Read Online Beyond the Edge by Susan Kearney - Free Book Online Page A

found him so attractive. And for once, she was going to forget her responsibilities and throw caution aside—even forget she could still hit the panic button. Because the idea of being totally at his mercy excited her more than any danger she’d ever placed herself in as an agent.
    Chin high, she walked down the stairs, the lack of undergarments allowing her body freedom. Her breasts swaying against the lace felt decadent and decidedly perky as she anticipated Kane’s reaction.
    Kane leaned back in the couch, his attention on the television, but apparently sensing her presence on the stairs, he looked up and caught her gaze. His bold stare raked her, and at her sudden hesitancy, his lips curled in cool amusement. Her flesh tingled with pleasant awareness, encouraging her progress. Seeing the satisfaction glimmer in his eyes that she’d done exactly as he asked caused her pulse to accelerate. He didn’t even pretend to divert his attention back to the television. As she advanced, each step toward him becoming more difficult, she realized that she’d agreed to their bargain in every way but words.
    “Come.” As if sensing her second thoughts, heheld out his hand and gestured for her to join him. Determined to go through with whatever he requested, she placed one foot in front of the other and crossed the last few steps. He remained seated and opened his hand. In his palm was a shiny disk about the size of a dime. “This is part of the new technology I was telling you about.”
    “What is it?”
    “A body buff.” He held it out to her.
    She picked up the innocent-looking disk by the edge between thumb and pointer finger. “What does it do?”
    “It’s a multipurpose invention. Right now its primary purpose is to groom you.”
    “Excuse me?”
    “Once you place it flat on your skin, the program takes over. It can’t hurt you, and it won’t do anything you don’t want it to do.”
    “My thoughts control it?”
    “Not exactly. Mine do.” He shot her a challenging grin. “I programmed it to groom you the way I prefer. However, you can always override my decision if you don’t like what the body buff is doing.”
    “I don’t know…”
    “You must learn that I understand what you want and will give that to you.” He plucked the body buff from her fingers and placed it flat on her palm.
    Curious but uncertain about what the gadget would do, she didn’t protest. The disk in her palm tingled pleasantly and of its own accord slid up to her neck—where it divided in half, then scooted back toher fingers. She held up her hands and watched as the disks each cleaned, buffed and polished the nails of one hand with a plum-colored polish that dried upon contact.
    “Amazing.” She admired the buff’s handiwork as it moved back up her arms and onto her face. She turned to watch her transformation in the mirror about the hearth. The body buff applied glitter over her cheeks, applied gloss on her lips and smudged eyeliner in a perfect line by her lashes. Automatically she closed her eyes and felt the featherlight touch of the disk over her lids while the other disk brushed blush on her cheeks. When it finished, she opened both eyes and stared at her reflection. It had applied a plum mascara and a soft sea-green eyeshadow. Never had she looked quite so exotic. Although she’d been made up by some of the best cosmetologists in the world, this coloring suited her skin exactly.
    “Wow.”
    She wasn’t quite done admiring the nifty device when the buffs promptly plunged below her neckline where she couldn’t see them. Immediately, the dual disks began to circle her breasts. Beginning at the outermost edges, the devices made a circuit over her skin, each circuit spiraling closer toward her nipples.
    “Oh…my…God.” The sensation startled her, first with a wonderful warming, then a vibrating tingle. “What—”
    “Relax. You’re enjoying the sensation or the buff would stop. It’s programmed to read your