Stiff Discipline

by Ember Cole

  I pull my key out of my pocket and try not to let him see the way my fingers shake as I unlock the door. Maybe I’m destined to become a nun.

  “Thanks for walking me…home…” The words stumble out of my mouth. I just want to get inside and forget everything that’s happened in the last twenty-four hours.

  “Are you interested in Adam?”

  His words are clipped and so ridiculous that I swing around, bumping into his chest because he’s so damn close. I have to look up to meet his eyes, and his jaw is rigid.

  “What?”

  “Adam. He’s your age, so you likely have things in common. You were both laughing. Are you going to pursue something with him?”

  He sounds like he’s trying to tactfully accuse me of something, and it sort of pisses me off. Does he honestly think I’m the kind of person who would do what I did with him last night, then go after his son?

  I lift my chin. “No, I’m not interested in Adam. I’m… You know what? Never mind.”

  I twist around and grab the doorknob, ready to be away from all this. His arm darts out and wraps around my waist, yanking me back against him. Pinned between his hard chest and the unyielding door, all I hear are his harsh breaths and my pulse hammering in my ears.

  “Last night was a onetime thing,” he growls.

  Is he trying to embarrass me more than I already am? I attempt to wriggle out of his embrace, but he won’t let go.

  “It won’t happen again,” he grits out.

  “Fine,” I bite back. “Let me go and we can forget this ever happened.”

  His arm loosens just a bit and I turn around, sliding my hands between us to push him away. Yeah, that doesn’t happen. He steps me backward until my back is pressed against the door and slaps his hands against the wall on either side of my head. Now that I’m trapped, his gaze drops to my lips, and heat floods my body, pooling between my legs.

  Why is he doing this to me? If he wants to put last night behind us, looking at me like that isn’t helping.

  Anger, frustration, hunger all burn in his eyes. I don’t understand any of it. My hands are still flat against his stomach, and I don’t dare move.

  “I should go?” I growl in frustration. Why is everything a question around him? I should go, and so I will.

  Except I try to push him away again, and once again, he doesn’t move. My mouth goes dry over this show of dominance, and I dart my tongue out to wet my lips. His gaze zeros in on that, and I can feel him harden against my stomach.

  It’s clear he wants me.

  I give it one last try. “Do you…want to come in?”

  He inhales sharply through his nose and starts to pull away. My hands grab his shirt without my permission, because despite the fact he’s been an asshole, they—my body, me—don’t want him to go.

  “Not happening,” he grunts out again.

  This man is infuriating.

  “I get it. It’s not happening,” I snap. “Let me go so I can leave with a little dignity, okay?”

  He backs away just enough to put a couple inches of space between our bodies. His hands are still planted on the wall on either side of my head, though, and being surrounded by his body, his scent, is messing with me. I start to duck out from under his arm before I do something stupid like burst into tears, but then his fingers are digging into the back of my neck and his lips crash down over mine.

  It’s so much more than a kiss. He’s demanding entrance, taking what he wants, owning every single reaction that’s coursing through my body. I moan, and he swallows the sound, deepening the kiss until I’m not sure where I start and he stops.

  Just like he’d promised it’d feel when he fucked me.

  Which hasn’t happened. Yet.

  I slide my hands around and dig my fingers into his back, urging him closer.

  My bed is only a few feet away.

  I fumble for the door handle, and when I find it, I can’t get it open fast enough.

  Daniel lifts his head.

  The want in his eyes makes my knees weak.

  “Come in?” I ask breathlessly.

  He closes his eyes and my stomach sinks. I can see him shutting down again. It’s a physical change that sweeps over his face and makes his body sag. His fingers loosen, and this time when he steps away from me, he takes the warmth with him.

  “Why?” I ask on a sob.

  He clenches his jaw. The muscle in his cheek twitches. He takes another step back.

  “I can’t,” he grits out.

  And then, for the second time in less than eight hours, he walks away.

  4

  KYMBER

  An hour later, Bekka sweeps in and tosses her purse onto the small table by the door.

  “Honey, I’m home,” she shouts, even though I’m sitting right there on the couch. She plops down next to me and lays her head on my shoulder. “Tell me everything. Don’t you dare leave anything out.”

  I set down my cup of coffee and try to figure out where to start. I’ve got so much to tell her.

  “You were right, Adam is gorgeous,” I say.

  “I told you so,” Bekka says with a grin. “So how was it? Did he rock your virgin world?”

  “Well…it was mind-blowing, but it wasn’t with Adam.”

  Bekka’s mouth drops open. “What the hell did you do? Wait, did you snag one of the other hotties in the building? I will be so jealous if you say yes.”

  I shake my head. Then nod. I mean, I guess I did?

  She frowns. “You better spill or I will start dumping your favorite expensive coffee down the drain.”

  “All right, all right,” I grouse. “So, last night I went to the office just like we planned, but it wasn’t Adam who was working. It was Daniel, Adam’s father. I came on to him because, well, he’s hot as fuck.”

  Bekka makes a noise in her throat and leans closer.

  “He totally shot me down, and I came back to the apartment alone. I had my ice cream ready for a pity party of one, but then he knocked on the door and the next thing I know I’m on my back on the couch and my pants are off and he has his head between my legs.”

  Bekka’s mouth falls open. “Shut the fuck up. You had sex with Adam’s father last night?”

  “That’s the weird thing. I was more than ready and he was definitely ready and he carried me to bed and everything, but then he tucked me in. Nothing more. I fell asleep, and when I woke up he was gone.” I get up and start pacing. “But the really weird thing is that this morning, I baked blueberry muffins—don’t worry, I left you two—and took them down to him, except it was Adam in the office. I was talking to him when Daniel came in and there was this weird moment that I think was some macho guy bullshit? Daniel dragged me out of the office and back up here to our apartment after that.” I suck in a breath. “Then he asked if I was going to ‘pursue’ Adam, like he was pissed just at the idea of it.”

  Bekka is perched so far forward on the couch, I’m afraid she’ll fall off. “Holy shit,” she breathes. “What did you say?”

  “I told him no, and he just stared at me. Did I mention he’s the most intense person I’ve ever met? Anyway, I just wanted to go inside because I had no idea what to say, but then he grabs me and pushes me against the wall and kisses the hell out of me.”

  Bekka fans herself. “And then you had sex?”

  I groan, flopping back onto the couch. “No. He turned and left again. So what the hell does that mean?”

  “Clearly it means I’m looking in the wrong places for a man,” Beks says on a short laugh. When she sees my face, there must be something there, because she gets serious. “He’s into you, though. That’s pretty fucking clear if he’s jealous of his own son. We just have to figure out what’s cockblocking him.”

  She purses her lips and drums her fingers on the coffee table. “Last night, when things were hot and heavy, is there any chance the whole V-card thing come up?”

  “Of course it did. It was pretty obvious when he was doing
what he was doing.”

  “Okay, well, maybe that was the problem. Maybe he didn’t want to be the first. Some guys have a hang-up about that. They know they’re what you’ll be measuring all your encounters against after that. It’s a lot of pressure.”

  I frown. “Daniel doesn’t strike me as the kind of man who would have a hang-up about anything. Adam says he was a military commander or something like that. I believe it, because he was kind of dominating the whole situation from the start. Like, he took control of everything, told me what he planned to do, and it was really hot.” Heat crawls up my neck. “He made me ask for permission to come,” I all but whisper.

  Bekka sags back against the cushion. “Holy shit, that’s hot. He sounds like he’s kind of Dom, honestly. Did he spank you, too, you naughty girl?”

  My eyes go wide. “No, he didn’t spank me.”

  I busy myself with taking a very long sip of coffee so Bekka doesn’t see how much the thought of Daniel spanking me perks my interest. It’s not something I’ve ever considered before.

  “My guess is that it’s the V-card,” Bekka says. “If he’s the big bad honorable soldier everyone makes him out to be, I can see him wanting to protect your honor.”

  I play with the edge of my coffee cup. Is that what it is? He thinks my honor is at stake? I mean, he talked a pretty big game and more than delivered on everything but the final detail. I was practically begging him to take me. But Bekka’s right—everything changed when he slid those thick fingers deep and felt what I’d been so desperate to give him.

  Heat pools between my legs and spreads across my belly like an ache. I shift in my seat.

  “You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?” Bekka asks with a knowing grin. “Your girlie parts are getting all tingly, aren’t they?”

  If Bekka hadn’t been my best friend for pretty much my entire life, her words might embarrass me. Plus she’s not wrong. And having someone to talk about this bluntly with helps, especially since I’m at such a loss with men.

  I’m a beginner; Beks is sort of expert level now.

  “What do I do?”

  “So we’ve established he was into it until he figured out you were a virgin, right?”

  “Definitely. He even said he’d wanted to fuck me in his office. He was…” My face heats up, and I squirm even more remembering the dirty words that he whispered while he was going down on me. “He was very…explicit when he described it, too. I’ve never had a guy talk to me like that. I didn’t think I’d be into it, but it was like it was just a part of him.” I shudder. “God, I would have done pretty much anything he said.”

  Bekka moans. “Fuck. I’ve been out there looking forever and you get a dirty-talking Dom on the first try. Not even the first try—you went there to seduce Adam!”

  That’s the part I’m trying not to think about. What if Adam had been there last night? I might have considered it—after all, he’s as gorgeous as advertised—but while this morning was fun, there weren’t any sparks between us. Even with all the sexual innuendos. I’m pretty sure I would have taken my key and gone home, and Adam would have let me because he’s a nice guy.

  I would have never thought I’d want a dirty-talking alpha male, but now that I’ve had a taste, that’s all I want. Anything else would be disappointing.

  And yet…still a virgin.

  “This is so messed up,” I grump. “I thought getting laid was supposed to be easy. You’ve tricked me all these years with your stories. I claim false advertising.”

  “It’s easy to find sex, almost impossible to find anything else. Plus you’ve hit payday with Daniel. Do you know how hard it is to find a guy like that? They all claim to be assertive and like to control things in the bedroom, but most don’t have a clue. The line between asshat and hot is pretty clear. I hate you a little right now. ”

  Sure. Payday. So why did he tell me it wasn’t going to happen, then kiss me? The mixed signals are confusing as hell. I tangle my fingers in my hair and tug. The man is making me crazy after only one intense orgasm and a few kisses.

  She taps her chin. “You’re sure you want McDommy to be the one to pop your cherry? You don’t want to go out tonight and see if we can find another guy for you?”

  Crazy or not, after last night, I honestly can’t imagine any other man being my first. There’s just something about Daniel I can’t explain, something that appeals to me on the most basic of levels. When I’m near him, it’s like he’s the only thing I can see. The only thing I want.

  “I want it to be him, Beks. I know he wants me, I just don’t know how to make it happen.”

  “He’s got to be twice your age, babe. You sure that’s not a problem?”

  “Not at all. It’s the opposite, really. The idea that he’s experienced, that he likes to take control, does it for me. What he makes me feel…” Goose bumps break out over my skin, and I rub my arms. “I just like all of it. And I want my first time to be with him. I can’t imagine it being anyone else now.”

  Even now, just thinking about him makes my heart race. I want more of last night. I want to look into his eyes again and see that look that makes my knees weak. I want him to teach me more things I didn’t know I wanted.

  Now it’s Bekka’s turn to pace.

  “Okay. We’re going to make this shit happen. We just need a plan, starting with not giving him the chance to say no. Oh, I know! You could show up in his office and take your clothes off, lay yourself across his desk, and tell him to fuck you like he was thinking about or you’ll find someone who will.” She pauses and frowns. “Actually, no. We don’t want a jealousy fuck. We want to land this guy for the entire night, if not more.”

  Her face lights up and she freezes.

  “Oh my God. I have the perfect idea. He won’t be able to say no. I should offer my services on how to seduce men I’m such a fucking genius. MakeHimNut.com. I’ll become a millionaire.”

  Her devious grin scares me, but not enough to ignore her when she lays out her plan. And I have to admit, it’s fucking brilliant. Daniel isn’t going to know what hit him. There’s no way I’m waking up still a virgin tomorrow.

  I feel a whole lot better now. “So we have a plan.”

  “One hell of a plan.” She smirks. “What I’d give to be a fly on the wall during that. You’re going to have to tell me everything. But first, we need to go shopping.”

  “For?”

  “You need some seriously sexy lingerie. Something lacy and black and that is going to drive him out of his fucking mind before he even lays a hand on you. Hello Kitty panties aren’t going to cut it tonight. We need sexy, not schoolgirl. But save them, because I have a feeling that Mr. Dommy would very much like you to wear those and nothing else at a later date.”

  I hop up and throw my arms around Bekka.

  “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you. Best friend and sex guru all wrapped in a hot little package.”

  “You fucking know it.” She slaps my ass, and I bust out laughing. “Now go grab your purse, cherry girl, we’re gonna get you laid tonight!”

  “Let me get dressed. Give me five.” I grab my coffee and head to my bedroom. I haven’t bought sexy lingerie in…well, ever. Cute matching bras and panties that are practical are my style, and my day-of-the-week panties are kind of fun. But I trust Bekka to know what she’s doing.

  And if it turns Daniel on, if it makes him look at me like he did last night and actually follow through, I’m totally on board.

  5

  KYMBER

  The day goes by in a flurry of shopping and waxing appointments. It’s too fast and yet nowhere near fast enough, but by the end of it, I’m ready to put my plan into action. If this doesn’t work, I need to accept that Daniel isn’t going to be the one.

  My knees shake as once again I stand in front of the door marked OFFICE. I’ve run through a hundred different scenarios, ranging from he’s not there to he slams the door in my face to Adam’s on duty instead of Daniel.r />
  I make sure that the trench coat Bekka lent me is tied tightly in the front, not just in case it’s Adam, but because there are other people in the building. The four-floor ride in the elevator would’ve been hella awkward if anyone knew I was almost naked.

  Bekka promised to disappear until morning again just in case everything goes to plan and Daniel and I end up back at our apartment.

  I know I look good in an innocent kind of way. Bekka did my hair in a messy ponytail that she swears looks sexy. I went lighter on my makeup, but made sure to outline my eyes extra carefully. My lips are shiny and pink, something that Beks said will seal the deal. I’m just trying not to smudge them with nervous lip biting.

  I run through my plan one more time. I spent hours researching BDSM after we got home this afternoon, and half the stuff I read scares the crap out of me. I’m definitely not ready to crawl around on all fours and wear a collar. I really hope that’s not what Daniel is into.

  But there were parts of what I read that hit on something deep inside me.

  Parts that turned me on like nothing ever has.

  The way Daniel took control last night, the way he dominated me with just his voice, made me hotter than hell. I thought I was going to burst into flames when he told me I wasn’t allowed to move, then proceeded to drive me insane with his fingers. When he told me not to come, even as he drove me higher and higher; when he made me wait until he gave me permission…

  My God, I loved every second of it.

  I squeeze my thighs together. The tiny scrap of lace between my legs is already wet. I put my hand on the doorknob and twist before I lose my nerve. It’s early, just after seven, and I hope no one stops by the office with a problem. I’m not even sure Daniel will be here until I see him sitting behind the desk.

  He looks up, but his expression is guarded.

  I step into the room and let the door close behind me.

  “Can I help you, Ms. Taylor?”

  My heart is pounding. There is no indication in his eyes that he wants me or that he even remembers anything that’s happened between us in the last twenty-four hours. I swallow back the nerves, twist the lock on the door, and step into the center of the room. His eyes are locked on me, and my hands shake nervously as I reach for the belt. The coat falls open, and I let it slip from my shoulders. It pools at my feet, but I’m focused on the man in front of me.