Devon's Discipline by Adaline Raine

began to pace in front of her bed. She wanted to do what he asked, but she didn’t want another round over his lap. Her butt had been red for hours after the session in his office. Her offense had only been tardiness so what would he do for nearly being killed? Am I afraid to let him in because of the punishment or because I can’t stand the fact that I disappointed him?
    “I’m sure you can think of something.” Matthews reappeared in the doorway.
    “Please, come in.”
    She watched as he walked over the thresh-hold. A mental image of sleeping on ice packs flashed through her mind. Shit! What am I thinking?
    “I understand you want to feel in control of the situation, but I’m in charge.”
    “I know.”
    He sat on her bed, and she shuffled over to him.
    He pulled her across his lap. “When I saw you on the ground, broken and covered in blood, it scared the hell out of me.”
    Devon tugged down her pants. If she had made him afraid, he had deeper concerns then she thought. But what if I can’t handle his punishment?
    “Ow!” Devon bucked as he targeted her sit spots with gusto and had her openly crying within a minute or so. He focused his hand on the center of her cheeks, bringing it down over and over again.
    “Except for classes, I want to know where you’re going and when.” Matthews landed another flurry on both cheeks, causing her to buck again.
    “Ouch! Okay!”
    “I’m dead serious,” Matthews replied as he continued to rain his hand down on her bottom. “No more going to bars or clubs.”
    “I won’t!” she bawled as the lesson continued. The intensity varied, but every inch of her butt felt raw and hot. Devon felt terrible for making him scared and worse for questioning his concern in the first place. “I’m really sorry!”
    “I believe you now.” He finished her punishment with two more hard slaps to her smarting bottom, then fixed her clothes and help her sit up. “You’ll feel that for a while.”
    “I’m sure I will.” Devon wiped at her eyes as Matthews moved them both back against the headboard so he could hold her in his lap. “Will you tell me about your parents?” She curled her arms around his neck and her legs behind him. “Please?”
    “It’s not a pretty story.” His eyes darkened and he looked away as if remembering. “My father traveled a lot, and that gave me a lot more responsibility than my peers. I worried about my mother, especially when I found out she’d been having an affair.”
    “What year did the affair start?”
    “Aren’t you clever?” He poked at her arm, then shook his head. “Not relevant because the point is that the man she let into our house killed my father when he finally returned, and then he killed her.” Matthews swallowed hard.
    “Why didn’t he kill you?”
    “For all intents and purposes, I mind-fucked him. He took me on as his protégé until I grew up, so to speak.” He sighed, apparently lost in his thoughts again. “Some time afterwards, he turned me into a vampire and I finally got revenge for my parents’ murders by killing him.”
    “It sounds more complicated than what you described.” Devon bit her lip. “I mean, it doesn’t sound like you had many choices.”
    “I didn’t, but my point is that even under extreme circumstances I managed to keep myself together—even with his death on my hands.” Matthews kissed the top of her head. “If I could do it then, you can do it now.”
    “Thank you for sharing your story with me.” Devon knelt up on her knees and kissed him on the lips. “I’m a lot stronger than I thought.”
    “Yes, you are.” He tangled his hand in her hair and drew her close to kiss the spot just below her pulse. Then he stopped suddenly and pulled away. “I should go.”
    “Do you still want to taste me?” Devon whispered. Gods, I want him to bite me.
    “Yes, but if I do we will reach a very intimate level. There is no undo button on this. If I drink from you, it will be extremely