“Mason. Please, you’re making a scene.” She looked around the restaurant, and I realized that the other customers were probably looking at us.
“Sit with me then.” I didn’t give her a chance to deny me, I laced my fingers through hers and pulled her from her stool and half dragged her to the booth where Tick and I were sitting. Tick saw us coming and scooted from his seat.
“Hey,” He nodded to Lucy. “Uh. I’m gonna head back. Massy just sent a text, she’s not having a good morning.”
“Coward.” Lucy shot at him. He clapped me on the back and headed out, leaving me with the damn check. Again.
“Now tell me what happened. And no bullshit.”
“Or what? No orgasm from you?” She rolled her eyes.
“Lucy.” I tried to appeal to her sense. “Did Jayson hurt you? Because if he did-”
“What? You’ll kick his ass? Start a war over the Disciple’s whore?” She laughed and ran her fingers through her short hair, wincing at the pain the movement caused her arm.
I took a deep breath. She was right. If I went in fists blazing, a war would follow. “Okay. Just tell me what happened. Please.” I all but growled.
Her grin widened. “Now who’s begging?” She teased me, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Look, it’s not like you’re not rough.”
“What does that mean?”
“The other day, when I wouldn’t drop my pants for you. That was you, right, who bent me over and- well-” A soft blush covered her face. “You know what you did.” She looked away from me then, it was my turn to grin.
“Spanked you? Hell, yes. And I’d do it again if you defy me. Look I may be a bit more traditional when it comes to my women, but I don’t use them as a punching bag. A spanking for disobeying- that’s one thing. A punch to the arm- totally different.”
“You’d spank your girlfriend?”
“If she defied me? Hell yes. Not just in bed, either. That shits hot in there, but in the real world- if I say she needs to do something, there’s a reason and if she doesn’t listen- then yes, I’d bend her over my knee and spank her good.”
Her jaw dropped and she stared at me as though I had just admitted to murdering her cat. “I can’t believe you just admitted that.” She whispered as though it were something to hide.
“Why? I wouldn’t ever be with a woman who didn’t understand that going into it. And my old lady would be on the same page as me about who gave orders and who took them.” I watched her expression, looking for the repulsion I’d seen in other girls I expressed my views too. She looked at me with more curiosity.
“So the spanking the other day-”
“Really a cake walk compared to real discipline.” I placed my hand over hers, she was tearing a napkin to shreds onto the table without even realizing it. “Lucy. Who did this to you?”
“I appreciate your concern, really, but there’s nothing you can do about it.” I couldn’t ignore the defeat in her voice, the sound grated against my skin.
“Like hell, I can’t.” The waitress showed up with Lucy’s order all wrapped up and placed it on the table with the check. I plucked the bill from her before she could get to it, and pretended I didn’t see the sour glare she shot my way.
“I don’t see you as the relationship type.” The change in topic threw me for a second and I had to think about what she was talking about. “I mean you talk like you’d like one, but I can’t see you bothering with it.”
“Bothering with it?”
“Yeah. I mean a relationship takes effort. Feelings. I don’t see you as the type to have either of those qualities.” If she was trying to piss me off, she was doing a pretty good job. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, you definitely like the physical stuff with a girl- but the real stuff, I don’t see it. You talk a big game- spanking- ha! Like a woman would ever let you do that.”
Hadn’t he told himself that time and time again? He had no time for a woman. No time for a relationship. Yet here he was talking as though he’d planned it all out. “Maybe I just haven’t met the right girl.” I tried to sound casual, not stare too deeply into her eyes when I said it- because the idea that there was a right girl out there left me feeling unsettled. “And Lucy, you liked that spanking I gave you the other night.” Her jaw dropped. “And you’d like being under my control all the time, too. A discipline spanking is a small price to pay in comparison to the rewards of being a good girl.” The hot flush that erupted on her cheeks and the dilation of her pupils told me everything I needed to know about her response.