“Ask.”
“This might be a dumb question, but I won’t be required to hurt him, will I?”
“There is never a dumb question when it comes to BDSM,” Mercedes offered easily. “The more you ask, the more you learn. That’s the key. And to answer your question, no, you will never be asked to deliver pain to X.”
“Thank you, Mistress M.”
Mercedes wasn’t sure whether Clarissa was thanking her for answering her or thanking her for not making it a requirement that she have to hurt Xander. Either way, Mercedes was impressed with the woman. She seemed eager to learn, nervous as hell, but ultimately, Mercedes got the impression she was longing to continue.
“Confirm for me one more time that you’re ok with this,” Mercedes told Clarissa, watching her closely.
“Yes, Ma’am. I’m ok with this.”
There was still a hint of hesitancy in Clarissa’s eyes, but her response appeared genuine. “Good girl. I want you on your knees.”
Clarissa’s eyes widened briefly, but she didn’t balk at the demand. “Yes, Mistress M.”
“Wait,” Mercedes said when Clarissa began to go to her knees right at Mercedes’s feet. “I want you over here.”
Pulling Clarissa along, Mercedes positioned her directly in front of Xander, and she could see the slight tremble in Clarissa’s hands as they moved closer. “Remember your safe word, Rissa. If it’s more than you can handle, just say the word and everything will stop. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Mistress M.”
Figuring she’d been lenient enough thus far, Mercedes decided it was time to get down to business. More specifically, it was time to watch Xander squirm.
Chapter Thirty Five
Xander knew exactly what was about to happen, and he was finding it hard to continue to play along.
With Clarissa standing less than a few inches in front of him, he could feel the heat of her body and see the evidence of her arousal in her beaded nipples protruding through the thin silk sheath she wore. He also noticed that, for the last few minutes, she’d started glancing outside into the club.
Who was she looking at?
He had tried to follow her gaze, but there were just enough people to make it futile to try and guess. Xander was having a difficult enough time trying to keep his head in the game, much less trying to find whom Clarissa had just set her sights on.
Clarissa was a beautiful woman, but no matter how hard he tried, the only way he could keep his erection was to think of the things Mercedes had just done to him. The way her soft, smooth hands felt against his skin, the way her eyes met his even briefly, heat and passion lingering there for him to see.
And he didn’t have anything against Clarissa. In fact, had it been five days ago, he wouldn’t have balked at the idea of a scene such as this one. Well, almost like this one – never would he willingly sign up to be a submissive.
But that wasn’t the point.
He just knew that he couldn’t go through with this.
He didn’t want to play with anyone else. He didn’t want to be with anyone else.
It was just a damn good thing he was restrained because he knew without a doubt that he would defy Mercedes if she insisted that he touch Clarissa. He just didn’t have it in him.
He tried to keep himself distanced, tried to figure out what Mercedes was up to but he had a hard time getting into it.
How far was she willing to go before she figured out she’d pushed too far? How far was Clarissa going to go before she realized what Mercedes was up to?
Because, without a doubt, Xander knew that Mercedes was trying to prove something through Clarissa.
And it wasn’t fucking working.
“Lift your dress to your hips,” Mercedes commanded Clarissa as the two women stood before him.
Holy fuck.
Ok, he was definitely on the right track. Mercedes was in rare form tonight. Maybe because she’d had to repress her dominant side for the last few days, or maybe because she was trying to prove something. Hell, he had no idea.
The brief moment of hesitation was Clarissa’s next mistake, and Xander noticed the moment Mercedes decided on her punishment. “Wait. Scratch that. Take the dress off.”
Clarissa’s eyes widened, and her gaze locked with Mercedes’s as her breathing became labored.
“Remember your safe word, Rissa. Unless you intend to use it, I expect you to do as I say.”
“Yes, m-Ma’am,” Clarissa stuttered as she slowly lifted the hem of her short dress up, the emerald silk sliding slowly up over her hips, exposing her bare pussy to Xander’s gaze and her ass to the group of people who’d gathered outside of the glass enclosed room.