Page 40 of Dirty Discipline, Vol. 1

There’s just one pocket of his life where Troy refuses to trade in his archaic views. Plain and simple, a man wears the pants in a family. Troy is more than happy to share leadership with women in all other aspects of his life, spare one. His home. His bed. As he has found, technically that’s two distinctly different things, at least according to every woman he has dated in the last ten years.

He hasn’t found it too hard to find women who like to give up control in the bedroom. Women happy to be dominated into doing all kinds of erotic acts they feel too guilty to admit they love. More than happy to let Troy ‘force’ them to be a naughty girl. Yes, those women he had no trouble finding at all.

It’s the woman who subscribes to his dominating tendencies once they leave the bedroom that he’s found to be a bit more elusive. Not that he blames them really. He knows and works with many brilliant, strong women whom he respects deeply. He really does understand the strength it must take a woman like his sister or so many of other women he had the privilege to meet last summer at the Eagle’s Pass picnic, to follow the lead of their HoH. Strength to walk that tight rope of dominance and submission every day as they go about their daily lives.

Troy thinks back to something his sister had said the night before that surprised… and disappointed, him. It hadn’t really been a conscious part of his plan, but only after finding out that Eagle’s Pass had not been a good singles place for his sister to meet other like-minded singles, did Troy realize he had moved back to Colorado to spend time with his sister here in this community, in hopes of finding a like-minded woman. Finding out his sister has lived here over two years and hasn’t met anyone special puts a damper on his enthusiasm.

Thoughts of his sister are still in front and center as he looks up to see her walking towards him, freshly showered and changed to a pair of jeans and comfortable top. Troy had taken the time to shower and change himself before deciding to start breakfast.

“Good morning, Trace. You ready for your first cup of coffee?”

“I was ready for that about an hour ago, but I was too tired to get out of bed to get up and make it. Thanks so much for starting breakfast. I’m starving.”

“Me too. How’d you sleep?”

“Honestly, not too great. It was hard to turn my brain off, ya know?” Troy sees her glance his way sheepishly.

“Yeah. I had a bit of that myself last night.”

“I just checked in on Hallie. She’s asleep. Did you get any sleep sitting up in the chair?” Traci has crossed to the refrigerator to pour herself a glass of orange juice when she turns back to her brother. “Wait a minute. Where did all of this food come from? I haven’t been to the market.”

Troy grins. “Really? I couldn’t tell.” He lets her off the hook. “I’m glad the storm broke so I could drive over to the quick mart and pick up some of the basics. You know you really need to stock up during the winter. You never know when you will get socked in for a few days.”

“I know, but I was planning on going to Denver today to run all of my errands. I guess that’s out now.”

“Especially with the roads covered. You really need to take more care with your safety, Trace.” When his sister shoots him a ‘yes, dad’ look, he retorts, “Are you trying to go for round two today? I must not have gotten through to you last night about the safety rules.”

She backs down immediately. “Oh no. You got through loud and clear. It’s just gonna take me a little time. You’ve been away for a while, you know.”

Troy plates the eggs and hands his sister her breakfast. “Keeping safe isn’t just a part-time job, Trace. You are the only relative I have left. You are important to me. I need to know you are taking care of yourself, even when I’m not here.” When his sister looks doubtful, he adds on the incentive he knows will hit home. “Fine. Don’t do it for me. Consider it practice for when you meet Mr. Right. I’m sure he would have gone harder on you last night than I did.”

“Somehow I doubt it. Heroes from romance novels rarely jump off the page to spank women’s butts, as much as we readers would like it.” She at least smiles sheepishly.

Troy can’t help but chuckle. “Yeah, well I noticed your choice of reading material while I was waiting for you last night.”

His sister is blushing a rosy pink. “Just great. My big brother is gonna tease me about my immoral reading habits.”

Troy steps up to his sister to look her in the eyes, making sure she knows he’s telling the truth. “I just want you to be happy, sis. You can read or even watch whatever you want. Makes me no difference. It’s when you get around to acting where I’m going to make sure I stick my nose in. No woman has ever been hurt by reading a racy romance novel. Going to a bar to pick up a stranger, on the other hand, has landed many a young woman in the hospital, or worse… the morgue. Got it?”

He sees the regret in her eyes. “Got it.”

“I’m sorry, but I just have to ask. I love you, Trace, but did I overstep my bounds last night? I know I’ve never played that kind of role in your life, but honestly, it was more because I’ve never felt the need to before. You’re normally so levelheaded that I’ve never felt like you were off course like you were last night. Did I read you wrong?” When his sister silently looks into his eyes, he pushes her. “Please tell me I didn’t damage our relationship by disciplining you.”

Tears flood her eyes just before she launches herself into her brother’s arms, letting loose a stream of hot tears. “Oh Troy, I love you so much. I know at the time I hated it, but you were right. I’ve been so lonely lately and I was feeling sorry for myself. It just felt like no one loved me, but I was wrong. I know how much you love me and want me to be happy and safe.”

Troy holds his sister close until her tears are spent. He reaches for a tissue from the nearby counter and offers it to her to dry her eyes. “Your Mr. Right is out there, and he won’t be happy when he finds out you were acting so foolishly while he was looking for you.”

His sister’s half smile tells him his message might have gotten through. She confirms it with a quiet “Yes, sir.” Music to his ears.

“Let’s eat before it gets cold. Then we can go feed your houseguest.”

Chapter Five

The promise of caffeine stirs Hallie awake. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingles with the heavenly scent of bacon. Her passion for bacon had not been popular in California. Hallie suspects she’s even thinner than normal considering it’s been days since she’s had a really good meal. The promise of one now has her opening her eyes.

Hallie is relieved that it’s the woman of the house, Traci, sitting in the chair at the end of the bed and not her domineering, albeit freaking hot, husband, Troy.

“Good morning. You must be hungry. Troy made you a big breakfast. I know you’re still stuck with the IV so we thought it would be easier if I brought it in to you on a tray. You feel up to eating a bite?” Traci is being really polite considering Hallie had basically committed her own special version of breaking and entering the night before.

---