Perception

by Nicole Edwards

  Shaking her head to clear her brain of the random thoughts, she took a deep breath. She’d gone and lost her mind, that’s all there was too it.

  She raised her hand to knock, but was stopped by the sound of Xander’s voice before she had the chance.

  “Come in.”

  “Hey,” she greeted when she moved into the vast open space. Along with praying that she sounded normal, she hoped like hell she didn’t look like a woman who’d been working herself into a frenzy all day.

  Or, more importantly, she hoped he had forgotten all about what happened just that morning in this very office when she’d panicked like a scared child, running away as fast as her legs would carry her.

  “You look exhausted.”

  Ok that was a good sign. Maybe.

  “I am,” she told him, dropping to the leather sofa across from his desk. “I just spent two hours showing Charles Markom two condos that, of course, he thinks are beneath him.”

  Xander leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers together over his flat belly as he studied her. She could see the amusement in his eyes, but she didn’t rise to the bait.

  “He’s still giving you the run around?” Xander asked.

  “I think that’s all he wants from me,” she told him. “I’m seriously considering not answering the phone next time he calls.”

  The amusement in Xander’s eyes disappeared.

  Crap. She’d gone and done it now, putting her foot right in her mouth by mentioning not taking calls.

  “You enjoy doing that?” he asked, his tone lacking any jest. He was serious.

  Knowing that anything she said at that point would be used against her, she kept talking, pretending not to realize he was upset with her. “I don’t want to even think about him. Right now, I just want to sit here. Right here. The only thing that could make it better would be pizza and beer,” she said, and he laughed, just as she hoped he would.

  “Pizza and beer?”

  Ok, so it was true, she wasn’t much of a pizza eater, nor was she a beer drinker, but her comment had effectively redirected the conversation.

  “How about I get Italian delivered, and we share a bottle of wine?” Xander offered, sitting up in his chair.

  “Even better,” she replied, dropping her head back on the cushions and closing her eyes. Maybe if she feigned sleep, she’d be able to avoid any further discussions.

  While she dozed slightly, she listened as Xander placed an order to one of their favorite Italian places just down the street. She was tempted to tell him to cancel dinner, and she’d just slide deeper into the cushions and call it a night.

  Before she could get too deep into slumber, Xander’s voice brought her back.

  “It’s not time for bed yet.”

  “And why not?” she asked drowsily, her eyes still closed.

  “Because I said so.”

  Oh, crap. She knew that tone all too well. Opening one eye, she peered over at him. He was still at his desk, his forearms casually resting on the top. Sitting there with his tie loosened, his jacket gone and sleeves rolled up, his hair not as perfectly styled as it had been that morning, he looked like sex personified. Although the man could rock a suit like no one else, Mercedes liked the disheveled look even more.

  Her body instantly came alive, sleep all but forgotten.

  “Stand,” he instructed as he got to his feet. Not moving, she watched as he made his way over to the door and closed it, the click as the lock engaged had her body going on full alert.

  Slow, measured footsteps carried him across the oversized office until he was standing within a foot of her. She briefly glimpsed the Dallas skyline from the floor to ceiling windows that ran the length of two walls, but then his big body was in front of her, blocking her view of anything but him.

  “Are you asking to be punished even more?” he asked, his voice assuredly calm.

  Ok, so he hadn’t forgotten about that morning. And he probably hadn’t forgotten the fact that she’d ignored his phone calls all day either.

  To her absolute horror, her body began to hum with anticipation. Not only had she believed that she was too tired to get turned on, she was also shocked that she was reacting to his dominance so easily.

  “Can I take my shoes off first?” she asked, sitting up straight.

  “If you want to add another five swats, sure.”

  Mercedes was wide awake then. He wasn’t playing. Pushing to her feet, she didn’t look away, anticipation now making her body sing.

  Xander backed up a few steps and perched on the edge of his desk as he stared back at her. “Remove your clothes,” he insisted. “Keep the shoes on.”

  Damn Dom.

  Her shoes were killing her feet, but he probably knew that. Had she not ignored him or run away, she knew he would’ve gladly given her permission to remove her shoes but he was in full Dom mode, the intensity in his gaze penetrating her through and through.

  Mercedes didn’t think to argue further which either said a lot about how tired she was, or it said a lot about the complete three sixty that her life had taken in the last forty-eight hours.

  It was still hard to believe it had only been a little more than two days since they had made their deal.

  Trying not to rush, and doing her best not to think, Mercedes removed her clothes, piece by piece, leaving her favorite pair of Gucci’s on as Xander had instructed her to.

  As she stood before Xander completely naked, the one thing she knew for sure… she was too damned tired to think about anything right now.

  ~~*~~*~~

  Admiring Mercedes’s completely naked form, Xander let his eyes graze every dip and curve of her graceful body. In her heels, her legs were a work of art, and he found he would be content just to stare at her for as long as she would let him.

  Although he knew they had to be damned uncomfortable at this point.

  Considering the disappearing act she’d pulled on him just that morning, he wasn’t compelled to give in to her requests though. She needed to think about what she’d done. It was only fair, since he’d spent the majority of the day wondering whether she’d back out of their deal. With the way she was looking at him now, he figured it was still a possibility.

  Just that morning, she’d run out of his office like the place was on fire. As if that weren’t bad enough, she’d ignored all of his phone calls throughout the day until finally his irritation level had reached an all-time high. He’d left a very lengthy voicemail expressing as much.

  So, as far as he was concerned, his need to dominate her was warranted. She deserved punishment for her actions and he fully intended to make sure she thought about what she did before she ever allowed it to happen again.

  After making her wait a solid two minutes while he admired her, Xander rose to his feet. “Lay across the desk,” he told her as he walked around his desk and opened one of the drawers.

  He’d retrieved one of his paddles earlier in the day and slipped it into his desk drawer, anticipating this moment.

  Mercedes glared at him, and he fought the urge to smile. Oh, yes, she was definitely defiant, he had no doubt about that. But he damn sure wasn’t going to let her get away with the little stunt she had pulled. Running away from her feelings, which he truly believed was what had compelled her to hide out throughout the day, was unacceptable.

  Mercedes closed the distance between herself and the desk. Her eyes tore free of his when she leaned over, her chest resting on the wooden top.

  “Very nice,” he said approvingly as he tapped his hand with the small wooden paddle. “How many licks do you think you’ve earned today, pet?”

  Xander walked back around the desk, coming right up behind her and pressing his straining erection against her ass, letting her know just how much the sight of her bent over his desk did to him.

  She didn’t answer his question so he took a step to the side and without hesitation, he slapped her ass with the paddle, making her jump.

  �
��Tell me, pet,” he said firmly. “I don’t appreciate being ignored.”

  “I don’t know,” she breathed out.

  “You want me to pick a number?”

  “No,” she said hurriedly.

  Xander smacked her ass one more time. “What was that?”

  “No, Sir. I don’t want you to choose a number.”

  “Then you better come up with one fast.” Xander set the wooden paddle on her back and squeezed her ass with both hands. Kneading the muscle and marveling at the way her ass brightened from the paddle.

  “Ten, Sir.”

  “Ten?”

  “Yes, Sir. Five for leaving this morning and five for not taking your phone calls.”

  Well, at least they were on the same page. She knew just what had gotten him so worked up.

  “And you think ten is enough for what you did?”

  “No, Sir. But I’m not sure I can handle more than that. Not with the paddle.”

  He liked her honesty. And because she’d been prepared with a detailed answer, he decided to give her a reprieve.

  “Ten it is,” he said as he retrieved the paddle from where it rested on her back. “Count them off.”

  Xander didn’t linger, didn’t tease her. He landed ten swats on her ass and the backs of her thighs in rapid succession while she counted them out. And once he landed the last one, he dropped the paddle to the carpeted floor and leaned over her, his cock intimately nestled against her ass.

  “Don’t do that to me again,” he whispered, knowing she would hear the torment in his tone. He’d spent the entire day wondering what she would do. Fearful that she would try and back out of their deal because she was feeling too much too fast. He knew Mercedes. She avoided emotion at all costs – at least where intimacy was concerned. She gave all of herself to her friends but little to nothing to her lovers.

  Xander wanted all of her.

  “Yes, Sir,” she whimpered.

  Xander eased off of her, letting his hands slide down her naked back. Gripping her hips, he pulled her so that she would stand. When she was fully upright, he said, “Turn around and look at me.”

  When she turned to face him, her eyes were downturned, something he found he did not like one bit. “Look at me.” He wanted to see the emotion in her eyes, to read what she was thinking. The woman would not hide from him anymore.

  Their eyes met, and he slid his hand down between her legs, gently teasing her bare pussy lips.

  “Kiss me,” he demanded, doing his best to keep his hands to himself. He wanted her to make the first move. If she wanted him as much as he wanted her, she would do as he instructed.

  Mercedes didn’t rush forward, and Xander figured she was trying to test him. What he wanted to do was to pull her flush against him and crush his mouth to hers, but ever since that morning, he had realized she was extremely skittish. She just hadn’t told him why.

  Yet.

  Then again, what happened the last two nights had been monumental, and it’d left him in a state of confusion for the better part of the day. It wasn’t hard to understand that what was going on between them was more than a well-planned strategy to dominate this woman in every way possible. No, this was significantly more.

  This perfect woman, this amazing Domme, had, without thinking, handed all control over to him under her own steam. It had been a moment he would remember for the rest of his life.

  He knew her. He knew that Mercedes was probably questioning herself, wondering if she was losing her touch. Rather than ask her to embrace this side of herself, he was trying to let her feel her way through it on her own. She’d get there, he knew that much. And it was a damn good thing he was a patient man.

  Then again, he fully intended to regain his control of the situation right here, right now.

  He sensed what she needed and right now, it wasn’t the aggressive, no holds barred – as she’d put it – sex that they were so good at. As much as he ached to dominate her, he needed Mercedes to give in to this as much as he already had.

  Cupping her cheek, Xander locked his gaze with hers as he leaned in close, taking things slower than he might’ve liked. But this was about her. Not him.

  When his mouth settled on hers, Mercedes wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing them even closer. As his mouth settled over hers, she surprised him by sliding her fingers into his hair.

  He fucking loved when she touched him. When she seemed to need the contact as much as he did.

  She teased him with her tongue slowly, and he was cognizant of the way he responded, refraining from pushing her too fast. It was a tremendous effort because, for a large part of the day, he’d replayed the way she had looked leaning over him, riding him for all she was worth right there in the middle of his living room. Then he’d get lost in the memories of the two of them making love in his bed.

  She’d certainly thrown him for a loop and Xander was pretty sure he’d gone into this with his eyes wide open.

  He knew she could feel the slight vibration of his body as he held himself back, but he didn’t try to press her.

  Pulling his lips from hers, he said, “I need to be inside you, pet. Right here. Tell me you need it too.”

  “I need to feel you inside me,” she answered, her eyes searching his as though she were trying to look for something deeper.

  It was the exact same way she’d been looking at him that morning before she had freaked out and disappeared.

  Mercedes’s hands slid around, and she removed his already loose tie, watching his face as she did. Xander made sure she saw everything he was thinking.

  Once she was finished, he slowly unbuttoned his shirt, keeping his eyes on Mercedes while he did. Once he had the damn thing undone, he shrugged out of it and allowed it to fall to the floor near his feet. Unable to wait long enough for her to undress him because he wasn’t sure he’d survive her sensual touch without going entirely mad, he didn’t waste any time removing the rest of his clothes.

  When he was naked, he pulled her against him again and without breaking eye contact, Xander slid his hands down to her ass, and then hefted her up until she was forced to wrap her legs around his waist. He carried her over to the door and pressed her back against the solid wood surface.

  He wanted to praise her for not saying anything about being too heavy for him to carry, but he didn’t. Instead, he said, “Tell me exactly what you want from me.” Xander loved when she told him what she wanted. Because he didn’t hear it very often, just the soothing request from her lips made it all the more exquisite.

  “I want to feel your tongue. On my mouth, my breasts, my pussy.”

  Xander couldn’t deny the electrical current that charged through him at her words. Mercedes was very vocal about what she wanted, and he assumed that was her dominant side that spoke up so easily. But her submissive side was much more prominent, if only she’d give in to it more.

  Unable to resist, Xander crushed her into the solid wood as he thrust his tongue into her mouth, devouring her. She tasted like sweet sin, a temptation unlike anything he’d ever known before. He took his time, plundering her mouth until they both had no choice but to come up for air.

  Sucking in as much oxygen as he needed, Xander shifted her higher and then sucked her nipple between his lips, teasing the tip with his tongue before sucking her more fully into his mouth. With her arms wrapped around him, she was gripping his head, while her legs squeezed him tightly. Laving both breasts repeatedly, Xander didn’t stop until she was begging for more.

  He had no choice but to let her down so that he could complete her request. As soon as her feet were on the floor, he lowered himself to his knees. “Put your leg over my shoulder.”

  Mercedes complied, placing her left leg over his right shoulder, the sharp heel of his shoe digging into his skin and Xander tried to remain in control.

  Using his fingers, he separated her slick folds, exposing her so he could admire her beautiful pussy. After teasing her with his thumb briefly, h
e dove between her legs with his tongue, delving into her pussy without giving her a second to think about it. Her soft moans filled the air as she trembled in his arms, grinding against his mouth as he fucked her with his tongue.

  “Xander.”

  His name was a plea on her lips, and his chest swelled. She wasn’t holding back, just as he hoped, and a tremendous amount of pride swelled in his chest.

  Releasing her clit from between his lips, he only stopped long enough to tell her to come whenever she was ready. Then he was delving back into her sweetness with his lips, teeth and tongue gripping her hips to hold her in place, making sure she knew he had her.

  When she began moaning his name in earnest, he thrust two fingers inside of her, and she detonated on impact, flooding his mouth as he lapped at her sweet pussy.

  And to think, he was just getting started.

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Mercedes barely managed to catch her breath before Xander was standing again, lifting her into his arms. Just when she thought he’d thrust inside of her, filling her the way she so desperately needed, he moved, carrying her over to the sofa and depositing her onto her back. He slipped her shoes off of her feet and then he was there. Crawling over her and warming her with his naked body.

  He kissed her, allowing her to taste herself on his lips as he once again tormented her mouth with his mind blowing kisses. He was driving her out of her mind, pulling her back to the brink once more.

  More importantly, he was making it difficult to think. Which was probably his intention. There was no denying the fact that the man knew exactly how to play her body with exquisite accuracy.

  Just as soon as he had arrived, plying her with bone jarring kisses, he was gone, his mouth leaving a blazing trail over her skin, returning to her breasts, working her into another heated frenzy instantly. She thrust her hips, trying to tell him what she really wanted, but he was a man on a mission and she knew there was no stopping him.

  As much as she enjoyed the ethereal torment he was applying to her sensitive nipples, Mercedes wished he would slam into her, filling her with his cock.