Page 249 of Dirty Discipline, Vol. 1

But instead of setting them down in front of her, he moved to the window. Opening it, he peered out before throwing the scales out of it.

“Alex!” she admonished with a grin before racing over to the window to look down on the smashed scales lying on the ground.

Alex hugged her from behind, kissing her neck. “We don’t need those.”

It wasn’t like things were going to magically change in her head. But she got what he was saying. He wasn’t Lance.

“We’ll find a therapist. We’ll get that asshole out of your head. I promise,” he told her.

“Thank you.”

Reggie yawned as she studied the computer screen. Desperate for a job, she despaired at the small amount of options open to her. She’d had no luck with anything close by, so she’d turned to looking at jobs in the city, although her heart really wasn’t in it. The thought of having to leave the ranch, leave Alex and go work in the city again filled her with dread.

Two months had passed since she’d left Lance and, as hurtful as it had been at the time, she knew him cheating on her was actually the best thing to happen to her. Because now she was far away from his toxicity. Because she was with someone who loved her and wanted what was best for her.

Her eyes blurred, and she let out a deep yawn, thinking longingly of Alex and their bed. He’d gone up a short time ago, and she’d told him she’d follow.

Reggie yawned again as the door to the study opened and Alex walked inside. “Time for bed, darlin’,” he spoke firmly.

“Just a little longer,” she replied absently, having spied a job advertisement that had potential.

“It’s two a.m., Reagan, and you’re going to bed.”

Reagan looked at the clock in shock, wondering where the last three hours had gone. “Okay, I’ll be up shortly.”

“You won’t be up shortly,” he said, moving over to pick her up.

“Damn it, Alex. Let me go! I’m busy.” She tried to wriggle free.

“Reagan, I know you’re tired, but you better stop this tantrum right now.” Reggie heard the clear warning in his tone, but she simply didn’t care.

She could go to bed whenever she chose to!

Reggie was too busy trying to free herself from his tight grasp to notice that he’d sat in her newly vacated chair. It wasn’t until she found herself positioned face down over his lap that she realized what he intended.

Her struggles renewed themselves with vigor, but he easily ignored her, pushing down her pajama bottoms and panties until her bottom was exposed to the air.

Realizing the futility of fighting, Reggie turned to pleading her case.

“Alex, I’m sorry. I’ll go to bed now. You’re right, I’m tired. A good night’s sleep and we can both forget this happened, right?” She spoke up hopefully, but inside she knew how her argument was going to be received.

Alex snorted. Yep, he was so predictable sometimes. He rubbed her bottom as it tensed in anticipation of a smack.

“You’ve been warned about this before, Reagan. You stay up late, then you’re grumpy and tired the next morning. Plus, it’s not healthy for you. I think I’ve been far too lenient with you lately.”

Lenient, her ass! It seemed like she and her poor bottom were constantly in some sort of strife.

“Alex, please,” she began to cry softly, totally undone. “I’m just so tired.”

He rubbed her back soothingly. “I know you are, baby. You’re tired, and you’re stressed, and enough is enough. I’ve had enough of you walking around here with dark circles under your eyes, all pale and grouchy. That’s why I’m stepping in. From now on, you have a bedtime of ten p.m., lights out at eleven. Understand?”

Reggie’s jaw dropped. A bedtime? Was he insane?

“That’s crazy, Alex. You can’t give me a bedtime!”

Smack! Smack! Smack!

Reggie yelped as his hand landed heavily on her ass. Her hands went immediately to her backside, trying in vain to protect it. But he’d already stopped smacking her, moving his hand to rub her thighs instead.

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