Nicole Edwards - Perception

Thank you for putting up with me and my crazy schedule.

I love you.

Dear Reader,

First and foremost, the books that I write are fiction. They are not intended in any way to be a reflection of real life. In Perception, you will find mild BDSM practiced. This book is not intended to be hardcore BDSM by any means. I did a lot of research for this book, and I thank all of the wonderful people who have helped me through this. I will be the first to admit that I am not an expert. I have used creative liberties at times. But one thing I can assure you of is that all scenes within this book are safe, sane and consensual, as they should be.

Much Love,

Nic

Per· cep· tion\pər-ˈsep-shən\

noun - physical sensation interpreted in the light of experience

Nine Years Ago…

Xander exited the elevator on the third floor after a painfully long ride in what could very easily be referred to as a death trap. Seriously, getting to the third floor shouldn’t have taken that long. What the hell?

As he stepped out into the dimly lit area, he glanced around at the well-kept, yet drastically outdated furnishings of a small, two room office. Not only was it drab and dark, it had a musty smell, like there was a water leak somewhere that had never been fixed.

Why in the hell did anyone work in a place like this? He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but this certainly wasn’t it.

Less than impressed, he tried to pretend not to notice. He was there to meet one of his closest friends, Shane Gibson, who had been raving about a real estate agent who was rapidly making a name for herself. He wasn’t going in for a design consultation. Thank God.

Based on the office that this up-and-comer worked out of, Xander was having difficulty seeing her success, but he hadn’t met her yet, so he refrained from passing judgment.

Xander had no idea how Shane had come to meet Mercedes Bryant, the Realtor who clearly needed a new office, but he didn’t necessarily need to know either. He was in the market for property, his friend believed she could assist him, nothing else really mattered.

According to Shane, Mercedes specialized in commercial properties, and she’d been referred to as aggressive and emphatic. Based on her office building, Xander was inclined to believe that wet behind the ears could probably be added to the list of adjectives used to describe her.

Following the sound of voices coming from the only other room in the place, Xander stopped just outside of the open door and waited for them to acknowledge him.

“What’s up, man?” Shane greeted him pleasantly when he looked over from his seat across from an incredibly beautiful woman. “Xander Boone, I’d like you to meet Mercedes Bryant.”

Xander ignored the strange smirk on the man’s lips.

“Very nice to meet you, Mercedes,” Xander greeted the well-dressed woman who rose from her chair and walked around her desk as he entered the office. A few steps into the small room, he was standing directly in front of her, extending his hand out for her to shake. “Shane,” he tacked on with a nod of his head toward his friend.

No, Xander wasn’t at all impressed with her choice of offices, but he certainly approved of Mercedes’s appearance. Dressed in a pair of black slacks, a crisp white shirt with the top two buttons left undone, her shiny black hair pulled back in a tight ponytail while small gems twinkled in her ears, the woman exuded professionalism. Not to mention sex appeal.

So maybe she looked like she worked for the FBI with the fact that she lacked any color in her wardrobe, but he had to admit that the contrast between that white shirt and her black hair was striking. And her eyes. An intense gray that seemed to peruse slowly over him, leaving a trail of heat in their wake.

When Mercedes took his hand, he swore he felt an electrical current shoot through his arm. Her grip was firm and confident, her hand soft and smooth. An incredible combination, if you asked him.

There was no denying he was physically attracted to the woman.

“Likewise,” she responded in a smoky tone that Xander’s entire body responded to.

“Xander’s looking to purchase that overhauled warehouse you were telling me about,” Shane stated after clearing his throat.

“I wouldn’t go that far just yet.” He glanced over at Shane and then back to Mercedes. “However, I’d like to take a look at it, if you don’t mind,” Xander added as he continued to watch her.

“Do you have time now?” Mercedes asked, surprising him.

“I do. Shall I follow you?”

“No, I’ll drive. That way we can talk on the way.”

“I’ve, uh… got a meeting to run to,” Shane interrupted, his eyes darting between the two of them. “But I’ll catch up with you later,” he told Mercedes, his hand gently touching her arm. “And you ,” he said to Xander, “I’ll talk to you this afternoon.”

Xander nodded to Shane, not saying a word.

A minute later, Xander was following Mercedes out into the brilliant morning sunshine. Had he not been so drawn to the woman leading the way, he might’ve noticed there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. But as it was, he was mesmerized by the way the sun shone off of her black hair, giving it a vibrant blue tint.

As they made their way over to the fancy black BMW sitting in the parking lot, Xander did his best to keep his eyes focused on where they were going, but he couldn’t seem to look away from her.

Shitty office. Nice clothes. Expensive car.

The combination confused him.

“Shane told me you’re a property developer,” Mercedes said, glancing over her shoulder as she continued to walk, her heels clicking on the eroded asphalt of the parking lot.

“I dabble here and there,” he answered ruefully. He did more than that, but he didn’t feel the need to explain himself.

Busted.

There was no doubt she’d just noticed he was staring at her ass. If it had bothered her in the least, he couldn’t tell.

“Yes, that’s what I’ve heard,” she said with a mischievous smirk.

He liked her already.

When Mercedes unlocked the doors to the small car using the key fob she clutched tightly in her hand, Xander climbed inside, ducking so that he didn’t hit his head on the roof. He hated little cars. With a passion.

“How do you know Shane?” he asked as she got situated, buckling her seat belt. Xander was attempting to do the same. Attempt was a rather loose interpretation of it too. As it was, he had to hunch over, crook his head sideways and then reach for the buckle without looking down. Damn little cars.

“I met him a couple of months ago. I’m in the market to rent a new office building. I called on a listing, and he answered the phone,” she told him as she started the car, put it in Reverse and began backing out of the parking space.

Xander knew Shane was following in Xander’s footsteps as far as property development went, but Shane was starting out slow. He was interested in residential, not so much commercial. The man had recently purchased a couple of buildings and was looking to rent them as office space. Xander, on the other hand, had taken the fast track in both commercial development as well as venture capital investments, and he attributed his success to his aggressiveness.

“This place is not doing it for you anymore?” he asked, nodding toward the building they were passing as she headed out of the parking lot.