Perception (Club Destiny #6)(40)
Author: Nicole Edwards

“She’s what?” Xander asked, his frustration escaping.

“She’s not a submissive.”

That’s what you think, Xander thought to himself. Out loud, he said, “I never said she was.”

“No, but if you’re getting cozy with her, then you’re thinking you can change her. Man, that’s not gonna happen. You’re gonna ruin your friendship with her. Not to mention your business relationship.”

Xander had given that some serious consideration as well. However, he spent his life taking risks and this was one he couldn’t find it in himself to regret. At least not at this point. The alternate – sitting back and hoping Mercedes might pursue him – would probably have him waiting a lifetime.

Unacceptable.

“Let me worry about that,” Xander told Shane. He wanted to say he had it all under control, but he wasn’t sure that was the case, so he bit his tongue.

Shane sighed, clearly dropping the subject. “I’ll see you both tonight then.”

With that, they disconnected the call.

Shane was right, he’d be seeing them both. The remaining question was one only Mercedes could answer: how much of herself was she going to let people see?

~*~*~*~

When Mercedes stepped out of her condo a little before seven, she took a deep breath, trying to settle her unruly nerves. She was an absolute mess and had been ever since Xander had made her come… with his mouth.

Lord did the man have an amazing tongue. The memory sent a rush of heat shuddering through her.

Willing to do just about anything to put some much needed distance between them after that mind-blowing event, Mercedes hadn’t lied when she told him she had a call she couldn’t miss. It had been a well-timed saving grace. As to how well she’d handled that call, she didn’t know. Her mind had continued to wander back to Xander’s bedroom.

God, what a difference a day could make.

As she stood in the hall just outside of her front door, she wondered whether she should just go back into her condo and pretend none of this ever happened. The only reason she was out there was because she wasn’t sure she could resist jumping Xander if he took two steps inside.

However, it didn’t seem to matter whether she was out in the hall or safely tucked away in her condo, her thoughts still drifted to Xander and the deal they’d made. Part of her wanted to back out, the other part of her wanted to move full steam ahead.

If she pushed hard enough, she knew Xander would back off. He might not be happy about it, but he wasn’t the type of man to ever cross the line. Too bad she couldn’t even convince herself that she wanted him to, because if she didn’t even buy it, he definitely wouldn’t believe her if she tried to tell him.

The elevator dinged, drawing her attention down the hall.

Her breath halted in her chest as she watched Xander approach, looking devilishly handsome and positively intimidating with his hands thrust into the pockets of his expensive slacks, his dark, forest green tie a nice contrast against his crisp white shirt, and his hand tailored jacket accentuating his immense upper body.

In her opinion, there was nothing sexier than a self-confident, well-dressed man. And that was a more than befitting description of Xander Boone.

Watching him as he moved toward her, Mercedes recalled the very first time she’d met him. Upon first glance, he’d overwhelmed her with his sheer size. It hadn’t taken long before he’d overwhelmed her with his personality as well. And to this day, Xander was probably the one man she admired more than anyone else. And not just because of how incredibly striking he was.

“You look beautiful,” he said by way of greeting, invading her personal space and pulling her to him, his lips brushing against hers briefly.

“Thank you,” she managed to reply, suddenly feeling a little unsteady on her feet.

Definitely a good thing she’d decided to meet him in the hall.

“Are you ready?”

Mercedes wasn’t sure she’d ever be ready for this man, but she responded with a firm, “Yes."

“Perfect. Did you pack your things?”

Xander had called her to let her know he was taking her to dinner and that they would be making a presence at Devotion later for an invitation-only BDSM theme night. During that conversation, he’d asked her to pack enough to last her through the weekend.

“I did,” she confirmed.

“Good. Gerard will have your things delivered to my condo and Janelle has agreed to come by and put them away,” he informed her as he held out his arm, a signal for her to hold on to him.

Gerard was their beloved doorman who handled so much more than just a door in their building. And Janelle was Xander’s housekeeper. Well, if she’d had any inclination that Xander would be discreet in regard to their deal, she was wrong. It was obvious that her secret was going to be out soon.