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home, but they much preferred staying at Kingsley’s where they could better stay abreast of what was happening.
    Nora told Simone she was welcome at her house in Connecticut. Simone thanked her and said she’d think about it, but tonight she’d stay at the hospital in case Natasha woke up.
    Nora watched them all go. Søren gave her a last long look before leaving the room. She smiled at him as a reassurance that she was okay. It didn’t seem to convince him any more than it convinced her.
    Once alone with Kingsley, she exhaled heavily and collapsed into a chair in front of his desk.
    “What the fuck is going on, King?” was all she could ask.
    “ Je ne sais pas. ” He put his booted foot on the chair next to her thigh. “I told you all I know. I’ve spoken to the police commissioner, Detective Cooper, and everyone I know. They’ve all assured me that they’ll do whatever they can as quickly as they can.”
    “Nice. Lovely. Now tell me what’s really going on.”
    Kingsley met her eyes for a moment before glancing away.
    “Two weeks ago Natasha offered herself to me. I turned her down. She quit the next day.”
    Nora nodded, a delaying tactic while she decided how to respond.
    “First, can I say I’m impressed you turned her down?”
    “Elle.”
    “Sorry. But please don’t tell me you’re blaming yourself for this. You have the right to say no if you don’t want to fuck somebody.”
    “I did want to fuck her.”
    “So you turned her down because...?”
    “The usual reason,” he said. And that was all he said and all he needed to say. Three people in Kingsley’s world knew he was a switch. Apparently Mistress Natasha had sensed his proclivities, and instead of succumbing to her advances, he’d rejected her.
    “It’s not your fault she got hurt, Kingsley. We all get hurt around here.”
    “I know,” he said, slipping tiredly into French. Je sais.
    “I know you know. And I also know you know I can’t cancel on my clients. That’s fine for Irina and the subs. They have normal clients. My clients run the world. They’re not going to be happy if I say ‘Sorry, busy,’ without any notice like this.”
    “They’ll survive a week or two without you.”
    “That’s the problem. They will survive because they’ll find a new Domme. You and I have worked way too hard to build my career. This could kill it.”
    “It’s not going to help it, non. But your life is more important than your career.”
    “My career is my life.” Nora stared him down hard.
    “What would you have me do? I let you keep working and le prêtre will kill me and lock you in a cage.”
    “Søren’s not into cage-play.”
    “It won’t be for erotic purposes, I promise.”
    Nora growled under her breath. She didn’t know what to do but she knew not working wasn’t an option.
    “I can’t let the girls think I’m spooked,” she told Kingsley. “If I’m scared, they’ll be terrified. I have to keep working.”
    “Then you’ll have a bodyguard with you. C’est ça. ”
    “Bodyguard? You’ve got to be kidding me.”
    “It’s either a bodyguard or no work. Your decision.”
    “Fucking hell... All right. Whatever. It’s only until they catch the guy, right?”
    “ Oui .”
    “Good. I’ll call Griffin.”
    “Not Griffin. You two know each other too well. Far too well.” He gave her a meaningful look.
    “So?”
    “He’s a personal trainer, not a bodyguard. You need someone with experience.”
    “Griffin’s very experienced.”
    “Experienced at fucking you. I’ll find someone and send him to your house tomorrow. Someone you haven’t slept with.”
    “That narrows our options.”
    “Elle.”
    “Fine. Bodyguard it is. You’re the boss.”
    Kingsley raised a single finger and pointed it right at her.
    “No fucking him,” he said, his tone cold and authoritative. “No sex. No kink. This is not playtime. I’ll pay his salary. You leave him alone so he can concentrate on his work.”
    “Like I