To the Edge

by Anna del Mar

  “Shall we take you for a ride?” Noah upped the power.

  My hands clamped down on the armrests. “Holy Mary.”

  Noah’s brows raised on his forehead. “Tell me how much you like it, baby.”

  “Feels good,” I rasped. “Very good.”

  My pussy churned like the eye of a hurricane. My body’s resources spun around the vortex of my sex. All the blood in my body flooded toward my vagina, answering the vibrator’s call. Every nerve in my system reconnected and rewired to tap into the sublime sensations birthing inside of me, until my sex became a web of vital nerves cocooning around the central egg that commandeered my system like a queen bee.

  I yelped between a gasp and a sigh. “Don’t stop, Noah. Please, don’t stop.”

  “I won’t stop,” he said, grinning. “On the contrary.”

  The vibrator whirred louder. My body shook with the transition. My teeth clamped down on my lips, muffling the groans surging up my throat. Moisture trickled from my opening and dripped onto the leather seat. I might have been embarrassed if I hadn’t been so far gone.

  “You look fucking delicious,” Noah murmured. “I wish I could lick all of your juice.”

  I moaned, imagining the feel of his tongue on my clit.

  “Princess?” Noah studied me from the screen. “Give me some words.”

  “It feels...strong,” I rasped, speeding down pleasure’s highway. “I don’t know if I can handle it.”

  “You’ve got to learn how to handle it,” Noah said. “I don’t want you to come yet.”

  I closed my eyes and enjoyed the ride. “I so want to please you, Noah. I need to please you.”

  “You’re so fucking sweet,” he said, eyes alight and fixed on me as if he were watching the best movie ever. “You’re pleasing me right now. You’ve got me so hard that I’m in pain. I’m having a great time watching you, baby. You look fantastic. In fact, I want to try this next setting on you.”

  The vibration ratcheted up. I squealed. No matter how hard I tried to hold back, the sound kept coming from my throat. A sheen of sweat broke over my lips. The quake inside of me rumbled up my belly and down my legs. I gritted my teeth, dropped my chin to my chest and bore down in a struggle to control my body. I was going to self-combust any moment now.

  “Hang on,” he said. “You’re almost there. Let’s give you a little more...”

  I almost shrieked. My ass came off the seat. I arched on my chair, neck overextended, muscles taut, nipples sharp against the lace of my bra, my entire body rattling under the delicious assault.

  I groaned. “Are you trying to kill me?”

  Noah laughed. “Kill you, yes, with pleasure.”

  A knock sounded on the door.

  I slammed down on the chair. “Oh my God.”

  “Don’t pay attention to it,” Noah said. “You’re on a break. Pay attention to me.”

  “But Noah—”

  “Don’t argue with me. You’re mine right now, and just in case you’ve forgotten...” He upped the vibrator’s setting.

  I jerked off the chair. “Mercy.”

  “It’s red,” Noah said. “Nothing else will stop me. Yellow if you want to slow me down.”

  How could I get myself to stop what I wanted most?

  “What is it going to be?” he pressed me.

  “Green,” I spat out between my teeth.

  “That’s my wildcat princess.” Noah’s smile excited me as much as the vibrator.

  I writhed in my executive chair. “May I please, please come?”

  “Not yet,” he said, prolonging my agony, testing my endurance. “I could watch you like this forever. You’re gorgeous, Clara. The most powerful woman on earth.”

  “Please, Noah,” I whimpered, feeling anything but powerful, as if my life depended on him, an emotion that somehow added to my erotic agony. “Let me come, I beg you.”

  “And you beg so well.” Noah nodded approvingly. “I like it when you beg. A guy can only take so much of that. So lean back and hang on, because you’re going to come for me...in three...two...one...”

  I wedged my heels against the edge of the desk, braced my elbows on the armrests and lifted off the chair as I groaned the monumental release that swept over my body. How I kept from screaming was beyond me. Bright lights exploded inside my eyelids and wiped out my brain. My legs twitched and my entire body kept rattling along with the vibrator, which prolonged my orgasm into a lasting affair.

  When the egg finally quit, I collapsed on the chair, a gasping, quivering mess. I couldn’t believe I’d done this, here, at the office. I smiled. My orgasm felt like a huge win. My butt slid on leather made slippery by a shallow pool of my own making. I couldn’t move. Not an ounce of nervous tension remained in my body. I was spent.

  “That was amazing.” Noah’s admiration kept the high going. “Now you’re ready.”

  “Ready?” I rasped, trying to blink off the haze. “Ready for what?”

  “To kick ass at the board meeting, of course.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Noah

  My cock remained stiff, engorged and aching in my boxers, even after I signed off and Clara was gone from view. I swear, watching her today had been the thrill of a lifetime. I’d had a lot of erotic dreams that included Clara, but none of them measured up. Affection was a game changer, a nuclear reactor that transformed sex into a sublime, overwhelming force, and that included virtual sex.

  I’d been bursting at the seams the entire time I’d spent online with Clara, but I couldn’t allow her to see what she did to me. She needed to trust that I was in control. If she was going to learn to let go, I had to stand firm.

  I hated that I couldn’t pop in for a visit and teach her the basics in person, but on a day like today, distance became an unlikely ally. Had I been in her office while she followed my instructions, I would’ve had to fuck her on her desk until she came so hard and hot that the alarms went off and the fire department showed up.

  Christ. I was losing it. I took a deep breath. No way in hell I could go back to work steaming like a volcano. I unzipped my pants and pulled out my cock. I closed my eyes and, ringing my fingers around the base of my cock, stroked my shaft in my fist. I visualized Clara’s pussy swallowing the golden vibrator. Stunning. I’d asked her to keep it in through her upcoming meeting, to remind her that she was strong and had my full support. She’d griped a little, but then she’d agreed. A guy like me had hit the jackpot with Clara. So far, she was my Dom’s dream. Not only did her needs cater to mine, but her intensity energized my life and her passion lit up all my systems.

  My cock thrived in my fist. Alone in my office, the blue lights of the computer screens cast an eerie light on my erection. Hell, had I not been so goddamn broken, I could’ve been fucking Clara right now.

  The thought of her wet pussy undid me. My climax caught me by surprise. I groaned and shot up a tall stream that ended up splattering all over my desk. Fuck. I rattled like a sputtering engine. That woman. She had me in a high state of need. She was going to drive me insane.

  I leaned back on my chair and waited until my strength returned. I had to catch my breath before I could walk the short trek to the attached bathroom and rinse myself off. Afterward, I grabbed a towel and returned to my office. With the help of Windex, I wiped off the desk. I was mad at myself, impatient with my inability to get better and itching for a breakthrough, any breakthrough.

  But I also had to manage my moods, focus on the positive, or so Dr. Dodd had said during our session this morning. I’d scheduled another online session with him this afternoon, plus homework, plus additional assessments with some of his colleagues. I’d had to work real hard at taming my skepticism and finding the will to commit to the program, but maybe I could learn a thing or two from the fellow. M
eanwhile, Clara would be back on Friday and, at least once she arrived, I wouldn’t be wiping come off my desk.

  Chapter Twelve

  Clara

  I was still slumped in my chair when the banging on my office door got louder. I remembered hearing the first set of knocks, but after that, my attention had returned to Noah and everything else had faded into the background. I sat up as a set of keys clattered against the keyhole and yanked down my skirt as Lori opened the door.

  “What the hell?” I started to say.

  “Sorry,” Lori mumbled.

  “Out of my way.” Mother brushed past Lori and entered my office, followed by Diana, her bodyguard, whose eyes scoured the room as if it was a crime scene.

  Anger straightened my spine and tightened my lips. It was hard to forgive my mother for what she’d done to Noah and me. The tamer, dutiful daughter in me tried to justify her priorities. She’d done what she thought was best. The rest of me seethed with resentment.

  I wanted to yell at the top of my lungs and tell her how much I loathed her for her actions. I wanted to know what Noah’s letter had said. But this was the worst possible moment to tackle the subject. If I did, Mother would know that I’d reconnected with him and that would mean disaster for sure.

  Indeed, if my mother caught the slightest whiff I was seeing someone, she’d stick Diana and her guard dogs on me. She’d have them track and follow me until she knew who, what, where and how. She’d have a cow if she discovered I was back with Noah and not with someone of her choice. She’d find a way to interfere.

  No, I couldn’t afford to have my mother on my tail right now. Never mind what would happen if she realized the kind of deal I’d made with him or if she found out about my blog or my plans with RelevantSex.com. The mere thought gave me hives. The time of reckoning would come, but my relationship with Noah had to remain a secret for now. I put on a blank face and offered a bland, lackluster smile.

  Mother marched up to my desk and parked across from me like a battleship on full alert. Her blue eyes locked on me. It was uncanny. Every time I looked into her eyes, I felt as if I stared at myself in the mirror. I was a younger version of her, but not by much. Strangers usually mistook us for sisters.

  She was taller than me, with a stockier build, a narrower face, thinner lips and a longer nose. Unlike me, she was always flawlessly put together and unfailingly chic in the latest designer suits. People often referred to her as stunning. Those same people were likely to call me cute.

  Her face had less expression than mine, probably a side effect from the strategic shots of Botox she took on a quarterly schedule. On the other hand, we shared the same slightly slanted blue eyes, type A personalities and streaks of perfectionism that could drive those around us bonkers.

  My mother’s lips straightened into a tight white line. “Why didn’t you open the door when I knocked?”

  “I didn’t hear you.” I glanced furtively at my desk to make sure nothing remained behind that could incriminate me. Mr. Fancy Russian Egg’s pedestal stood empty by my laptop, but it didn’t stick out, so Mother wouldn’t notice. “I was in the bathroom, freshening up for the board meeting.”

  “You don’t look ready to me.” She eyed me sharply. “In fact, you look downright disheveled.”

  She was right. Not only was I glowing from the glimmer of sweat I’d worked up during my remote session with Noah, but I was still very damp between my legs. I sat there, hoping my dress was dark enough to hide that fact. I faced my mother, toeing my panties under the desk so she wouldn’t spot them, all too aware of the vibrator’s weight in my sex.

  Despite my wobbly knees, I stood up. “I should finish getting ready.”

  Mother’s finely sculpted eyebrows arched. “Are you wearing that?”

  I looked down on myself. “What’s wrong with my dress?”

  “It makes your arms look fat,” she said. “And your hips. There are more flattering looks...”

  I grabbed my purse and dived for the private bathroom adjoining my office. There was only so much battering a gal could take before her self-esteem caved. I was at the end of my rope with Mother. Sometimes I worried that there wasn’t enough therapy in the world that could save our relationship. Why did I even try?

  Because she’d brought me into the world. Because she’d chosen to have me, despite growing up under Grandfather’s shadow in a terribly restrictive background. Because she was the only mother I had and I still needed her approval, longed for it like a lost puppy when she withheld it. And because part of me understood her need for control, although I didn’t want to think about that right now.

  Yep, those were the meager findings of all those hours of therapy, pathetic as they may be. And yes, Mother was toxic to me, and healthy people eliminated toxicity from their lives. But so far, I hadn’t been able to muster the strength to remove myself from her orbit. I often wondered if I ever would.

  Once in the bathroom, I took a few breaths and tried to pull myself together. I wiped myself down, washed my face and reapplied my makeup. I toyed with the idea of pulling out my fancy sex toy, but then decided against it. Noah had wanted me to wear it and Mother would be shocked to the core if she knew. I smiled at the mirror. Talk about stealth defiance.

  Mother’s voice came from right outside the door. “Did you remember to attach your recommendations to the report?”

  “Yes,” I said, putting on some lip gloss. “It’s done.”

  “What about the financial reports?” she said. “Did you review all of them?”

  “I did.”

  “I want you to come to dinner with me and Ed Durant on Friday night.”

  Ed Durant? My stomach went cold and my fingers fumbled. The lip gloss slipped from my hand. It bounced in the sink and came to rest at the bottom, clinking against the drain and echoing in the posh little bathroom with ominous finality. I braced my shaking hands on the cold marble and took in a steadying breath. It didn’t work. I refused to look at my face in the mirror.

  Ed Durant was the type of arbitrary donor who made my job hell. His donations were always huge, sure, but so were his demands. He was sneaky, devious and crafty and it was never something for nothing with him. His smile gave me the shivers and the way his gaze always lingered on my ass made me feel filthy, as if I should take a shower after meeting with him. He was one of my mother’s most loyal and generous supporters, so I had no option but to deal with him on a regular basis. But whenever possible, I avoided his company.

  No. I took in another shuddering breath. I didn’t want to meet with Durant Friday night. Or ever.

  “I’m afraid I already have plans,” I said. “I’m busy.”

  “Busy?” She didn’t hesitate, not even a sec. “Busy with what?”

  I wasn’t about to tell her about Noah, or what I planned to do with my weekend. “If you have to know, I’m going to meet Cecile in New York. We have tickets for a show.”

  “Ed Durant donated twenty million to the foundation last time.”

  “He did.” I stared at my face in the mirror. But at what cost?

  “I think he’s ready to make another sizable donation,” Mother said. “Cancel Cecile. You’ll have dinner with us.”

  I grimaced at my image in the mirror. My private life was nothing to Mother. I was just another piece on her chessboard, one she felt she could deploy at her convenience.

  “Clara?” she called. “Are you listening?”

  I took a deep breath, opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom. “I won’t cancel my plans.”

  Mother gave me the glare she usually reserved for the head of Homeland Security during her committee hearings. I always felt sorry for the guy. The silence in the room spoke volumes. I glanced at Diana, who avoided my eyes by staring at her shoes. Mother started to speak, but I raised my hand.


  “Stop,” I said. “Remember the conversation we had last month? About me needing some space to live my life? You need to back off.”

  Her face flushed and her lips puckered, but she made a supreme effort not to yell at me. The conversation had been years in the making and a milestone for me. She hadn’t been thrilled about it, but at least she’d agreed—however grouchily—to try to respect my boundaries. I’d been reminding her a lot about those lately.

  “Clara, dear,” she said in that icy tone of hers. “I want what’s best for you. The foundation is the beginning. You’ve got a legacy to uphold, a political future ahead of you.”

  “How many times have I told you?” I said, gathering my tablet and notepad and clutching them against my breast. “I don’t like politics.”

  “Our family has been in the United States senate for five generations.”

  “I don’t want to run for office,” I said. “I don’t want to be a senator.”

  “You’re still young.” Mother took the condescending tone that drove me insane. “But like I did, and my father before me, you must be prepared to make sacrifices for the sake of our family’s future.”

  “You need to accept that I’m a different person from you.” I squared my shoulders and straightened on my heels. “I know you ‘created’ me, recruited the best and brightest DNA and equipped me with all the necessary attributes to follow in your footsteps, but face it, Mother. It didn’t work out. I’m not what you expected and now we’ve got to deal with the fallout.”

  “Oh, Clara.” She rolled her eyes. “That’s not true. I do hate it when you talk like that.”

  “Then can we please be done with this conversation?”

  “Gladly,” she said. “How about lunch with Ed Durant instead of dinner?”