Perception Page 5

  Mercedes glared at him from across the table, letting him know with her eyes that she wasn’t going to take his shit this morning. She was not getting into this with him. What happened last night shouldn’t have happened. It was a demonstration that had gotten way out of hand.

  So what if he’d given her one of the best orgasms of her entire life. With his fingers.

  It wasn’t like she was going to tell him as much.

  Refusing to dignify his statement with a verbal response, Mercedes reached for a bagel and opted to move the conversation back to neutral ground. “What’s Shane coming over to talk about?”

  Xander grinned, an all-out, panty-melting smile that had Mercedes fighting to keep from looking away from him. Rather than say something entirely inappropriate, which Xander was known to do from time to time, he morphed into the business professional that she knew him to be, his smile fading away entirely.

  “We need to talk about the two properties we’re planning to bid on,” Xander explained.

  “By ‘we’, you mean you and Shane are bidding against each other? On both properties?”

  Xander kept his eyes on her. “Honestly, I could give a shit less about the land, he can have it if he wants it that bad. I want the Milton building.”

  Mercedes knew about both properties, the one hundred plus acres off of the toll road up in Frisco and an old office building off of Milton right there in downtown that had just come on the market. Both of them were zoned for either commercial or residential, which was the factor that always put Shane and Xander at odds with one another.

  Admittedly, Mercedes had significantly more knowledge regarding the Milton building. After all, Xander had been interested in it since she first brought it to his attention, so she had looked into a few specifics and taken him on a tour earlier in the week.

  “I think that’s smart,” she told him. “The Milton building will be your best option of the two. He’ll want to turn it into condos anyway, and there’re an overabundance of them in that area. He’s better off with the land. Much more opportunity for residential development up that way.”

  That wasn’t going to make Shane a happy camper, but then again, going up against Xander in a bidding war wasn’t exactly one of Shane’s favorite things to do either.

  Mercedes had known both men for quite some time. She knew how their minds worked because she’d worked with them both on practically a daily basis for the last decade.

  She sold commercial real estate, and they dealt in commercial and residential property development, respectively. And many of the property transactions they dealt with were handled by her. Although she had a handful of other high profile clients, Xander was definitely her bread and butter. He knew it too.

  Before they could go into further detail, her home phone rang. Grabbing the handset that was on the breakfast bar, Mercedes greeted the doorman, letting him know it was fine to send Shane up.

  Rising from her chair, Mercedes contemplated getting more coffee before heading to her office. She definitely needed caffeine and a much more structured atmosphere or she would likely do something foolish such as allow Xander, or worse, Shane, know exactly what she was thinking. And the absolute last person who needed to find out what happened last night was Shane Gibson. If he found out, she would never live it down.

  “Let’s do this in my office,” she told Xander when she turned back to look at him, her face flaming when she realized how that sounded.

  Shit. She was going to have to get a serious grip.

  And soon.

  The devilish gleam in his eyes said he’d caught on as well.

  ~*~*~*~

  Doing his best to hide his amusement, Xander pushed back from the kitchen table and followed Mercedes through her condo. He didn’t, however, try to hide the fact that he was staring at her ass as she moved gracefully through the house.

  The woman was fucking gorgeous, and she had an ass that made a man’s mouth water. Heart shaped and the perfect size to fill his hands nicely.

  He’d been hoping she would come out of her bedroom after her shower wearing one of those form fitting, yoga outfits that she favored when she was home. Casual wear, she called them. Much to his dismay, Mercedes had clearly armed herself for battle wearing a short skirt and a blazer with those damn red heels that gave him an instant hard on.

  Still, it didn’t matter what she wore. She was hot as hell. Shit, he was pretty sure she could wear a potato sack, and his dick would still stand up and take notice.

  Mercedes cleared her throat, and Xander forced his eyes to move upward. He wanted to laugh because he’d been clearly busted while admiring her perfect ass. Rather than pretend he hadn’t been eyeballing her, he tossed her one of the heated looks he’d perfected over the years.

  “Sit down,” she said with a choked laugh.

  He was fairly certain that Mercedes was on to him. How could she not be though? After last night?

  If she seriously thought that what happened between them at Devotion was just a demonstration, the woman was clearly missing a few marbles. And he knew that wasn’t the case because Mercedes was one of the most perceptive, intelligent women he’d ever met.

  He waited for her to take a seat behind her desk before he lowered himself to the chair across from her.

  “Mornin’,” Shane greeted as he made his way into the oversized room.

  Xander glanced back over his shoulder, offering Shane a tilt of his chin in response. The man was decked out in one of those three thousand dollar suits he’d recently begun sporting. Although his own watch probably cost more than Shane’s entire closet, Xander had to admit, he was impressed with his friend’s recent transformation.

  Shane Gibson was one of Xander’s closest friends. They’d known each other for approximately fifteen years after they’d met during their junior year in college, were both turning thirty-six this year, and although Xander’d started growing his business back in his early twenties, Shane had just recently started getting serious. Now that Shane was starting to rake in the money, he was definitely beginning to look the part, which Xander found amusing considering all the shit Shane had given him through the years.

  He wiped the smile off of his face when he looked up to see Shane glaring at him.

  Based on the stern expression on Shane’s too handsome face, it was clear that this was going to be a tense meeting and truthfully, Xander would’ve preferred to spend his time finding a way to get Mercedes naked again.

  Twenty minutes later, Xander found himself fisting his hands in his lap as he sat patiently waiting for Shane to calm down.

  Tense had been an understatement. Shane had lost his cool the moment Xander hadn’t given in to his demands. It would’ve been comical if Xander were in the right frame of mind.

  Keeping his composure, he remained as relaxed as he could while Shane paced the floor behind him. Mercedes was sitting at her desk, watching both of them intently which was the only reason Xander didn’t lose his shit.

  She’d been the main reason his focus was off all morning, and the last thing he could afford was to let Shane win this round. Clasping his hands together in his lap, Xander crossed one ankle over the opposite knee and glanced over at Shane, who was moving up beside him.

  “Come on, man. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Shane grumbled, his face contorted with anger and frustration. He turned and stomped back the way he’d come before Xander could say anything.

  Uncharacteristically restless, Xander leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he glanced up at Mercedes to see that she was smiling. He wondered if she was entertained by his unease. Probably.

  Any other day, he might’ve taken offense to her obvious amusement at his expense. But today… Today he just couldn’t find it in him to get pissed off.

  No, today he was apparently going to spend every waking moment thinking about her naked.

  The woman had blown his damn mind last night.

  Having known her for years,
Xander had to give himself a significant amount of credit for keeping his hands to himself all this time. Lord knows he’d been tempted ever since he first saw her in that rat trap of an office she had been working out of back when Shane introduced them.

  Rather than try and seduce her, which he knew would’ve been futile because Mercedes had a firm set of beliefs and his intentions didn’t fit them, he’d allowed their relationship to mold into a rather intimate friendship.

  Xander didn’t have many friends, but those he did have, he kept close. Both Mercedes and Shane were in that category. But, unlike any normal friendship, when it came to Mercedes, Xander had suffered some unbearable physical aches through the years, fighting tooth and nail to pretend the woman didn’t turn him the fuck on.

  Oh, how she did.

  But after last night, seeing her in a different light, he wasn’t quite sure he could continue on with the charade. Or rather, he wasn’t sure he wanted to.

  Even if it were obvious that she wasn’t happy about the outcome from their scene, no matter how hard he tried, Xander could not stop thinking about the way she’d come apart in his arms. It’d been incredibly difficult to make it through the night knowing she was tucked in her bed while he was just one floor above tossing and turning from an aching hard on that couldn’t be sated.

  When Shane approached again, Xander glanced over his shoulder, remembering where he was and what he was supposed to be doing.

  “Seriously, X. Tell me you’re joking.”

  “Do I look like I’m joking?” Xander stated firmly, keeping his expression blank as he forced his attention back to the task at hand.

  It wasn’t a secret that Xander enjoyed the shit out of getting Shane riled up, but this morning he just wasn’t feeling it. It was usually the highlight of their interactions, which these days seemed to be more and more frequent as Shane’s business continued to grow.

  Boone Development, LLC, was a light year ahead of Gibson Enterprises, but that divide was shrinking as Shane built a name for himself. And despite the fact that they often found themselves in direct conflict with one another, Xander was genuinely happy for the man.

  “I’m making an offer on the Milton building, and you fucking know it,” Shane said as he stalked across the room once again. “Why can’t you ever make this easy for me?”

  “Life’s not easy,” he told him, knowing his blasé attitude would only piss Shane off more. It didn’t change how he felt about the whole deal.

  They were currently discussing an undeveloped opportunity zoned for either commercial or residential that had just come up. Shane was interested in buying the property, and Xander didn’t blame the guy. Shane was a housing developer, and this particular area was growing by leaps and bounds.

  The problem was, there was more residential space than necessary in the area, but he couldn’t seem to convince Shane of that. As for Xander, he mainly dealt in commercial property development, and in this particular building, he already knew of a company interested in relocating. Either way, their offers would be quite competitive, but when it came down to it, Xander would walk away with the property. He always did.

  “Fuck you, Boone.”

  That statement, and the fierce expression on Shane’s face made Xander laugh. He pushed up from his chair – after all, his size was his best intimidating factor – buttoning his jacket as he did. Turning away from Mercedes, Xander thrust his hands into his pockets and addressed Shane directly.

  Through the years, Xander and Shane had managed to meet somewhere in the middle on many deals much like this one. By middle, Xander meant more so in his favor. When there was a business opportunity that Xander wanted, he would certainly do what needed to be done to ensure he didn’t lose. Pissing off one of his closest friends in the process was usually the end result.

  “I’ll back off of the land if you want it,” Xander informed him. “But I’m not letting go of the Milton building. As far as I’m concerned, this conversation was done before it ever even started. So, if you don’t mind, I’d prefer to move on to something else.”

  Business was business, and on that point, he and Shane always butted heads. They probably always would. They frequently found themselves in direct competition, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

  Despite their business relationship, Xander knew that, by the end of the day, Shane would’ve forgiven him. Somewhat. They were also friends.

  “Are you handling this for him?” Shane directed his question at Mercedes, clearly annoyed with Xander’s lack of cooperation.

  “If he asks me to,” she said.

  “What if I ask you to handle it for me?” Shane questioned, thrusting his hands in his pockets and mimicking Xander’s stance.

  Xander tried not to laugh.

  “I can only work for one of you, so you’ll have to decide which one that is. You know I won’t get in the middle of this. I don’t get paid to be a referee.”

  “I’m not letting this go,” Xander told Shane firmly, ignoring Mercedes’s comment. “You can bid on the land, and I’ll back off, but I’m gonna take this building.”

  “Fuck,” Shane hissed, sliding his hand through his spiky blond hair. “Why do I even bother?” Shane huffed on a frustrated sigh. Although it was phrased like one, Xander knew it wasn’t a question.

  Glancing over at Mercedes, Xander nodded his head. It was his approval for her to move forward with the offer. She tipped her chin in agreement and leaned forward, her fingers flying over the keys on her keyboard.

  “You two don’t waste any time, do you?” Shane asked, sounding much calmer than before.

  That’s the way things worked between them. Shane would get pissed; Xander would tell him how it was going to be and then Shane would move on with his life. The guy didn’t have much stress because of it. Or maybe he didn’t have much stress because he worked a lot of it out at the club. After all, the blond-haired, blue-eyed pretty boy was one of the most sought after Doms at Kink.

  “When you’re done with that, move forward with my offer on the land.”

  Mercedes glanced up at Shane and smiled. “Already working on it.”

  She knew them both so well.

  “Y’all going to the club tonight?” Shane’s sudden change of subject released the tension in the air.

  Looking over at Mercedes, Xander said, “no” at the same time she said “yes.”

  He pinned her with a glare.

  Shane then directed his statement to Mercedes, seemingly ignorant to the underlying tension that was lingering between them. “Want me to pick you up on my way there?”

  “Yeah, that’ll be great.”

  “You sure you don’t want to go?” Shane asked Xander, forcing him to look away from Mercedes.

  “I’m sure. I’ve got another commitment. I’m sure you’ll have a good time without me.”

  “We certainly will, won’t we, doll?” Shane said to Mercedes with that damned pretty boy smile.

  She didn’t answer, but Xander didn’t need her to.

  Shane didn’t waste any more time, nodding his head at Xander. “I’ll catch up with you later.”

  “Later,” Xander called after him as Shane darted out of the office.

  Xander listened to his friend’s footsteps down the hall, then across the Travertine entry way and then finally when Shane opened and closed the front door behind him.

  As soon as he knew they were alone, he turned his attention back on Mercedes. “There is no way in hell you’re going to the club tonight.”

  Chapter Five

  Mercedes didn’t know how she managed to keep from cracking her keyboard right in half when Xander spoke.

  She inhaled slowly through her nose and then out through her mouth as she tried to control the anger that snaked its way into her bloodstream and threatened to burn her to a crisp.

  The man had balls; she’d give him that.

  She could handle a lot of things, such as Xander being an asshole when it came to his business
dealings, but she damn sure didn’t do well with anyone telling her what she could or couldn’t do.

  “Last I checked, you don’t make my decisions for me,” she told him, grateful she’d managed to hold on to some semblance of calm.

  “The hell I don’t,” he bit out.

  Mercedes clamped her jaw shut, afraid if she didn’t, it just might hit the floor. Never, in all the time she’d known Xander had he talked to her like that.

  The man was clearly delusional.

  Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Mercedes got to her feet and moved around to the front of the desk to where Xander stood. She crossed her arms over her chest, keeping her back straight, her chin up as she approached him.

  “Excuse me?” She couldn’t go nose to nose with him because he was several inches taller than she was. But she did meet his eyes. “Is there something we need to talk about?” she asked him curtly.

  “No,” he bit out. “As far as I’m concerned, there isn’t anything to discuss,” he argued, sounding not at all like the calm, confident man she knew so well.

  “Well, I think there is.” Mercedes took one measured step back, not wanting to crane her neck as she argued with this insufferable man. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “Me? What the hell is wrong with you? Do you not remember anything that happened last night?”

  “Yeah, actually I do,” she answered abruptly. “I remember going to Devotion with you to help you with a demonstration. That’s what that was, right? A demonstration? Nothing more, nothing less? As a favor to you, I was your assistant, if I recall correctly.”

  Xander exhaled sharply, but he didn’t look away, the smooth skin on his freshly shaven jaw taut, that telltale vein at his temple giving away his true frustration. “It was more than that and you fucking know it.”

  “I don’t know anything of the sort,” she lied.

  Yes, Mercedes could classify what happened between them as un-fucking-believable. But it was a fluke. A stroke of luck. Inconvenient timing. Strange alignment of the planets. Call it what you will.