Page 318 of Dirty Discipline, Vol. 1

“That's right.”

Their food arrived, then and they began eating with enthusiasm.

“Dom,” she started shyly.

“Yes?”

“Where did you get your blood from, before me?”

He hesitated. It was another question he'd prefer not to answer. “I hypnotized women at the club,” he said at last, pulling on his earlobe.

“So they didn't know you'd bitten them?”

He nodded. He didn't feel any strong emotion coming from her. Neither revulsion, nor anger.

“Always women?”

He nodded.

“Why?”

He blinked slowly and sighed. “Well, I prefer women,” he said and winced, waiting for her to react.

“Because there's something sexual about it?”

“Yeah, I guess. Yeah.”

“Did you do…other things with them?”

“No. I mean… wait. Let me start over. Yes, sometimes. But if so, it was consensual. I would never hypnotize for that. If I ended up picking a girl up—which isn't that hard to do when you're the owner of the club—then afterward I would just erase the feeding part.”

He was surprised and slightly amused to sense jealousy from her. He looked at her plate and noticed she hadn't eaten much.

“Why aren't you eating?” he asked.

“Oh… well, it's a little too raw for my taste,” she said, turning the cut part of the steak around to show him how pink it was.”

“Send it back.”

“No, it's all right.”

“No, it's not. You're not eating.”

“I know, but I have enough with potatoes and vegetables.”

He raised his eyebrows and put on his most stern voice. “You will send that steak back and ask that it be cooked to your specification or I will take you home and spank your sweet little butt.”

He felt a flare of irritation from her as she stared at him, contemplating that threat.

He softened. “Look, I'm not trying to be heavy-handed. If I were truly a gentleman, I would send it back for you. But you lying down and taking it instead of demanding what you deserve is a pattern I've seen in you before and frankly, I don't like it.”

He felt hurt coming off her then, and it saddened him. He reached for her hand across the table. “I just want you to practice standing up for yourself. Here and now. I'll back you up if you need it.”

She rolled her eyes. “But I don't need to stand up for myself. The steak is fine!” To prove it, she stabbed a piece with her fork and put it in her mouth, chewing it viciously.

He watched her in silence until she faltered and stopped chewing, staring at him uncertainly. He caught the waiter's eye and waved him over. Kate was pleading at him with her big eyes, but he ignored it and gave her an encouraging smile.

“Um, I was wondering if I could have my steak cooked a little more?”

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