Jake’s eyes darkened. “I’ll definitely be having a conversation with her. She won’t sit for a week if I find out she lied to me.”

He felt a pang of sympathy for poor Mari, but he knew he’d do the same thing in Jake’s shoes. An awkward silence stretched between them as they both stood there, looking everywhere but at each other.

“So, ah, you guys…” Jake gestured aimlessly. “Last night?”

“Yeah.” Sighing, Ethan forced himself to meet Jake’s eyes. “Look, man. I can’t promise I won’t break her heart. Just like she can’t promise she won’t break mine. But I’ll treat her right. You know I’m a good man, and a good Dom.”

“Yeah, I know. But I can’t promise I won’t break your nose if you hurt her.”

“Fair enough.”

“All right.” Jake nodded as though he’d come to a decision. “I’m going to go have a discussion about honesty with a very naughty little girl. See ya round.”

The door closed behind Jake and Ethan gave himself a moment for a few deep breaths before he headed back up the stairs. Izzy was in his room, arms crossed, watching the doorway with a glare that could freeze the Atlantic.

“Are you done fighting for my honor?” she snapped as soon as he stepped into the room.

“I think we’ve come to an understanding. As for you, little girl, give me one good reason I shouldn’t bend you over the bed and blister your ass good and proper.”

“What?” Her mouth fell open in shock. “I didn’t do anything!”

“You didn’t disobey me when I told you to stay upstairs? And again, multiple times when I told you to come back up here?”

“But it was just Jake!”

“Did you know that before you came downstairs?”

“Well, no, but…”

Gripping her chin, he forced her to look up at him. “I am not in the habit of issuing orders just to hear myself talk, Isabella. If I tell you to do something, I have a damn good reason for it. The next time you so blatantly ignore my instructions, you’ll be wearing welts from my belt for the rest of the day. Understood?”

The little imp had the nerve to grin. “Does that mean we’re going steady, Sheriff?”

Moving his hand to her hair, he grabbed a fistful and yanked her head back. Her eyes went dark with need, but the grin never left her face. “It means you’re mine, brat. And it means you’ll learn to listen, or you may never sit comfortably again.”

“Don’t threaten me with a good time, Clarke.”

“Brat,” he growled before covering her lips with his own. He broke the kiss but didn’t release his hold on her hair. “One day, soon, I’m going to teach you how to use that smart mouth of yours. Right now, I’ll settle for hearing you beg.”

And beg, she did.

By the time Ethan took her to get her car and followed her home, Izzy’s entire body felt like rubber and she wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep for a few more hours. Which she’d been given strict orders to do by the man himself.

But her plans were thwarted when she walked into the kitchen and found Jake sitting at the “Family Discussion Table” as she’d not-so-affectionately dubbed it during her teen years.

“Sit, Isabella.”

Considering Ethan had followed through on his promise and taken his belt to her for refusing to get dressed when he’d told her to, sitting wasn’t exactly her first choice at that moment. “I’m fine.”

Of all the reactions she’d expected, it wasn’t for Jake to smirk and lean back in his chair. “Have a seat, Isabella. I insist.”

Of course, she’d have to be surrounded by sadists. Lowering herself onto the hard, wooden chair, she tried not to wince but failed miserably.

“Care to explain to me why you thought going to a play party to meet a Dom you knew nothing about, in town over an hour away, without telling anyone where you were going was a good idea?”

Her shoulders hunched instinctively. “It sounds bad when you say it like that, Jakey.”

“How should I say it, Isabella?”