Taming a Brat Pt. 20

*Kane's POV*

"Wake up sleepyhead!"

I heard Alias's voice ringing through the penthouse, pulling me from a deep sleep. I chuckled to myself as I listened to what sounded to be a tornado ripping through my kitchen. I stood up from the bed and grabbed a pair of sweatpants from the dresser, throwing them on and headed to assess the damage.

Alias was in one of my T-shirts, hair thrown in a messy bun. She had a skillet and a wok, one in each hand. She beamed brightly at me, the most beautiful sight in the morning. I couldn't help but laugh as I watched her rummage through what once was a nicely organized display of pots and pans. I leaned on the counter silently, observing her for a moment, trying to figure out what she might need a wok for at 7 a.m.

"What are you trying to cook?" I tried to stifle my laughter.

"Bacon and scrambled eggs, but-..."

"Alias Star, tell me you weren't going to cook eggs in a wok," I shook my head teasingly.

"Well... I like a lot of eggs and you have small pans," She blushed as she set the wok down.

"I will cook you a lot of eggs, but not in a wok," My laughter erupted, unable to contain it any longer.

"I can cook! I just don't really do it often," She tried to justify herself, "And who the hell has this many pots and pans!"

"People who know how to cook," I taunted her jokingly. She shot me a look that could kill, but it quickly turned into a bright smile.

"What has you so chipper this morning?" I asked as I put away the assortment of pots scattered across the countertops.

"We're hanging out with Sarah and Damion tonight," She announced excitedly.

"Oh, yeah? We are?" I chuckled, "What makes you think I'm not already busy."

"Please," She rolled her eyes jokingly, "With what?"

"I have a hot date," I smirked at her, catching her reaction out of the corner of my eye. She pursed her lips at first, but then sashayed over to me seductively. She ducked under my arm, placing herself between me and the counter, and leaned back on her elbows, smirking sexily up at me. Fucking hell, she was a tease.

"Ditch her for me," She pretended to pout, playing along with my joke. I chuckled at her and reached down, scooping her up and setting her on the counter in front of me. She giggled as she wrapped her arms around my neck, a reaction I'll never stop enjoying.

"I suppose I could, but I may need more convincing," I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Pretty please, Sir?" She batted her eyelashes, giving me those irresistible puppy dog eyes.

"Mhm.." I pretend to contemplate, "Anything for you, baby girl."

Her pout turned into a massive smile, stretching from ear to ear before she crashed her lips onto mine, giving me a passionate kiss. I melted momentarily, intoxicated by her taste. I was quickly brought back to reality as she abruptly pulled away.

"Kane Rhodes! Not on the countertops!" She dramatically gasped, "That must be against your rules!"

"You're hysterical, Alias," I sarcastically replied, "Those do seem to be nonexistent these days."

"I like to think of it as 'lightening up a bit'," She giggled as she did air quotes around the words.

"Very funny," I reached up, putting my hand behind her neck and pulling her lips back to mine. She relaxed for a minute before pulling away again. This time, I pursed my lips at her.

"Nope! Save that for tonight," She smirked.

"Tonight? With Sarah and Damion?" I chuckled at the idea.

"Well, preferably in a playroom..." She looked up at

me through her eyelashes as her voice trailed off.

"At the club?" I froze for a moment.

"Well, yeah, silly! Where else would we go?" She teased, not realizing my hesitation.

"Should we really go tonight?" I was hoping she'd call for a rain check.

"Why not?" She furrowed her brows. My heart broke a little watching the excitement fade away from her.

"Well, honestly..." I took a deep breath before telling her, "When I went to see Zack, he told me Claire is there most every night."

"So what?" Alias's voice turned to pure sass.

"So, I don't want her to mess up your night," I said before I realized how that might have come across.

"Okay, firstly, fuck her," Alias spat, "Secondly, she couldn't if she tried," She smirked confidently.

"While I appreciate your sass, you don't know her, Alias," I tried to explain.

"I don't have to know her. All I have to do is have a good time with our friends and obey you," She smiled deviously at me.

Our friends.

Obey me.

She might have stolen a piece of my heart with those four words. I only ever had one friend, my friend, Damion. It hadn't yet occurred to me until now that we were now a group of friends. I smiled to myself as I realized. Not only that, but the girl who I find utterly captivating can't wait to obey me. To submit to me. I realized everything I had been waiting for was already here in front of me.

"Okay, you've convinced me," I conceded, which caused Alias to cheer dramatically until we both erupted into laughter.

"Sarah and I are going to catch up over lunch. I'll meet you here before we go?" Alias asked.

"I'll be here waiting," I kissed her softly, "Now, about those eggs?"

____________________________________

Alias left shortly after breakfast, headed to go shopping and have lunch with Sarah. Damion was on his way over. We had some much needed catching up to do ourselves. Right on time, the elevator dinged, revealing a very cheerful Damion emerging from inside.

"Rhodes! Why does it seem like it's been forever?" Damion teased.

"You saw me yesterday, miss me already?" I teased him back, receiving a punch on the arm and a great big bear hug.

"Maybe so, but when's the last time we actually talked?" He shot me a knowing look.

"Fair. Fill me in," I said as I opened the liquor cabinet, "Care for a drink?"

"It's like you know me all too well, my friend," He responded.

I poured a drink for us as he kicked back on the couch. I carried them over, handing him his, and plopping down in the chair beside the sofa.

"I think I'm going to marry that girl, Rhodes," He smiled to himself.

"That serious, huh?" I chuckled at him. It wasn't like Damion to fall in love so easily.

"When you know, you know," He shrugged, "She checks every box and then some."

"Well, good for you. I'm the best man, of course," I teased.

"I could find something for you, I'm sure," He bantered back at me, "You and Alias going well?"

"Actually, yes. We did our first scene yesterday," I smirked, remembering her raw beauty tied to my bed.

"Oh? And she took it well?" He raised an eyebrow curiously, "No bratting?"

"Surprisingly, no. She's almost a natural sub. She did everything she could to obey, if you know what I mean," I shot him a smug glance before taking a sip from my drink.

"So, when will you two make it official?" Damion chuckled.

"Oh.. uh.." I stuttered, "I don't know."

"You don't want to ask her out? Make her officially yours?" Damion shot me a look of disapproval.

"I don't know if that's what she wants," I replied, trying to seem nonchalant.

"Can't know if you don't ask," He took a sip from his drink.

"I don't remember asking for your advice," I remarked.

"Yet somehow you always end up needing it," He retaliated.

"Smart ass," I glared at him.

"Prick," He glared back.. until we both started laughing.

"I don't know why I like you," I joked through the laughter.

"Please, Rhodes, how could you not!" He replied, "But on to serious business."

"Ah, do go on," I replied.

"What's the plan for tonight?" He shot me a nervous glance.

"I have no clue. I tried talking to Alias."

"I tried talking to Sarah."

"I take it her reaction was similar to Alias's," I raised an eyebrow.

"Her exact words were 'Fuck that bitch'," Damion sighed.

"Almost exactly the same," I shook my head, "They have no clue."

"My thoughts are, if anybody can knock Claire down off her petty high horse, it's them," Damion shrugged.

"Let's not pretend like Claire won't wage an all out war," I groaned frustratedly.

"She has no leverage," Damion replied, "Not anymore."

"That we know of," I sighed again, knowing Claire wasn't the type to roll over when things didn't go her way.

"We can only wait and see," Damion stated. I nodded in agreement.

"I guess so. The girls are probably finishing up lunch now, what time are you planning to come by?" I asked.

"Probably around 7:30 or so," Damion replied.

"What should we do until then?" I asked, downing the last sip of my drink.

"For starters, you could tell me why you don't want to be with Alias," Damion raised an eyebrow.

"I definitely do, asshole," I rolled my eyes, "I just want to do this right."

"Seems to me like you both are holding onto the past too much to move forward," Damion shrugged.

I scoffed as I got up to fetch the bottle of bourbon, "Thanks, Debbie Downer, great pep talk," I said sarcastically as I topped off our glasses.

"I'm just saying. The connection is undeniable, but the trauma is too," He snickered at his remark.

"Damion, please," I pleaded, not wanting to be lectured.

"Stop going with the flow, Rhodes. You're going to lose her if you don't make things clear with her," Damion finished his point.

"I gave her a collar!" I threw my hands up.

"And you told her the gravity of it? What it means to wear it daily like she does?" Damion scrunched his brows.

"No," I dropped my head, knowing I didn't fully educate her on the meaning.

"Then she doesn't know, Kane. She doesn't know what that means to you," He took a sip from his drink.

"Where is all this coming from anyway? Did Sarah say something to you?" I questioned, now suspicious of his prodding.

"Well, not exactly.."

"You can't lie worth a shit, Damion."

"She just said that Alias needed stability, consistency. Even Sarah and I can't tell if you're just fuck buddies or Hallmark's next romcom," He looked at me sternly, but maintained his playful vibe.

"A bit R rated for Hallmark wouldn't you say?" I joked back.

"Seriously! I'm not trying to push you, but I don't want to see things not work out because you didn't speak up," He raised an eyebrow.

"I'll ask her when the time is right, but we still have a ways to go," I shrugged.

"You have to let go of the past to start the future," Damion shot me a glance.

"You're a walking motivational poster, you know that?" I teased.

"I know, aren't I great?" Damion smiled cheekily.

We spent another hour bantering and catching up with the latest in each other's lives. Mostly, I listened to him ramble on and on about Sarah. I wondered to myself how he could possibly be so sure that she was the one in the short time they had known each other, even shorter than the time Alias and I had known each other.

"When you know, you know.."

Damion's words replayed in my head as he rambled on. I knew from the moment I first laid eyes on Alias, I wanted her. He had a fair point, we needed to establish where this was going before boundaries became unclear. I know exactly what I want, but the question here is...

Does she?

____________________________________

Alias arrived back home, loaded with shopping bags, smiling brightly as she spotted me sprawled out on the couch. She dropped her bags and began walking over to me.

"Hello, Beautiful," I greeted her as she laid down on top of me.

"Hello, Handsome," She beamed up at me.

"You best be getting ready. Damion and Sarah will be here in two hours," I raised an eyebrow, knowing she took forever and a day to get dressed.

"I have time to lay with you for a minute," She scoffed, refusing to acknowledge how long she takes.

"Whatever you say," I chuckled at her denial.

"Kane?" She spoke quietly.

"Alias," I replied.

"Should I be prepared?" She sighed.

"I wish I could say no," I stroked her hair gently, "Claire thrives on drama. She's very likely to stir shit up in anyway she can."

"As long as you're beside me, I can handle whatever it is," She sat up on her elbows, looking me in the eye.

"I'll be beside you the entire night," I smiled at her.

"I mean more than that, Kane. Don't let me look a fool," She looked at me sternly.

"Alias Star, I would never," I smirked at her confidently, knowing she had no reason to worry.

"I trust you," She scooted up, planting a soft peck on my lips before standing up.

"I intend to keep it that way," I smiled at her.

"You better! I'm going to get ready now. Try not to miss me," She shot me a seductive look before spinning on her heels, walking back toward the guest room. Oh, how I loved to watch her walk away.

I sat for a while, wondering what all tonight might entail. I didn't want everyone to walk in already in defense mode, but I knew Claire better than most. She thrives from sabotage. Whatever it was though, I was ready to face her and show her what an amazing woman came into my life since she left. I stayed lost in thought until Damion and Sarah's appearance brought me back to reality. I stood up to greet them with a friendly smile, but they had intensely serious faces on.

"Listen, Kane Rhodes," Sarah stuck her finger out to me like a parent would scold a child. I put my hands up in defense, unprepared for what she was about to say.

"If at any point in time, I feel like you're about to fuck Alias over, Damion is taking us both back to my hotel. You got it?" She glared at me pointedly.

"Sarah, I have no intentions-.."

"You may not have any intentions, but I'm letting you know now," She cut me off.

"Understood," I shot Damion a look, who stood nervously behind Sarah.

"She gave me the same lecture," Damion tried to lighten the mood.

"Don't scare him away, Sarah!" Alias emerged from the hallway, looking utterly exquisite, giggling loudly. This time, she wore a silk black mini dress with lace thigh high stockings, paired with white sneakers. The dress hugged every curve and pushed her cleavage up, leaving little to imagination. Her hair was slicked back in an elegant ponytail. Her collar shined prominently as she approached me.

"Alias, you look amazing," I smiled, extending my hand to her as she walked towards me.

"I can't believe you're not late," Sarah snorted, which caused us all to burst into laughter.

"I'm not always late!" Alias protested, making us all laugh harder. She took my hand and wrapped her other arm around my bicep, squeezing lightly.

"Everyone ready?" Damion asked, jingling the car keys. We agreed in unison and climbed into the elevator, making our way into the car out front. The ride was over quickly. Before I knew it, we were in front of the club doors waiting for Tara to buzz us in.

"Alias! I thought I scared you away!" Tara squealed in excitement, stealing Alias from my arm and wrapping her in a friendly embrace.

"You couldn't if you tried!" Alias giggled at her. Tara looked at me worriedly for a moment, then whispered something to Alias. Alias smiled and thanked her, but didn't bother filling me in. I let it go, knowing she would tell me if she felt like she should.

Alias wrapped my arm around her and shot me a confident smile. We walked into the bar, everyone seeming to be spanning the room for a familiar face. Damion and I swapped the same glances as we verified Claire wasn't here- not in this part anyway. We approached the bar, ordering drinks for everyone. Alias, Damion, and Sarah were engaged in a playful conversation, laughing and nonchalant. I, on the other hand, was checking over my should like a fugitive on the run. Alias seemed to notice as she turned toward me and shot me a worrisome glance.

"Are you okay?" She mouthed.

I nodded back in response, unsure how to tell her I'm constantly waiting for the train wreck that is my ex to come ruin the entire night. I sipped my drink, staring at the glass bottles behind the bar. I tried desperately to stop worrying and simply enjoy myself, but I was dreading what could happen.

"One vodka shot, please!" Her familiar voice rang from my right side. I turned sightly, my breath hitching in my throat as I realized what I was dreading most was standing beside me.

I turned away to completely face towards Alias. Fuck, how do I tell her? Damion hadn't even noticed her standing there yet, not to mention he was focused on Sarah.

"You must be Alias Star?" Claire smiled devilishly, sticking her hand out.

"I am, and you are?" Alias smiled, shaking her hand. I felt sick to my stomach as I was about to reply.

Alias froze, almost like she were seeing a ghost. Her jaw slacked, leaving her mouth slightly agape as if she were in utter shock. Her reaction made me hesitate.

"Go away, Claire," Damion rolled his eyes.

"Damion, so lovely to see you. I just had to meet the Alias Star," She beamed, full blown innocent act.

"Kane, why don't you introduce us properly?" Claire smiled up at me. I gritted my teeth.

"Why would I?" I scoffed.

"I told you. Alias and I go way back, we just never got to officially meet," She smirked.

I looked at Alias, who seemed to be speechless and full of rage. Hell, Claire can get be irritating, but this seemed to be something much more.

"What's wrong, Alias? Don't care to shake my hand?" Claire taunted her. I was ready to tell her to fuck off when Alias finally spoke.

"I don't care for you to be in my presence at all," Alias spat angrily.

"I could understand. I mean, we do have extremely similar taste in men," Claire giggled at her own joke, one the rest of us apparently weren't clued in on.

"I guess you could put it that way, but I just prefer to think of you as a home wrecking slut," Alias downed her tequila shot, voice thick with anger.

Damion, Sarah, and I swapped the same confused glances for moment as we were trying to understand what was happening here.

"Alias, please. He found me, not the other way around," Claire smiled proudly.

"Why don't you two just go back to wherever you ran away to?" Alias glared at her.

"Ashton and I realized we were happier with what we had before, so I'm afraid I can't do that," Claire replied.

I was speechless. Ashton is the man Claire left me for. Claire is the woman Ashton cheated on Alias with. Even when I think about it, it still seemed impossible.

"What are you? Obsessed with me? Ashton wasn't enough, now you want Kane?" Alias scoffed angrily.

"I mean, technically I had Kane first," Claire batted her eyelashes at me.

"Yeah, and never again," I glared at her.

"Oh, I don't know. I figure once Alias realizes she isn't cut out to be a sub, you'll need a shoulder to cry on," She smirked at me.

"The fuck do you know about what I'm cut out for?" Alias laughed, but full of rage.

"Why don't you just fuck off?" Sarah stepped up, Damion pulled her back.

"Please, Claire is not worth anybody's breath," Damion glared at her, then shot me a look telling me to end this now. Believe me, I wanted too, but I had no clue how.

"Aw, Damion, you were always so kind to me," Claire chuckled, "But really Alias, we both know you're not cut out for this. Look at how you handled impact play in the past."

"There was no play involved, you know that as well as I do," Alias glared at her.

"Whatever you say!" Claire shrugged, "Doesn't change the fact that impact is Kane's favorite form of punishment."

"What are you looking to get out of this?" Alias narrowed her eyes.

"I just wanted to meet you," She smiled, "And of course, wish you both the best of luck."

"Well, you met me. Now, run along," Alias crossed her arms defensively.

"You know? I think I'll hang out for a bit," Claire smiled devilishly.

"Go, Claire," I stepped behind Alias, wedging myself between her and Claire.

"You can't make me," Claire batted her eyes, her manipulative tactics beginning.

"You're right, and I won't," I turned toward Alias, "Let's go somewhere else."