“This may sting,” he warned softly. The cool cloth wiped away the dirt and blood as he rubbed gently at the cut.

Kenzie bit her lip, but made no sound. After he cleaned the cut and covered it with a Band-Aid he treated her scraped hands the same way. Once that was done, he cupped her chin and tilted her head to look up at him.

“Tell me what happened.”

She swallowed hard and nodded.

“I was in your office finishing up putting the exam scores into your database.” Kenzie paused, licked her chapped, split bottom lip, and then continued. “Three men broke into your office while I was there.”

His blood began to pound a steady, fast rhythm deep inside his head. Flashes of the past, of old fears, threatened to resurface. No, this wasn’t twenty-five years ago. He wasn’t a little boy whose friends were taken by masked men.

“And?” he prompted, burying his dark thoughts of his past.

“They were looking for you, Dr. Devereaux. They attacked me before I could act. One hit me a few times.” She touched her cheek and then met his gaze. It was all steel and courage in her eyes.

Damn, what a woman Kenzie was.

“I pretended to be unconscious and overheard them talking to someone on the phone. When they weren’t looking, I jumped out of the office window behind your desk.”

“What? That’s a second-story window!”

Kenzie’s responding chuckle was full of pain. “Yeah. One hell of a drop. It’s how I got so banged up. I sort of scaled down the drain pipe until it broke. I’m just glad I had my car keys in my jeans and not my purse. I drove straight here.”

“Why didn’t you go to the police or go home?”

Two red spots colored her cheeks. “I thought they might check my wallet. It has my driver’s license in there with my apartment address on it.”

“You should have gone to the police.” He turned his back on her as he walked over to a trash bin to dispose of the cleansing wipes and Band-Aid wrappings.

“They said something on the phone that had me worried and made me afraid to get the police involved. I think they have an inside connection to the police department here. And they seemed to want to talk to you about illegal trafficking. I didn’t want to get you in the middle of something…” She trailed off and he understood what she meant. She thought he was involved in something illicit and didn’t want to bring that to the police. Talk about TA loyalty.

Royce faced her again as he considered everything she’d told him. He didn’t have any enemies that he was aware of. He didn’t owe money, and he certainly hadn’t crossed anyone to the point that they would hire thugs to break into his office.

“Illegal trafficking…” he mused aloud. “I have no idea what they’re talking about.” He hoped that would reassure her. She didn’t look that convinced.

“Dr. Devereaux, I’m afraid to go back to my apartment.”

He knew for Kenzie to admit her fear of anything meant it was serious. He was responsible for her injuries and he needed to protect her. To do that, he had to figure out what the hell was going on.

“I’ll take you somewhere safe tonight.” He knew just where to bring her.

Kenzie let her bandaged leg drop off the bed. “Where?”

“My home.”

Her lips parted but he silenced her with one of his dom scowls. It had cowered many a rebellious submissive in the club before.

“Until I figure out what’s going on, I want you near me. Allow me to protect you. Understood?”

She nodded, eyes wide.

“Good. Now, let’s get out of here. The quicker we figure this out, the better.”

If he didn’t resolve this issue soon, he’d be in deep shit. Kenzie under his roof was going to drive him insane with lust. He knew the moment her natural sass returned he’d be tempted to bend her over the nearest flat surface, spank her, and then fuck her until they both couldn’t walk. And that was bad. Really bad.

If he couldn’t maintain his control, she’d end up in his bed, and his most important rule would be broken.

Every passion has its price… See the next page for an excerpt from THE GILDED CUFF by Lauren Smith. AVAILABLE NOW

Chapter 1

Emery Lockwood and Fenn Lockwood, eight-year-old twin sons of Elliot and Miranda Lockwood, were abducted from their family residence on Long Island between seven and eight p.m. The kidnapping occurred during a summer party hosted by the Lockwoods.

—New York Times, June 10, 1990

Long Island, New York

This is absolutely the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.

Sophie Ryder tugged the hem of her short skirt down over her legs a few more inches. It was still way too high. But she couldn’t have worn something modest, per her usual style. Not at an elite underground BDSM club on Long Island’s Gold Coast. Sophie had never been to any club before, let alone one like this. She’d had to borrow the black mini-skirt and the red lace-up corset from her friend Hayden Thorne, who was a member of the club and knew what she should wear.

The Gilded Cuff. It was the place for those who enjoyed their kink and could afford to pay.

Sophie sighed. A journalist’s salary wasn’t enough to afford anything like what the people around her wore, and she was definitely feeling less sexy in her practical black flats with a bit of sparkle on the tips. Sensuality rippled off every person in the room as they brushed against her in their Armani suits and Dior gowns, and she was wary of getting too close. Their cultured voices echoed off the craggy gray stone walls as they chatted and gossiped. Although she was uneasy with the frank way the people around her touched and teased each other with looks and light caresses, even while patiently waiting in line, a stirring of nervousness skittered through her chest and her abdomen. Half of it had to do with the sexual chemistry of her surroundings, and the rest of it had to do with the story that would make her career, if she could only find who she was looking for and save his life in time. Her editor at the Kansas newspaper she wrote for had given her one week to break the story. What she didn’t know was how long she had to save the life of a man who at this very moment was in the club somewhere. She swallowed hard and tried to focus her thoughts.

Following the crowd, she joined the line leading up to a single walnut wood desk with gilt edges. A woman in a tailored gray suit over a red silk blouse stood there checking names off a list with a feather pen. Sophie fought to restrain her frantic pulse and the flutter of rebellious butterflies in her stomach as she finally reached the desk.

“Name, please?” The woman peered over wide, black-rimmed glasses. She looked a cross between a sexy librarian and a no-nonsense lawyer.

A flicker of panic darted through Sophie. She hoped her inside source would come through. Not just anyone could get into the club. You had to be referred by an existing member as a guest.

“My name’s Sophie Ryder. I’m Hayden Thorne’s guest.” At the mention of her new friend’s name the other woman instantly smiled, warmth filling her gaze.

“Yes, of course. She called and mentioned you’d be coming. Welcome to the Gilded Cuff, Sophie.” She reached for a small glossy pamphlet and handed it over. “These are the club rules. Read over them carefully before you go inside. Come to me if you have any questions. You can also go to anyone wearing a red armband. They are our club monitors. If you get in too deep and you get panicked, say the word “red” and that will make the game or the scene stop. It’s the common safe word. Any doms inside should respect that. If they don’t, they face our monitors.”

“Okay,” Sophie sucked in a breath, trying not to think about what sort of scene would make her use a safe word. This really was the most stupid thing she’d ever done. Her heart drummed a staccato beat as a wave of dread swept through her. She should leave…No. She had to stay at least a few more minutes. A life could hang in the balance, a life she could save.