As part owner of Devotion, Xander had several reservations about what was about to happen. For one, submitting to Mercedes, even if it was a one time – or rather two time – deal wasn’t at the top of his list of things he wanted to accomplish in his lifetime.
Actually, it wasn’t even on the list.
However, he had seen that familiar spark in her eyes earlier when they’d left his condo, right after she’d given him strict instruction as to how the night would go. He had complied half-heartedly, hating himself for agreeing to this in the first place.
If the woman thought it went against her nature to submit, she had no fucking clue what it was like for him. Even if it meant he was fulfilling a fantasy of hers – her words exactly – he felt the animal beneath his skin itching to get free.
When they’d arrived at the club, he had allowed the valet to take his Escalade while he walked Mercedes inside, still being the perfect gentleman he was raised to be. But it was the moment they stepped into the club proper that his world tipped on its axis. And not in a good way either.
She’d warned him of her expectations so he’d gone along with it. After all, tomorrow morning – when their time was officially over – would depend on his participation tonight, even he knew that much.
Thankfully, she had allowed him to wear his comfortable attire, which consisted of leather pants, his shit kickers and a plain black t-shirt. She’d handpicked everything from his closet earlier, and he’d been impressed.
But, that’s where his comfort level took a quick nosedive.
It wasn’t that he had a problem being partially naked in public. That didn’t bother him in the least. But removing his shirt so that everyone could see the thick black collar that now wrapped like a noose around his neck wasn’t thrilling him at all.
Shit, at this point, he wasn’t sure he’d even be able to convince his dick that this would be worth his while.
As he reached for the drinks he’d ordered at the bar, he felt the weight of the huge leather cuffs that wrapped around his arms and he fought the urge to groan. Another of Mercedes’s “surprises” for him tonight.
The woman was pushing her luck. Up to this point, he thought he’d been somewhat of a good sport about this. Thank God he’d be the one in control as soon as they made it back to his condo because he was going to tan her ass for putting him through this shit.
He made his way back to where Mercedes was standing, handing her the drink she’d requested. As he stood beside her, he kept his attention focused solely on her. It was that or possibly rip the fucking collar off of his neck and use it to bind her hands behind her back so he could take her nine ways to Sunday right there at the fucking bar.
The look she shot him would’ve had a weaker man cowering. She was going to push her limits tonight; it was written clearly in her beautiful gray eyes.
His attention was drawn to a sound across the room, and Xander looked up to see Shane laughing at something Luke McCoy said.
Just fucking great.
It looked like Mercedes was going to have her work cut out for her tonight because he wasn’t feeling especially submissive. Exactly the opposite. And maybe that’s what she needed. Topping from the bottom was something he despised, but it was also something he could master in the situation he was currently in. Based on the way Mercedes had submitted to him so sweetly over the last few days, he knew it wouldn’t be tough to accomplish either.
He glanced around the room as he waited for to command him to do something, wishing like hell they’d just get on with it. As it was, it seemed everyone who was anyone was there tonight.
Of course, he noticed Sam and Logan were sitting on one of the couches closer to the glass enclosed rooms talking to Sierra and Cole, who looked way too cozy at the moment.
He wondered how long before Mercedes noticed they’d shown up tonight. Or how long it would take for her to interact with them. If it had been him in control, after all that had happened since their first trip to Devotion, he could easily figure out a way to work Sam and Logan into tonight’s festivities.
Shit.
Glancing down, he noticed she was watching them intently, probably trying to mentally will them to see her. Or him. Or both of them.
Fucking hell.
If she had any intention of inviting them to watch, or worse, participate, he was going to lose his shit.
Then again, Mercedes was acting different tonight. Quite frankly, she’d been acting strange since he found her lying in his bed that morning. She’d been lost in thought when he approached, and it hadn’t been until he spoke that she even realized he was in the room.
They’d been apart during the day because work had gotten in the way, but as soon as she walked into his condo that evening, she’d taken the reins and was holding them tight, fully morphing into the Mistress she was known to be.
His only hope would be to get her naked so he could slake his lust inside of her. If that were to happen, he didn’t give a shit who stood by to watch. So, maybe, if he were lucky, he might just get something out of this.
Then again, if she wanted to keep it one on one between the two of them, no one around to see how hot she made him burn, he was all for that as well. He could think of a million ways to make her scream his name, didn’t matter if she believed she was the top or the bottom. He didn’t give a fuck either way.
“Are you ready?” Mercedes asked him several minutes later as she set her empty glass on the bar.
He downed what was left of his Glenlivet before turning to face her. Just for the hell of it, he didn’t answer, just nodded his head. The way she cocked her eyebrows almost made him smile, but he managed to hold it back. Just the little act of not verbally responding was enough for her to think about all of the ways she could punish him and quite frankly, Xander was looking forward to seeing her do her worst.
“I want you one step behind me at all times,” she ordered, and he immediately remembered the first theme night they’d attended just a few short days ago. He’d said something very close to that to her.
When she turned away, just because he could, he took a moment to admire her beautiful body. The woman made his blood burn hot, and it didn’t matter if she was wearing the demure silk that he preferred to see her in or in the sexy Domme-wear she sported now. Hell, she could’ve been naked because when she got that air of confidence about her, he lusted after her all the more.
Again, it was all about stirring things up a bit.
He followed Mercedes, knowing full well she intended to head over to Shane because that was going to be her way of punishing him for what he’d put her through the last few days. And since he’d already defied her once since their arrival, he knew she’d be keeping track of his transgressions from here on out.
Considering he knew Samantha and Logan were watching, Xander decided tonight might just be the night to introduce them to what it meant to be a defiant sub. After all, he could be a teacher no matter which role he was in.
“Shane, good to see you,” Mercedes greeted as the pair hugged and kissed one another briefly.
Xander didn’t allow the chaste kiss to upset him, although he had the urge to punch Shane in his too pretty face. Rather than give the man something to remember, Xander stood one step behind her as instructed and glared down at Shane with a smirk on his face.
“Looks like your sub’s a little cocky tonight,” Shane said, unable to disguise his amusement with the situation.
You’re a dead man, Xander mouthed, making sure Shane read his lips perfectly.
Shane laughed, causing Mercedes to turn and look back at him, taking a moment to study him as she did, and Xander made sure the smirk was gone.
“It would seem so,” she said absently. “I think I have a good idea on how to take care of that though.”
Xander cocked an eyebrow as he met her gaze, unwilling to look away. He wanted to know what she had in mind. He’d half hoped she would’ve laid out her plan for the night prior to their arrival, but she’d kept the majority of the details to herself. It appeared she was going to surprise him. That was ok too. He liked surprises. Monotony wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
“Care to watch?” she asked Shane, never taking her eyes off of Xander.
“Depends,” Shane grinned like a fool. “As much as I’d love to see you beat his ass, I’m waiting for someone. She should be here any minute. If you can wait a few minutes, I’d be happy to watch. Or even participate.”
Xander was going to put a serious hurt on the man if he didn’t shut the fuck up.
“We’d like to watch.” The voice came from behind Xander and he did his best not to turn around, but he knew without looking who it was.
Samantha McCoy.
Lord kill him now.
“Is that right?” Mercedes asked, turning to address Samantha with a stunning smile on her lovely face. From what Xander could tell, she definitely liked the idea of Sam watching whatever she had in store for him tonight.
“If that’s all right with you, of course,” Sam amended.
Xander edged around, trying to stay one step behind Mercedes as instructed. He wanted to see Sam as she addressed Mercedes, wondering whether she’d even noticed the drastic role switch they’d done for the night.
“I’ve reserved room three,” Mercedes informed Sam, her hand lifting in the direction of the glass rooms that stood proudly in the center of the main floor. “If you’d like, you can have a front row seat.”
Room three? Fucking hell. He’d been hoping for a private room, but he shouldn’t have expected any less.
“We’ll be in a private room upstairs,” another voice claimed from behind him and this time Xander turned around. He knew that voice.
Shit.
Elijah Penn.
Fuck. Could this night get any worse?
Xander watched as Sam turned to face Elijah, her eyes widening with obvious appreciation as he moved in closer.
“A private room?” Samantha asked.
“That’s right,” the Brit said, his hands in his pockets as he watched her intently. “That is if you’re game.”
Samantha turned to look at Logan, who nodded his head in response. Ok, so clearly these three had something going on between them. Xander was curious as to what, but it wasn’t his business, so he kept his mouth shut.
“There’s my date now,” Shane said and everyone’s attention was drawn to him.
Son of a fucking bitch.
Clarissa Tinsley.
When the woman approached, she smirked at Xander before placing a quick kiss on Shane’s lips in greeting.
“Clarissa,” Mercedes greeted the woman, moving toward her and embracing her gently. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Me too,” Clarissa offered, her gaze once again landing on Xander.
Fuck.
Tonight was going to be the worst night of his life; he could feel it.
Clarissa Tinsley, former assistant to a wannabe submissive Realtor, current Attorney-at-law. And one of Mercedes’s best friends to boot. Ever since that very first night at dinner when Clarissa had sparked Mercedes’s attention with her submissive admission, the two had become rather good friends.
The same couldn’t be said for old Tim Johnson. The wannabe submissive had crossed Mercedes one time too many and she’d kicked him to the curb. That was about the same time Clarissa was finishing up law school. The timing had been perfect.
But Clarissa wasn’t just a friend of Mercedes. She was also a trainee at Kink – a submissive trainee – and for the longest time, Shane had shown a great deal of interest in the woman. Clearly, he was still interested in her if he’d thought to invite her to Devotion.
Fucking hell.
“Well, we’ll likely catch up with you later,” Logan offered, obviously catching the vibe that was now coursing between the four of them. Xander nodded toward Logan, a silent thank you.
He was going to have a difficult enough time dealing with Clarissa and Shane being there, the last thing he needed was for Logan and Samantha to be a witness to this.
“We look forward to watching your scene as well,” Mercedes said to Logan, her attention divided between him and Elijah.
With that, Logan took Sam’s hand and turned away. Xander couldn’t hide his amazement when Elijah took her other hand, leading her away.
Oh, fuck. That was definitely going to be interesting.
When Mercedes moved closer to Clarissa, Xander moved behind her, trying to keep that one step behind rule in mind. The move allowed him to keep Shane and Clarissa in his sights as well.
“So, you’re interested in joining us tonight?” Mercedes asked Shane and Clarissa directly.
“If you’ll have us,” Clarissa said sweetly, her eyes darting up to Shane and then back to Mercedes. She seemed to be ignoring Xander.
Not that he cared. In fact, it would be great if he could be invisible.
“We’d love to,” Shane tacked on, wrapping his arm around Clarissa’s shoulder and pulling her to his side. “What did you have in mind?”
Clarissa was pretty, not mouthwatering like Mercedes, but she wasn’t hard on the eyes by any means. The emerald green silk sheath she wore clung to her body, accentuating her voluptuous breasts and her flared hips. The woman was small. Much smaller than Mercedes and Xander wasn’t quite sure how he felt about that.
He was a big man. Not just tall either. Weighing in at two-seventy-five, Xander worked diligently to build muscle and to maintain it. Based on how slight Clarissa appeared standing before Mercedes, he had to wonder whether she’d even be able to handle him if things headed that direction.
And he got a sinking feeling that was exactly what Mercedes intended to do tonight. It might not have been her initial plan, but it was just something she would do.
Mercedes turned her attention to Clarissa directly. “Do you understand what’s going on here tonight?”
“I’m sorry?” Clarissa asked, clearly confused by Mercedes’s question.
“Tonight isn’t what you think,” Mercedes stated clearly. “I know that you’ve always known Xander to be a Dom.”
“Two Doms?” Clarissa looked incredibly curious, and maybe a little confused.
“Not tonight, no. Tonight Xander belongs to me.”
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“We’ve been,” Mercedes looked up at Xander with a mischievous gleam in her eyes, “experimenting lately.”
Yeah, experimenting his ass. The woman was submissive, even if she was in denial.
He kept his mouth shut.
“What does that mean?” Clarissa asked, biting her lower lip as she glanced between him and Mercedes.
“It means that tonight, I’m in charge.”
“Oh.”
“But, I’m all for having you participate if it’s something you think you can handle.”
Clarissa stared at Mercedes as though she’d just been tossed down a rabbit hole, and she had no idea what was reality and what was fantasy.
“Can you handle it, Rissa?”
Clarissa glanced over at Shane, who was clearly amused by the situation. Xander did his best not to fist his hands at his sides. He was here to play along. That was the agreement and by God, if it fucking killed him, he would play along.
“I think I can handle it,” she said, her attention back on Mercedes.
Xander shook his head to let her know that was not the answer Mercedes would want, but at this point, it didn’t matter. The statement was out there, and Mercedes would likely inform her of her mistake.
“I’m going to be lenient with you tonight, Rissa. Only because you’re not used to seeing Xander like this. For tonight, you’ll address me as your Domme.”
Clarissa looked up at Shane, who nodded in response. So the man was willing to play along. He’d loan out his temporary submissive just to watch Xander squirm.
And Xander knew without a doubt that whatever was going on between Shane and Clarissa was temporary. There was no way in hell Shane would share a sub if he’d staked a claim on her.
But then again, the woman Shane wanted wasn’t a sub, which meant for the time being, he was still pretending he didn’t care.
“When I ask a question, I expect a straight answer,” Mercedes continued. “Yes or no would suffice. So, which will it be?”
Clarissa looked completely taken aback by the stern tone of Mercedes’s voice. Yep, that was her Domme side coming out in full force, something Clarissa probably wasn’t at all used to. At least not having it directed at her. However, Xander was familiar with it, even if he wasn’t used to being on the receiving end.
To his astonishment, Clarissa responded. “Yes. I think I can handle it,” she said, her voice quavering slightly.
Wrong answer again. Xander fought the urge to smile.
“You can refer to me as Mistress M or Ma’am. Say it, Rissa. Say ‘yes, Mistress M’.”
“Yes, Mistress M,” Clarissa repeated, her eyes glued to the woman in front of her. Thankfully Mercedes was facing away from him because he did grin.
He found it amusing, the easy way Clarissa submitted. She was a natural. Even if she was a little too agreeable most of the time. That was one of the main things that drove him crazy about some of the trainees at Kink, they acted like whipping posts. Then again, there were some on the opposite end of the spectrum who wouldn’t know how to submit if they spent a year in the role.
Clarissa was a natural submissive, one who enjoyed the role. Xander figured it had a lot to do with her high powered career. She was always in control in the courtroom, so in the bedroom, she’d easily hand over the reins, letting someone take over.
To each his own and all that.
Xander noticed the way Shane’s hand tightened on Clarissa’s hip, his eyes on Mercedes. It surprised Xander somewhat. The man didn’t seem to have a problem handling Clarissa, but it didn’t appear he was quite as excited as he let on about letting Mercedes take control.
Welcome to my world, Gibson.
Xander couldn’t wait to see how that was going to work out.
~~*~~*~~
Mercedes watched Clarissa, noticed the way her eyes dilated as the woman stood motionless in front of her. This was her good friend. A woman she knew to be submissive because she’d seen her interact with Shane and a couple of other Doms at Kink in the years since she’d met her, but never had she been a part of a scene with her.
Then again, Mercedes didn’t act out scenes with female submissives. At least not unless they’d done something that would earn them a punishment from her. And that was very rare.
But this… it was going to be interesting to say the least.
There was excitement banked in Clarissa’s light brown eyes, but there was something else as well. Trepidation, maybe? Figuring she’d leave Clarissa in suspense for a minute, she turned her attention to Shane, who stood rigidly behind her.
“Do you think you can handle this tonight?” She directed the question at him this time.
If his posture were anything to go by, the man was going to take his sub and run as fast as he possibly could away from her.
And that was all right too. She wasn’t going to push them. Sometimes it was easier to think that men could wield the power better than a woman. Then again, Shane had seen her in action, which, quite possibly, might be the cause for his uneasiness.
“If Rissa is open to the idea, I’m game,” he answered easily, his tone belying the tension she could see in his shoulders beneath that black button down.
Mercedes hadn’t planned for this. After all, Xander was supposed to be her quest for the night, but she had to admit, the idea of dominating Clarissa had a lot of merit. For one, it would give her a chance to express her dominating side which had laid dormant for too many days now. But it would ensure she didn’t have to see that void she feared she would see in Xander’s eyes if she looked too closely.
Not to mention, it might help to put a little distance between her and the inconvenient feelings she was beginning to develop for Xander. The ones that continued to grow stronger with each passing minute.
Just like Xander, Shane wasn’t in the least bit submissive and the worst part of all of this, she knew at some point, she was probably going to have to hand over the reins to him – at least where Clarissa was concerned. Mercedes wasn’t all that fond of co-topping. She preferred to keep everything within her realm of control.
But then again, she hadn’t expected to enjoy being Xander’s submissive. And she did, even if she wouldn’t admit it out loud. So maybe she would learn something else about herself tonight.
Glancing back at Clarissa, Mercedes decided right then and there that she was going to keep an open mind about tonight. This was playtime. It was fun. She refused to let her emotions lead her. Not tonight. To see this woman bend to her will was going to be something. It was a challenge that she would grab hold of with both hands.
A scene from a few years ago came back to her. One she’d witnessed at Kink. Shane and another Dom had dominated a sub – per the sub’s request. They’d sandwiched her between them and made her come so loudly, Mercedes was surprised the windows hadn’t rattled. At the time, she had been impressed.
The thought gave her pause.
No, she wouldn’t allow things to go that far. She certainly wasn’t going to share Xander with Clarissa. Not like that anyway. A little touching, a little oral… yeah, she could handle that.
So, sure, maybe she was having doubts on her ability to dominate Xander, or even her desire to, but she damn sure liked the idea of blowing Xander’s mind.
It would be a true test – both hers and his.
Tonight appeared to have taken on a new agenda and Mercedes was ok with that. This was no longer about dominating Xander; it was about showing Clarissa exactly what it meant to obey a Mistress, not just a Master. Mercedes had earned the respect of her peers, and although Xander had effectively stripped her of her control on more than one occasion, she needed a reminder that she was still in charge.
“X, please take Rissa to the room, and Shane and I will be there shortly,” she instructed, her eyes still fixated on Clarissa.
Her friend nodded slightly, her utter and complete submission apparent. She was a willing participant, which amped up Mercedes’s excitement. If nothing else, she was going to have fun tonight.
When the two of them walked away a moment later, Clarissa’s arm linked in Xander’s much larger one, Mercedes turned her attention to Shane, but kept her eyes trained on the couple as they retreated.
“Well, this is a surprise,” Shane said with a gruff chuckle, sounding much more relaxed than he had a moment ago.
Mercedes smiled at him as she turned back to face him fully. “Not what you expected, I take it?”
“In more ways than one.” Shane laughed, a sexy rumble that made Mercedes understand just what Clarissa saw in the man.
Although she’d never had a personal attraction to him, she wouldn’t deny that he was one damn fine looking man. Blond hair, blue eyes, great body. He was definitely attractive. Way better than average in her opinion. And he clearly enjoyed playtime with his submissives which told her a lot.
“How the hell did this come about?” Shane asked.
“It’s just temporary,” she explained, not sure how much she should share with him. She wasn’t sure how much Xander had shared with him. “If you know Xander, you know he’s always up for a challenge. Apparently this was his way of rattling the cage if you will.”
“I’d say he succeeded. I had no idea.” Shane laughed again.
“Does that mean you’re good with this? You’re open to whatever I want to do?”
“If Clarissa is, I’m game. I think she’s open to a lot of things. She wants to learn more, to explore what all of this means.”
“Well, if you don’t mind me saying, she couldn’t have better teachers. I’m sure you’ve taught her plenty, but you have to admit, Xander’s something else,” Mercedes told him. “But tonight, she’ll get to see it from two separate points of view.”
“Shit, I’m interested in seeing it from your point of view.”
“Just remember, tonight Xander is a full-fledged submissive, which means he’ll be relinquishing all of his decision making to me. Don’t look to him as the Dom.”
“No worries there,” he grinned. “Dressed like that, I’d never take him for anything other than a submissive.”
Mercedes smiled. Xander did look damn fine with her collar around his neck. “Trust me, I don’t think it’ll be easy, but I assure you, I’ve got a plan. If everyone can remember that this is all about pleasure, we won’t have any problems.”
“I don’t think Rissa will have a problem understanding that.”
“Well, if the look in her eyes is anything to go by, I think she’s going to do just fine. And trust me, Shane, I’m going to go easy on her.” She didn’t bother to tell him she was going to go light because she knew Xander wasn’t eager to participate, or that she was beginning to doubt her desire to top him.
Shane laughed, nodding his head as he peered over his shoulder to the glass room where Xander and Clarissa now stood talking. Neither of them turned to look their way and Mercedes could only guess that Xander was offering Clarissa some guidance of his own. Smart boy.
“Consider this an experiment, if you will. I’d like to see how she responds to him, as well as to me” Mercedes said seriously as she looked directly at Shane. “I think it might be just what we all need.”
What she needed was to put some space between her and Xander, but Mercedes didn’t add that part.
Shane nodded as though he understood, but his eyes didn’t reflect even a hint of concern.
“Does she have any issues with doing things in public?”
Shane laughed. “No, no issues. Sometimes I wonder whether all of her inhibitions have been destroyed.”
Mercedes laughed, thinking about Clarissa and all of the ways she would be able to push the other woman’s boundaries. “All right, then I say we give them a few minutes to think this over. You’re welcome to join me, but I need to talk to someone for a few minutes.”
“Go ahead. I’ve got someone to catch up with and then I’ll meet you back in the room,” Shane said with a grin.
Mercedes walked away with a smile on her face that matched Shane’s. This was definitely going to get very, very interesting before the night was over.