Nicole Edwards - Perception

Incorrigible.

Damn him.

Xander had the ability to make anyone feel guilty, and he’d successfully piled a shitload of guilt on her plate although he probably hadn’t meant to.

Or maybe he had.

Mercedes stopped short just outside of Xander’s office door.

After all of the time they’d recently spent together, and the way she’d lost control at each and every turn, getting way too emotionally involved, Mercedes should’ve wanted to stay as far away from him as she possibly could.

But that wasn’t the case.

Surprisingly, at some point during the day, she had started to miss him despite the fact that she was doing her best not to think about him at all.

Shaking her head to clear her brain of the random thoughts, she took a deep breath. She’d gone and lost her mind, that’s all there was too it.

She raised her hand to knock, but was stopped by the sound of Xander’s voice before she had the chance.

“Come in.”

“Hey,” she greeted when she moved into the vast open space. Along with praying that she sounded normal, she hoped like hell she didn’t look like a woman who’d been working herself into a frenzy all day.

Or, more importantly, she hoped he had forgotten all about what happened just that morning in this very office when she’d panicked like a scared child, running away as fast as her legs would carry her.

“You look exhausted.”

Ok that was a good sign. Maybe.

“I am,” she told him, dropping to the leather sofa across from his desk. “I just spent two hours showing Charles Markom two condos that, of course, he thinks are beneath him.”

Xander leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers together over his flat belly as he studied her. She could see the amusement in his eyes, but she didn’t rise to the bait.

“He’s still giving you the run around?” Xander asked.

“I think that’s all he wants from me,” she told him. “I’m seriously considering not answering the phone next time he calls.”

The amusement in Xander’s eyes disappeared.

Crap. She’d gone and done it now, putting her foot right in her mouth by mentioning not taking calls.

“You enjoy doing that?” he asked, his tone lacking any jest. He was serious.

Knowing that anything she said at that point would be used against her, she kept talking, pretending not to realize he was upset with her. “I don’t want to even think about him. Right now, I just want to sit here. Right here. The only thing that could make it better would be pizza and beer,” she said, and he laughed, just as she hoped he would.

“Pizza and beer?”

Ok, so it was true, she wasn’t much of a pizza eater, nor was she a beer drinker, but her comment had effectively redirected the conversation.

“How about I get Italian delivered, and we share a bottle of wine?” Xander offered, sitting up in his chair.

“Even better,” she replied, dropping her head back on the cushions and closing her eyes. Maybe if she feigned sleep, she’d be able to avoid any further discussions.

While she dozed slightly, she listened as Xander placed an order to one of their favorite Italian places just down the street. She was tempted to tell him to cancel dinner, and she’d just slide deeper into the cushions and call it a night.

Before she could get too deep into slumber, Xander’s voice brought her back.

“It’s not time for bed yet.”

“And why not?” she asked drowsily, her eyes still closed.

“Because I said so.”

Oh, crap. She knew that tone all too well. Opening one eye, she peered over at him. He was still at his desk, his forearms casually resting on the top. Sitting there with his tie loosened, his jacket gone and sleeves rolled up, his hair not as perfectly styled as it had been that morning, he looked like sex personified. Although the man could rock a suit like no one else, Mercedes liked the disheveled look even more.

Her body instantly came alive, sleep all but forgotten.

“Stand,” he instructed as he got to his feet. Not moving, she watched as he made his way over to the door and closed it, the click as the lock engaged had her body going on full alert.

Slow, measured footsteps carried him across the oversized office until he was standing within a foot of her. She briefly glimpsed the Dallas skyline from the floor to ceiling windows that ran the length of two walls, but then his big body was in front of her, blocking her view of anything but him.

“Are you asking to be punished even more?” he asked, his voice assuredly calm.

Ok, so he hadn’t forgotten about that morning. And he probably hadn’t forgotten the fact that she’d ignored his phone calls all day either.

To her absolute horror, her body began to hum with anticipation. Not only had she believed that she was too tired to get turned on, she was also shocked that she was reacting to his dominance so easily.

“Can I take my shoes off first?” she asked, sitting up straight.

“If you want to add another five swats, sure.”

Mercedes was wide awake then. He wasn’t playing. Pushing to her feet, she didn’t look away, anticipation now making her body sing.

Xander backed up a few steps and perched on the edge of his desk as he stared back at her. “Remove your clothes,” he insisted. “Keep the shoes on.”

Damn Dom.

Her shoes were killing her feet, but he probably knew that. Had she not ignored him or run away, she knew he would’ve gladly given her permission to remove her shoes but he was in full Dom mode, the intensity in his gaze penetrating her through and through.

Mercedes didn’t think to argue further which either said a lot about how tired she was, or it said a lot about the complete three sixty that her life had taken in the last forty-eight hours.

It was still hard to believe it had only been a little more than two days since they had made their deal.

Trying not to rush, and doing her best not to think, Mercedes removed her clothes, piece by piece, leaving her favorite pair of Gucci’s on as Xander had instructed her to.

As she stood before Xander completely naked, the one thing she knew for sure… she was too damned tired to think about anything right now.

Admiring Mercedes’s completely naked form, Xander let his eyes graze every dip and curve of her graceful body. In her heels, her legs were a work of art, and he found he would be content just to stare at her for as long as she would let him.

Although he knew they had to be damned uncomfortable at this point.

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.