Page 4 of Learning Little Lizzie

Rising to his feet, Derek stuck out his hand and they shook on it, sealing the deal. “It’s a date.”

CHAPTER 2

Four o’clock rolled around, and Eliza planted herself in the hallway, her gaze flicking up to check the clock every few seconds while she chatted with her friends. That old familiar excitement, the thrill of doing something naughty, grew inside of her with every tick of the clock.

What would Professor Eaton do when she showed up late? Probably just send her to Mr. Chambers for a paddling or a caning or something. As much as she enjoyed both of those, part of her was hopeful that Professor Eaton might be more creative than that.

It was nearly a quarter after four when her friends waved goodbye and she was left with no other choice but to make her way to his classroom. Skipping their “session” as he’d called it was tempting, but she did really need to do the work. Flunking out of college yet again wasn’t an option.

“Sorry I’m late, Professor. I got dis—oh.” Stopping short in the doorway, she glanced from one imposing man to another, just barely quelling the urge to flee. Derek Hawkins was one of the few Dominants she’d ever come across who could make her feel even slightly inclined to behave. “Master Derek. Am I interrupting?”

“Not at all. We were waiting on you. Have a seat, Eliza.”

Shit. This didn’t bode well at all. Forcing her usual cheerful smile to stay in place, she crossed the room and slid into one of the desks at the front of the class, which put her face to face with both men. While Master Derek was watching her with a stony, unreadable expression, Professor Eaton looked almost excited. Or what she imagined “excited” looked like on a man like him, which amounted to another of those knowing little smirks and a glitter of wicked anticipation in his eyes.

“Eliza,” Master Derek began, pulling her attention back to him. “There have been a handful of instances during my time as owner of the Ranch where I have felt that a submissive could benefit from… shall we say, additional guidance from our staff. After considering your behavior over the past two years, I’ve decided that you are one of those submissives who could benefit from a more hands-on approach.”

“Pretty sure the staff has had their hands on my ass plenty of times. Sir,” she added with a wide grin when he scowled at her.

“Be that as it may, I am exercising my right to assign you a guardian for as long as I see fit. Professor Eaton has graciously accepted the position. From now on, he will be responsible for all of your discipline. He will have full authority over every aspect of your life here at the Ranch. If you are going to miss a class, he will need to approve it. If you misbehave in class, he will punish you. If you want to leave the Ranch for any reason, you will need his permission. Do you have any questions?”

“A couple. Question one, have you lost your fucking mind?” Fury had quickly overtaken her usual amusement during his speech. “You can’t just assign me a Dom! That’s not how this works!”

Derek’s expression turned even harder somehow, and she barely resisted the urge to shrink back from his icy countenance. “Unfortunately for you, that absolutely is how this works, at least for you. You’ve had your fun, and honestly, I’ve been far too lenient with you as it is. So, you can either accept this new arrangement, or you can leave Rawhide.”

“You’d kick me out?” It was the only punishment she’d ever been scared of. She’d deliberately toed the line so he would never have an excuse to send her away. Tears burned in her eyes but were ruthlessly blinked back as she tried to hold on to her anger. “But I didn’t do anything wrong!”

“That is partially true. While your behavior hasn’t ever been truly bad enough to warrant being expelled, allowing you to continue on as you have been would be setting a dangerous precedent for the other submissives. In order for my Ranch to work, in order for the University to work, we have to maintain a standard of conduct. A standard of conduct you have sorely been lacking.” His expression softened ever so slightly. “I don’t want you to leave, Eliza. The Ranch would be so much less bright without you here. But I also can’t allow you to continue on the way you have been. Which leaves you with a choice to make: Samuel as your guardian, or the door?”

If she left the Ranch, she had nowhere to go. Her meager savings would barely be enough for the deposit on an apartment, and her parents had made it clear they weren’t keen on the idea of her moving back home.

And even if she’d had plenty of money, all of her friends were here. She didn’t want to leave the Ranch. Logically, she knew she would have to leave when she graduated, but she wasn’t ready. Not yet.

Which, according to Master Derek, left her with one option,. “Fine.”

“You know I need more than that, Eliza. What are you agreeing to?”

Fighting back another wave of fury, she forced a smile. “I accept Professor Eaton as my guardian and agree to submit to whatever punishments he believes I need.” Pausing, she turned her smile on Samuel and deliberately cranked it up. “Do your worst, Professor.”

“That’s good enough for me. Samuel?”

Professor Eaton’s gaze, which she had felt boring into her during the entire exchange, never faltered. “Agreed.”

“Then I’ll leave you to it.”

Neither of them broke eye contact as Master Derek left, pulling the door shut behind him. The silence between them stretched, and Eliza had to fight the urge to fidget in her seat as her new “guardian” stared her down.

She would not let him see how much he was affecting her.

Because affecting her, he certainly was. As pissed as she was about Derek simply handing her over to some random Dom she’d only just met, there was no denying the physical reaction she was having to him. Just the idea of being punished by him had her pussy clenching with need.

“Stand up please, Eliza.”

Curiosity won out over the desire to rebel. She could fight him later, once she had a handle on what kind of Dom he was and where the line was. Every Dom was different, even at the Ranch. Learning their limits, studying their weaknesses was what made her such an effective brat. “Yes, Sir.”

Pushing to her feet, she stood and waited for him to approach. He did, slowly, and she nearly rolled her eyes at the drama of it all.

“Before we address your rudeness and your language, would you like to add anything to your hard limits list? I reviewed it earlier and it was rather… sparse.”

---