Devon's Discipline (10 page)

“I don’t appreciate whatever power play you two just engaged in. Lucy is my best friend! What if you hurt her?”

“Your friend attacked me and I let her go with a warning. Can you imagine what might have happened if we were out in the open?”

“I have to focus on my project, and I didn’t mean what I said.” Devon bit her lip as the exchange replayed in her head. She had figured something physical would occur between the two sooner or later with the way Lucy had been acting, so what was it?
I want to be near him all the time.

“So, I am your boyfriend?” he smirked.

She didn’t find him funny. “No, I’m talking about hurting Lucy. She rushed at you for some reason.” Devon felt a wave of heat come over her body. “Besides, ‘boyfriend’ doesn’t really explain this.”
No title really explains this.

“Titles aren’t really my thing anyway.” He wrapped his arms around her waist. “What is bothering you?”

“It’s just Lucy, okay?” Devon rested her head against his chest.
I don’t want him to ever let go of me and it’s driving me crazy!
She pulled back suddenly and he frowned down at her.

“You’re lying through your pretty little mouth. Why?” Matthews narrowed his eyes and she blinked.

“I don’t know. I have shit to do.”
He knows I’m lying!
She pushed away from him to punctuate her lack of concern when she found herself literally upside down and over his shoulder. “Hey!”

“I gave you several chances to adjust your attitude and tell me what is on your mind, but you refused. So now I’ll adjust it for you.” He ran through the trees while she struggled to break free from his hold. Matthews moved his hand to rest dangerously low on her spine, as though in warning.

“I told you I’ve got things to do!” Devon believed his threat and didn’t move again, though she wanted to.

“So do I.” He made two sharp left turns, then arrived at the edge of the driveway. It felt oddly familiar, like she was coming home, but the feeling was cut short as they entered the house.

Matthews dumped her onto the couch cushions and she leaped to her feet. “I don’t have time for this!”

“Do you think you can make it to the door quicker than I can?” he smirked as she glanced at the distance between the door and back.

“I’m sorry I yelled and lied again. I really need to go, and I honestly don’t have time to explain the thoughts in my head.”
I don’t even understand them myself.

“See if you can beat me to the door.” His smirk widened into a grin. “If you can, I’ll let you go do your homework now and I’ll put off your punishment until tomorrow.”

“Both of those options involve me being spanked.”

“Here, I’ll give you a handicap.” Matthews stood and climbed to the top of the stairs.

“No, wait! Not until I count to three.”

“Hurry up, your antics are adding to the number.”

“One… two…” Devon dove for the front door as soon as the letter “t” formed on her tongue. To her incredible dismay, he had already beaten her there.

“Are we done playing now?” He tilted his head to the side.

“You have no idea what I’ve been dealing with!” Devon yelled in frustration. She really wanted to stomp her feet up and down, but she knew a full-on tantrum would only further irritate him.

“You can tell me after this.” He took her hand and led her firmly to the couch. “Bend over.”

“Whatever.” Devon tugged down her yoga pants and leaned down into the cushions. She wished she had made a better choice in panties this morning since she had passed up a modest pair of boy shorts for her lacy black thong.

Devon grunted as the smack landed against her right cheek. She had lied again and he knew it. The shame at having disappointed him yet again almost overwhelmed her, and she attempted to think about something else. His hand came down in smarting blows, over and over again, and as her bottom began to throb, she attempted to muffle the very beginning of a sob into the couch’s pillow.

Lying is not worth the sting of his palm!
she scolded herself. Next time she wouldn’t let the confusion she always experienced when he was near make her too afraid to tell him the truth.

As a particularly painful smack landed on her upper right thigh, Devon screeched and bucked upwards. “I’m sorry!” she began. “Honestly, I am!” Her feet drummed against the floor as his paddle-like hand came down faster, and Devon wondered if her cheeks were pink enough to provide a nice contrast to the lace.

A flurry of smacks met her right bottom cheek. “Ouch!” She looked over her shoulder.
How did he know I drifted off into space?

“Tell me why you intentionally provoked me.”

“You won’t believe me if I tell you the truth.” She choked back tears. One more smack landed on each of her bottom cheeks, harder than the previous ones, and they opened up the flood gates.

“Pull up your pants.”

“I’m sorry for the way I acted in the woods.” She shimmed her pants back up to her waist.

“The amount of times you have apologized for lying is ridiculous.” Matthews situated himself on the couch. “You need to be honest with me.”

“I know.” Devon climbed onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. She never wanted to let go and it deeply frightened her. “I’m not used to it.”

“You’re not used to telling the truth?”

“I’m not used to anyone spending this much time on me. I want to tell you, but I have to finish this project.”

“Your project has you this frustrated?” Matthews raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

“Yes, because there is so much information it’s like playing a huge round of fact or crap. Some of it sounds real, but then a lot of it is hard to swallow. I don’t know the difference.” Devon wiped at her eyes. “For everything I find that seems true, I immediately find the exact opposite to support a new truth.”

“The guidelines note that you can use personal sources. I’m sure you can think of one.”

“Isn’t that cheating?” Devon shrugged. “I mean too close, you know?”

“No, this is gathering accurate information. So, go on.” Matthews motioned with his hand for her to continue.

“Can you be-spell me with your eyes? Like, whenever you look at me, I do what you ask? They’re also an incredible shade of blue… like almost purple.”

“I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to, and you’re seeing my actual eyes. No one else has taken the time to notice.”

“Okay. But the night you fixed my foot you told me to look at you, and the burning pain stopped. How come?”

“Ah, the power of suggestion when wielded in the right manner can be used by anyone.” Matthews let out a small smile. “I will tell you this. Each time I drink from you, you are more willing to listen. Understand?”

“Yes, but it seems I do what you tell me to do a lot.” Devon made a mental note.
How often does he tell me to do stuff?
“Which is like all the time.”

“You can’t compare our situation to others. You agreed to let me discipline you.”

“So if we hadn’t shared blood and you didn’t have any authority over me, I would be less likely to listen?” Devon raised her eyebrows as he gave her an exasperated look. “This is a legit question.”

“You barely listen with both of those things in place.” Matthews rolled his eyes. “If you take away both of those factors, I wouldn’t bet money on it.”

“Fine. Do you and Lucy’s alpha have some type of contract? I didn’t understand what you meant the other day.”

“Ben Brinkham and I have a long history. Some years ago his pack got wiped out and I took him in. He owes his life to me, and we have regarded each other with respect since then. There have been a few fallouts, but I have no interest in fighting him or his pack. Though his older son seems to be a problem.”

“Is it some sort of supernatural thing?”

“No, not really. This is my territory since I own most of this land. I let Ben’s pack attend school here on my terms.”

“How many years have you been teaching here?” Devon leaned closer. She wanted to know how old he was without asking flat-out, though the question had nothing to do with other vampires.

“If you went back through every photo of every professor to teach at this university, you would be surprised at the resemblance I have to my now deceased relatives,” Matthews grunted. “You won’t find them on the Internet, so don’t be tempted.”

“How old are you?”

“I have some secrets to keep. Besides, if I tell you how many ‘greats’ to put in front of my name to link me to my original family name, you might get grossed out. Get back to general questions. You turned this into an interview.”

“I’ve had these questions for a while, so you should applaud me and my creativity. Big question: can you turn someone into a vampire?”

“Yes, but it would only be under an extreme circumstance, and I take it very seriously.”

“How do you turn someone? I can’t find an answer online at all. The websites give bizarre information—like you have to be completely drained and buried in a shallow grave. Another one said all of your skin sloughs off, getting rid of any tattoos or scars.” Devon wrinkled her nose. “It sounds gross.”

“I won’t answer that question and I’m willing to bet all those Internet sources are wrong. It’s a private thing and has no bearing on discrimination. Move on to the next topic.”

“Are you really immortal?”

“Yes, technically, but lots of motivation and patience are needed to last.” He gave a graceful shrug. “I’m surprised you haven’t asked what I figured would be your first question.” Matthews scooted her off his lap and stood up.

“I don’t know what you mean.” She thought back to the notes she’d jotted down over the past few weeks and could not think of what he referred to.
Is it about how he saved me?

“Okay.” He moved to the kitchen and poured a glass of soda. “I think you’re afraid of the answer.”

“Does your blood have healing properties?” Devon kept her eyes on him as he went to the counter island and leaned on it.

“Mm-hmm.” He took a casual sip from the cup, though his eyes were darker than normal.

“Could you save someone from dying?”

“Usually, but it depends on how bad the injuries are. Minor things heal quickly. Major issues take a lot more time and energy.”

“Did the vial you gave me have your blood in it?” Devon rose to her feet and joined him.
I’m missing something! What does he want me to get at?

“Yes, and the bone fixed itself overnight. By the next morning you could walk on it.”

“I guess I don’t really understand why there is such a stigma then.”

“Think about it. Why did you wear a scarf to class for two weeks?” Matthews downed the rest of the soda and set the glass down harder than normal.

“I had a super hickey,” Devon smirked over at him in hopes to lighten the mood. “Plus I couldn’t find a good online make-up tutorial on how to cover it.”

In a split second she found herself pressed up against the counter, with Matthews behind her. One of his hands gripped her waist and the other clutched her ponytail. He wrenched her neck sideways and pressed his mouth under the spot where her pulse beat. He swirled his tongue around the sweet hollow of her neck and tightened his hold. “Ask me.”

Devon felt a small flicker of panic flood her senses. The blood drinking had been on every page, so she hadn’t thought to question it. “Do you have to drink blood from people to stay alive?” She couldn’t tell if he was acting this way for show or if he’d slipped into the same scary mode he’d been in when he’d pulled her into the armchair.

“Yes, and it’s the number one reason vampires aren’t coming out of their coffins.”

“Can we get out of this position?”

Matthews moved his hands to her breasts and tweaked her nipples. She tilted her head back into his chest, which pressed her neck even closer to his mouth. “If you want to move then go ahead,” he whispered against her throat.

“If I move, I feel like you’ll see it as a challenge and I’ll be more—” Devon moaned as he licked along her chin.

“Appetizing?” he offered, a deep huskiness in his voice.

“If you’re doing this to frighten me, I get it.”

“Not everything I do is for your assignment.” He turned her around, picked her up, and set her on the counter.

“Then what exactly are you doing?” Goose bumps prickled along her limbs as he pulled off her pants then quickly slid two fingers inside her. His actions weren’t matching his earlier statements. She tightened her thighs with the intent to close them, but he moved his mouth in between her legs and forced her to lay back on the marble. She had no choice but to give in to the sensation of his tongue taunting her most sensitive spots.

“I think you understand my reply.” Matthews nuzzled up along her thighs.

“Mm-hmm,” she breathed as his fingers worked in and out of her. It was so hard to think with the endorphin rush. His tongue moved back down towards her heat and distracted her from the rest of the questions in her head. A sharp pinch against her inner thigh drove her back into reality.
Did he bite me
? Devon tried to sit up but just as quickly another finger slid inside and returned her to bliss.

Whatever previous musings she had about it not feeling sexy to have him suck on her jumped headfirst out the window. The combination of the pressure and release of his mouth against her as his fingers strummed inside went beyond words. Finally, he removed his hand and leaped up onto the counter.

“Can I add incredible agility to my list?” Her eyes widened as he undid his pants.

“Yes, if you add dashing and sexy before it.”

“Okay.” Devon wanted to think of a better response but then he entered her and took her breath away.
How did he go from a spanking straight to sex?

“Come here.” He drew her up into his lap and wrapped her legs around his waist. “Like this.”

The change in position allowed him to be fully inside her. She bounced up and down for a while, glowing from the rush she saw his eyes.

“Your eyes are so dark.”
What mood is he in?

“Don’t worry about them.” He planted his lips against her collarbone and licked upwards.