Page 322 of Dirty Discipline, Vol. 1

Fox materialized inside the office, next to him. “Dom,” he said in his very cautious tone. “Why don't you take a walk and come back to this conversation when you've calmed down a bit?”

He rubbed his face impatiently. Kate was looking from him to Fox with wide eyes. “Fox, I'm fine. Look,” he said and bared his teeth to show that his fangs were not extended.

Fox was standing very still but his eyes darted around, as if assessing what kind of risk factors were involved.

“I just need to talk to Kate. In private.”

“Okay,” Fox said slowly. “Why don't you take it down a notch and sit in the lounge where you can get comfortable?”

“Don't make me hurt you in front of Kate,” he said through gritted teeth.

Unfortunately, that threat just seemed to confirm Fox's fears. “Kate, why don't you wait for Dom downstairs?” he said quickly, puffing his chest up and trying to look around Dom to see Kate's face.

Now he was feeling his fangs start to extend in anger. He backed away from Kate and turned around, closing his eyes and covering his face with his hands. Deep breaths. Calm mind. He put his hands down and paced around, slowing his breathing. Finally he said in what he hoped was a calm and patient tone, “Fox. I am not going to hurt Kate. But the same is not true for you. I'm asking you nicely. Please. Leave.”

Despite all their fronting, Kate did not seem frightened by the confrontation. She looked extremely surprised, but not afraid. “I'm fine, Fox. I need to talk to Dom,” she said, finally throwing in her opinion. He sighed. Fox vanished.

He rubbed his face with his hands again. “To answer your question, Roxanna is a bitch of a vampire who is supposedly after me. It's dangerous business that I don't want you involved in, so please don't ask me about it again.”

Kate stared at him. He could feel a tangle of emotions from her. Relief and anger, mostly.

He stared back. “I told you we were exclusive, didn't I?” he asked in a quieter voice.

Tears shone in her eyes and he stepped in to embrace her. He held her for a long moment, stroking her hair and back until it felt like her emotions had settled down. He pulled back and tipped her face up to his. “It pisses me off that you were upset but didn't even ask me. You just tried and convicted me in your mind.”

She blanched at his rebuke and then her face took on a sullen look. “You didn't call or try to see me all week! Over the weekend I thought…I thought…I thought we maybe had something special,” her voice cracked and her eyes filled with tears again. He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “But then you totally blew me off. And I'd seen that text, so I just… got confused, I guess.”

He gave an exaggerated sigh, totally exasperated. “How can you think I blew you off? I left messages for you all week.”

“Yeah, but that was just work.”

He gave her an “are you sure?” look. She dropped her eyes.

“And what about you?” he demanded. “Did you call or visit me this week? Did you let me know that you were worried about who the hell Roxanna was?”

“I'm sorry,” she mumbled. “I guess I really overreacted.”

“Look at me,” he commanded and she lifted her eyes to his. “It is absolutely unacceptable for you to get upset with me over expectations you haven't communicated. Do you understand? If you want to get together, then you damned better well pick up your phone and use it. Okay?”

He felt a flash of anger from her. “Does that mean you didn't want to see me?”

Before he could help it, he growled, causing her to draw back sharply. He closed his eyes and stepped back from her, taking a deep breath. He let out an exhale and looked at her. “No. It means nothing of the sort. I was busy this week trying to figure out what exactly Roxanna's game is. But you would have been a welcome diversion.”

Kate still looked pouty.

“Listen, you're coming to my place after closing tonight. If you're going to throw fits like this every time we're apart, then I may just not let you leave.”

That won him the reluctant smile he was looking for.

“And don't think you're not getting a spanking for this.” He picked her up off the desk and turned her around, bending her over in the way he had that first night they were together. He lifted up her miniskirt and very slowly pulled down her panties. She was frozen completely, not even breathing, as far as he could tell. Her little bottom tightened and released in anticipation of feeling his hand. He gave her twenty hard swats that left her gasping, then rubbed before he pulled her panties back up and flipped the skirt back down. “You be good tonight, or there will be more where that came from,” he said when he'd turned her back around. He gave her a pat on the bottom. Her face was flushed pink and she looked like she couldn't speak. He wasn't sure if it was good to send her off so discombobulated.

He kissed her deeply, and she threw her arms around his neck and responded with enthusiasm. “That's my girl,” he murmured when they came apart. “Are you okay?”

She nodded.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

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