Page 49 of Disciplining Dana

They were standing in front of the door to her room, and Kurt suspected the answer she wanted. Dana had never used sex as a tool, and he wasn’t accusing her of it now, but given her reactions in Mr. Hawkins office, and the look on her face as they’d come here, he was betting she’d rather not be alone at the moment.

Derek Hawkins was right: they needed time to think, and right now, Kurt wasn’t in a frame of mind where he was sure he wouldn’t say something that would cause more damage than good. Tonight… Dana had pushed one button too many, and he wasn’t so much angry with her as he was done.

He’d never quite felt this way before, and it… it frightened him a little.

Because of what you stand to lose.

That was true, but he hadn’t been bullshitting Dana; if they couldn’t figure this out, work out something together, then Kurt couldn’t go on in their relationship. He cared for her too much to keep doing this over and over again.

“I don’t think so, Dana. I think we both need some time to think things through. Alone.”

She nodded silently, but the set of her mouth and the stiffness of her body language said she didn’t agree. Dana did something that was rare for her: she didn’t argue. Instead, she simply brought out her keycard, opened the door, then stepped through and closed it behind her.

For a moment, Kurt stared at the dark wood, wondering if raising his hand and knocking was the right or the wrong thing to do. He stood for a second longer before deciding the latter rather than the former was the best course of action, at least for the moment.

As he strode back down the hallway, he was about to head to his own room when something made him continue past, and instead he took the same steps he’d gone down earlier in the day. Into the lower level of the building.

“Well, hello there again!” The same bartender he’d met previously was still behind the bar, and she smiled as he stepped up to the counter. “Another Bent Nail?”

“No, but thank you. An Old Fashioned, please.”

“Of course,” she replied. “Whisky or bourbon?”

“Bourbon,” Kurt answered, and she turned away to begin making his drink. Kurt looked toward the dungeon. It was open, so that meant it was past nine already. It hardly seemed like it could be that late, but then tonight had been one for the books.

Again.

He drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. Yeah, again. But this time something had given way inside him, and he’d drawn a line in the sand with Dana he should’ve done a long time ago. He hated that it had come to this, but one of the incredible things about the woman was her dichotomy. So intelligent, so fierce in her convictions as he’d told Derek Hawkins, and yet with a completely opposite side to her in the club and bedroom. Every facet of her personality could be exciting, thrilling—electrifying at times—but some of the risks she took… those were too much. He’d dealt with it for as long as he could and, in the back of his mind, had always hoped she’d see the effect it had on him, how frustrating it was. When Gary had made it clear he wasn’t the only person who saw things from the same perspective, he’d believed he could get the situation under control. But as submissive as Dana could be, the other side of her Janus was a power that couldn’t be tamed the way he’d originally hoped. And so now…

“Here you go, sir.” The bartender was back, sliding the drink across to him.

“Thank you,” Kurt said politely.

“Sooo…”

He raised an eyebrow as he took a sip.

“Where’s your friend?”

Kurt almost choked. “You remembered.”

“Listening and remembering is ninety percent of what a bartender does.” She grinned brightly. “Making drinks is a distant second.”

“Well, you’re clearly very good at all three.”

“Aww, aren’t you sweet.” She leaned her arms against the bar top. “I’m Jenna.”

“Kurt Ellery.” He extended his hand.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Ellery,” she responded with a shake.

“Please, call me Kurt.”

“Oh, I like Mr. Ellery. Or sir.” Her eyes twinkled mischievously.

“As you wish,” he replied with a grin of his own.

“So, you kinda dodged my question, sir.”

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