Cuffed & Collared Read Free

gazed at him as if weighing her answer. Finally she said, “Actually, I do.”
    Flabbergasted, Kyle sat back in his seat. “With all due respect, Sergeant, that’s crazy. How could a woman overpower him enough to tie him to the bed? Or do you think he was drugged?”
    “We’re looking into every possibility. But to be honest, because I really do hope you, as Mr. Bennington’s close friend, have answers I desperately need to catch his killer, I believe he knew the woman who killed him. He either let her in or brought her here and allowed her to tie him up. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t know at the time she planned on killing him.”
    “You’re saying he was having kinky sex with her, and it got out of hand.”
    “It didn’t get out of hand for her. She intended to kill him from the moment she met him, I’m betting.” With a sigh, she crossed her arms on the table and leaned into him. “Look, Mr. Ramsey, I’m going to take the chance of telling you something I shouldn’t, something confidential. Mr. Bennington appears to be the second victim of a killer who struck only two weeks ago.”
    The shock continued to grow. He could hardly take in the implication of the Sergeant’s words. “Are you talking about a serial killer?”
    “Yes, quite possibly.”
    “I can’t believe it. And you still think it’s a woman?”
    “Yes, even though it’s very rare for a woman to be a serial killer. It fits in this case.”
    “How so?”
    “For one thing, all the evidence in both cases points to compliance by the victim, at least initially, with the killer. Was your friend gay?”
    “No!” The denial came out too forcefully, and Kyle realized it made him seem defensive when really it was a function of how overwhelmed he felt by the entire thing. “No,” he repeated more evenly. “I’ve known Jazz since prep school. Nothing he ever did indicated he was gay, and he did a lot to demonstrate he wasn’t. Besides that, we have another good friend who came out to us in college. So he knew he could have told me and it wouldn’t have mattered.”
    She gave him a small smile he read as approval. “Fair enough. The other victim also appeared to be straight, so if neither victim was inclined to get naked and in bed with a man, it means the killer was a woman.”
    She stopped abruptly and gnawed at her lower lip. It drew his attention back to her lips, damn it all. He felt his body go hot, and even though his tie was already loosened, it was as if something were making it hard for him to get a decent breath.
    “Go on, please,” he choked out, in order to put his attention back where it belonged.
    “There’s something else.”
    He could sense her reluctance to continue. “Tell me,” he urged, and without thinking, he leaned forward and placed his hand on her arm. All he got was a handful of soft leather, yet his cock pulsed in response to touching her. Her eyes widened, then narrowed again, and her cheeks flushed. Those ripe lips parted, and the point of a pink tongue darted out to wet the lower one. She stared at him for long seconds before pulling away from his grasp and standing.
    “The other victim belonged to a certain type of club,” she said in a breathless voice while she peeled away her jacket and tossed it on the chair she’d just vacated.
    Kyle’s gaze was immediately drawn to the hard nubs pushing out the thin fabric of her blouse. So, he wasn’t the only one hot and bothered in the room.
    “What kind of club?” He watched her pace the length of the table.
    “A club where men can go for a little—discipline.” She turned on her heel and gave him a pointed look.
    “I’m not following you.” Was she talking about a health club? He and Jazz belonged to the same one, and he couldn’t remember his friend picking up a woman there recently, although it was possible, even likely.
    “I guess that means Mr. Bennington never mentioned being a member of a special club, then.” She was stopped, one hip