Knight & Play (Knight 1)

Had Dan ever brought that woman here?

Had they made love in her bed?

Sophie stood up at the unsavoury thought and unbuttoned her cherry red coat slowly, then unzipped her bag. She needed to unpack, to wash Norway and Lucien Knight out of her clothes and her mind.

She shook out her best dress and held it against her. It needed to be dry cleaned to remove the flecks of creamy pannacotta that stood out starkly against the black silk. Sophie gripped the dress, winded by the memory of last night in Lucien’s dining room. Had it really been less than twenty-four hours ago? It felt like a lifetime.

When she reached down into her bag again, her fingers bumped against something she didn’t expect to find there. Something hard. She frowned and pushed the clothes aside, then gasped softly. A shallow, black box about the length of a shoebox lay at the bottom of her bag. A box with the all too familiar Knight Inc. logo engraved in gunmetal grey on the top.

Sophie sucked in a sharp breath and sat down again. What was inside? She drew it out and balanced it carefully on her knees. It was heavier than she’d expected, and she was sure that whatever it held wouldn’t help her to put Lucien out of her head. She should hide it in the bottom of her wardrobe without looking inside. Or even better, throw it straight into the bin.

She opened the box.

Her fingers shook as she peeled back the crisp black tissue paper within. A card lay on top, thick, creamy and inscribed with Lucien’s bold black handwriting.

Your three wishes.

9am on Monday.

Be there.

Lucien

Sophie knew exactly what lay amongst the folds of the tissue paper, but withdrew the objects one by one anyway.

A wisp of black lace and silk.

The heavy silver acorn, suddenly duller and tawdry.

The aurora glass dildo, robbed of its rainbows and glitter by the oppressive London skies and Sophie’s mood.

They all looked so ordinary, so mundane, here in her orderly bedroom. Maybe Lucien had been the magician whose touch had brought them to life. As she sighed and folded back the tissue to return them to their box, something else caught her eye nestled at the bottom.

She picked up the small, gold velvet box, vintage, if the well-loved condition of the fabric was any indicator. Soft and worn, Sophie knew instantly that somebody had cherished its contents enough to hold it often.

Her fingers curled over the edges and clutched it tightly. Warm and tactile in her palm, Sophie could only wonder at what lay inside, and why Lucien had wanted her to have it.

She unfurled her fingers and lifted the hinged lid slowly. A folded slip of paper fluttered onto her lap, then she saw that inside the box lay a delicate gold bracelet, its links interspersed every now and then with a small round jewel. Each diamond flashed aurora-bright as she held it up to the light to study it. She caught her breath. It was stunning, as if someone had reached up and captured tiny flecks of the brilliant Norwegian night sky.

But it wasn’t just the beauty of the bracelet that mesmerised her. Sophie recognised it. She’d seen it once before.

Or rather she’d seen a photograph of someone wearing it.

Lucien’s mother. It had been around her wrist in the photograph on Lucien’s desk.

Sophie held back the tears that threatened to start again as she looked at the delicate, treasured jewels. The sex toys had been unexpected, but she wasn’t really surprised to have found them there.

But this… why? It must be precious to him. She laid the bracelet carefully back in its box and reached for the note.

Another strong and beautiful woman loved this very much. May it always remind you how big the world is, and that you always have a choice.

Remember, Princess.

L x

Sophie read the words over again and shook her head gently. Just when she thought she had Lucien Knight all figured out, he turned right around and did something so unashamedly romantic that she wished he was there so she could look into his eyes and see the truth he wouldn’t have been able to hide.

She fastened the clasp of the bracelet around her wrist, watching as the tiny stones cast rainbow shades on her skin. And then, second by second, minute by minute, Sophie simply sat and remembered.

She remembered vast kaleidoscope skies, snow-capped mountains, and glittering fjords.

She remembered warm fur at her back, and cold champagne on her tongue. And she remembered the dark, intricate lone wolf that slumbered across the beautiful shoulders of the man who’d taken the time to shown her how big the world truly is.

Lost in her thoughts, Sophie flinched at the sudden sound from downstairs of the front door banging shut. Footsteps and a dragged suitcase on the wooden hall floor heralded Dan’s return. She caught her breath and quickly packed Lucien’s three wishes away in the black box.

It was time to go into battle.

In the blue corner, her husband. The man she’d planned to love forever.

In the red corner, her lover. The man she hadn’t planned on loving at all.

Sophie faltered, feeling exposed and alone.

Did she actually love either of them? Did either of them love her?

“Sophie? Dan’s urgent voice carried up the stairs. “Soph, are you up there?”

She crossed to the wardrobe and quickly slipped the black box into a space at the back, then clicked the door quietly closed.

“Just coming,” she called, amazed that her voice sounded calm and clear. With one last glance down at the bracelet on her wrist, she opened the bedroom door and headed for the stairs.

And that was when someone banged hard on the front door.

Sophie froze, halfway down the staircase, her eyes on her husband’s familiar suit-clad back as he turned the latch on the door.

Fleetingly, she admired his thoroughness in remembering to wear business dress, even though she knew he hadn’t been near a meeting. Very convincing, Dan.

She knew who was outside. It was inevitable.

Dan swung the door back and glared at the stranger lounging cross-armed against the doorjamb.

“Whatever you’re selling, we don’t need it,” he said irritably.

The stranger stared at him and said nothing.

A long moment passed. Sophie sensed that Dan was about to try to close the door. She knew just as certainly that the visitor would prevent it.

She broke the silence.

“He isn’t selling anything.” Sophie spoke softly but distinctly, glancing from one man to the other.

Dan turned enquiring eyes in her direction. Whether she was ready or not, it seemed that the fighters were coming out of their corners regardless.

Was she supposed to referee between them? How could she? Her loyalties were divided between the man she’d married for better or worse, and the beautiful Viking who’d turned her world upside down.