Celtic Knot

by MacLeod, Shannon

  An idea began to form and she giggled aloud, hoping she would have the nerve to pull it off. “Here’s a thought to curl your whiskers,” she said, “what if I were to seduce him?” She was planning her strategy when her phone went off with a text message.

  thinking of you

  She immediately responded. thinking of you too

  busy?

  just reading, she replied, marked her place in the magazine then sat back to wait. Her phone rang a moment later.

  “Hello, beautiful,” Ian said, his voice deep and husky. “I apologize for intruding on your evening. I just wanted to hear your sexy voice again before I went to sleep.”

  “Smooth talker,” she teased, “and you are certainly not intruding.”

  “I enjoyed lunch with you today. You look beautiful in business casual.”

  “I looked like an insurance agent. I don’t get to wear comfortable work clothes like you do,” she said with an exaggerated sigh. “Have you always worked for yourself?”

  “Pretty much,” he replied, his tone vague. “I don’t do well in an office environment. All that artistic temperament, you know.”

  She laughed. “There’s a lot to be said for not having office politics. We’ve got some sort of meeting first thing in the morning. I didn’t find out about it until the last minute today.”

  Bella stretched and moved to the foot of the bed to curl up on her new favorite spot, wherever Ian’s shorts were.

  “I hope it’s nothing major. So what did I interrupt you from reading?”

  “I was…studying,” Lily said.

  Amusement was evident in his voice. “Indeed. Dare I ask what?”

  “No, you may not. I have a cat of my own I’m trying to catch.”

  His laughter was intoxicating and her entire body went weak with longing. “Then perhaps we could discuss your choice of reading material over dinner, maybe Wednesday?”

  “I’d like that very much,” Lily said, gearing up to put her new plan in action.

  Ian made a soft purring noise. “Wonderful,” he said. “Then I shall leave you to your studying and I wish you the sweetest of dreams, mo chuisle.”

  “I bet you say that to all the girls,” she said lightly, hoping he couldn’t hear the question creeping into her voice.

  “You’re the only woman I’ve ever said it to,” he confided after a long silence. “Goodnight, my sweet. I love you.”

  Breathe… “I love you too, mo chuisle,” she said.

  She continued to read until her eyelids grew heavy. Stacking the magazines on the coffee table, she rose and stretched, her gaze drifting over to the bookcase packed with framed pictures of her parents, her and Beth, school pictures. On the walls, in her bedroom, pictures of family and friends were everywhere. That’s what’s missing, she realized with a start. The only family type picture was the one of his grandmother. Come to think of it, Meg and Dan didn’t have any family pictures out either. “I wonder why?” she said aloud. Putting aside the memorabilia mystery, she crawled into bed and fell asleep wondering why Lucas had called a meeting on such short notice.

  14

  The next morning, Lily arrived at work early to catch Lucas before the meeting started. She stuck her head in his office and said, “Got a minute?”

  He gave her a wide smile. “Of course, Lily. I always have time for you.”

  Lily ignored the barb and stepped inside, but did not sit. “I wanted to let you know I’ll be late coming in on Thursday morning. I have an appointment.” She didn’t offer what kind, planning to buy herself a little extra time the morning after what would hopefully be her triumph. “It could be close to noon before I get here, but I’ll work straight through the afternoon and not take lunch.”

  “Everything all right with you?” he asked, his voice cool and detached.

  “Yes, thanks,” she said, matching his tone.

  His lips tightened. “Good. Have a seat,” he said, waving at the chair across from his desk. He skimmed through a stack of folders and chose one from the pile. “I have some good news for you. You’re getting a raise.” He read for a moment then continued. “You’ll be getting one hundred twenty-five dollars more per week starting this week, pre-tax of course. There are a few extra duties you’ll be picking up, nothing major, but we’ll go over it all in the meeting. Congratulations.”

  Though wary, Lily gave him a smile. “That’s a nice surprise. Thank you. What extra duties?”

  “At the meeting,” he repeated. He watched as she stood and walked from his office, and she felt the hot weight of his stare all the way to her desk. Daddy always said you don’t get something for nothing. I wonder how long before the other shoe falls, she thought.

  * * * *

  That same morning Ian watched the news, munching on one of his death by microwave breakfasts. He was reaching to turn the television off and leave for work, when a commercial grabbed his full attention. Accustomed to acting on his intuition without hesitation, he tugged on his paint-splattered boots then set off for the jewelry store he had seen on TV.

  He parked by the side of the store, and once inside, a balding man in a less than flattering suit swooped down upon him like a hawk on a field mouse. The man stepped directly into Ian’s path, looked down his nose–no mean feat since Ian was at least eight inches taller–and asked in a lofty voice, “Excuse me, sir…may I help you?”

  “Just as soon as I find what I’m looking for,” Ian replied absently, stepping around him and heading toward the nearest display case.

  The clerk trotted closely behind. “Was there something specific you were looking for?”

  “I’ll know it when I see it. I’ll call if I need you.”

  “Men’s?”

  “Ladies.”

  “Watches?”

  “No.” Ian kept walking.

  “Earrings, perhaps?”

  “No.”

  “Were you looking for jewelry specifically or something from our gift line?” the man asked.

  Ian gritted his teeth. “What I’d like is some space. Do you think maybe I could have a bit of that?”

  The clerk drew up short. “Let me know if I can be of assistance,” he said, sounding peeved. He resumed following Ian again, but at a more respectable distance. Ian circled the empty store twice and felt himself being pulled back to the display case containing diamond necklaces. He surveyed the contents of the case and pointed to the one in the center. “That one.”

  The clerk puffed up with importance. “That, sir, is a full carat diamond solitaire pendant and it’s very expensive. Might I suggest something from a different line?”

  Ian nearly laughed, realizing what a picture he must be in his faded work clothes. Still, he couldn’t help being more than just a wee bit offended by the snobbish little man. “No. That one,” he said stubbornly, pointing to the same necklace.

  With an exaggerated sigh, the clerk unlocked the case, brought out the necklace and draped it on a velvet presentation cloth. Ian picked it up and looked closely at the stone. “May I use your loupe?” he asked. The older man seemed shocked by the request, but handed him the magnifier. Ian peered at the necklace again but put it down almost at once.

  “Between you and me, I’m fair certain you’ve got better quality stones than this somewhere in this store. I don’t want to see anything less than a VVS One or Two. Off you go, now.” Ian took a perverse enjoyment in the clerk’s complete disconcertion as the man turned on his heel and disappeared through a door into the back of the showroom.

  Moments later, the salesman returned with a leather bound jewel casket bearing the ornate Gallia Diamond Corporation insignia. After perusing the contents, Ian chose a diamond solitaire pendant. He held it up to the light and viewed it from the bottom and the top with the loupe. The stone was exquisite. He imagined seeing the beautiful diamond snuggled in the valley between Lily’s beautiful breasts and was completely undone.

  “I’ll take it,” he said immediately.

  The cl
erk started to protest, but pulled out forms from behind the counter. “You’ll need to fill these out.” He sighed.

  “Just to buy a necklace?” he asked.

  “No, sir, it’s the application for credit.”

  That was the final straw. Reaching into his wallet, Ian yanked out his driver’s license and credit card then threw them down on the counter hard enough to bounce. “I’m not applying for anything. Feel free to call that in to verify I haven’t stolen it,” he said icily.

  The card came to a rest near the diamond case and the horrified clerk recoiled at the matching insignias. With a trembling hand, he picked up the license and upon reading the name blanched. “Ian…Kelly? Of the Gall…oh, dear.” He snatched up the box and credit card then fled into the back office only to return moments later, beet red and flustered. “I am terribly sorry, Mr. Kelly. Please accept my sincerest apologies.”

  I don’t suppose I look as if I have two pennies to rub together, so perhaps your assumptions weren’t too far out of line,” he admitted with a self conscious nod.

  The man relaxed visibly. “She’s a very lucky lady. When you’re ready to buy her a matching ring, come see me,” he said, giving him a knowing wink.

  Ian wasn’t quite certain how to respond, so he nodded politely while the purchased necklace was placed in a velvet gift box. Ian slid the box into his pants pocket and walked out to his car. A matching ring… he thought, and decided that now just wasn’t the time to be thinking of that sort of thing.

  * * * *

  Dan glanced out the main office window just in time to see Ian bounding up the office steps. “Ian’s here,” he called back to Meg, ensconced in her back office.

  Ian closed the door behind him. “Morning, Dan,” he said, pulling a package from his pocket. “Can you put something in the safe for me until this afternoon?”

  “Sure,” Dan said, craning his neck to get a better look.

  Meg joined them and held her hand out. “Can I see?”

  Ian handed her the long velvet box, which she immediately popped open. “Oh, my…it’s lovely,” she said, gasping, then narrowed her eyes at her brother. “Giving diamonds is serious business, you know. Girls take this sort of thing to mean you’re thinking about the future.”

  “Mind yer business, Ma,” he replied with a wink. “I’ll pick it up later this afternoon. I’m giving it to her tomorrow night.”

  Meg turned the case to show Dan, who gave a low whistle of appreciation. “Christ Almighty, Kelly, where the hell did you find that?” he asked.

  Ian’s gaze was steady. “Bought it.”

  Dan stared at Ian. “Bought it? Like from a store?”

  Ian rolled his eyes. “No, from some guy’s trunk in the parking lot. Of course from a store.”

  “So just how are you going to explain where you found the money to buy this?” Meg demanded, waving the case under Ian’s nose. “Lily’s not stupid–you’re not going to get away with playing the pauper much longer, boyo.”

  “She’s always right, you know,” Dan agreed with a firm nod. “You’re going to have to tell her about…well, everything.”

  “I’ll get to it,” Ian snapped then tempered his remaining words with a grin, “soon as the time’s right.” With a casual wave, he escaped out the door before either could say anything else.

  Dan looked back at his wife, now seated behind his desk typing purposefully on his computer. “Oh, no…I’ve seen that look before. Meg…” he warned, “you need to stay out of this.”

  Meg’s lips pursed in a pout. “Me, interfere? Aw, darlin’, now I am wounded,” she said as she searched through personnel records. She snatched up the office phone and punched in a number, giving Dan a brilliant smile. “Lily? It’s Meg. How are you, dear?” She paused. “I’m well, thanks. Listen, I’ll be running some errands over your way tomorrow and wanted to know if you’d like to get together for lunch… Excellent! How about if we meet…”

  Dan shook his head sadly and groaned, “Poor sod is dead in the water. He just don’t know it yet.

  * * * *

  “You can’t do this,” Lily protested to Lucas after the impromptu meeting was over. She glared down, her hands curled into fists at her sides and tried to ignore the way he stared at her breasts. She made a monumental effort to control her breathing.

  Safely seated behind his desk, his expression was smug. “Yes, I can,” he retorted dryly. “Dad’s turning the agency over to me, and it’s financially sound to start staying open later. You need to complete your license requirements so you can take over as producer. Janice and Irena can’t bind coverage. It’s not cost effective to pay them to be here after five PM when you can serve in a dual capacity. You are getting a raise in your salary, after all.”

  Lily was seething. “So what you’re telling me is, I’m going to be working until eight or nine o’ clock a couple of nights a week, but you won’t give me a set schedule because of the fluctuation of business needs?”

  A flicker of a grin swept his face. “Yep. That’s pretty much it.”

  “This is bullshit, Lucas, and you know it,” she said.

  “Nice language,” he snapped. “I’m doing this for you. You wanted to be an agent. Or at least you used to.” He gave her a doleful look and shook his head. “This was going to allow you to build your own book of business. I thought I was doing you a favor.”

  “When does this schedule change take effect?” she asked coldly.

  “Tomorrow. You shouldn’t be here any later than nine o‘clock, though,” he said with a smirk.

  * * * *

  Lily went straight home after work and threw herself face down on the bed, indulging in her own private pity party. After a few moments, she blindly felt around in the drawer for the satin bag containing her tarot cards. Shuffling the cards on autopilot, she concentrated on her question. “What is Lucas up to?” she asked, laying out three cards.

  Turning over the first card, she saw the seven of Swords. Underhanded dealings is right. This is so not fair, she thought. The second card was the two of Cups reversed, separation and breakups. The telling card was the third one–the Knight of Cups, the courtly lover. Her courtly lover.

  Lily huffed in disbelief. “He knows about Ian at the Castle. Damnation, Lucas, how low can you get? Well, if you’re trying to throw a wrench in my love life it won’t work.” She tapped the Knight of Cups with a polished nail. “Ian is a king, not a knight. Lucas is underestimating him.” She smiled, but the aggravation returned when she called Ian to tell him of the unwelcome change in plans, minus her suspicions.

  Ian’s tone was mild, and he assured her that although he would miss seeing her, going out Saturday evening instead would give them more time together. “Lily, I love you dearly, and I shall look forward to seeing your beautiful face Saturday night.”

  “Ta gra agam duit…ah, too, sweetheart and I can’t wait to discuss what I’ve learned from my studies this week,” she teased.

  “Good night, my love,” he said softly.

  * * * *

  Ian sat staring at his phone long after the line went dead, doing what he thought was an admirable job of controlling the rage fast consuming him. “I’m going to put that bastard’s head through a fucking wall,” he growled, giving the coffee table a vicious enough a kick to send it flying across the room. Muttering under his breath, he stalked his way into the kitchen. “Miserable son of a bitch. I know exactly what you’re up to and you have no fucking idea what you’re up against.”

  As he stared out the nook window, a slow, devious smile spread across his handsome face. All’s fair in love and war and this is a bit of both, he thought and began plotting his battle strategy.

  * * * *

  After such a trying day, Lily fell asleep quickly. A short while later, her eyes fluttered open to find round gold eyes inches away, staring unblinking at her. “Bella,” she murmured sleepily, “’member that little talk we had about personal space?”

  The cat pawed at the
neck of her shirt then rubbed her face against Lily’s cheek. Acquiescing, she raised her hand to stroke the insistent cat, but Bella abruptly turned, jumped from the bed and was gone with a flick of her bushy tail. Lily stared after her. “That was weird, even for you,” she called after the disappearing cat.

  Uncomfortably warm, she pushed the bedcovers off and had just closed her eyes again, when she caught the faintest whiff of sandalwood. The shirt, she thought. She was still wearing Ian’s borrowed t-shirt. She rolled onto her back and inhaled deeply. “Ian,” she sighed. A stray breeze brushed her cheek. From the ceiling fan, she knew, but she could almost feel his lips on hers, his breath warm on her neck. Her whole body flushed with heat and she purred at the memory.

  “Warm in here,” she complained. She wore nothing underneath the shirt and since she was alone, she pulled it over her head to rid herself of the clinging fabric. The warmth spread down her chest, over her hardening nipples. The breeze caressed her breasts with the lightest of touches. She sighed with pleasure and arched her back. When the sensation moved lower down her belly and ruffled the curls at the cleft of her legs, she parted them ever so slightly.

  “Mmmm, mo chuisle,” she whispered, putting her hand over her heart when the imagined hot breath lit upon her sensitized skin. The breeze brushed her lips again and as quickly as it had come, was gone. Suddenly feeling very cold, Lily pulled the covers over her and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

  * * * *

  Naked and flat on his back in his own bed, Ian lay panting hard and covered in sweat. He groaned deep in his chest, gradually becoming more aware of his surroundings. Flying, as his grandmother had called it, was a skill she had taught him many years ago, but never had he experienced a reaction like this. He had meant only to see her, to kiss her. He had no idea she would completely open to his touch, and when she called to him in his own language, he’d been overcome with a feral need to part those soft, silky thighs and bury himself so deep inside her they’d need a search party to find him again. Trembling from the effort, he slid his hand down over his swollen shaft to ease the throbbing ache. It took only a stroke or two before he exploded with a hoarse cry, the force of his orgasmic release shaking his entire being. It was several long minutes before his breathing and heart rate even resembled normal. Smiling and quite pleased with himself, he dragged his weary body up from the bed and staggered toward a long hot shower.