Perception (30 page)

“Good
girl,” Mercedes responded, taking a step closer and cupping Clarissa’s face
gently with her long, slender fingers. “What is your safe word?”

“Magnolia,”
Clarissa whispered.

Mercedes
smiled. “I like it. Will you have trouble remembering it?”

“No,
Mistress,” Clarissa said, her voice husky.

Most of
the subs at Kink used the house safe word, which was red. Obviously Clarissa
had some experience if she came readily prepared with her own safe word. And
from the way she answered, Clarissa hadn’t just come up with it either.

“Very
good.” Mercedes turned to look at Xander, and he suddenly ached for her to
touch him. He didn’t care how she did it, he just wanted her hands on him. “And
you?”

His safe
word was much simpler. He went with the norm like Mercedes. Because Mercedes
didn’t ask him what his safe word was directly, he just stared down at her,
locking his eyes with hers as he waited for her next question.

“What is
your safe word, Xander?” There was a hint of exasperation in her tone.

He knew
she was asking more for Clarissa’s benefit than anything else. “Red,” he
answered easily.

“Good
boy,” Mercedes answered but she didn’t touch him which was somewhat of a
disappointment.

Then
again, he made a mental note to punish her later for calling him “boy”.
Especially after Shane chuckled from the corner.

“Tonight,
I’m going to introduce you to Xander,” Mercedes explained to Clarissa. “I’m not
going to push your boundaries yet.”

Introduce
her? Holy fuck. He doubted Clarissa understood just what the meant, but he damn
sure did. And it surprised him on all counts.

Xander
noticed the relief on Clarissa’s face.

Just
wait, little girl.

“If, at
any time, you’re uncomfortable, use your safe word. Everything will stop at
that time, and you and Shane will be free to leave.”

Xander
watched Clarissa’s face closely which is why he saw her immediate reaction.
Concern?

“Talk to
me, Rissa,” Mercedes encouraged.

“If I
have to use my safe word, does that mean we will never engage with the two of
you again?”

That was
a good question. In his experience, when a sub used a safe word, he would end
the scene and let it end there. Due to his expectations, which he admitted were
quite high, he expected his subs to endure what he would give them. He fully
respected them if they couldn’t, but he often found that given a repeat
opportunity, that same sub would safe word out again. He was more than willing
to teach a sub how to endure what they needed, but those were discussions he
had up front.

He knew
with Mercedes, she wasn’t quite as cut and dried as he was. She was strict, not
leaving much room for error, but she would generally allow second chances if a
sub opted to use their safe word. Sometimes a third. So, needless to say, he
was quite interested in knowing as well.

Although
she would always respect a subs reason for safe wording, Mercedes usually
wasn’t a forgiving Domme. If something didn’t go the way she felt it should,
she’d be the first to shut things down, and she’d move on. He’d seen her do it
before.

“No, it
doesn’t mean we can’t pick up in the future at some point,” Mercedes explained
gripping Clarissa’s chin more forcefully this time. “But I want you to know who
I am, Rissa. You have to understand that I’m not a pushover, and it’s my job to
push my subs as far as they can handle and then some.”

“I
understand, Mistress M,” Clarissa answered, her eyes locked on Mercedes, her
tongue darting out to lick her lower lip.

“I will
say this,” Mercedes began, inching just a little closer to Clarissa. “If I feel
as though you’re holding back, not using your safe word if it is too much for
you, then that’ll be the end. I won’t engage with you ever again like this.
This is something I take very seriously. Do you understand?”

“I
understand, Mistress M.”

“Very
good,” Mercedes said, her head tilted slightly as though she were trying to
read something in Clarissa’s gaze.

Xander
hoped like hell she found what she was looking for because he was rapidly
losing his patience. His mind was already halfway home and Mercedes was naked.
Beneath him.

“I want
you to undress Xander,” Mercedes instructed Clarissa and Xander’s gaze slammed
into Mercedes’s.

Really?

She was
going there?

Instead
of speaking out, he swallowed his retort.

If
Mercedes thought she could put distance between them by using Clarissa, the
woman had another thing coming.

Shane
stood near one corner of the room, trying to stay out of the way as Mercedes
took control of the scene that would play out before him. It was harder than it
looked, especially being a bystander while a Domme directed Clarissa.

He liked
where Mercedes was taking this though. He definitely agreed with introducing
Clarissa to Xander. It was a nice visual. Xander with his overbearing
personality and his massive body, Clarissa so petite and sweet looking…
Definitely hot.

It did
not, however, look like Xander was fully on board with the idea. But Shane
would give the man credit – at least he kept his mouth shut.

For now.

It was
rather intriguing to see Mercedes direct Clarissa, to instruct the woman to put
her hands on Xander. But he noticed that Mercedes did not instruct Xander to
touch Clarissa.

And that
wasn’t an accident, he knew.

Although,
personally, he wasn’t as impressed with Clarissa’s hands on Xander as he would
be if Xander were touching Clarissa at the same time. More so if he were the
one doing the directing of the two of them. Hell, just the thought of it even
made his dick hard.

God, the
woman was so fucking hot. And he knew she was generally game for anything. But
he hadn’t played with her much. It had just been recent when they had started
down this path. Friends with benefits, they had agreed. Multiple benefits.

As he
watched the three people across the room, Shane was impressed that Clarissa
didn’t say anything, nor did she look his way. She just turned to face Xander
more fully, staring up at him. Way up.

Having
played with Clarissa multiple times at Kink, Shane knew what to expect from
her. Being that she probably felt incredibly safe with the three of them
because they were all friends, although Clarissa had the least amount of
interaction with Xander, she was likely going to go with the flow easily.

That was
one thing about her that he had a love/hate relationship with. Although she was
nervous, Clarissa tended to do exactly as she was told. She had no problems
handing over the reins completely. If he said crawl, she’d crawl. And he had
definitely pushed her limits a time or two.

But for
tonight, Shane had zero expectations. He truly hadn’t anticipated engaging with
Mercedes and Xander. And damn sure not with Xander as a fucking sub. Shit, just
looking at him was difficult. Even if, as a sub, he still exuded that
overwhelming presence that people strayed to.

The man
was
not
a sub. You could dress him up and make him do whatever, but he
still wasn’t a fucking sub.

Shane
wondered just how long Xander was going to play along tonight.

Turning
his attention back on Clarissa, Shane watched as she moved closer to Xander.
Even with her heels on, Xander was significantly taller. And probably at least
twice her width.

The man
was built like a brick shithouse. Granted, Shane wasn’t a pushover in the size
department, but he’d be the first to admit, he had never broken six feet. But
he did have a muscular build, not even remotely close to what Xander was packed
with, although he wasn’t a lightweight either. But truthfully, Shane wasn’t
sure he’d ever met anyone quite as big as Xander.

When
Clarissa’s hands flattened against Xander’s stomach, Shane’s dick pulsed again.
Her pale fingers against Xander’s tan skin were a vibrant contrast. The dim
lights in the room helped to accentuate the planes of Xander’s chest and
stomach as Clarissa roamed up and over the ripples of muscle.

Considering
Xander wasn’t wearing anything from the waist up, Shane figured Clarissa was
just getting comfortable with Xander’s body. Watching her was a fucking turn on
like no other. He loved to watch her when she touched him as well. To see the
wonder in her expression and the heat in her honey brown eyes. There were times
when she still seemed so damned innocent, even if she was getting down and dirty.

And she
certainly was a dirty girl. One of the main reasons he liked playing with her.
That and she wasn’t looking for a relationship. Shane would admit that he cared
about Clarissa as a friend, but he could never see anything more than that
between them.

No,
unfortunately, there was only one woman who’d caught his attention and held it
all these years, but she was completely off limits to him.

Clarissa’s
hands moved up, her fingers stopping on the bars through Xander’s nipples.
Did
those hurt?
They fucking looked like they would hurt. He’d asked Xander
that more than once, but the big bastard had eluded his question every single
time. The closest he’d gotten to an answer was, “Go get yours pierced and find
out for yourself.”

Yeah, no
fucking thank you.

Shane
glanced at Xander’s face, noticing how the man was staring back at Clarissa,
his expression one of complete and total satisfaction, even if it did look
somewhat forced. Apparently, they didn’t hurt. Or maybe they did, and that’s
what he liked about them. Either way, Xander seemed content to have her
touching him.

Shane
suddenly wished he was the one she was touching. Clarissa was incredibly
sensual, a truly giving lover, and any time she turned her total focus on him,
he knew he was a goner.

Much like
Xander at the moment.

When her
hands slid back down Xander’s rigid stomach, she continued until she found the
button on his leather pants. Since Shane was behind her, he couldn’t see her
face, but by the way her back stayed ramrod straight, he figured she was still
nervous.

Shane
wanted to touch her, to run his hands along her sides, to press her between him
and Xander until she was moaning and writhing. He wanted to drive his cock deep
in Clarissa’s ass while Xander fucked her pussy until she couldn’t take
anymore. Until she was screaming their names.

Fuck.

But even
he knew there wasn’t a chance in hell that Mercedes would ever let that happen.
She might think she put on a strong front, but he saw right through the facade.
She wanted Xander. Hell, he’d go so far as to say she’d fallen in love with
him. Without a doubt, this wasn’t easy for her, which was why he suspected she
had involved him and Clarissa in the first place.

The sound
of a zipper brought Shane’s attention back to Xander and Clarissa. Glancing
down, Shane realized Xander had on those great big black boots with the laces,
which meant Clarissa was going to have to go to her knees to remove them. The
mental image that formed in his mind of Clarissa on her knees with Xander’s
enormous cock in her mouth was like a punch to the solar plexus, nearly driving
the air from his body and making his cock thicken.

Shit.

Maybe
Mercedes didn’t like the idea of Clarissa touching Xander, but Shane certainly
did.

Mercedes
moved, and Shane’s attention was drawn to her. She walked around the couple,
riding crop in her hand as she slid the flat end over Xander’s skin. She was
smiling, but she was looking at Clarissa and not Xander.

“Naked,
Rissa. He needs to be completely naked,” Mercedes instructed, her tone soothing
and calm, yet unyielding.

Clarissa
nodded, and she must’ve realized her mistake because her eyes were wide as she
stared back at Mercedes. And true to her dominating nature, Mercedes gave her
no room for error, as soon as her head nodded in response, Mercedes was up
against Clarissa’s front, the hand wielding the crop buried in Clarissa’s long,
chestnut hair, tilting her head back so that Clarissa was looking up into her
eyes.

“What did
I say about responding?” Mercedes asked, her tone still quiet and easy. Not at
all what Shane had expected based on her rather aggressive stance.

“Yes,
Mistress M,” Clarissa whispered.

Mercedes
slid her thumb over Clarissa’s bottom lip but didn’t release her. Their noses
were practically touching and from where Shane stood, he could see Clarissa’s
chest rising and falling rapidly. She was turned on by this.

Hell,
Shane was turned on by this. He wanted Mercedes to move just an inch closer and
press her mouth…

Son of
a fucking bitch!

Shane’s
entire body went hard as Mercedes lowered her mouth to Clarissa’s ever so
gently. Clarissa didn’t respond, but Mercedes apparently didn’t need her to.
The Domme glided her lips gently over Clarissa’s, her tongue sneaking out
slowly to slide over the seam and Shane was convinced he might just be reduced
to a teenage boy if they kept this up.

Never had
he imagined Mercedes or Clarissa kissing another woman, but holy fuck, this was
hotter than he could’ve imagined.

Forcing
himself to look away, he glanced at Xander, noticing how the man was tensing
right beside them, his face tilted down as he watched them. Lucky bastard. He
had a much better view than Shane did.

“And how
do you plan to respond next time?” Mercedes asked as she pulled her mouth away
slowly.

Shit, if
Shane had anything to say about it, Clarissa would be defying Mercedes at every
turn. Especially if he had that to look forward to.

~~*~~*~~

Clarissa
wasn’t sure she was breathing. She was overwhelmed by the wondrous scent of
Mercedes and the way her soft lips had felt against her own. Oh, God, she’d
just been kissed by a woman.

A
freaking woman.

And
yet, she’d enjoyed it.

She
wanted more. She wanted to know what Mercedes’s tongue would feel like in her
mouth, her hands on her body.
Holy shit.
This was so not good. She
wasn’t supposed to lust after a woman, but she was. Oh, God she was.

She
truly had no idea how she felt about that, aside from it being way more than
she expected. She wanted to attribute the strange sensation in her belly to her
shock, but she wasn’t quite so sure.

Mercedes
was beautifully breathtaking. Her flawless alabaster skin, her long, silky
black hair, and her soft gray eyes had always filled Clarissa with a strange
envy. Not that she wanted to
be
Mercedes, but she certainly didn’t mind
admiring her. Then, as though her beauty weren’t enough, the woman exuded
confidence from her pores. It was evident in the way she walked, moved, spoke.

“Yes,
Mistress M,” Clarissa said softly, remembering that Mercedes had asked her a
question.

Apparently
her answer was the appropriate one because Mercedes leaned in once more and
pressed another kiss to her lips. Clarissa wanted to open her mouth, to allow
Mercedes in, to explore her with her tongue…

 “Good
girl,” Mercedes said with a sexy grin as she pulled away.

Clarissa
was breathless, and Mercedes’s eyes glittered with what Clarissa hoped was
approval. Was this part of the deal? Was Mercedes going to be with her? Like
with
her
-
with her
? Was that even something Clarissa wanted? Based on
the way her insides were smoking from the flames that had ignited down low, she
was beginning to think the answer was yes.

Or
was this some sort of a test to see how much she could take? Or how far Xander
could be pushed?

Based
on the expression on Mercedes’s beautiful face, she had to assume the latter.
Mercedes seemed very much interested in Xander, not her. Not to mention, she
knew for a fact that Mercedes wasn’t into women.

“Very
nice,” Mercedes said, letting her soft, delicate thumb graze over Clarissa’s
lower lip once more before she released her.

When
Mercedes looked up at Xander, Clarissa saw the way their eyes met. It was a
challenge, and she seemed to be in the middle of it. Not that she was
complaining because well… shit. She wasn’t sure why it didn’t bother her.

Rather
than dwell on it, she kept that in mind as she listened for Mercedes’s next
instruction.

“Now,
I want Xander naked,” Mercedes instructed more firmly and this time Clarissa
responded with a confident, “Yes, Ma’am,” before proceeding to undress Xander.

She
was having difficulty removing his leather pants, but it wasn’t because they
were tight, or even all that difficult to remove. Clarissa was just too busy
admiring his gorgeous physique. Where Shane was lean and sleekly muscled,
Xander was thick and bulky. She knew for a fact that she wouldn’t be able to
circle Xander’s bicep with both hands. He was that freaking big.

And
his legs were larger than her own waist, although they weren’t bodybuilder
bulky like she would’ve expected. Instead, they were stout like tree trucks and
incredibly nice to look at.

Trying
to keep her excitement reined in, Clarissa slowly lowered his leathers,
carefully freeing his cock as she went. Once again, she was transfixed by the
sight of him. His cock was long and thick and slightly curved to the left. In
one word, he was… gorgeous.

The
urge to lick her lips was too great to pass up, so she did, not bothering to
look up at Xander, nor did she look behind her to see where Shane was. She knew
he was watching. She could feel his eyes on her, the heat of his gaze searing
every inch of her skin. She just wished he’d move around for a better view. For
some reason, she needed to see him, to feel that connection with him.

This
was a learning experience for her as well, and she was finding that she much
preferred Shane’s dominance than anyone else’s. Shane made her feel safe. In
ways that other Doms didn’t. Sometimes she feared she would never respond to
another Dom the same way again.

Although
what had happened between her and Mercedes had certainly sent a bolt of heat
through her. Unlike anything she’d ever experienced before.