Broken Submission

Brat

Sorry I didn't update last week! With the school year wrapping up, I've been super busy. Plus I've had a bit of writer's block. I'm just glad I had a few unpublished chapters; otherwise, it would have been a lot longer than a week!

"I was thinking that it would be nice to go to the Club tonight."

Amelia glanced up distractedly from her book. Derek was leaning on the counter, munching on an open bag of grapes.

"You're supposed to wash those, you know," she said, eyeing the produce.

He smirked. "I like to live dangerously."

She glanced at her book. Could she get away with finishing her scene? Probably not. She closed it with a sigh.

Amelia twisted from where she sat on the couch, crossing her arms over the backrest and resting her chin on them.

"I don't know." She grimaced. With everything that had happened, she just wanted to hide in Derek's apartment for the rest of her life. Reading his books. Eating his cheese.

Derek popped the grape he was holding in his mouth before putting the bag in the fridge. He walked around the counter until he stood over her. She gulped as he placed his hands on either side of her arms, leaning over her. Humor glinted in his eyes as he saw her reaction.

"Do you really not want to go?" He asked. His eyes drilled into hers. "Or are you just avoiding things?"

She looked at the floor, unable to hold his gaze. "Both?"

She felt his fingers run through her hair before he gave it a firm tug, bringing her gaze back to his. He stroked his thumb over her temple and dropped a kiss on her nose.

"Sorry babygirl. I'm not enabling your self-imposed isolation."

Her mouth popped open. Enabling? He made it sound like she was an addict. "So I have no say over this?" she said, a hint of a whine that she despised entering her voice.

The humor in his face vanished. Her eyes widened, and her gut dropped as his displeasure became apparent. Amelia didn't like that side of herself either. But something had been building over the past week and a half since Derek had found her. She was antsy.

"I suggest you change your tone, young lady," he said, voice stiff.

And Amelia could swear—she had no idea what came over her. But she made three mistakes. She rolled her eyes. She huffed. And she turned away and started reading her book, completely ignoring the man behind her.

Derek stared at the back of her head in disbelief. He had no clue what had gotten into her. Amelia was a difficult sub—not because she was bratty, but because she was too quiet. Too reserved. It made her difficult to read. This behavior... it was new to him. And he hated to run into these situations blind, but his palm was tingling from her blatant disrespect.

Best to deal with this swiftly, he reasoned, and tease out the reasons later. With that plan of action, he stepped around the couch. She didn't even look up until he grabbed the book. He tossed it to the side and slung her over his lap, ignoring her yelp.

This woman was going to be the death of him, he grumbled as he quickly divested her of her skirt. His disbelief grew as she proceeded not only to complain but to cuss him out.

"Little one, you better get quiet real quick if you want to sit for the next week," he growled as he yanked her white panties down her legs.

She struggled against him. "If I say that I don't want to go someplace, I damn well don't want to go! And I don't need some fucking caveman ordering me—ow!"