Perception (22 page)

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, he 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.

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.

She
wanted nothing more than to hold onto him as she flew apart in his arms.

He made
her groan in disappointment when he turned his attention to the bright artwork
that decorated her shoulder. He used his tongue to trace the tattoo, but to her
surprise, he didn’t linger long before he slid down between her thighs once
more.

Ok, so
maybe she wasn’t exactly disappointed, but her groans were certainly tinged
with impatience.

His rough
chuckle made her smile. Yes, the man was relentless, and he had a one track
mind. Since she’d been the one to ask for it, she couldn’t be all that upset.

“Oh,
fuck!” she moaned when Xander lifted her leg, bracing his palm beneath her
thigh and opening her wide as he delved into her with his tongue over and over.

Mercedes
knew she wouldn’t last. She couldn’t resist him, and when he turned the heat
up, she didn’t stand a chance against him. “Yes,” she moaned. “Just like that,
X. Suck my clit.”

Her
entire body spasmed when he wrapped his lips around her clit, his tongue
lashing as he pressed two fingers inside of her again. When he groaned against
her, the vibration of his mouth sent her over the edge, her body fracturing
from the inside out as her orgasm took her.

Xander
didn’t allow much time to pass before he was hovering over her, staring down at
her as he gave her a moment to catch her breath again. She welcomed the
reprieve, but she prayed he wasn’t finished yet.

Sliding
her hands around his neck, she pulled him against her. He was stronger than she
was, which meant he didn’t fall on top of her, although she wouldn’t have
minded.

She
wanted to feel him against her. Everywhere. What was coursing through her had
long surpassed mere desire and somewhere along the way morphed into a
desperate, aching need.

“Beg me,”
he said, his breaths ragged. She heard the urgency in his tone that time and
she welcomed it. He might be the almighty Dom, but to know she got to him… it
was empowering. “Beg me to make love to you.”

“Please,”
she answered easily, her voice rough with her own desire. “I want to feel you.”

“No. Beg
me to make love to you,” he said firmly.

Mercedes
stilled. She stared back at him as her heart began a rebellious thump in her
chest.

Make
love.

She
wasn’t sure she could handle hearing those words. She’d been thinking that’s
what they’d done the night before and the night before that, but they both saw
where that had gotten them. She’d run out of his office that morning like a
scared child. Running from what she was already beginning to feel for this man.

As she
looked into his eyes, she noticed that he wasn’t backing down. He didn’t seem
in the least bit intimidated by her reaction.

Oh,
Lord.
This man knew her better than she knew herself. The moment she walked
through his office door she’d felt more like herself than she had in years,
even if she’d still been on the defensive. She’d spent too much time trying to
hide her own needs in order to ensure she kept herself distanced. If she
didn’t, she knew she would get hurt again.

But this
man, her best friend, had read her easily, and his gentle, yet insistent, tone
stole her breath.

He was
breaking down her resistance, and she was too weak to deny him anymore. She
wanted him, wanted every part of him.

“Tell me
that’s what you want, Mercedes.”

“Yes,”
she breathed out roughly. She was too tired to deal with the conflicting
emotions. “I want you to make love to me. I need it. I need you.”

Xander
growled, a rough, animalistic sound that sent shock waves of pleasure through
her as he settled between her thighs. Digging her fingernails into his
shoulders, Mercedes pressed her back into the sofa, pushing her hips forward as
Xander held himself above her, rocking into her gently at first.

“Oh God,
that feels so good.”

“You feel
good,” he said. “You feel so fucking good, baby. When I’m inside of you, I
don’t ever want to leave. I could spend the rest of my life right here.”

She
wasn’t sure whether it was the heat of the moment that made him say the things
he was saying, so she tried not to take them to heart, but it was so hard to
do. He sounded so sincere, his eyes were a soft green as he stared back at her
and for a moment, she felt as though he could see clear to her soul.

 His
warm body surrounded her, consumed her. The way he thrust into her gently, his
hips jerking at the last moment to send him deeper before he retreated had her
body singing. The man knew how to please her. He knew just how to use his body
to achieve maximum pleasure.

Sliding
her hand into his hair, Mercedes held him to her, bringing his mouth down to
hers briefly. But more than she wanted his kiss, she wanted to watch him, to
see the ecstasy brewing in his beautiful eyes, to know that he was feeling the
exact same thing she was feeling.

“Fuck,”
he growled, thrusting deeper, every muscle in his big body taut.

She
moaned, reveling in the glorious friction that ignited every pleasure receptor
in her core.

He slid
his forearm beneath her head, lifting her head so that she was closer to him as
he hoisted her leg up, changing the angle as he penetrated her impossibly
deeper.

“Xander.”

“Tell me,
baby. Tell me how it feels.”

“It’s…
Oh, God!” Mercedes didn’t think it could get any better, but then he ground his
pelvis against hers, lodged to the hilt, filling her to bursting, before he
pulled out and slid home once more. “It’s perfect.”

Mercedes
bit her bottom lip as she watched him, waiting for that moment when she knew
he’d reached the pinnacle and was ready to plummet into euphoric bliss right
along with her.

Their
bodies were slick with sweat as they moved together, the frantic pounding of
her heart the only sound she heard.

“Come for
me, Mercedes. Come with me.”

Mercedes
latched onto his hair tighter, holding him to her as he buried his face in her
neck. His pace intensified, his thrusts bottoming out inside of her, the
delicious friction causing that ever growing tingle to start in her womb,
making her insides glow.

“Harder,”
she begged although she wasn’t sure she could handle much more. Apparently she
could because her orgasm built to a crescendo as Xander mercilessly drove deep
inside of her, penetrating her thoroughly.

“That’s
it, baby,” Xander growled, his body going stone still as his cock pulsed inside
of her. “Fuck.”

A sharp
bolt of pain lanced her shoulder when Xander nipped her skin, but it didn’t
hurt. Not in that way. No, this was a sensation that she felt clear to her
soul.

Because
Xander hadn’t just bitten her. He’d claimed her.

And there
was no way in hell she could deny it. She was completely his. In every
way. 

Time
stood still until they managed to catch their breaths, but Xander didn’t move
from his position. She didn’t want him to.

Mercedes
let her internal muscles milk him, enjoying the hungry growls that continued to
rumble in his chest. For the first time in as long as she could remember,
Mercedes felt herself falling for a man.

This man.