Devon's Discipline Read online

  “No. And I’m sorry about all of that.” Devon felt embarrassed that her inner brat kept poking at him and nearly demanding he address her.

  “I accept your apology and expect to see you after class on Tuesday to talk about your make-up exam.” He held his hand out to help her up.

  “Okay, I’ll be here.” She popped the vial into the zippered pocket of her bag, then closed it. “I’m in a lot of pain, and I really didn’t mean to be disrespectful to you.” Devon used his arm as leverage to get up, then grabbed the crutches.

  “Get home safe.” Matthews unlocked the door and opened it for her. “Have a good night.”

  “Thanks. You too.” She made it through the door, then quickly left for the bus stop. Forget his orders to take the vial home! If it contained something powerful enough to fix her foot, she wanted to down it now and go out. He had warned about the substance and its effect on her stomach, but alcohol did the same thing.

  Devon hopped along the path towards the bus stop. The next bus would arrive in about twenty minutes according to her phone. It was the free campus bus, so on schedule would be closer to thirty minutes.

  “He told me to go home and take it in my bed. Whatever.” She sat down on the bench and opened her purse. The elixir practically called to her and she glanced around to make sure no one else was nearby. She brought it out of the pouch and tried to twist off the top. After several failed attempts she was able to slide her nail under the rim to pop off the top.

  An odd chill went down her spine and she started as two legs appeared next to the bench. When she looked up to see Matthews glaring daggers at her, she sprang up from the seat. “Why are you following me?” A white hot pain shot through her foot and caused her to crumple to the ground.

  “I got the impression you wouldn’t listen and I’m right.”

  “I’m sorry!” She took in great gasps of air. “Oh! My leg hurts!”

  “I’m sure it does.” He pulled her up into his arms. “I’ll bring you to my house and you can take it there, but next time you listen to what I tell you to do.”

  “I will!” Devon settled against his chest and wondered how she had wound up being carried by Matthews again in such a short amount of time. Other than Lucy occasionally showing off her super werewolf strength, no one had cradled her since kindergarten. She felt oddly cared for, though her leg still throbbed and pulled her back to reality. “It really hurts.”

  “Just breathe. The pain will stop soon.”

  A few minutes later they arrived at one of the older houses on campus. It was set back from the road and was in the woods up a winding driveway. She could see small lights in the windows but the other details blurred from her tears.

  Matthews opened the door and brought her to the couch. He set her down carefully on the cushions and then handed her the vial. “Drink this.”

  Devon took the vial and tipped it into her mouth. She laid her head back against the cushions as an awful burn hit her throat. “Aggh!”

  “Keep it down.”

  “Everything is blurry and it burns.” She gagged as the uncomfortable heat slid down her throat. “Gross!”

  “Close your mouth and swallow it, or it won’t work.”

  Devon clamped her mouth shut and gritted her teeth. The liquid felt thick and heady and had an awful bite to it. Once it reached her stomach, she doubled over as if someone had punched her. “Oh my gods!”

  “Relax. Take a deep breath and go to sleep.” Matthews took her face in his hands and caught her gaze.

  “I feel sick.” Devon blinked sweat out of her eyes and tried to calm down. What did I just drink?

  “You’re fine and the pain is gone.”

  Her body did feel better and to her surprise the pain had faded. “It stopped.”

  “Good.” Matthews released her head and helped her lie back against the cushions. “Now do what I said.”

  Devon nodded as she snuggled deeper into the cushions. He patted her head and she heard him walk upstairs. She wondered about the repercussions of staying at his house, but her eyes fluttered shut and she fell asleep.

  * * *

  Devon awoke with a start. She stretched out her arms and looked around the room.

  “Where am I?”

  The room was done up in warm colors—various shades of pink with ornate white wood dressers and nightstands. A huge window seat grabbed her attention as it looked like the perfect place to curl up and read. Devon sighed happily as her fingers trailed over the soft blankets, but then she frowned as the events of last night pressed to the forefront of her memory.

  “Where is my cast?” She raised her leg and wiggled her toes. “What the hell did he do?” Hesitantly she placed her feet on the ground and stood. The pain had faded dramatically and was now only an ache.

  Devon headed to the hall and looked for a bathroom. She relieved herself and finger brushed her teeth, then stepped back into the hall. She spied a small spiral staircase and descended carefully. His house was gorgeous. I should get the hell out of here after being so rude.

  Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of a note on the fridge in the kitchen. Could he have left it for her?

  She decided to see what it said. The note contained tight cursive:

  I trust your foot is feeling better. Please enjoy the plate I left for you.

  She opened the door, saw a large dish of food, and grabbed it.

  After four tries to heat the food in his overly technical microwave, she settled for lukewarm and sat down on one of the stools near the breakfast nook. Her first bite of hash browns tasted too fresh to have once been frozen and she wondered when he’d had time to cook. She moved on to the eggs, perfectly scrambled, just the way she liked them, and then to the pancakes. When did he have time to make all of this?

  Is my foot really be fine? Her thoughts moved away from food and returned to the elixir. She wiggled her toes in amazement again. Why did he help me?

  The front door opened as she popped the last of the meal into her mouth. Matthews came into the kitchen just as she dabbed the corners of her lips with a napkin. “I’m sorry I passed out last night.”

  “I told you to go home and take the potion in your own bed.” He moved past her to the fridge and poured a glass of orange juice. He passed it to her, then leaned back against the counter.

  “What possessed you to take my cast off?”

  “Drop the attitude.” He took the dirty dish from her, rinsed it in the sink, and placed it neatly into the dishwasher. He was the first man she had ever met who put dishes in the dishwasher the way she did. “Your leg will be good as new tomorrow, so the cast would cause more harm. I do have one question though. Did you crash your car because you were drunk?”

  “My car got bored with the road and decided to explore the woods.” Devon shrugged. She didn’t want to tell him she’d been bar hopping.

  “I’m amazed that the same girl who offers incredible insight inside my classroom is the same brat sitting here.” He ran a hand down over his face.

  “I’m not a brat!” Devon snipped and sounded exactly like one even to her own ears. Damn! Why does he have this effect on me? She looked away now, embarrassed by her behavior.

  “You refused to answer my question so I’ll assume you were under the influence.” Matthews cocked his head to the side to study her.

  “Do you know what happens when you assume something?” Devon surprised herself again with her tone. Why do I want to challenge him?

  “If you had any idea what I’d like to do to you right now—”

  “Does it involve handcuffs and whipped cream?” She blinked up at him innocently as he glowered down at her. She had hoped to diffuse the situation, but his eyes darkened.

  “Your attitude is not cute. I’m concerned you will continue to go out, drown yourself in alcohol, and place yourself into dangerous situations. I think you need someone to guide you.”

  “I’m perfectly capable of making my own decisions.” She fi
nished the juice and slammed the glass onto the counter. It would have had more merit had the glass broken, but the look he shot her made her secretly glad it had not.

  “Be respectful of the objects in my house. I’ve let you stay here as a guest.” He picked the glass up, rinsed it, and put it in the dishwasher. “I think you would benefit from my guidance.”

  “Nope. I’m good, so I’ll get out of here.” Devon shrugged her shoulders as if she didn’t care but her interest piqued at the mention of him doing anything for her.

  “Did anyone check up on you last night to make sure you were all right?”

  “Of course!” Devon made a point to pull her phone out of her pocket. The screen showed not one missed call or text. Some of her anger faded at the realization she had spent too many nights away from the house. “Well, I guess not. Lucy and Barbi must have been busy.”

  “Is being out all night part of your routine?” Matthews locked those deep blue-violet eyes on hers.

  “My routine is none of your business.”

  “Your antics caused me to cancel my plans so it is my business. Do you remember what I said in the cafe?”

  “I don’t have time to stay here and listen to you lecture me.” Forget this, I am out of here. She stood up and found her book bag on one of the kitchen chairs, but as she reached for it he grabbed her hand.

  “I don’t intend to lecture you for this.”

  “I’m a junior in college, not a child! You can’t spank me!” Devon shook off his hand. “I’m an adult.”

  “You’re acting like a child. Accept the punishment I have in mind or drop my class.”

  “It’s the only class I enjoy!” Devon brushed at her eyes as tears suddenly welled up and began falling. “If I withdraw this late in the semester my whole term is done.”

  “Then go sit on the couch.”

  Devon searched his face for some hint of amusement but found none. Is he really going to spank me? She wiped at her cheeks, then resolved to do as he said. She really wanted to pass all of her classes, and his attention had given her a reason to actually participate. She figured a spanking paled in comparison to flunking out.

  Matthews joined her on the couch and patted his lap. “Get over my knees.”

  Devon felt her lower lip tremble as she took in his command. Why the hell did I agree to this? She clambered over them, unable to comprehend how they’d reached this point. She felt his hand rest on top of her jeans and jumped as the other smacked the center of each cheek.

  “Ouch!” Her first cry came from amazement rather than pain. Shit! He is serious!

  “I specifically explained in detail to go home first, before you took the vial, but you lied to my face.”

  “I decided to go out afterwards, since that would have been more fun. I didn’t mean for you to change your plans. Ouch!” Devon bucked upwards as another round landed.

  “You can’t change what happened, but I can help you get back on track.” His hand struck each side of her bottom in fast succession and she reached her arms back to cover herself.

  “Fine! Can we please stop playing 1950’s housewife now?” She looked over her shoulder to see him glaring at her.

  “We’re not playing.” Matthews slid his hand underneath her and unbuttoned her pants. He yanked them down, turning a deaf ear to her protests.

  “No! Wait!” Devon moved her hands to her face and buried her head in the couch cushion. Yesterday morning she had run out of clean underwear and had gone commando. Gods! I am even more embarrassed! “I usually wear panties,” she mumbled in defense.

  “Did you skip them for my class?” Matthews traced the curve of each cheek with his hand.

  “Don’t flatter yourself,” she grumbled and wondered if her butt would be the same shade as her burning face.

  “You’re getting my thigh damp, so I don’t believe you.” He landed several stinging blows to her butt.

  “Ow! Ow!” Devon yelped and reached her hand back again but he captured it in his and continued. “Okay! Okay! You turn me on, but please stop!”

  “Finally some truth from you.” Matthews massaged each cheek lightly then tapped his hand hard at the very top of her thigh.

  “Oh! It hurts more there!” Devon thrashed as another flurry came down across her entire bottom. His grip tightened around her waist and four more slaps met each side of her butt. They hurt the most and Devon let out a sob as her will to fight drained. The intensity of the last set showed her how awful his punishment could be.

  “Part of life is learning to live with your emotions. We all feel pain, and grief, and sadness. If you substitute those feelings for a void, you will hurt yourself.” He pulled her pants back up and righted her.

  “What do you get out of this?” Devon accepted a box of tissues from him and leaned her head on his shoulder. She quickly raised it, surprised at her desire to be close, but he looped his arm around her and she rested her head against him again. Why do I want to curl up and not let go?

  “The satisfaction of seeing you believe in yourself again. I have no hidden agenda.”

  “Are you going to spank me every time I go out drinking?”

  “This has nothing to do with drinking. You will face consequences when you are disrespectful to yourself or to me. Am I clear?”

  “Yeah, but I can’t stop going out to bars. It’s honestly the only escape I have.”

  “We’ll tackle the alcohol issue after you go to every class, every day.” He moved his arm to lean back, then folded his hands behind his head casually as if he had not just spanked the daylights out of her.

  “Like that’s going to happen—”

  She squeaked as he took a hold of her and flipped her back over his lap. Several taps landed on top of her pants and stung her badly aching bottom.

  “Okay! I’ll go to class!” She could not believe he’d followed through on his promise so quickly. Her blushing face felt cool in comparison to the burn along her upper thighs. “I get it!”

  “Don’t disappoint me.” Matthews turned her onto her back and helped her sit up.

  Crazy thoughts rushed through her head as she sat next to him. Is he going to do this every day? Why the hell am I so turned on?

  Devon gave herself a mental shake, found her sneakers on the side of couch, and slowly laced them up. “You’ve made your point.”

  “Have I?” Matthews stood and retrieved her bag. He handed it to her as she stood up. “You don’t seem very convinced.”

  “I guess I’ll have to prove it.” She accepted the item and adjusted it in front of her. “Thank you for fixing my leg. It feels a lot better.”

  “I’m glad to hear that, and I’m glad to hear you want to prove yourself. Get home safe and don’t linger anywhere.” Professor Matthews ushered her out and she heard the lock click behind her.

  Devon let out a long sigh as she walked down the driveway to the main pathway on campus. She followed it to the bus stop, but this time she leaned against the bench. Did he feel anything when he pulled me over his lap?

  The campus bus came to the stop within a few minutes, and she flashed her school identification to get on. As usual she mindlessly took a seat. The stiff leather seat offered no cushion to her still warm behind. Devon glanced around and spied a free spot to stand in the back. She moved to it sheepishly, though no one else aboard could guess her issue. I’ll be sleeping on my stomach tonight.

  Chapter Two

  Devon chewed on her lip as she replayed the spanking over and over in her head. Her fantasy version led to steamy, passionate sex at the end. Gods! Professor Matthews could probably make me come with his stare! She flushed at the memory of his hand on her ass. It had been miles away from sexy, but the dominance made her drip.

  I probably should have gone to the cafe instead. She tapped her feet on the bar stool as she flipped through her tablet. She had an assignment due and the material should have distracted her from the urge to drink, but she still wanted to.

  When she was
buzzed nothing bothered her. She could dance or flirt or do whatever she wanted. Her inhibitions left when the alcohol hit. The shell of protection created from her grief got tossed to the side and she had no responsibilities.

  Why had she asked him if he would spank her for drinking? He had said she needed to tackle class first and then they would work on the booze, but his promise hinted it would eventually be something he would address.

  “Can I have two of tonight’s specials, please?” She downed the two shots as they were set in front of her. The buzz tingled along her brain and she ordered two more. As soon as the burn licked down her throat she ordered two more rounds and downed them in fast succession. She paid, picked up her bag, and made her way outside. Shit. I shouldn’t have had the last ones.

  Devon waved down a cab and stumbled slightly as she slid in the back. “I live on 814 Rosalyn drive. “

  The cabbie didn’t reply but headed toward her road. Devon saw the colors rush by her in a blur. Shit, I’m drunk. How am I going to get up for class?

  The cab stopped short and she banged her head on the front seat. “Careful,” she muttered as she paid the fare and got out.

  The walkway seemed to be uneven as she teetered her way up to the house. It took two tries to unlock the front door and not trip over the threshold.

  “You’re home later than usual.” Lucy sat on the couch, glaring like a pissed off parent.

  “I’m surprised you care,” Devon slurred slightly, then rubbed her temples to focus. “I thought you stopped.”

  “Didn’t you say your foot was broken in five places?” Lucy frowned and met her in the entryway.

  “I did a healing spell. You know the whole candle and herb thing.” Their conversation killed her buzz completely, and Devon quickly began sobering up. What is her issue now?

  “Were you out with Professor Matthews?” Lucy growled lightly.

  “No, but why does it matter who I hang out with? For the first time in almost a year I’m going to all my classes. Besides, what do you have against him?” Devon moved around her and sank into the couch.