Nicole Edwards - Perception

She made his fucking blood boil and as he’d proven he was willing to go to damn near any length just to get close to her. It was the reason she’d given him a chance in the beginning. Giving himself up to her as her submissive for two nights over the course of six months had been proof. It was something he’d never done before, didn’t have any desire to do again, but all in all it had been worth it.

Totally fucking worth it.

“You said you had a meeting this afternoon?” Mercedes asked, reaching for a bottle of water.

“I do.” It wasn’t the type of meeting she was probably thinking, but it was a meeting all the same.

A naked meeting.

Right here on his private jet.

“Where?”

Ok, so clearly this conversation was moving in a direction he wasn’t quite prepared for. Why he thought he’d have more time to fidget and let his mind stumble over what he wanted to say, he didn’t know.

“Wait, before we get into what the rest of the day entails,” Mercedes said as she stood from her chair, moving toward him. Xander had to quickly pull his hand out of his pocket as she straddled his lap. “I just want to say that I had fun last night.”

“I’m not sure I’d go so far as to say that was fun,” he said with a smirk, “but I enjoyed the hell out of it.” He enjoyed what had happened once they were back in their room for sure. Just like he’d envisioned all those months ago, he had put that damn collar to good use. And the leash.

“I don’t think anyone noticed.”

“I’m sure someone did.” No one had said anything, but Xander hadn’t tried to encourage discussion either.

“I happen to like when you dominate me,” she whispered, leaning her head down. “It’s fucking hot.”

Yeah. Understatement of the century. “Not gonna argue there.”

“So what are you waiting for now?”

What the hell was he waiting for?

“Do you want me naked? Right here?”

“I want you naked all the time.” Xander’s body hardened as he realized she was pushing him to dominate her. Not that she had to push hard.

Sliding his hands up her arms, her shoulders, her neck, Xander gathered her hair in his hand and pulled it over her shoulder. He reached for the top button on her shirt and unhooked it easily.

Wanting to kiss her more than he wanted anything, Xander slid his hands back up to cup her face but as he did, he felt something beneath his fingers. Pulling the collar of her shirt open, he stared in disbelief at the diamond encrusted rose that settled at her throat.

Her collar. The one he had given her all those months ago but she’d never worn again. After all they’d been through during those first few days, Xander hadn’t found the courage to push her either.

“Did I mention that I really like it when you dominate me?” she asked him softly.

Yeah, she had mentioned that.

Xander’s throat was suddenly dry.

Realizing there was no better time than right now, Xander slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out the ring he’d been carrying around with him for the last three months.

Yes, for three months he’d contemplated popping the question but hadn’t been able to do so because he felt as though he owed her. He’d made a deal and now that he had followed through, he knew there was nothing stopping him.

He reached for her left hand, lifted it to his mouth and placed a kiss on her fingers. When he lowered it, he didn’t let go. Instead, he stared into her eyes, holding her gaze for long moments before he managed to get the words past his parched tongue.

“Marry me.”

Mercedes’s eyes widened. “What?”

“Marry me, Mercedes. You’re already my soul mate. And now I want you to be my wife.”

“I...”

“Wait. I’m not finished,” he told her as he slid the ring over the first knuckle, pausing. “I crave your submission. I crave your love. But nothing in this world is more important to me than to know that you’ll be by my side for the rest of my life. I love you, Mercedes.”

A tear trickled down her cheek and for a brief moment, Xander’s heart stopped beating. He was sure he was going to suffocate from lack of oxygen since he’d actually stopped breathing. “Tell me that you’ll marry me.”

But then she resuscitated him with the sweetest words he would ever hear. “Yes,” she whispered. “Absolutely yes.”

“God, I love you. So damn much,” he whispered, sliding the ring all the way on.

“I love you, too,” she whispered against his lips. “Master.”

And just like any regular business day, Xander and Mercedes moved on to their next meeting.

The naked meeting.

Where they sealed their deal once and for all.

The End

As you may have heard, Xander’s book was rather difficult for me to write. It had nothing to do with the subject matter, but more so because Xander is a rather difficult man to please. I actually started writing Perception in mid-2013. Let’s just say, this book was written several times before Xander finally got with the program. Or maybe it was me who finally got with the program. Either way, I am so happy that his story has finally been told. Xander and Mercedes are a couple that I will love until the end of time.

And I have plenty of people to thank for helping me to get the story written.

First and foremost, I have to thank my family. My husband and my children are by far my biggest fans and I know that. They make sure I know that and it means more to me than they will probably ever know. So, thank you. I love you with all that I am and all that I ever will be.

I definitely can’t leave out my mom and dad and my brothers. Your support and love mean everything to me. When you tell me that you are proud of me, I’m not sure you even realize how much that means. I love you guys!

Denise and Chancy, I hope the two of you know how much you mean to me. I could never ask for better beta readers, but more importantly, I could never ask for better friends. If it weren’t for you questioning me and pointing things out, I wouldn’t have been able to finish this book. I love you both!

I also need to thank Nicole-Nation. As always, you ladies keep me going. Although I had to hide out in my cave for quite some time these last few months, your emails and your comments have spurred me on, kept me going. I love you all from the bottom of my heart.

To every single person who has taken the time to message me… YOU inspire me to keep going. Whether you send me a sentence, a paragraph, or a several page email, I read every word. If I haven’t responded to you, please note that I will. I promise. I haven’t forgotten you. You can blame Xander if you’d like. He won’t mind.

To the blogs… Gosh, I’m not sure you even realize how much you mean to me. Your unwavering support is humbling. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, if it weren’t for all of you, I wouldn’t be here today. I would list them out, but there are so many and I couldn’t live with myself if I left someone off.