Page 42 of Disciplinary Action
Gideon had just opened his lunch bag when there was a sharp rap of knuckles on his office door. He sighed, already anticipating who waited on the other side. “Enter,” he barked.
Abernathy pushed the door open. “I’m sorry to interrupt your lunch,” she said, not sounding sorry at all. “But, yet again, this one was starting fights in the hall.”
She grabbed somebody Gideon couldn’t see and yanked them into view. Cal. There was a cut on his lip and an abrasion around his eye. Gideon’s jaw twitched, his pulse pounding in his ears at Cal’s defeated look. Gideon turned to give Abernathy a sharp look. “Who did he start a fight with? The entire lacrosse team?”
She gave a tight smile. “There were five other boys. I’d be happy to get you their names. They all said the same thing, Callum started the fight. He clearly should be more careful or consider finding a school where this sort of behavior is more…common.”
“Callum, come inside.” He threw a nasty glare at Abernathy. “That will be all.”
She gave a smug smile as she closed the door. Cal looked two seconds away from crying. “Lock the door, baby,” Gideon reminded him.
Cal did as Gideon instructed before dropping his bag and walking to Gideon. He pushed Gideon’s chair away from his desk and climbed into his lap, straddling his thighs and burying his face against Gideon’s throat. His arms went around him instinctively. “It’s okay.”
“He spit on me,” Cal said, voice thick with tears.
“What?” Gideon asked, even though he’d heard Cal perfectly fine.
Cal’s voice was muffled against Gideon’s neck. “Matteo… He spit on me, and I just stood there and did nothing.”
“Which one hit you?” Gideon asked, seething.
“None of them.”
Gideon pushed Cal away from him, cupping his face to examine his injuries. “Don’t lie to me.”
Cal studied him with dull eyes. “I’m not. Somebody shoved me from behind, and I went face first into the wall. Stucco leaves a mark, I guess.”
Gideon clenched his teeth until his jaw popped. “Those little bastards. I ought to suspend every one of them. Imagine what that would do to their chances at ivy league,” Gideon fumed.
“It’s fine,” Cal murmured, clinging to Gideon tighter, dropping his head to his shoulder once more.
“It’s not fine. I protect what’s mine,” Gideon rumbled against Cal’s ear.
Cal sighed. “I’m not allowed to be yours outside of this office and your loft. That’s just the way it is.”
Cal had seemed so happy just a couple of hours ago, and now, he was miserable again. Gideon wanted to make every single person who’d upset Cal pay. Every one of them. “Do you want to finish out the year at home? I’m sure I can work it out with the board.”
Cal leaned back, eyes wet. “You think I should just give in? Give them what they want?”
Gideon shook his head. “No, of course not. But I want you safe. I don’t want you being terrorized by a group of pimple-faced shitheads who’ve never heard the word ‘no.’ It’s not good for your stress levels, and your endocrinologist said stress affects your blood sugar levels.”
Cal shook his head. “My numbers are fine. I promise. I just want to be here…with you.”
“It’s not like you can’t see me at home,” Gideon murmured.
Cal brushed his lips against Gideon’s, dipping his tongue inside. “But if I’m at home, we can’t do this.”
“This?” Gideon asked, amused. Cal slipped to his knees, his hands reaching for Gideon’s belt. He gripped Cal’s wrists. “You don’t have to do that. Not after…”
Cal’s face fell. “You don’t want me to?”
Gideon pushed his fingers through Cal’s hair. “I would like nothing more, but we can just sit in here and eat lunch. We have plenty of time for that when we’re home.”
Cal shook his hands free of Gideon’s loose restraint, working his pants open and freeing his erection. Cal batted his lashes as he gazed up at Gideon. “Can I, Daddy? Please?” he asked in his sweetest voice.
“I don’t know. Have you been a good boy?” Gideon asked, stroking his thumb along the seam of Cal’s lips.
Cal nodded. “So good, Daddy.”
