danger if I got caught. I think she said that they might kill me if they thought I saw too much - that it was a special night." Shuddering, I remembered her chilling words. "She said that others had gone missing or ended up dead in an alley." "Okay, then what happened?" Derek looked grim. "She was trying to lead me to the outside door when one of those guys in the rubber suits caught us. She told him that I was a new girl. He told her to get me 'ready'. That's when they put me in this collar and ropes." I tugged on the bindings under my cape. Derek nodded for me to continue. "They locked me in a room with two other girls, dressed the same way. Then the rubber man took the girls away one at a time and finally came for me. Derek, I thought those men were going to… I was so scared." I shook my head, trying to shake off the macabre memories. Derek pulled me into his arms. "I know. Thank God I was there. One more question Julia. I'm sorry to make you go through this right now, but it's important. Did you see any other girls there tonight, besides the lady who helped you and the two girls in the room with you?" "No." I shook my head, my cheek finally finding Derek's warm skin under his parted cape. Rubbing my back, Derek dropped a soft kiss on the top of my head. "Julia, I need to go back to the house. Tonight is an important night and I can't let the opportunity to find what I'm looking for slip away. I'll explain it all to you when I get back." I was silent. I didn't want him to leave me, but I didn't want to interfere with what he was doing either. "Isn't it dangerous to go back there?" He looked down at me, searching my eyes. "No. I'll be okay. But I asked Scott to take you to my place for the night. I don't want to take the chance that anyone may have recognized you. You'll be safe with Scott. He's a private investigator and he's very qualified to keep you protected. Is that okay with you?" "Do you really think I could be in danger?" It seemed surreal; I felt wonderfully safe in his arms. Derek gently sat me upright. "I don't want to take any chances. I'll be back before morning. I don't want you to leave my place until we talk. Make yourself at home there. Here, let me untie you before I leave…" My heart started beating faster. "The knots are all in the back." "I'm going to need some light to see." Derek reached up and clicked on the back interior light. "And you're going to have to take off that cape for a moment." A wet heat blossomed between my legs as I let the cape slip off my shoulders. Derek's eyes blazed with lust as he stared at my nude body wound with rope in an intricate pattern. His voice sounded quite gruff, "You'll have to turn around." I felt his fingers brushing my back as he worked on the knots. One by one the knots were released, relieving the pressure on my skin and finally releasing my breasts from the squeezing bondage. Derek lifted my hair off my neck and unfastened the collar. When it was removed, I stripped the slackened rope from my body and turned toward Derek. He couldn't rip his eyes away from my body. Slowly, he lifted a hand and traced a finger up my arm, following the red marks the rope left on my skin across my collarbone and trailing lower to swirl around my breast. I gasped at his soft touch; my body burned to be taken again. "Derek." It was a plea, but it came out more as a quiet sigh. Derek pulled me close against his body. His mouth descended and met mine in a demanding kiss. I matched his passion as our kiss deepened into a smoldering exchange of raw emotion. My hand slipped inside his cape and greedily ran up and down the smooth skin of his muscled torso. We kissed as if it was our last moments together. It was a desperation born of urgency, intensity and carnal lust. I thought my heart might shatter; the need I felt was so achingly poignant. Derek reluctantly dragged his lips from my own. I could clearly see him fighting the hunger still filled in his half-lidded