Page 331 of Dirty Discipline, Vol. 1

“I'm sorry I scared you,” he murmured, stroking her hair. “I didn't mean to.”

She buried her face into his neck, her salty tears stinging his sensitive skin. Her arms were tangled around his neck tightly. She kissed his neck and then laid her head on his shoulder. He stroked her back and kissed her hair. “I love you, piccolina,” he murmured. He felt a jolt of a reaction from her that felt almost like fear—a shock—followed immediately by an enormous wave of gratitude and love. Her arms tightened even more around his neck until he had to say, “Easy, bambina. My skin is sore.”

“Oh God!” she exclaimed, releasing her hold on his neck completely. She sat back from him and brushed her fingers on the hot skin of his face. “I'm so sorry,” she whispered.

“It's forgiven. Completely.”

“Say it again?” she whispered. At first he thought she meant to repeat that she was forgiven, but then he realized.

“I love you, Kate,” he said, cradling her head in his hands as if to look into her eyes, if only he could. “I love you.”

Chapter Nine

Fox heard Kate screaming and he flashed to the doorway to Dom's stairs. Stella arrived a second before him, blocking the way. He was in full defense mode, his fangs starting to elongate. He didn't know where Dom got off, but hurting Kate was not something he would ever allow.

“This is between the two of them, Fox,” Stella coaxed, taking his arm.

He pulled away. “The hell it is,” he snarled.

“Listen to me,” she said, her face very close to his. “Kate likes to be spanked.”

She let that sink in as he shook his head in denial. “She's not liking it now,” he said grimly.

“I know, but it's what they do. It's how it's gone down with them from the very start. Trust me—I was there. I saw them the first time he spanked her—remember? Up in the office that night?”

He didn't answer.

“So that's the way Kate likes it. And Dom likes giving it to her. And that means it's how they're going to resolve their conflicts, too.”

He hesitated. He remembered that morning Kate had been playing guitar with him and he'd smelled both fear and arousal on her when Dom came to find her. Could Stella be right? Maybe. But if not—if Dom was hurting Kate against her will and he did nothing to stop it…

“Look at me. I'm telling you the truth.” Stella was inches away from his face, right up in his grill. Technically, as his maker, she had the power to keep him from interfering. But she never exercised that over him. “Fox. It's between the two of them. Do you really think Dom would hurt her?”

“He's hurting her right now!” he snapped, but he'd already lost his drive and she knew it.

“Believe me, a sore butt never hurt anyone,” Stella said drily and he suddenly had an image of Dom spanking Stella. Yeck. He shook his head to get the image out. Stella was smirking at him as if she knew what he'd been thinking. “Come on, Kate made us sandwiches. They're in the kitchen.”

He followed Stella reluctantly back to the kitchen and sat down to eat the sandwich. He tried not to think about what exactly Dom might be doing. But the more he thought about it, the more Stella's words seemed to make sense. Dom was crazy about Kate. He definitely wouldn't do anything she wouldn't consent to.

It seemed strange to think of Dom spanking anyone. In the entire time he'd spent with Dom as a boy, Dom had never laid a hand on him. Maybe he knew that Fox had already been knocked around enough. He certainly had demanded Fox's complete respect and his very best, but it was always through love.

He remembered once he'd come back to Dom's house beaten by one of the men Dom did business with. The man was a whoremaster. He never knew what business they had together, but he'd been delivering a message for Dom and had accidentally spilled the man's ale because he'd been so startled to see topless women milling about. The whoremaster had beaten him for ogling the women and spilling the drink.

He'd been ashamed. He wasn't going to tell Dom, but of course, Dom could smell his pain the moment he walked in the door and demanded to know what had happened. As soon as it was dark out, Dom had stormed in and kicked the shit out of the guy, disarming and taking down at least five men who were supposed to be providing security. Before he was done, he forced the whoremaster to apologize to him, a mere street urchin message boy.

Dom had then spoken to all the whores and customers who had gathered to take in the scene. “You tell everyone that this boy belongs to Dominic DeParma. Anyone who touches him, answers to me.” With that, he put his hand on Fox's shoulder and they left.

There were a few more challenges after that, because not everyone heard about the whoremaster's fate, and every time he was harmed or disrespected, Dom intervened with an animal-like ferocity. By the end of that year, it was hard to remember that he had once skulked about the streets. He was clean, well-fed and well-dressed. Though he was only a boy of ten, the working women and the whoremasters of Covent Garden tipped their hats or nodded politely at him when he walked by. The tavern owners poured him a pint of ale or, those who knew him better, a glass of milk, when he came in. When he made visits to conduct Dom's business, he was received with hospitality.

It was not until he was turned that Dom ever used any force with him. Once he was a vampire it was a little different. Vampires are more like animals. They show dominance to establish pecking order. Dom could freeze him in his skin, or knock the wind out of his chest with a flick of his hand. And he did it anytime Fox showed disrespect. It was custom, it seemed.

He heard the door to Dom's stairs open and Kate emerged, tucked tightly under Dom's arm. Her eyes were red and puffy, but she looked relaxed and almost blissful, as if she'd just had great sex. He shuddered a bit, not wanting to know what their sex life looked like.

Kate drew in a breath and then said, “Stella, Fox, I'm really sorry. I know I put you both in great danger today by leaving the shutters open and I just want you to know that it will never happen again.”

He and Stella both stood up from the kitchen table. “You could have killed Dom, you know,” Stella said, clearly not letting Kate off the hook. He shouldn't have been surprised that Stella would feel as protective of Dom as he did of Kate.

“Enough.” Dom said immediately.

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