Broken Submission

Brats

A knock sounded on the door.

Amelia glanced at Freya who gave her an encouraging thumbs-up. Nervously smoothing the fabric of her new skirt, a high-waisted rockabilly style, she pulled on the handle. Amelia's lips parted in surprise. Derek stood on the other side in  dark jeans and a black button down. His thick hair had actually been tamed by what she assumed was copious amounts of hair gel. But what really surprised her was the small bouquet of lilies in his hands and the look of boyish excitement. 

As her eyes traveled down his frame, Derek's returned the favor, and he licked his lips at what he saw. But he wasn't here to ravish her.

"Amelia," he began, somewhat formally, "you asked if we could start over. And in the interest of that, I would like to ask you if you would like to go on a date with me?" He wasn't sure why butterflies swirled in his stomach. Maybe it was the realization that--if he screwed things up this time around--he wouldn't get another chance.

Blush touched her cheeks. "I--no one's ever asked me out like this before."

Derek's lips pulled in a soft smile. "Well," he murmured, stepping up close to her, "you should have been. You deserve to be wooed, Amelia," he said, pressing the bouquet into her hands. He was unable to resist brushing his lips across her brow as he pulled away, and she leaned into the contact, eyelashes fluttering. 

"So," he said, voice pitched low as he restrained himself from kissing off the cherry red lipstick staining her lips, "will you go out with me?"

A shy smile touched her lips as she glanced at him through her lashes. "I would very much like to."

"Gracias a Dios por ese," he said under his breath.

"What?" she asked, brow crinkling. 

Before he could answer, a laugh sounded from inside the hotel room. "He said, "Thank God for that,"" Freya translated, a smirk on her lips. "Amelia, if I didn't know better, I'd say that you've got my lil' bro a bit hot and bothered."

"Butt out," Derek said, eyes narrow. He sounded so petulant and juvenile that Amelia couldn't help the laugh that bubbled from her lips. Derek's gaze shot to her, and she quickly muffled the sound.

Derek's thumb glanced over her lips. "Careful, sweetheart," he murmured, "I'm not above taking little girls in hand on the first date."

Prickly heat flooded her body and before she could stop herself, Amelia's tongue poked out, flicking across his finger. Derek's eyes darkened, and his grip on her chin tightened as he pushed his thumb between her lips to sit heavy on her tongue. Breath heavy, Amelia swirled her tongue around his thumb, beginning to suck it deeper--

"Enough of that," Freya interrupted, swatting Amelia's backside as she appeared in the doorway. The movement shocked Amelia enough that her lips popped open, Derek's hand dropping. Derek's expression soured as he looked at his meddling sister. She didn't look concerned.

"You wanted to take her out, not bed her in the hotel," Freya reminded him. "So for god's sake, keep it in your pants." She cast a sideways glance at Amelia. "Both of you."

Flushing, Amelia sidled out the doorway which was becoming rather cramped. Distracting herself, Amelia buried her nose in the lilies.  

"Ah yes," she heard, and then the lilies were snatched away.

"Hey!" Amelia cried. 

Freya rolled her eyes, bouquet now firmly in her hands. "I'm just putting them in water. You don't want to haul them around all afternoon. Anyway," she said airily, "you two enjoy your fifth first date while I charge pay-per-view movies to this lovely room that my brother is paying for. Ciao!" With that, she slammed the door shut, leaving them staring. 

Amelia pressed her lips together but couldn't help the giggle that escaped her. Derek shot her a baleful look before rolling his eyes. "If she wasn't such a hard-ass on her subs, I'd swear she was a brat herself."

"Doms are just big, unchecked brats," her mouth said before consulting her head.

Derek's eyebrows climbed, and her danger bells began to toll.

"Is that so, little one?" he said. He took just one, deliberate step in her direction before she took off, sprinting down the endless hotel hallway. She heard a singular excited whoop behind her and then the sound of him in pursuit. Amelia squealed as she took a corner, praying that he wouldn't catch her--or maybe, praying that he would.