Xander was adept at controlling his reaction but even more so at expressing his thoughts with just a look. He hoped like hell Mercedes wasn’t having a problem reading his thoughts. The way her pretty gray eyes widened told him she was not far off on assuming what he was thinking.
Rather than address her transgression right there in the middle of the club, he opted to give her direction, a little foundation they could build on. They’d be moving this party somewhere else in the very near future, but until then, he wanted to make sure they were on the same page.
Based on her attitude thus far, they weren’t even reading from the same book.
Xander fully intended to change that.
Right fucking now.
“I want you at my side at all times. Not in front of me, not behind me,” he ordered, making sure his voice remained hard. “From this point on, I’ll make the decisions, understand?”
He shouldn’t have had to explain himself that much. Had she been one of his regular subs, he’d have bent her over his knee and spanked her ass, drawing any and all attention to her.
Apparently he was losing his fucking touch. This woman was getting to him more than he should be allowing, that was for damn sure.
Her reaction was exactly what he expected. She was likely trying to figure out what she could do to pull him back from the edge. What she didn’t seem to realize was that it was a little too late for that.
Undermining his authority as her Dom while in public was one violation he would not tolerate. It was a blatant sign of disrespect, and he deserved more than that.
Xander knew this wasn’t going to be easy and it damn sure wasn’t going to fall into that neat little box that he usually reserved for his subs. But it certainly was going to be worth it even if he had to remind himself that Mercedes wasn’t a sub. Well, technically, she was tonight.
But, he couldn’t be too lenient on her because the woman knew damn well what she was doing. She probably knew exactly what his response would be too. He’d seen her in action more times than he could count. She didn’t take this sort of attitude from the subs she played with. Ever.
No, Mercedes Bryant was hard core, demanding respect from anyone, especially from her subs.
Keeping his eyes trained on her, he waited for her to respond. She didn’t, and it pissed him off a little because he knew she was doing it on purpose. She was testing him.
Topping from the bottom.
Fuck. How had he not seen that?
“Do you understand me?” he asked, his voice echoing his frustration.
For a brief moment, he wondered whether Mercedes was going to lose every ounce of her gumption. He knew the way her mind worked, and if he had to guess, she was quickly rethinking this.
Mercedes had made it crystal clear by her actions that she absolutely detested feeling vulnerable and weak and at the moment, with the way Xander purposely glared at her, he was sure she was feeling exactly that.
Rather than use words like he’d instructed her to, she nodded, and his frustration flashed hot and bright.
Without hesitating, Xander smoothly reached around and fisted her hair firmly, but gently, pulling her flush against him. He wasn’t hurting her, not even a little bit, but he knew the aggressive action had certainly caught her attention.
She looked like she was ready to tell him to go to hell.
To his surprise, she didn’t move, and she didn’t say a word.
But he never said anything either, just continued to pin her with his eyes.
It must’ve dawned on her that he was waiting for a response. A verbal one, because she finally answered.
“Yes, Sir,” she responded breathlessly.
“That’s more like it,” he said, his tone fierce. He leaned down until his mouth brushed her ear before he continued. “Tonight, you belong to me, pet. All mine. I advise you get into the right frame of mind, or you really won’t like what I have in store for you.”
Or maybe she would. Maybe that’s what this was. She was pushing him. The idea made him laugh, except it made perfect sense.
Fuck.
Was she seriously anticipating punishment? Submitting to him by acting out and forcing him to take a harder stance?
“I’ll leave the two of you alone,” Shane told them and Mercedes did try to pull away from him then.
Xander didn’t allow her to move, he kept one arm banded around her waist, his other hand still fisted in her hair. “We’ll catch you later,” Xander told Shane firmly, never breaking eye contact with Mercedes.
Once Shane had retreated, he released his hold on her, holding on long enough to ensure she was steady on her feet before letting go completely.
“Don’t move,” he told her as he slipped back to the bar and retrieved the small bag that he’d stashed earlier. While he was there, he whispered instructions to the bartender. Once he received a nod of agreement, he went back to Mercedes.
“Since you’re clearly having problems understanding who is in control, we’re going to do this the hard way.”
Holding the bag out to her, he waited until she reached for it. When she looked back up at him, he gave her a wicked smile.
“Go change. I expect you back here in ten minutes. Not a minute longer. Understand?”
“Yes. Sir,” she said, tacking on the “Sir” at the last minute.
“Hurry up, your time starts now.”
Xander watched Mercedes, the bordering on indecent, yet fucking sexy as hell way her hips swayed, as she headed toward the changing rooms closer to the main doors. Part of him expected her to sneak out through the main entrance and never return. That’s probably why he kept an eye on her until she disappeared into the first room.
“Please tell me you know what the fuck you’re doing.”
Xander turned to see Shane glaring at him.
“I thought you were going to do your own thing,” Xander retorted, suddenly wishing he had another drink.
This was going to be a long night and as much as he anticipated it, he was already getting worked up.
“Do you really think she’s up for this?”
Xander stared back at his friend, irritated by the fact he was being questioned, but understanding Shane’s reason all the same. They’d both always looked out for Mercedes. Even if she was capable of taking care of herself, she’d come to mean so much to them that they made sure she was never hurt.
“I won’t hurt her,” Xander told Shane now, fury igniting just beneath the skin at the implication.
“Whoa, hold up. I know that. I never thought you would, but seriously, X. She doesn’t look comfortable with this.”
Xander laughed, his anger slipping out on his exhale. “Are you fucking serious right now? When has it ever been about comfort? The whole point is to push them out of their comfort zone.”
“By ‘them’, I assume you’re referring to subs,” Shane stated angrily. “She’s not a sub.”
Xander inhaled deeply.
It was true, he respected Shane. Hell, he even respected the man’s opinion, but he was seconds away from losing his shit.
“If I thought she couldn’t handle this, I wouldn’t have made a deal with her,” Xander finally said, holding on to his control with a tight grip.
“A deal?” Shane asked.
Xander noted the incredulous tone to his friend’s voice.
“Yes. Five days. She’s giving me five days.”
“For what? For you to dominate her. Are you serious?”
“Yes,” Xander answered bluntly.
“Is that all you want from her? To play a fucking game of who can top who first?” Shane asked, his back going ramrod straight.
Xander lowered his voice and looked Shane directly in the eyes. “No, it’s not a goddamn game. Not for me at least. I want every fucking part of her, goddammit. You should fucking know me better than to think otherwise.”
“Son of a bitch.” Shane exhaled, his defensive posture softening. “You lov –”
“Don’t even fucking say it,” Xander bit out. The time for talking was over. He wasn’t one to explain his reasons, but he understood Shane’s need to protect Mercedes, so he was making an exception, but he could only be pushed so far. “This conversation is over. You let me handle this.”
Shane thrust his hand through his blond hair, making it even more unkempt than it already was and still the man looked like it’d been done on purpose. “Fine. Just…” Shane stopped abruptly and glanced behind Xander, his eyes widening.
Xander steeled himself and turned around. “Son of a bitch,” he breathed out heavily.
“My sentiments exactly,” Shane said, a low whistle escaping him.
If Xander had thought for one minute that Mercedes looked hot in that dress she’d had on, well, he clearly didn’t know the definition of hot.
The woman had just managed to steal his breath.
And that was something not many people had the ability to do.
~~*~~*~~
Mercedes felt naked. Well and truly naked.
Granted, she didn’t have much covering her, so it only made sense.
As she made her way across the club, it felt like she had to walk a mile to reach the spot where Xander still stood, and all the while it seemed as though everyone’s attention was on her. Although she knew that wasn’t the case.
Or at least she hoped that wasn’t the case. She didn’t have enough nerve to look around to find out for sure.
With the way Xander’s intense gaze raked over her as she closed the distance between them, she felt like she was standing there without a stitch on. Then again, the outfit he’d asked her to change into had fit into a tiny bag, so it went without saying that she was rather underdressed.
“You look fucking amazing,” Xander breathed out roughly, reaching out and taking her hand as he pulled her close.
She was tempted to curl up in his arms so that he could shield her from the eyes that were boring holes into her much too exposed skin.
The skimpy, purple baby doll nightie was quite impressive. The expensive silk was softer than anything she’d ever felt. Had she been in the comfort of her own home, she probably would’ve admired herself in the mirror, but here, standing in the middle of Devotion, she felt her anger building.
If Xander hadn’t been so involved with his conversation with Shane, he would’ve realized she’d taken more than the ten minutes he’d allotted her to change. In fact, she’d redressed once before finally succumbing to her punishment.
And here she was, dressed in her heels, a barely there thong and a wisp of a top that showcased every one of her assets.
Including the clamps that pulled at her now beaded nipples.
“Excuse us,” Xander said to Shane, never taking his eyes off of her.
Xander studied her blatantly for another moment before linking their fingers together and leading her away from the bar.
Crap.
She followed Xander, knowing full well he intended to take her somewhere so that he could dole out his punishment for her defiance earlier. Part of her was anxious to get on with it because she needed something to take her mind off of the fact that she was practically naked.
They didn’t make it far before they had company.
Logan and Samantha.
Mercedes stopped, doing her best to remain at Xander’s side as he had instructed earlier. From this point on, she was going to make a point to do as he asked. Since she’d already defied him enough to earn a severe punishment, she was hoping to earn back a few brownie points. Even if it killed her.
Had she been her own sub acting out like this, she knew for a fact that she wouldn’t have fared nearly as well. Xander was being way too tolerant. It made her feel good, but that’s only because she felt as though she still had the upper hand. It made her want to push him at the same time.
She’d committed herself to this – no holds barred. And he’d done the same. So why did he seem to be holding back as much as she was?
“I hear this was your suggestion,” Logan said as he approached them, nodding toward the open space, apparently referring to the themed play going on around them.
“It was,” Xander agreed, his fingers tightening around hers, adding a level of comfort she hadn’t realized was missing. “I’m rather impressed with the turnout. Glad you could make it.”
“We are too,” Logan added, pulling Samantha to his side gently. “I think my brother’s even more impressed. Sounds to me like Sierra has taken a particular interest in some of the equipment.”
Xander grinned as he glanced across the room. Mercedes followed his gaze, noticing he was looking at the Sybian saddle machine. She fought the urge to smile.
Yeah, if Sierra got a taste of that, she could imagine her husbands might just run out and buy her one. The machine was interesting, but she could imagine the look on Luke and Cole’s faces as they watched her on it.
“What about you?” Xander asked, directing his question to Samantha. “Are you here to play tonight?”
She looked embarrassed by the question, but she squared her shoulders and smiled up at Xander, then over to Mercedes.
“If I can talk him into it, yes.”
Mercedes decided that she really liked Sam. The woman embraced her desires, and that was truly refreshing. She knew so many women and men who merely fantasized, never taking the plunge to explore those fantasies. And here, at the club her brother-in-law owned, Mercedes imagined Sam felt safe.
As she should.
“Well, I think you’ll find plenty to keep your attention tonight,” Xander said, glancing down at Sam and then back to Logan.
Mercedes noticed a small amount of disappointment in Sam’s eyes, but she was pretty sure she saw relief mixed with it. Had she been hoping for another scene with them?
For some reason, the idea wasn’t as off-putting as she would’ve thought. Although, tonight, Mercedes wasn’t really looking to have an intimate audience. Especially not now that she’d riled Xander up with her disobedience.
Mercedes held her breath, hoping Xander wouldn’t invite the couple to join them. Not tonight. Please, not tonight.
“I’ll be acting out a scene with Mercedes tonight. If you’re interested in watching, we’ll be one of the main attractions.”
Mercedes noticed Xander’s discreet head tilt in the direction of the glass enclosed rooms that acted as the main stage for the club as a whole. Ok, so she wasn’t going to get a reprieve tonight.
She could handle being on display. That wasn’t a problem. She didn’t mind being one of the main attractions either. What she feared most was what Xander had planned for her.
“In fact, I think they just got the room ready,” Xander said, drawing Mercedes’s attention.
Oh, God.
She looked back at the third room to see at some point a spanking bench had been delivered. If her heart hadn’t just taken to galloping in her chest, she might’ve admired it for a moment. Instead, she had the urge to throw up.
“We look forward to checking it out later,” Logan told them, glancing between the two of them as he held out his hand to Xander. “I’ll catch up with you both later in the week.”
Mercedes forced a smile, swallowing hard. She looked over at Sam, their eyes meeting briefly, and she saw what looked like admiration peering back at her.
Why in the world would the woman want to be in her shoes at the moment?
“Definitely. We’ll have lunch so we can talk. Good to see you, Sam,” Xander said as a good-bye, smiling tentatively at the pretty blonde while Mercedes clung to his hand like a lifeline.
Yeah, she was seriously going to have to conjure up some level of calm or she was not going to make it through the next few minutes, much less the evening.