“You are? Sorry for what?” Zack prompted.
Gabe blew out a long breath and looked away from Zack. “Sorry for disrespecting you and not being a good pack member and saying I hated you. ”
“Do you hate me?”
Gabe pressed his lips tightly together and then whispered. “No. ”
Zack hesitated for a long moment before he asked the next question. “Do you love me?’
Gabe bit his bottom lip and dropped his gaze. Zack’s heart fell. He had resigned himself to giving Gabe more time to come to love him, but was still disappointed. Maybe Gabe would come to love him in time. Then his ears pricked up as Gabe whispered a word very softly. A single word that made Zack’s heart almost jump out of his chest.
“Yes. ”
“Yes? Yyou love me?’
“I said yes, okay?”
Zack took a deep breath, reminding himself to calm down, to not rush him. “And do you remember what your promise is?”
“I promise to try harder and obeyyour commands. ” Gabe practically spit out the words, but he said them, and for Gabe it was a major accomplishment. “And my discipline? What might that be exactly?” He shifted on the bed and tried to hide his erection with his arms. “Spanking?”
“No. ” He had the feeling Gabe would enjoy that too much. “Take a chair and go sit in the corner for an hour. One hour, with no music, no TV, and no books. Face tothe wall. ”
“You’ve got to be kidding! That’s just humiliating and stupid. You’re putting me in a corner? I’d hate it!”
“That’s the idea. Decide. What’s it to be? Do I put your ring back on, and we make this work, or do I leave hereand walk away forever?”
“You’re blackmailing me. ”
“I’m sorry you see it that way. I’ve already said I won’t just leave you high and dry. I’ll make sure you have an apartment, a car, and money to get started again. If you decide to stay, it’ll be because you want to—because you want to be my mate and a pack member. If you want the same things I do, then take your naked little ass over to the chair, sit it in the corner, and face the wall. No talking. Not one word. One hour. ”
Gabe sat on the edge of the bed fuming for a long time, shooting Zack looks which would peel paint from the walls. Zack had begun to despair and worriedhe’d gone too far. Gabe was still pretty drunk after all, but Zack wanted to try to give him time to sober up. The hour in the chair would do that. He wanted Gabe to know exactly what he was doing.
A
lifetime passed for Zack before Gabe stood and stalked over to the chair, dragged it across the floor, and turned it to the wall. Dramatically, he threw himself down in it and faced the wall, his chest heaving up and down.
Zack almost was sorry for him, but Gabe had a huge erection when he threw himself onto the chair. Well, his boy liked a little discipline. Zack smiled, watching the clock next to him. He lay back on the bed, knowing full well Gabe was sneaking peeks at him from the corners of his eyes. He called out the time in increments of fifteen minutes and was treated each time to some very unrepentant huffs and puffs.
When the hour was up, Zack sat up on the side of the bed and spoke to Gabe very softly. “Your time is almost up, Gabe. When I call time, you will pick the chair up and place it back by the table. Then you’ll put on a shirt and pants—ones that fit you properly—and go back up the mountain with me. From this time on, if you have a problem with me, you will speak to me about it in private. In public you will treat me with the respect due to my rank. As soon as we get there, you will change into leathers—not the tight ones either—and wear them until I tell you differently. In addition, for the next week, you will start your mornings by sitting in a chair facing the corner in our bedroom for one hour. ”
Gabe jumped to his feet and stood with his fists clenched. “That was not part of the deal!”
“No, it became a part of the deal when you made all the inappropriate noises. Sit your ass back down until I call time. ”
Gabe threw himself down again and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Your hour is up. ”
He jumped back to his feet and dragged the chair across the floor, rather than picking it up, glancing over at Zack to see if he reacted. When Zack made no comment, he went over to his bag and pulled out a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt. He stuffed his wet jeans right on top of the others in the bag and zipped it shut. Gabe was going commando just to irritate him, Zack was certain, but he didn’t say anything. Slipping his feet into his combat boots, but not lacing them, Gabe turned and grabbed his bag.
“I’m ready to go. ”
Zack walked over to him and took him into his arms. He resisted at first, struggling and turning his head, but in the end, he allowed Zack to kiss him for a very long time. When his knees started to sag, Zack put one arm around him. “Hold out your hand, baby. ”
Trembling, Gabe held it out, and Zack put his ring back on his finger. Somewhat mollified, Gabe leaned against Zack for a moment before Zack escorted him out to his car. Behind his back, Zack breathed a huge sigh of relief. Life with Gabe was certainly interesting. Since he’d won this particular little skirmish, when they got back to the lodge, he was going to push the envelope a little. He thought about the collars at home in his dresser. After all, he’d told Gabe once he’d made his decision, he couldn’t go back. In for a penny, in for a pound, he thought ruefully. It would seem Gabe still had a few more lessons to learn, and Zack knew just what he had to do to make sure Gabe learned them. He was going to have to make a quick trip down the mountain in the morning.
Chapter Five