The Art of Discipline: Running Toward Trouble (The Mockingbird Chronicles)

The Art of Discipline: Running Toward Trouble

Book Two of The Mockingbird Chronicles

By

Stardawn Cabot and Alexandra James

Copyright © 2014 by Stormy Night Publications and Stardawn Cabot and Alexandra James

Copyright © 2014 by Stormy Night Publications and Stardawn Cabot and Alexandra James

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Published by Stormy Night Publications and Design, LLC.

www.StormyNightPublications.com

Cabot, Stardawn and James, Alexandra

The Art of Discipline: Running Toward Trouble

Cover Design by Korey Mae Johnson

Image by Bigstock/Coka

This book is intended for
adults only
. Spanking and other sexual activities represented in this book are fantasies only, intended for adults.

Chapter One

Dani opened her eyes, only to groan as she saw the time. 3:30 a.m., it was always 3:30 a.m. It was early and technically she shouldn’t be out of bed, but then today her grounding was finally over. For the first time in a week, she was allowed to go for a morning run without worrying about Emma giving her a hard time about it. It felt good to be free again.

Smiling, she turned over on her side to study her partner. Emma was still sound asleep, her shoulder-length red hair splayed delicately over her pillow. She looked so sweet and innocent as she slept, somehow younger than her 30 years. Dani was four years Emma’s junior, but sometimes it didn’t feel that way. Emma was the one in charge, but lately it had been Dani doing the protecting.

It was a shame really, what they’d been through. Emma didn’t deserve to have a father like she did—a father who only used her for his own gain. He wasn’t any better than a bully trying to strongarm Emma into giving him money. He’d never been there for her when she was growing up; why should she be anything but indifferent to him now? Dani could only hope that after the last encounter with him, he’d take the hint and leave them alone.

Emma had surprised everyone, especially Patrick Sampson, when she’d attacked him in their bookstore. He had come into the store a few weeks ago and tried to rob them. His holding Dani at knife-point caused Emma to snap. She’d pelted him with book after book, until he finally gave up and took off. That was the last time they’d seen him. Emma had broken down after that. She’d been having nightmares again, and it was all Dani could do to try to make her feel safe as possible.

Of course that had led to her current predicament—getting seriously grounded for the first time since she was a teenager. In order to keep them both safe, Dani had bought a gun. Little did she know that Emma would take exception to it. Then again it wasn’t exactly the gun, but the series of events that followed that got her into trouble. Now, however, all that was in the past. She was again free and looking forward to moving on with her life with Emma.

Moving a little closer, Dani leaned in and gave Emma a kiss on the forehead. She didn’t mean to wake her, but wasn’t totally disappointed when Emma’s green eyes fluttered open.

“Dani? What’s going on? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Go back to sleep, Emma. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Emma gave Dani one of those looks. The kind that Dani knew meant that she was thinking, and usually meant nothing but trouble for Dani. Dani’s assumptions were only confirmed when Emma asked, “You’re not thinking about getting out of bed, are you?”

Dani put a hand to her chest in mock shock, her blue eyes twinkling in the moonlight. “Me?” she smiled, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “Come on, Emma, you know me better than that. Besides, I’m not grounded anymore. You can’t make me stay in bed.”

“Actually, I can,” Emma quipped. “What time is it anyway?” she continued, half sitting up and looking over Dani’s shoulder at the clock before groaning. “Seriously? Go back to sleep, Dani.”

“I don’t think I can,” Dani explained. “You go back to sleep. I think I might go for a run.”

“You’re not running anywhere at 3:37 in the morning.”

“But…”

“No, and that’s final,” Emma decided with a yawn. “It’s too early.”

Dani rolled back over on her back, looking at the ceiling. “But I’m not tired,” she whined.

“Alright,” Emma sighed. “I’ll give you one chance.”

“Oh?” Dani asked, looking back over toward Emma.

“If we’re both going to be up this early, you better make it worth my while,” she smiled. Dani’s eyes went wide, and then she echoed Emma’s grin. “And you say I’m the brat.” “You are,” Emma teased, before moaning as Dani moved and began to kiss her neck. “Total brat.”

It was then Dani’s turn to moan as Emma’s hands traveled to her chest. She felt Emma’s nimble fingers begin to undo her pajama buttons, and didn’t protest when Emma opened her top, completely exposing her already taut nipples. Dani then arched her back as Emma flicked one nipple with her finger and began drawing lazy circles around it while her tongue mirrored the actions on the other side.

Dani moaned again, deciding to take charge and really make this 3:30 wake-up call worth Emma’s while. Placing her hands on Emma’s shoulders, Dani easily rolled them over and straddled Emma’s hips. Pressing her lips to Emma’s, tongues battled for dominance until Emma finally allowed Dani’s to take control.

Feeling Emma’s hands trying to guide her head, Dani stopped kissing and smirked down at her partner before grabbing Emma’s wrists and laying them above her head. “Keep them there,” she directed before slowly removing Emma’s sleep shirt.

Taking her time, Dani’s tongue flicked down Emma’s neck to her collarbone, leaving small kisses and caresses in its wake as her right hand gently massaged Emma’s breast, her thumb teasing the nipple, causing Emma to moan and arch her back practically begging for more contact.

Smiling as she nibbled her way down Emma’s body, Dani finally stopped at Emma’s breasts, letting her tongue and lips once again establish her dominance. First the right and then the left, as Emma pressed herself ever closer and squirmed under the pressure of Dani’s body as she hungrily tried to initiate more contact.

Feeling Emma’s hands on her head, Dani stopped both her tongue and hands, giving Emma a look. Smiling slightly when Emma returned her hands to above her head, Dani whispered, “Good girl,” and then continued kissing her way down Emma’s body, stopping at the thin fabric of Emma’s panties.

Placing a kiss over the center of the panties, Dani paused as Emma whimpered something. “What was that, Emma?” Dani asked as her thumbs hooked into the waistband of the panties.

“More, Dani, please,” Emma moaned.

“More what?” Dani teased, removing the panties and blowing gently on the sparse curls in front of her. “More of this?” she asked, placing a finger along Emma’s slippery entrance, “or perhaps more of this?” Dani queried as she kissed Emma’s bikini line.

“Tell me what you want, Emma.” Dani’s voice was husky and she finally removed her own pajama top. Now naked from the waist up, she straddled Emma once more. Moving her hands to her own breasts, Dani played with them for a few moments as Emma watched.

Bending down, Dani kissed Emma fully, allowing skin-to-skin contact, which caused both women to flush and moan. “Tell. Me. What. You. Want,” Dani ordered quietly.

“Inside,” Emma finally whispered hoarsely. “God, I need you inside me.”

Deciding the teasing had gone on long enough, Dani kissed Emma’s lips and moved back down her body. She continued kissing until she reached Emma’s bundle of nerves above her entrance before inserting first one, and then two fingers. Using her tongue to flick Emma’s clit, Dani slid a third finger inside and began to suck on Emma in the same rhythm her fingers were beating to. The movement was quick and soon her partner began to arch and gasp for air.

Hearing her name being said in Emma’s moment of bliss, Dani sped up her tongue, lips, and fingers and rode out Emma’s waves of contractions before finally slowing down and allowing Emma to relax enough so that she could slowly remove her fingers. Giving Emma’s now sensitive nub a final, gentle kiss, Dani moved back up to Emma’s side and laid next to her.

Rubbing lazy patterns with her hand on Emma’s body, Dani finally spoke. “Was that worth it, Emma?”

“Worth what?” Emma responded, clearly in a haze.

“Your while,” Dani returned, kissing her lover gently and gathering Emma in her arms as both women enjoyed the closeness.

* * *

“Dani, stop that right this instant,” Emma hissed as her taller partner’s fingers once more tried to tickle her from behind as they walked through the bedding department at the mall.

“But I’m free, Emma. Aren’t you excited? I once again am allowed to mingle with the outside world,” Dani proclaimed, her blue eyes dancing with delight as they stopped at an end cap.

“If you don’t calm down, all you’re going to be mingling with is that bench outside the store while I make this purchase alone,” Emma responded, continuing to walk down the aisle looking for the perfect bedroom set.

“Come on, Emma, you’re no fun.” Dani suddenly stopped and grinned. “Besides, I think I found it.”

Emma turned and looked at the set Dani was smiling about. “Oh no, Dani, leather does not belong in the bedroom.”

“Why not?”

“It chafes, keep looking.”

“Come on, Emma, it could be fun,” Dani encouraged.

Emma turned, focusing her green eyes on Dani’s blue. “On second thought, you’re right, Dani, leather can be fun in the bedroom. In fact, I can always use that little leather paddle I have in the box in the closet…”

Dani backed up, putting her hands out and shaking her head. “No, no, that’s alright. You’re right; leather has no place in the bedroom. I’ll keep looking.”

Nodding smugly, Emma took Dani’s hand and dragged her down another aisle before suddenly stopping once again. “What do you think of this one?” Emma asked, pointing to a sage-green sheet set trimmed in tan along with the matching comforter that was backed with a soft brown.

Reaching down, Dani felt the comforter and the sheets. “They’re really soft and I like the colors. I think we found our set.”

“Great, now we just have to find the right size,” Emma seconded, looking up the stacks. Dani scanned the shelf for a moment, using her height to her advantage, and pulled a set off the top shelf. Watching as Emma slipped another set of sheets in a pale yellow into the cart, Dani grinned. Finally they could head to dinner. She was starving.

Once they reached the cash register, however, Dani grumbled at the length of the line. “You’d think they’d have more than one cashier for a store this big.”

Emma looked at her watch. “It’s probably shift change and dinner break now.”

“Yeah, probably,” Dani answered, feeling her stomach grumble. Opening her purse, she removed a candy bar, quickly opening it and taking a large bite. “Want some?” she asked.

“No, and I don’t want you eating it either. As soon as we are done here, we’re going to get some dinner,” Emma whispered.

“It’s an appetizer, Emma,” Dani protested. “I’ll still eat my dinner.”

“I know you will because that is going back into your purse, and I’d also like to know where you got this, Danielle, since you’ve been grounded for the past week.”

“Fine.” Dani’s eyebrow raised and she took another large bite, effectively cutting the candy bar in half before trying to shove it back into her purse. “And I got it from my purse; it’s been in there for a while. In case of emergencies, and this is certainly an emergency.”

Emma grabbed Dani’s wrist as Dani reluctantly pulled the candy back out of her purse before handing it over.

Shaking her head, Emma pushed her cart to the side before taking Dani’s hand. “Come with me,” Emma directed, quickly escorting Dani to the bench in the front of the store. Taking a deep breath and surprising Dani, Emma also sat. Turning to Dani and taking her hands before meeting her blue eyes, she asked, “Do you understand why I brought you out here?”

“Attitude?” Dani asked, her voice wavering as she suddenly felt not so grown up.

“Yes, and I really want to know where you got the candy. Did you order candy when you got that box of toys last week?”

“No,” Dani shifted. She’d almost forgotten about the box of toys that they had put in the study closet. For some reason they’d been important to her at the time, but now she wondered why she’d fought to keep them. Realizing that Emma was still waiting, she risked a look up, only to find herself trapped in emerald-green ice. “I had it, like I said, for emergencies,” she further defended.