Nicole Edwards - Perception

They’d practically absorbed Mercedes right into the fold without question.

“It has three boobs,” Ashleigh told them.

“And don’t forget the three love holes,” McKenna added with a snicker.

“Look at this,” Samantha called from a few feet away. “It’s called a happy hopper.”

“Oh, God. That’s hilarious,” Sierra said as she broke out into giggles and moved past them.

“What do you do with it?” Ashleigh asked.

“You sit on it. And… hop.”

McKenna laughed outrageously as Ashleigh stared in disbelief at the giant blow up ball that was equipped with three different size dildos attached to the top.

“Hey, you’ve got to see this stuff,” Sierra called from the next aisle over.

Mercedes followed the rest of them as they maneuvered through the store, picking up and giggling at several more of the items on the shelf before making their way over to Sierra.

Ahh, yes. The BDSM aisle.

Sam glanced over at Mercedes, their eyes connecting briefly before Sam looked away, trying to hide a smile.

“This is some serious stuff,” Sierra said as she picked up a box. “It’s called The Humiliator.”

“Do people really use this stuff?” Ashleigh asked again.

“They do,” Mercedes assured them. Granted, she didn’t know anyone who used a ball gag with a toilet brush attached to the end, but to each his own. “As for that, I’m sure someone has had endless hours of pleasure.”

They all laughed, just as she expected they would.

“Have you used any of these things?” Sam asked, her tone more serious than before.

“All the time. I’m frequently encouraging my subs to think outside of the box.”

“Your subs?” Sam asked, her eyes wide. “But I thought –”

“That’s what Xander wanted you to think,” Mercedes said before Sam finished.

“So you’re not a submissive?”

“No, not by a long shot.”

Sam didn’t seem convinced, but the woman was kind enough to keep her comment to herself. It was clear by the expression on her face that she didn’t belief her.

Along the wall, there were different forms of kinky toys, including blindfolds, muzzles, spreader bars, as well as wrist and ankle restraints. In another section to their left, there were hoods and dungeon irons, not to mention a myriad of suspension equipment and even a section for pony and puppy play.

Mercedes noticed Ashleigh had turned white as a sheet as she continued to take stock of the various toys people used to entertain themselves.

“Do you have a favorite?” McKenna asked her now.

“I like cock and ball shackles,” Mercedes told them honestly. “Cock rings and ball weights are always a good time as well.”

“You’re a Domme?” Sierra asked, apparently trying to sound unsurprised.

“I am,” she assured them.

“Well, I’ll be damned. That’s fucking cool.” Leave it to McKenna to be impressed. “We definitely have to have lunch sometime soon. I’d be honored if you’d let me pick your brain. I’ve considered doing a BDSM series for my online magazine, and you’d be perfect.”

Mercedes smiled, but she wasn’t about to make a commitment.

“So how do two Doms hook up?” Sierra questioned her.

“They don’t usually.”

“So you and Xander are… what? Experimenting?” Sam asked, her expression unreadable.

“You could say that.”

The girls must’ve been happy with her response because they moved on, continuing to pick up and discuss the assorted selection of toys and sexual apparatus that they came across.

Mercedes was enjoying their reactions, hanging back a little bit when Sam came up to her side. “Whatever it is between you and Xander, I don’t think it matters what the norm is.”

Mercedes turned to face Sam more directly. “Is that advice?”

“No, just observance. I’m the last person who could give advice. I can’t even figure out what I want these days, much less help someone else. But I’ve seen the way the two of you look at each other.”

Mercedes was quiet, still waiting for Sam to finish her thought.

“Let’s just say, you don’t see that every day.”

And with that, Sam went to join the others, leaving Mercedes to dwell on her comment.

And yes, Samantha was partially right. You don’t see it every day.

But that didn’t mean it was meant to be.

Xander was sitting in the darkened living room when Mercedes arrived. When he had walked in the door half an hour ago, he hadn’t bothered turning on lights or lamps before he dropped onto the sofa. Hell, he didn’t even turn on the television to try and pass the time.

His only thought had been waiting for Mercedes to show up. He hadn’t been able to convince himself to go upstairs to shower and wait for her either. Truth was, he wanted to see her the moment she stepped through his door. Simply put, he had missed her.

And their brief conversation by phone that afternoon hadn’t satisfied him in the least. It was the first time since he’d opened the cigar bar that he would’ve preferred to be anywhere else but there. As long as he was with Mercedes.

But, in order to prove to himself that his life could still be normal even when he didn’t feel normal, he’d continued with his routine. Only now, the woman who’d sent his normal day-to-day into a dizzying spiral was opening his front door and stepping inside.

“Hi,” she said when she noticed him sitting in the shadows.

“Come here,” he said in response. He hadn’t meant it to come out so forceful, but he’d slipped.

She must’ve heard something in his tone because she smiled. “Over there? Where you are?”

“That’s right.” He smiled back at her, his entire body filling with light just from the radiance of her face. “Right here. On my lap.”

“Mind if I take my shoes off?”

“Not at all. In fact, I’d be more than happy if you’d get completely naked.”

“Is that an order?” she asked warily.

“Not yet.”

Mercedes kicked off her shoes and padded across the hardwood floor. When she hiked up her skirt a little, standing directly in front of him, he held out his hands to her. With their fingers linked, he eased her onto his lap so that she straddled him.

“You smell like smoke,” she told him with a grin. “I kind of like it. Did you have fun tonight?” she asked.

“It was a good night, yes.” He wouldn’t go so far as to say it was fun. Between talking business and missing Mercedes, he would’ve enjoyed himself more if he’d just spent the night in with her. “What about you?”

“We had a good time. I like them.”

Mercedes had informed him that Sam had invited her for a girl’s night out. When she hadn’t elaborated about where they were going, he had inquired. And that’s when she informed him they would be going to a sex toy shop.

“Did you find anything you liked while you were there?”

“There was this one chastity cage that I had my eye on.”

Xander laughed, but there wasn’t an ounce of humor in the sound. Because he knew Mercedes could be quite vindictive when she wanted to be, he opted to change the subject before she got any ideas about putting one of those things on him. After all, he had agreed to let her top him. If she went hardcore on him, he might just have to wave the white flag. Especially if she got anywhere near his dick with any sort of cage.

“Have you seen my dungeon lately?” he asked, knowing she hadn’t. That got her attention instantly. “Don’t worry, pet,” he whispered as he slid his hand behind her neck, pulling her closer to him. “Tonight, I don’t intend to tie you down or punish you.”

He pressed his lips to hers gently.

“No? Change of heart?” she asked softly.

“Not at all. But tonight, I’m interested in pursuing what we started last night.”

No matter how hard he tried, throughout the day Xander had thought of little other than what had happened between them last night when they’d finally fallen into bed. They’d burned up the sheets, and he had been ready for a replay since the second he woke up. Now that she was there with him, he didn’t want to stop touching her long enough for her to get naked. Although he would since it would be for a worthy cause.

Pulling her closer so that he could feel the heat between her legs against his throbbing hard on, he slid his hands down her back and cupped her ass in both hands.

“I want to be inside of you,” he stated gently. “I’ve waited all damn day and I’ve finally run out of patience.”

Mercedes’s eyes softened as she stared back at him. “Me too.”

God, he was still shocked when he heard her say things like that. He expected her to try and play it off as a joke. Or even to argue. But her easy acceptance and admission had hope flaring in his chest.

Sliding his hands down her hips, he made his way to her thighs and then pushed her skirt up even higher so that he could feel her bare skin against his palms.

“Stroke me,” he encouraged her as he leaned forward, urging her to kiss him.

When her mouth met his, he was sure they would spontaneously combust. The air crackled and sizzled around them. She was fire in his arms, ablaze with a desperation that mirrored his own. He wasn’t about to let her go, clothes be damned.

Somehow, bless her, she managed to free his cock without ever pulling her lips from his. He sucked on her tongue while he reached for her panties. There was no way he was letting her up so he could work them down her legs. He’d just have to replace them later.

A soft ripping sound had Mercedes pulling back from him, and he fought the urge to laugh.