Free Devon's Discipline by Adaline Raine Page B

since she itched to taste the bottle of Jack hidden in the cabinet, but it tempted her from a distance like a precious fruit out of her reach.
    “Fuck it.” Her steps were full of determination as she plucked the bottle from its hole. She grabbed six shot glasses and set them in a line on the counter.
    Devon popped the top and poured a perfect ounce in each shooter. She smiled at the thought of the burn before the buzz when a loud knock on her front door jarred her. She stashed the bottle underneath the sink. Who the hell is there? I’ll pretend I’m not here.
    “Shit.” She glanced between the drinks and the door as two more knocks pounded against it. Did she have enough time to down them? She moved the curtain away from the small window on the side and peeked through it. Matthews stood there with his arms crossed.
    A louder knock sounded and she slowly resigned herself to opening the door.
    “Is everything okay?” she asked.
    “Were you sleeping?” He raised an eyebrow.
    Devon glanced over her outfit as she weighed the options in her head. “No.” One point for me, I told the truth!
    “Did you get enough rest?” He took a step inside.
    “Yeah, lots.” Devon stood in the entryway to the kitchen casually, as if Matthews had been there before.
    “I can smell the alcohol from here.” He stepped over to the counter and poured each shot down the drain. “I came here to check on you.”
    “Okay, well you did. See you later.” Devon cringed as the alcohol swirled down the pipes.
    “You went out to a bar, alone, and nearly got killed. Do I encourage such behavior?”
    Devon took in the threat behind those words. He had come over to spank her. She dashed up the stairs two at a time, but he reached the door before her. She dove underneath his legs and through the door. “You’re not allowed in my room!”
    “You’re right, but the longer you keep me out here the worse it will be.” He pressed a hand on either side of the door frame.
    “Wait, what? You actually can’t come in my room?”
    “Yes, little Ms. Dabbles-at-Best. You’ve got a protection spell in place, and I can’t breach it.”
    “Are you kidding me?”
    “Do I look like I’m joking?” he scowled.
    “You don’t understand what I’m going through! If I don’t hit every class for the next two weeks, I’ll be dropped!” Devon fumed. “You think you can just barge in here and punish me, but you’re not me! My parents are dead and I can’t handle it!”
    “I lost my parents when I was fifteen. We have more in common than you think.”
    “Did you start drinking?” Devon watched him move down the hallway towards her. She peeked around the frame to see him sit on the floor just outside her door, leaning his back against the wall. She desperately wanted to go out and join him, but the threat of his punishment kept her in place.
    “No, but I became hell-bent on revenge,” Matthews murmured. “I wouldn’t encourage it as a life path.”
    “If I let you in, will you tell me your story first?” She wanted to know more about his past, especially if he had lost his parents at a young age. Maybe he really does understand me.
    “I will tell you the rest of it, but I won’t compromise on your punishment. You were reckless and still think you would have survived without me.” Matthews looked over at her.
    “Look, I don’t know how to repay you. Can you drop it?” Her attitude poked through again and she sighed. If he was right, she had no idea how to express her sincere gratitude. Hallmark didn’t make a card for that.
    “I saved you because I promised to help you, not to hold it over your head.”
    “Fine! Now are you just going to sit there all night?” She tapped her fingers against the wall. Is he really going to sit in my hallway forever?
    “If you refuse to invite me in.” He leaned his head back. “I can function on very little sleep, so believe me, I can wait you out.”
    “I don’t even know what to say.” Devon