Perception (11 page)

“Keep
up with the smart ass comments, and I’ll bend you over my knee.”

Mercedes
clamped her lips shut, not trusting herself not to argue. It was in her nature.
She was the one who was generally in control. This was the exact reason she
didn’t submit. It went against everything in her because she didn’t want
someone to order her around.

“Five
full days. Four nights. My bed,” he restated. “You’ll live under my roof during
that time. You’ll be permitted to go to your condo to handle your business
dealings. When you aren’t working, you’ll be here with me.”

“Tell
me I’m going to cook and clean for you and we’re done,” Mercedes argued, venom
injected in her tone. He was pushing her to her limit.

Xander
glared at her, his eyes hard. She was so transfixed in his gaze that she didn’t
see him move. When his hand slapped her pussy once again, she screamed. An
intense, pain filled pleasure jolted her system. Before she could think or breathe,
Mercedes found herself laying across Xander’s huge thighs, her breasts crushed
against his leg.

“Five,”
he told her. “Count them out.”

There
wasn’t a pause before his hand came down on her bare ass, and she knew
instantly that he wasn’t going to go easy on her.

Oh,
God. The humiliation was unbearable, but somehow she dug deep, grasping every
ounce of her pride as she lay motionless across his lap.

 “One,”
she groaned through clenched teeth, her breath rushing out of her.

Another
slap followed immediately on the same ass cheek and this time she swallowed her
scream. “Two.”

“Three
more,” he said, the heat of his hand caressing the sting on her ass.

The
warmth disappeared, and she braced herself for the impact, but it didn’t come
immediately. It was exactly what she would’ve done, leaving her sub
anticipating the next move.

Oh,
fuck!
Mercedes
screamed when his hand landed on the crease where her ass met her thigh, the
pain excruciating, yet strangely erotic at the same time. “Three.”

There
was no way she was going to last through two more. Her ass was burning, and the
heat had engulfed her entire body. She felt like she would implode at any
second.

He
spanked her again, this time on the opposite cheek. “Four.”

Tears
slipped from her eyes, and she blinked, wanting to take them back. There was no
way she’d break right now. She refused. Sucking in a deep breath, she held it
as she waited for him to finish.

The
last one came in the same spot as the one before, and she choked on a gasp that
ripped from her chest, the pain lancing through her nerve endings.

“Five.”

“I’m
proud of you,” he said, his voice steady and calm.

Mercedes
knew that Xander didn’t overreact. He never punished a sub out of anger. That’s
not what it was about. Too bad, in her current position, she wasn’t feeling all
that calm, or seeing any rationale behind the punishment.

Biting
her tongue to keep from yelling at him, Mercedes waited for him to move,
wanting desperately to get off of him, but at the same time, she wanted to feel
the safety and security of his body against hers.

Not
to mention, she was pretty sure she wouldn’t be sitting for at least a good
half hour. Her ass was on fire.

Xander
had to take a moment to breathe, to try to rein himself in. To ignore the overwhelming
urge to sink his cock into this amazing woman, to make her beg and plead while
he plowed her over and over until they were both barely able to breathe from
the desperate need for release.

Watching
as Mercedes’s beautiful bare ass blushed a pretty red beneath his hand had
nearly been his undoing. And the way she’d reacted had been more than he
could’ve asked for. She’d taken every swat, counting them out as he instructed,
without squirming or trying to pull away.

And
when he said he was proud of her… that was an understatement.

She
slayed him with her trust. If she ever thought he was in total control just
because she was the one submitting, she was definitely wrong. He might own her
body for the next few days, but this woman was rapidly taking ownership of his
soul. It was inevitable, he knew. And it was a risk he was willing to take
because God willing, by the time their five days came to an end, she’d belong
to him in every way that mattered.

Xander
shifted, helping Mercedes to her feet. Once she was standing, he leaned forward
and pressed his mouth to her reddened ass, the skin warm beneath his lips.

Taking
her hand, he eased her back toward the cedar chest, motioning with his head for
her to sit. He knew it was going to be uncomfortable now that her ass was
reddened by his hand, but it was part of the punishment.

“Feet
up,” he instructed again, wanting her back in the same position she’d been in
earlier. He liked her splayed out for him. He knew that by insisting she was naked
and on display, it took away her sense of control.

To
his surprise, she didn’t argue. She didn’t even wipe away the tears that had
left tracks down her cheeks. Leaning forward, he thumbed away the wet streaks
while keeping his eyes locked with hers. There was defiance in the magnificent
gray color, which made her eyes darker than he’d ever seen them.

“Now
where were we?” he asked, leaning back and letting his hand trail slowly over
her breast, her belly, and once again to graze the perfect triangle of dark
hair on her mound.

Yes,
he’d certainly be shaving her later. He wanted her bare. The idea of her bare
folds glistening made him hotter than hell.

“You
told me that I’d spend every minute that I’m not working here with you.”

“Right.
And you won’t be going to Kink tonight either,” he said, knowing he was going
to hit a sore spot with her.

To
his surprise, she bit her bottom lip, but she didn’t argue.

“I’ll
call Shane and let him know,” Xander told her.

“About
us?” she asked suddenly, her eyes widening as though the idea of Shane knowing
about their deal was horrifying.

He
decided to test her. “Yes.”

“What
are you going to say?” she questioned.

“Whatever
I want.” He didn’t elaborate. He would tell Shane exactly what was going on
because he chose to. End of story.

“Now,
do you have any questions?” he asked her.

“Will
we be going to Devotion?”

“Yes.
I want somewhere we can play. We’ll be more anonymous there.” He was doing that
for her, wanting her to realize he was thinking about her. At Kink, she’d be mortified
to submit to him. He got that.

Mercedes
nodded, as though his answer was acceptable. Xander waited for her to ask more
questions. She didn’t.

“Are
you on the pill?” he asked.

“Birth
control shot, yes.”

“You’ve
seen my recent medical records but if you want, I’ll get you a copy.” Routine
testing for sexually transmitted disease was a requirement just to be members
of Kink, and at Devotion too, so they were both familiar with providing them.
Just last week, Xander had sent his with her to Kink. And prior to the soft
opening of Devotion, he’d seen hers when he submitted her application for
membership.

“Why?”
she asked.

“Because,”
Xander told her, sliding his finger along her wet slit, “when I’m inside of you,
I don’t want any barriers between us.” He paused, dipping the tip of his finger
inside of her. “Does that bother you?”

If
it did, Xander wouldn’t hesitate to use a condom. He’d never had sex without
one, never been in a relationship that had made it to the point where he would
trust a woman enough. Most of the time, he was just too weary that a woman
would try and trap him by getting pregnant. A morbid thought, maybe, but one he
had to consider with everyone he decided to spend time with.

With
Mercedes, trust wasn’t an issue. The issue was that he wanted her with his body
and his soul and, at least for now, he doubted the feelings were reciprocated.

“I’ve
never…” she began, swallowed. “I don’t…”

She
clearly couldn’t form an answer, so Xander helped her out. “You’ve never had
sex without a condom?”

“No.”

“Are
you scared to?”

There
was hesitation in her eyes, but he waited her out this time, wanting the truth.

“A
little. But not because of what you’re thinking. I just… It seems too
intimate.”

Xander
agreed. “That’s the point, Mercedes,” he told her, his voice low. “I don’t want
anything between us. Nothing. I want to feel you in every way possible.”

She
seemed to think it over for several seconds, and then she nodded her head. “Ok.
No condoms. Unless we’re at the club,” she answered, the breathless tone of her
voice belying the unaffected expression she tried to force into place.

Xander
nodded. It was a requirement at Devotion that condoms be used in any public
scene. It was also suggested that condoms be used at all times.

“Good,”
he told her as he pulled his finger back. “Do you have any other questions for
right now?”

She
looked like there was something she wanted to ask, but she kept her mouth
closed.

“The
only thing I ask of you, M, is that you’re honest with me. Open and honest
about everything. Answer me verbally when I question you. Talk to me when you
have concerns. You know how this works; I don’t need to explain it to you.”

“I
know how it works,” she said snippily.

“Good,
then I think we’re on the same page.”

“Yes,
we’re on the same page.” Mercedes paused briefly. “Just remember we made a
deal. I get to dominate you, as well. And there are no hard limits.”

“Trust
me baby, I doubt that’s something I’ll ever forget.” The idea of Mercedes
dominating him was ludicrous, but he wasn’t about to tell her that. He’d made a
deal, and he wouldn’t go back on his word. And just like her, he’d give her his
complete and total trust. She would do with it what she wanted.

And
in the end, they’d both be stronger for it.

~*~*~*~

Mercedes
was hanging by a thread, and she wondered whether Xander knew it.

Here
they were, having a somewhat casual, although extremely important,
conversation, yet he continued to tease her with the very tip of his finger
against her clit. It was driving her absolutely mad, but she’d held back,
refusing to let him see her weakness.

“Now
what?” she asked, trying to keep her composure, but falling apart little by
little as each second passed.

“Now
I’m going to make you come,” Xander said, surprising her. “With my mouth.”

“Oh.”

Xander
grinned that devious, seductive smirk that made her legs weak. Thankfully she
was sitting down, so she didn’t have to worry about falling over.

“Up on
the bed,” Xander instructed, tilting his head in the direction of the bed
behind her. “Just scoot back until your ass is on the edge, then pull your
knees in against your chest.”

Wait,
what?

Mercedes
tried to envision what that position would look like. It didn’t take much of an
imagination to figure it out.

Slowly,
hesitantly, she moved back, using her hands to walk herself up onto the
mattress. It was firm, yet soft, and the duvet that covered it was plush and
cool against her tingling skin. When her ass was on the very edge, she stopped.

Trying
her damnedest not to think about the fact that she was here with Xander – her
friend – or about how uncomfortable this situation was, she did as he asked,
driven solely by selfish need. Lying back, she pulled her legs against her
chest which put her even more on display than before.

Hoping
he didn’t see the heated blush that overcame her, Mercedes stared up at the
ceiling.

“Pull
your knees wide,” he instructed.

With
her knees still drawn in against her body, she used her arms to pull them
apart, cool air being pushed down from the ceiling fan caressed her overheated
pussy.

The
chill was immediately replaced by warmth and her insides clenched painfully.
Xander had pushed the cedar chest out of the way and was kneeling at the foot
of the bed, his mouth now delightfully close to where she needed it.

“I’ve
wanted to taste you for so long,” he said affectionately, making Mercedes suck
in a breath. She continued to be shocked by his words, but more by their
delivery. It was as though this wasn’t a spur of the moment decision, but
rather something he’d considered for a long time.

Could
that be true? Could he really…

“Oh,
God!” she moaned when his tongue lashed against her swollen folds, teasing her
as he went.

Keeping
her hands on her knees, she tried to hold herself still, not wanting him to
stop as the pleasure consumed her. It was intense to say the least. Chill bumps
broke out over every single inch of her skin as the incredible sensation of his
mouth on her sensitive skin overwhelmed her.

“Feel
good?”

“Yes,”
she moaned again as he lapped at her pussy once more.

“Then
I’ll continue,” he told her. “Oh, and Mercedes?”

“Yes?”
she asked breathlessly, wishing she could tell him to shut up and make her
come.

“You
can come when you’re ready.”

“Thank
you,” she said, honestly meaning it. If he’d asked her to hold off, she wasn’t
sure she’d be able to and strangely, she didn’t want to disappoint him.

The
firm press of his tongue as it caressed her, delicately sliding over her clit
on each torturous upstroke had her body trembling. The man certainly knew what
he was doing. There was no hesitation in his movements, no questioning whether
he was doing it right, and that in itself was so fucking hot, Mercedes was sure
she’d explode soon.

Holding
out wasn’t an option. It’d been far too long since she’d had a man between her
thighs like this. It was intimate and required that she get emotionally closer
than she cared to. Something she’d refused to do for the last year or so.

Pressing
her head into the mattress, she tried to lift her hips, wanting to bring
Xander’s mouth closer, to apply more friction, maybe tempt him to add a finger.

“Oh,
God,” she moaned when he sucked her clit into his mouth, using his tongue to
lash over the sensitive bundle of nerves until she was shaking from the orgasm
that was threatening to break free.

“Come
for me, pet. Whenever you’re ready,” Xander said, his tone firm, unyielding.
And so fucking sexy.

When
he pressed two fingers into her, his mouth once again latching onto her clit,
she knew she was doomed. She wasn’t going to be able to last. Not that she
needed to, but it felt so fucking good, she didn’t want it to end.

“Please,”
she pleaded, unsure exactly what she was asking for.

Xander
intensified his oral ministrations as he began fucking her with his fingers.
Slow, deep strokes penetrated her, forcing her closer and closer to the edge.

She
had to focus on holding her legs up and open as he drove her completely insane.

And
then, when she thought she’d rein herself back in, she shattered into a million
pieces, brilliant colorful fractures of light broke off behind her closed
eyelids as her orgasm consumed her.

“Fucking
beautiful,” Xander said quietly, pulling her attention to him.

Mercedes
opened her eyes, fully expecting him to still be kneeling on the floor between
her legs, but he wasn’t. He was leaning over the bed, his hands on either side
of her head as he held himself above her.

Letting
go of her legs, she relaxed into the mattress, her gaze locked with his. Right
there, in the beautiful green glow of his eyes, Mercedes was positive she saw
something. Something that was very much like a promise.

He
leaned in, pressing his soft, warm lips to hers, and she fought the urge to
hold him to her. Instead, she allowed him entrance into her mouth, tasting
herself on his lips and tongue. This wasn’t new to her, but with Xander, there
was something discreetly unique to their mating.