“You told me that I’d spend every minute that I’m not working here with you.”

“Right. And you won’t be going to Kink tonight either,” he said, knowing he was going to hit a sore spot with her.

To his surprise, she bit her bottom lip, but she didn’t argue.

“I’ll call Shane and let him know,” Xander told her.

“About us?” she asked suddenly, her eyes widening as though the idea of Shane knowing about their deal was horrifying.

He decided to test her. “Yes.”

“What are you going to say?” she questioned.

“Whatever I want.” He didn’t elaborate. He would tell Shane exactly what was going on because he chose to. End of story.

“Now, do you have any questions?” he asked her.

“Will we be going to Devotion?”

“Yes. I want somewhere we can play. We’ll be more anonymous there.” He was doing that for her, wanting her to realize he was thinking about her. At Kink, she’d be mortified to submit to him. He got that.

Mercedes nodded, as though his answer was acceptable. Xander waited for her to ask more questions. She didn’t.

“Are you on the pill?” he asked.

“Birth control shot, yes.”

“You’ve seen my recent medical records but if you want, I’ll get you a copy.” Routine testing for sexually transmitted disease was a requirement just to be members of Kink, and at Devotion too, so they were both familiar with providing them. Just last week, Xander had sent his with her to Kink. And prior to the soft opening of Devotion, he’d seen hers when he submitted her application for membership.

“Why?” she asked.

“Because,” Xander told her, sliding his finger along her wet slit, “when I’m inside of you, I don’t want any barriers between us.” He paused, dipping the tip of his finger inside of her. “Does that bother you?”

If it did, Xander wouldn’t hesitate to use a condom. He’d never had sex without one, never been in a relationship that had made it to the point where he would trust a woman enough. Most of the time, he was just too weary that a woman would try and trap him by getting pregnant. A morbid thought, maybe, but one he had to consider with everyone he decided to spend time with.

With Mercedes, trust wasn’t an issue. The issue was that he wanted her with his body and his soul and, at least for now, he doubted the feelings were reciprocated.

“I’ve never…” she began, swallowed. “I don’t…”

She clearly couldn’t form an answer, so Xander helped her out. “You’ve never had sex without a condom?”

“No.”

“Are you scared to?”

There was hesitation in her eyes, but he waited her out this time, wanting the truth.

“A little. But not because of what you’re thinking. I just… It seems too intimate.”

Xander agreed. “That’s the point, Mercedes,” he told her, his voice low. “I don’t want anything between us. Nothing. I want to feel you in every way possible.”

She seemed to think it over for several seconds, and then she nodded her head. “Ok. No condoms. Unless we’re at the club,” she answered, the breathless tone of her voice belying the unaffected expression she tried to force into place.

Xander nodded. It was a requirement at Devotion that condoms be used in any public scene. It was also suggested that condoms be used at all times.

“Good,” he told her as he pulled his finger back. “Do you have any other questions for right now?”

She looked like there was something she wanted to ask, but she kept her mouth closed.

“The only thing I ask of you, M, is that you’re honest with me. Open and honest about everything. Answer me verbally when I question you. Talk to me when you have concerns. You know how this works; I don’t need to explain it to you.”

“I know how it works,” she said snippily.

“Good, then I think we’re on the same page.”

“Yes, we’re on the same page.” Mercedes paused briefly. “Just remember we made a deal. I get to dominate you, as well. And there are no hard limits.”

“Trust me baby, I doubt that’s something I’ll ever forget.” The idea of Mercedes dominating him was ludicrous, but he wasn’t about to tell her that. He’d made a deal, and he wouldn’t go back on his word. And just like her, he’d give her his complete and total trust. She would do with it what she wanted.

And in the end, they’d both be stronger for it.

~*~*~*~

Mercedes was hanging by a thread, and she wondered whether Xander knew it.

Here they were, having a somewhat casual, although extremely important, conversation, yet he continued to tease her with the very tip of his finger against her clit. It was driving her absolutely mad, but she’d held back, refusing to let him see her weakness.

“Now what?” she asked, trying to keep her composure, but falling apart little by little as each second passed.

“Now I’m going to make you come,” Xander said, surprising her. “With my mouth.”

“Oh.”

Xander grinned that devious, seductive smirk that made her legs weak. Thankfully she was sitting down, so she didn’t have to worry about falling over.

“Up on the bed,” Xander instructed, tilting his head in the direction of the bed behind her. “Just scoot back until your ass is on the edge, then pull your knees in against your chest.”

Wait, what?

Mercedes tried to envision what that position would look like. It didn’t take much of an imagination to figure it out.

Slowly, hesitantly, she moved back, using her hands to walk herself up onto the mattress. It was firm, yet soft, and the duvet that covered it was plush and cool against her tingling skin. When her ass was on the very edge, she stopped.

Trying her damnedest not to think about the fact that she was here with Xander – her friend – or about how uncomfortable this situation was, she did as he asked, driven solely by selfish need. Lying back, she pulled her legs against her chest which put her even more on display than before.

Hoping he didn’t see the heated blush that overcame her, Mercedes stared up at the ceiling.

“Pull your knees wide,” he instructed.

With her knees still drawn in against her body, she used her arms to pull them apart, cool air being pushed down from the ceiling fan caressed her overheated pussy.

The chill was immediately replaced by warmth and her insides clenched painfully. Xander had pushed the cedar chest out of the way and was kneeling at the foot of the bed, his mouth now delightfully close to where she needed it.

“I’ve wanted to taste you for so long,” he said affectionately, making Mercedes suck in a breath. She continued to be shocked by his words, but more by their delivery. It was as though this wasn’t a spur of the moment decision, but rather something he’d considered for a long time.

Could that be true? Could he really…

“Oh, God!” she moaned when his tongue lashed against her swollen folds, teasing her as he went.

Keeping her hands on her knees, she tried to hold herself still, not wanting him to stop as the pleasure consumed her. It was intense to say the least. Chill bumps broke out over every single inch of her skin as the incredible sensation of his mouth on her sensitive skin overwhelmed her.

“Feel good?”

“Yes,” she moaned again as he lapped at her pussy once more.

“Then I’ll continue,” he told her. “Oh, and Mercedes?”

“Yes?” she asked breathlessly, wishing she could tell him to shut up and make her come.

“You can come when you’re ready.”

“Thank you,” she said, honestly meaning it. If he’d asked her to hold off, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to and strangely, she didn’t want to disappoint him.

The firm press of his tongue as it caressed her, delicately sliding over her clit on each torturous upstroke had her body trembling. The man certainly knew what he was doing. There was no hesitation in his movements, no questioning whether he was doing it right, and that in itself was so fucking hot, Mercedes was sure she’d explode soon.

Holding out wasn’t an option. It’d been far too long since she’d had a man between her thighs like this. It was intimate and required that she get emotionally closer than she cared to. Something she’d refused to do for the last year or so.

Pressing her head into the mattress, she tried to lift her hips, wanting to bring Xander’s mouth closer, to apply more friction, maybe tempt him to add a finger.

“Oh, God,” she moaned when he sucked her clit into his mouth, using his tongue to lash over the sensitive bundle of nerves until she was shaking from the orgasm that was threatening to break free.

“Come for me, pet. Whenever you’re ready,” Xander said, his tone firm, unyielding. And so fucking sexy.

When he pressed two fingers into her, his mouth once again latching onto her clit, she knew she was doomed. She wasn’t going to be able to last. Not that she needed to, but it felt so fucking good, she didn’t want it to end.

“Please,” she pleaded, unsure exactly what she was asking for.

Xander intensified his oral ministrations as he began fucking her with his fingers. Slow, deep strokes penetrated her, forcing her closer and closer to the edge.

She had to focus on holding her legs up and open as he drove her completely insane.

And then, when she thought she’d rein herself back in, she shattered into a million pieces, brilliant colorful fractures of light broke off behind her closed eyelids as her orgasm consumed her.

“Fucking beautiful,” Xander said quietly, pulling her attention to him.

Mercedes opened her eyes, fully expecting him to still be kneeling on the floor between her legs, but he wasn’t. He was leaning over the bed, his hands on either side of her head as he held himself above her.