Perception (Club Destiny #6)(18)
Author: Nicole Edwards

“I’m not letting this go,” Xander told Shane firmly, ignoring Mercedes’s comment. “You can bid on the land, and I’ll back off, but I’m gonna take this building.”

“Fuck,” Shane hissed, sliding his hand through his spiky blond hair. “Why do I even bother?” Shane huffed on a frustrated sigh. Although it was phrased like one, Xander knew it wasn’t a question.

Glancing over at Mercedes, Xander nodded his head. It was his approval for her to move forward with the offer. She tipped her chin in agreement and leaned forward, her fingers flying over the keys on her keyboard.

“You two don’t waste any time, do you?” Shane asked, sounding much calmer than before.

That’s the way things worked between them. Shane would get pissed; Xander would tell him how it was going to be and then Shane would move on with his life. The guy didn’t have much stress because of it. Or maybe he didn’t have much stress because he worked a lot of it out at the club. After all, the blond-haired, blue-eyed pretty boy was one of the most sought after Doms at Kink.

“When you’re done with that, move forward with my offer on the land.”

Mercedes glanced up at Shane and smiled. “Already working on it.”

She knew them both so well.

“Y’all going to the club tonight?” Shane’s sudden change of subject released the tension in the air.

Looking over at Mercedes, Xander said, “no” at the same time she said “yes.”

He pinned her with a glare.

Shane then directed his statement to Mercedes, seemingly ignorant to the underlying tension that was lingering between them. “Want me to pick you up on my way there?”

“Yeah, that’ll be great.”

“You sure you don’t want to go?” Shane asked Xander, forcing him to look away from Mercedes.

“I’m sure. I’ve got another commitment. I’m sure you’ll have a good time without me.”

“We certainly will, won’t we, doll?” Shane said to Mercedes with that damned pretty boy smile.

She didn’t answer, but Xander didn’t need her to.

Shane didn’t waste any more time, nodding his head at Xander. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

“Later,” Xander called after him as Shane darted out of the office.

Xander listened to his friend’s footsteps down the hall, then across the Travertine entry way and then finally when Shane opened and closed the front door behind him.

As soon as he knew they were alone, he turned his attention back on Mercedes. “There is no way in hell you’re going to the club tonight.”

Chapter Five

Mercedes didn’t know how she managed to keep from cracking her keyboard right in half when Xander spoke.

She inhaled slowly through her nose and then out through her mouth as she tried to control the anger that snaked its way into her bloodstream and threatened to burn her to a crisp.

The man had balls; she’d give him that.

She could handle a lot of things, such as Xander being an asshole when it came to his business dealings, but she damn sure didn’t do well with anyone telling her what she could or couldn’t do.

“Last I checked, you don’t make my decisions for me,” she told him, grateful she’d managed to hold on to some semblance of calm.

“The hell I don’t,” he bit out.

Mercedes clamped her jaw shut, afraid if she didn’t, it just might hit the floor. Never, in all the time she’d known Xander had he talked to her like that.

The man was clearly delusional.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Mercedes got to her feet and moved around to the front of the desk to where Xander stood. She crossed her arms over her chest, keeping her back straight, her chin up as she approached him.

“Excuse me?” She couldn’t go nose to nose with him because he was several inches taller than she was. But she did meet his eyes. “Is there something we need to talk about?” she asked him curtly.

“No,” he bit out. “As far as I’m concerned, there isn’t anything to discuss,” he argued, sounding not at all like the calm, confident man she knew so well.

“Well, I think there is.” Mercedes took one measured step back, not wanting to crane her neck as she argued with this insufferable man. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Me? What the hell is wrong with you? Do you not remember anything that happened last night?”

“Yeah, actually I do,” she answered abruptly. “I remember going to Devotion with you to help you with a demonstration. That’s what that was, right? A demonstration? Nothing more, nothing less? As a favor to you, I was your assistant, if I recall correctly.”