Dark Desire

by Lauren Smith

  After her speech in front of the United Nations, she’d been swamped by the press. Naturally, the question of her ancestry was grabbing the spotlight, but Dimitri’s friends had already arranged for all the proof they could ask for to be made available.

  With that settled, the hot topic became her experience as a captive, something she did not want to relive so publicly, but she knew it was a necessary step to get the narrative pointed in the direction she wanted. It didn’t take long to turn her personal tragedy into the story of countless others. People were starting to listen, not because of who she was, but what she had to say.

  She’d spent months working with several countries on strategies to stop human trafficking, including increased communication between police agencies and refugee arrangements for those rescued far from home. Far from just being the public face of this crusade, she’d poured herself into study, understanding the difficulties involved in tackling this problem and proposing solutions.

  Then, at Dimitri’s insistence, they’d taken a much-needed vacation to see her parents in Maine. She’d had to hide her laughter the first time her parents had met Dimitri. Her mother’s eyes had nearly popped out of her head, and her father had just gaped at Dimitri as they’d shaken hands. It was easy to forget how tall and intimidating Dimitri was to everyone but her.

  She closed her eyes again, wanting to tell him all that lay in her heart. “I was thinking . . .”

  “Yes?”

  “Well, Royce said he’d help me transfer my college credits to his university, and I could finish my degree on Long Island. It’s a lot closer to my parents and our friends.” She wanted to ask him what his plans were. He’d vowed to be with her always, but did that mean playing house while she went to college and juggled her new life?

  Dimitri didn’t say anything; he simply pulled back to watch her. So she continued.

  “The United Nations votes soon on the new human trafficking proposal, and they have asked me to come back to advocate for it, but I feel it’s not enough. There’s so much more to be done, isn’t there?” She felt that she had been given a new lease on life, a new chance to begin again where so many others could not, and she believed that came with the responsibility to help others.

  “Only if you wish to, Elena. No one demands it of you. You began the change, and if you want, that is enough.” He continued to stroke her skin in soothing patterns that always seemed to draw the tension out of her body.

  “I wish to keep going, to keep fighting.” She gazed up at him. “But only if you are by my side. Do you want to stay with me? I mean, Nicholas, Maxim, and Leo are going back to Russia for a while, and I didn’t know if you’d want to go with them . . .” The last thing she wanted to sound was desperate for him to stay.

  “They won’t stay long. Leo is going to see to the sale of my properties there and ship my possessions here. I spoke to Royce about houses on the Gold Coast on Long Island, and I believe there are several places worth looking at. I thought that after we’re bored of making love in every little inn along the coast, we could go and tour a few of these American palaces.”

  His smile deepened, and a hint of a dimple peeped out of one cheek.

  “Really?” Her heart gave a wild flutter. “You want to move to Long Island?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Of course. I want to move wherever you are, and for the moment, that would be Long Island.”

  She curled her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a slow kiss as she thanked him without words. Then he moved back a little and sat up.

  “Stay there,” he said before he disappeared belowdecks. When he came back up, he held out one hand, a small black box in the center of his palm.

  “What’s this?” She took the box warily, but he was still beaming at her.

  “Last week, I spoke with your father. Even though he agreed I didn’t need his permission, I still wished for his blessing.” He chuckled. “I’m far too bound by tradition not to ask.”

  With trembling fingers, she opened the box. A simple engagement ring with a marquise-cut pale-blue gem stared back at her.

  “It’s alexandrite. The official gemstone of Imperial Russia. The stone changes color depending on how the light hits it.”

  Even now, the gemstone changed color as she removed it from the box. Dimitri took the ring and grasped the fingers of her left hand with great tenderness.

  “Tell me that you will marry me.”

  It sounded more like an order than a request, and she couldn’t help but giggle.

  “You’re always telling me what to do.” She kissed the corner of his mouth, and he let out a sigh as he cupped the back of her head and claimed her mouth, leaving her momentarily forgetting what they’d been talking about.

  “Will you?” he asked this time.

  “I will,” she said with a smile and watched him slip the ring over her finger. “But I believe you had better kiss me again, just in case I need further convincing.”

  “That is one order I will let you give me for the rest of our lives, kiska.”

  She curled her arms around his neck as he pulled her onto his lap. Their mouths met in a kiss that she would tell her daughters and granddaughters about someday. It lasted longer and burned hotter than any star in the sky. It was a thing of fairy tales made real. If loving Dimitri had taught her anything, it was that love, real love, was a permanence of mind, heart, and soul.

  Love was hope. Love was a rebellion. Love left no room for hate or fear.

  Love was unstoppable.

  Thank you so much for reading Dark Desire. If this story touched you, please consider leaving a review on the store where you purchased it. Want to know more about what happens to Hans and Cody? Be sure to stay tuned for their stories as the Surrender series continues! And if you were intrigued by the trio of Russian hotties, Maxim, Leo and Nicholas, then I’m excited to say they will also have stories in their own series!

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  If you haven’t read the first three books in the Surrender Series, turn the page to read the first 3 chapters of The Gilded Cuff, the story of Emery Lockwood, the reclusive billionaire who falls for a journalist with a tragic past to match his own.

  The Gilded Cuff

  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.

  “There’s just one more thing. I need to know if you are a domme or a sub.” The woman trailed the feather tip end of her pen under the tip of her chin, considering Sophie, measuring her.

  “A domme or sub?” Sophie knew the words. Dominant and submissive. Just another part of the BDSM world, a lifestyle she knew so little about. Sophie definitely wasn’t a domme. Dommes were the feminine Dominants in a D/s relationship. She certainly had no urge to whip her bed partner.

  She liked control, yes, but only when it came to her life and doing what she needed to do. In bed? Well…she’d always liked to think of an aggressive man as one who took what he wanted, gave her what she needed. Not that she’d ever had a man like that before. Until now, every bedroom encounter had been a stunning lesson in disappointment.

  The woman suddenly smiled again, as though she’d been privy to Sophie’s inner thoughts. “You’re definitely not a domme.” Amusement twitched the corners of her mouth. “I sense you would enjoy an aggressive partner.”

  How in the hell? Sophie quivered. The flash of a teasing image, a man pinning her to the mattress, ruthlessly pumping into her until she exploded with pleasure. Heat flooded her face.

  “Ahh, there’s the sub. Here, take these.” The woman captured Sophie’s wrists and clamped a pair of supple leather cuffs around each wrist. Sewn into the leather, a red satin ribbon ran the length of each cuff. The woman at the desk didn’t secure Sophie’s wrists together, but merely ensured she had cuffs ready to be cinched together should she find a partner inside. The feel of the cuffs around her wrists sent a ripple of excitement through her. How was it possible to feel already bound and trapped? They constrained her, but didn’t cut off her circulation, like wearing a choker necklace. She wanted to tug at the cuffs the way she would a tight necklace, because she was unused to the restriction.

  “These tell the doms inside that you’re a sub, but you’re unclaimed and new to the lifestyle. Other subs will be wearing cuffs; some won’t. It depends on if they are currently connected with a particular Dom and whether that Dom wishes to show an ownership. Since you’re not with anyone, the red ribbons tell everyone you’re new and learning the lifestyle. They’ll know to go easy on you and to ask permission before doing or trying anything with you. The monitors will keep a close eye on you.”

  Relief coursed through Sophie. Thank heavens. She was only here to pursue a story. Part of the job was to get information however she could, do whatever it took. But she wasn’t sure she would be ready to do the things she guessed went on behind the heavy oak doors. Still, for the story, she would probably have to do something out of her comfort zone. It was the nature of writing about criminal stories. Of course, tonight wasn’t about a crime, but rather a victim—and this victim was the answer to everything she’d spent years hoping to learn. And she was positive he was in danger.

  When she’d gone to the local police with her suspicions, they’d turned a blind eye and run her off with the usual assurances that they kept a close eye on their community. But they didn’t see patterns like she did. They hadn’t read thousands of articles about crimes and noticed what she did. Somewhere inside this club, a man’s life was hanging by a thread and she would save him and get the story of the century.

  “Cuffs please.” A heavily muscled man reached for her wrists as she approached the door that led deeper into the club. He wore an expensive suit with a red armband on his bicep, but his sheer brawny power was actually accented, rather than hidden, by his attire. It surprised her. She’d expected men to be running around in black leather and women fully naked, surrounded by chains, whips, and the whole shebang.

  The man looked at her wrists, then up at her face. “You know the safe word, little sub?”

  “Red.”

  “Good girl. Go on in and have a good time.” The man’s mouth broke into a wide smile, but it vanished just as quickly. She smiled back, and bowed her head slightly in a nod as she passed by him.

  She moved through the open door into another world. Instead of a dungeon with walls fitted with iron chains, Sophie found the Gilded Cuff was the opposite of what she’d anticipated.

  Music and darkness ruled the landscape of the club, engulfing her senses. She halted abruptly, her heart skittering in a brief flare of panic at not being able to see anything around her.

  The dungeons and screams she’d expected weren’t there. Was this typical for a BDSM atmosphere? Her initial research had clearly led her astray. It wasn’t like her to be unprepared and The Gilded Cuff certainly surprised her. Every scenario she’d planned for in her head now seemed silly and ineffective. This place and these people weren’t anything like what’d she’d imagined they would be and that frightened her more than the cuffs did. Being unprepared could get you killed. It was a lesson she’d learned the hard way and she had the scars to prove it. The club’s rule pamphlet the woman at the desk had given her was still in her hands and a slight layer of sweat marked the glossy paper’s surface.

  I probably should have glanced at it. What if I break a rule by accident?

  The last thing she needed to do was end up in trouble or worse, get kicked out and not have a chance to do what she’d come to do. It might be her only chance to save the man who’d become her obsession.

  Sophie made her way through an expansive room bordered with roped-tied crimson velvet drapes that kept prying eyes away from the large beds beyond them when the curtains were untied. Only the sounds coming from behind the draperies hinted at what was happening there. Her body reacted to the sounds, and she became aroused despite her intention to remain aloof. Around here, people lounged on gothic-style, brocade-upholstered couches. Old portraits hung along the walls, imperious images of beautiful men and women from ages past watching coldly from their frames. Sophie had the feeling that she’d stepped into another time and place entirely removed from the cozy streets of the small town of Weston, on the north shore of Long Island. />
  The slow pulse of a bass beat and a singer’s husky crooning wrapped around Sophie like an erotic blanket. As if she were in a dark dream, moving shadows and music filled her, and she breathed deeply, teased by hints of sex and expensive perfume. Awareness of the world outside wavered, rippling in her mind like a mirage. Someone bumped into her from behind, trying to pass by her to go deeper into the club. The sudden movement jerked her back to herself and out of the club’s dark spell.

  “Sorry!” she gasped and stepped out of the way.

  As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, bodies manifested in twisting shapes. The sounds of sexual exploration were an odd compliment to the song being played. A heavy blush flooded Sophie’s cheeks, heating her entire face. Her own sexual experiences had been awkward and brief. The memories of those nights were unwanted, uncomfortable, and passionless. Merely reliving them in her mind made her feel like a stranger in her own skin. She raised her chin and focused on her goal again.

  The cuffs on her wrists made her feel vulnerable. At any moment a dom could come and clip her wrists together and haul her into a dark corner to show her true passion at his hands. The idea made her body hum to life in a way she hadn’t thought possible. Every cell in her seemed to yearn now toward an encounter with a stranger in this place of sins and secrets. She trailed her fingertips over the backs of velveteen couches and the slightly rough texture of the fabric made her wonder how it would feel against her bare skin as she was stretched out beneath a hard masculine body.

  The oppressive sensual darkness that slithered around the edges of her own control was too much. There was a low-lit lamp not too far away, and Sophie headed for it, drawn by the promise of its comfort. Light was safe; you could see what was happening. It was the dark that set her on edge. If she couldn’t see what was going on around her, she was vulnerable. There was barely enough light for her to see where she was headed. She needed to calm down, regain her composure and remind herself why she was here.