by Kitty French
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.
“He’s Lucien.” She swallowed hard.
Seconds out. Sophie could almost hear the bell ringing.
“He’s Lucien Knight.”
To be continued...
Lucien Knight will return in 2013
Dear Reader,
I'm sorry to leave you dangling! I'm working on the second book in the Knight Series at the moment, and much as I enjoy escaping into fantasyland with Lucien, i'm always happy to chat.
You can find me on twitter @kittysbooks or better still, tweet using #teamlucien and i'll find you.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on Knight & Play. If you have five spare minutes to leave a review on Amazon i'd appreciate it beyond measure.
I better get back to work. As you know, Lucien isn't a man who likes to be kept waiting...
With love,
Kitty x
http://www.kittyfrench.blogspot.co.uk
email kitty : [email protected]
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’ve had such a ball writing this book, and I must say some thank you’s to people who have helped me enormously along the way.
I owe huge thanks to Charlie Hobson, my dream editor and smut sister extraordinaire. It’s been a pleasure to work together, let’s do it again soon.
To Angela Oltmann of Angie-o-creations, thank you so much for all of your hard work on the cover for Knight & Play – you took my garbled vision and turned it into something that I love so much that it makes me want to lick the screen!
To the beautiful Minxes, my writing bezzies and all round cool ladies – you rock, thank you for holding my hand from conception to publication. I wouldn’t have been brave enough without you.
Thanks also to the lovely Bob girls for unfailingly waving your pompoms, and for reading the book as I wrote it and encouraging me on. Special thanks to Loulou for coming to the rescue with the perfect title suggestion; it was so obvious once you said it.
And last but by no means least, thank you to my family, my gorgeous husband most of all. Where would I be without you? One day we’ll go to Norway and watch those lights together. xx
Kindle Edition. Copyright © 2012 Kitty French
Editing by Charlie Hobson
Cover by Angela Oltmann
All rights reserved. No part of this e-book may be reproduced in any form other than that in which it was purchased and without the written permission of the author.
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http://www.kittyfrench.blogspot.co.uk
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