make the arrangement permanent, but it couldn’t be denied that they were moving fast. Hell, who was Q to talk? He’d never had a relationship he’d thought might end in marriage.
“I don’t think she’s going to be suspicious, considering how fast you’re moving,” Asad said, echoing Q’s thoughts.
Law’s fingers stopped.
“Do you think it’s too fast?” He nervously rubbed his hand over his bald head, swiping over the crown and around the back before seeming to realize what he was doing. Snatching it back down, a moment later, his hand drifted back up to rub nervously at his goatee.
“I think the more important question is whether you and Iris think it’s too fast,” Connor said.
“Yes,” Asad said at the same time. “Ow!” From the way he jumped, then shot a look at Connor, Q guessed that he’d been kicked under the table.
“Don’t listen to him. Asad would think ten years is too fast to get engaged.” When Asad opened his mouth, presumably to argue, Connor shot him a look, and he closed it again. “Everyone moves at their own pace. So, do you think it’s too fast?”
“Not for me, but I’m a little worried it might be for her.” Law was rubbing at his goatee again, his nerves overcoming his self-awareness. “I am older than her.”
“Okay, Grandpa.” Asad rolled his eyes, grinning when Law glared at him. “I’m just saying. Age doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with it.”
Pressing his lips together, Law looked at Q, raising his eyebrows as if to ask his opinion. Yeesh. Talk about pressure.
“Have you asked her friends? I think you’d do better to talk to them than us.” Way back when Angel as one of his roommates, Q had it drilled into his head never to assume anything, and if you needed to be sneaky, ask the best friend.
Law made a face.
“I will, eventually, but I was hoping I could rely on my friends first.”
“Of course, you can always rely on us.” Asad held his hand over his heart, his expression too solemn to be genuine. It looked odd on him since, unless he was in his Dom headspace, he was normally smiling or smirking. “I think Q has the right of it, and you should talk to Iris’ friends.”
“You’re all useless,” Law groaned. “I need friends who have already been through this.”
“I have friends who have already been through this. Want me to make some introductions?” Q grinned. “You could also ask Olivia. You’re friends with her.”
“I’m still not exactly sure what you’re asking us for. Permission? Help with picking out the ring?” Connor shrugged one massive shoulder. “I think you two are good together and will end up married to her, so why not sooner rather than later?”
“Not everyone is as eager to jump into a lifelong relationship as you are,” Asad drawled.
Connor blushed. Well, that was interesting. Q hadn’t known Connor’s thoughts were trending that way. He didn’t seem to be dating anyone.
“I agree with Connor,” Q said, taking some of the attention off the other man. “As long as you’ve at least talked to Iris about it. Or did you want to do a big surprise?”
“We’ve talked about it,” Law confirmed, which didn’t surprise Q.
Law was a methodical planner that rarely made a decision without thinking it all the way through. Chances were, in this case, he was overthinking things because of that.
“In a general kind of way. Like, saying ‘when we’re married’ or ‘in a few years’ or talking about how we’d want to raise our kids.”
Asad shuddered dramatically. The rest of them ignored him.
“Sounds like you’re ready,” Q said, Connor nodding to back him up. “If I was talking that way with a woman, I know I’d be figuring out when to propose.”
“Hey, you might be closer than you think,” Asad teased, glancing at Q before looking at Law. “You missed seeing him and Sam all cuddled up at Stronghold last week.”
Heat suffused Q’s cheeks. Before he could deny it, Law was already chuckling and answering.
“Oh, trust me, I’m not missing anything.
I get to see them in class on Mondays. They have more chemistry than anyone else in the room, except maybe Steve and Master Eric.
” Law’s grin widened as Q sank back in his chair a little.
Thankfully, his skin never showed much of a blush, but he still felt it.
“I thought I might have to worry about you two, but things seem to be going well.”
“They are. I’m actually taking her out on a date tonight.”
All the guys lit up and congratulated him. Law and Asad reached over to give him a clap on the shoulder of encouragement. Q grinned, unable to keep the smile off his face.
“Now, for Q it’s definitely too early to be thinking of proposing,” Connor joked, pointing his finger at Q and making them all laugh.
“On the other hand, at our age, why bother spending a lot of time on someone you can’t see as a possibility to spend the rest of your life with?” Q caught the horrified expression on Asad’s face. “Assuming that a life partner is what you want.”
“We’re not that old,” Law complained.
“Especially if we act young.” Asad lifted his water glass in the air like he was toasting. “Long live the Persian Excursions.”
No one else lifted their glass.
“I am not toasting to that.” Connor shook his head. “That’s like making a toast to your dick.”
“My dick deserves to be toasted… wait, that came out wrong.” Asad frowned as they all cracked up again. “Toasted with champagne, not like, with a toaster. That is not the kind of fire play I’m into.”
Q laughed harder than ever, though one hand automatically cupped his crotch at the idea of sticking his dick in a toaster. Ouch.