by Casea Major
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement (including infringement without monetary gain) is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in, or encourage, the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
One Knight in Brooklyn
Copyright © 2011 by Casea Major
ISBN: 978-1-61333-121-7
Cover art by Dara England
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
Look for us online at:
http://www.decadentpublishing.com/
One Knight in Brooklyn
Casea Major
A 1 Night Stand Story
~DEDICATION~
To Bret, my knight in shining armor and the sexiest man I know
because he does dishes and vacuums.
Chapter One
Marianne Caldwell chewed her cuticles and glanced over at the FDNY calendar, the lone item push-pinned into the boring beige wall of her North Dallas apartment. Though she’d moved in a couple of months before, it still didn’t feel like home. Maybe if you unpacked all your crap, it would feel more homey, Mare. No place had felt like home since she moved out of her parent’s house over five years before to attend Stanford.
Staring at the calendar, she traced the pecs of Mr. July with her index finger. How did New York City get such a lion’s share of beautiful male physiques? She lifted the page and studied the dates under the hunky Mr. August.
With her August schedule filled, the fifteenth, two weeks from Monday, would have to be the date—the date of her one-night stand encounter with Robin Hood. Just enough time to request off from work, buy some new clothes, and stew with anticipation.
A wide grin spread across her face. The same one she couldn’t wipe away when she’d bought her Mustang convertible two years ago. She typed the email and pressed send.
***
Mare’s taxi pulled up to the Las Vegas Castillo hotel shortly before noon. The white stone building resembled the grand palace of a Castilian prince. A wide veranda swept around the south side of the hotel to an azure pool whose edge showed barely visible from the circular drive. Sounds of splashing water and laughter floated in the dry air. The desert heat rippled in waves from the pavement, and she swiped at the sweat beading on her forehead.
The confirmation for her date came two days after she’d selected the fifteenth of August. Her heart clenched every time she read the crumpled print out. At the request of both clients, contact information will remain confidential. The email only provided his first name—Robert.
Madame Eve was supposedly the best at finding the ideal match, and God only knew, Mare had already invested hundreds in online dating services. E-unity, my ass. They should call it E-ScrewYou. They take your money while you play twenty questions with some yahoo across the freaking country who’s already married.
Her knees bounced, and her fingers drummed the beat of the new Lady Gaga song playing in her head. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. Could she still back out?
What if my Robin Hood hook-up isn’t everything I ever wanted? What if he doesn’t want me? What if…oh, shut up.
A young man stepped to the cab and opened her door. He held out his hand and greeted her with a strong Spanish accent. “Welcome to Las Vegas, Ms. Caldwell.” The way he said “Las Vegas” tingled in her ears like magical wind chimes.
Her face flexed into a smile. “How do you know who I am—” she glanced at his name tag “—Javier?”
His chocolate-brown eyes sparkled with mischief. “I make it a point to know the names of all the beautiful women, cariña”
She smiled, feeling a little shy and took his hand as he helped her from the car.
Javier ushered her to the glass doors and held them open. “Your personal concierge and your destiny are waiting at the desk to the left.” He bent and kissed her hand. “Farewell, cariña I hope you find that which you seek.”
She sighed. Hopefully Robert would prove as romantic as Javier. What a little hottie.
A blast of frigid air greeted her as she stepped into the lobby. The grand atrium sprawled with arched doorways and colorful tiled designs. The marble floor shone to perfection and cut a path to the front desk between areas of plush inlaid carpeting.
A smattering of comfortable seating areas dotted the mammoth room, and tall leafy plants divided the open space, providing color and a sense of intimacy in the meeting areas. Searching for the concierge, she meandered through the thick foliage and found a woman waiting behind a large cherry wood desk.
Tall and graceful, she stood and smiled at Mare and spoke in a sultry Spanish accent. “Welcome, Ms. Caldwell. We have been waiting for you. I am Victoria and am here to ensure the fulfillment of your desire.”
The regal beauty couldn’t have been more than thirty, but her Old World charm tingled through Mare like magic. “I’m so impressed with the service. I can’t believe that you actually know my name already.”
Her golden eyes glittered. “We know a great many things, Ms. Caldwell. I have taken the liberty of sending your bags along to your guestroom and will escort you there now.”
She stepped from around the desk and guided Mare to a single elevator directly behind her. When the door opened, she followed Mare in and pressed the button for the thirteenth floor. “So Ms. Caldwell, what is it that you hope to achieve from this experience? Aside from the obvious physical pleasure, what is your heart’s desire?”
A flush of heat crept over Mare’s face. “Uhh…I guess I just want the perfect guy to sweep me off my feet and carry me off into the sunset.”
“And who is the perfect guy, Ms. Caldwell?”
She swallowed hard. “Well, you know…someone brave and gallant. Someone romantic…handsome….”
None of her past relationships—and there were many—had ever measured up to the ideal guy she envisioned in her mind. She’d had good enough sex. Well, she’d had orgasms at least, but the guys she knew were nowhere near romantic. They didn’t want forever; they wanted right now. If all she got was ‘right now’, she wanted it on her own terms. And who knew, maybe she really would find her knight in shining armor. Maybe.
Victoria stared intently and gave her a placating smile. “May I provide a word of advice?”
She nodded.
The beautiful woman held her with an even gaze. “My grandfather was a mariner, and he always said the Treasure of Cortez would never be found until the one who sought it looked beyond their desire. Many wondrous treasures are often overlooked, Ms. Caldwell, for those that seek them cannot see beyond their own expectations.”
She rubbed the hairs standing up on her arms. Victoria had a timeless quality that made the woman seem both wise and mysterious.
“Before we get to your adventure, there are a few items we must cover.”
Knots formed in the pit of her stomach. She wiped her damp palms against her jeans and nodded.
“First, you must know once your adventure ha
s begun, we are powerless to stop it until its conclusion at sunrise tomorrow morning. I must warn you there will be times of danger. Please assume everyone outside the castle is hostile unless they identify themselves otherwise. Do your best to avoid them.”
Castle? A question about the whole “danger” thing sat on the edge of her lips when the elevator opened to slate walls and stone floors. She blinked. The heavy doors that lined the damp corridor gave an immediate feel of a different time and place. Intricate tapestries hung along the way and were offset by flickering torches that provided the only light.
Victoria led her down the hall to a roughly hewn door clad with black iron hardware. She opened the entrance and allowed Mare to step inside. The ample space held a framed bed arrayed in royal blue bedding. Thick velvet drapes blocked any outside light from the windows on the opposite wall, and two lanterns provided a golden glow over the chamber. She turned in a circle, absorbing the authentic feel down to the smallest detail. Who would have ever believed a room like that existed in the hotel?
Startled out of her amazement, she jumped as Victoria spoke again. “Ms. Caldwell, due to the nature of this match, we cannot provide contact information to either party. We leave it to your discretion whether or not to exchange personal information during the adventure. However, upon completion of the experience, you will have no further contact with your match unless agreed upon during the evening. Finally, Ms. Caldwell, the most important thing you must do, no matter where you are or what you are in the midst of, you must be in this room before the cock crows three times tomorrow morning.”
“You have a rooster here? Wow. That’s…very realistic. Doesn’t it bother the other guests?”
Victoria ignored the inquiry and inclined her head. “We cannot be responsible for you outside of this room after that time.”
The flicker of the lantern cast an odd shadow across the woman’s face, and the hair on Mare’s arms stood on end again. “Thank you, Victoria.”
The dark-haired lady stepped over to an armoire and opened the cabinet doors to reveal a number of beautiful medieval costumes. “You will find everything you need for your adventure here. I will leave you to change, and when you are ready, you may come down.”
“Won’t I look silly in this costume in the lobby?”
Victoria smiled and her eyes sparkled with a sadness Mare didn't understand. “I do hope you find that which you seek, Ms. Caldwell.”
Mare walked to the armoire and fingered a forest green dress, happy that the color would go well with her blonde hair and green eyes. “I think I’ll wear this one. Oh, where’s the bathroom?” She turned to face the woman, but Victoria had vanished.
She stepped to the open door and looked down the empty hall. Hmm. Strange. “Guess I’ll wing it.”
A large chamber pot awaited her on the floor by the window. That was the bathroom? Maybe she would go to the lobby restrooms. She hadn’t anticipated that much medieval reality.
Mare changed into the dress then headed downstairs. She searched the length of the hallway in both directions but couldn’t find the elevator door and finally took the stairs. Four flights down she unexpectedly reached the bottom—Victoria had taken her to the thirteenth floor.
The heavy door she assumed led to the lobby took all her strength to shove open. Shielding her eyes from the bright sun, she gasped. Rolling green hills and a rambling forest stretched far into the distance. Behind her, the heavy door of the stone castle banged shut.
Where the hell am I?
A breeze rustled the leaves of the trees swaying against a cloudless sky. Dazed by the sight and trying to make sense of it, she wandered a stone path to the edge of the woods and searched for anyone.
Sitting in the soft grass, she rubbed her face and exhaled. Should she suspend logic and simply enjoy or should she let the panic building in her chest take over? Holy shit! If they knew the experience was…like this, why in the hell didn’t they warn her? How did I get here? Where was here?
She took a deep breath and tried to quiet her pounding heart. Everything would be fine. Surely they wouldn’t let the adventure unfold if any danger threatened her. Right, Mare. You’re perfectly safe because the strict government regulations on magical time/space travel mandate your well-being. Looking up to the sky, she let out a whimper.
She would go with it. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, right?
Mare closed her eyes and tried to think. She needed to find this Robert.
She tentatively walked along the forest’s edge down into the rolling hills of the meadow. The high grass tickled her calves, and the smell of clover scented the air. A rustling in the undergrowth of the forest followed by a melodic whistle startled her. She froze.
A man stepped out of the forest clad in tight brown leggings and a blousy ecru tunic. Though the shirt laced in a V-neck, he wore it loose, revealing a patch of hair against tanned skin that stretched over his chest and broad shoulders. She indulged in the masculine treat.
Catching her gaze, he strode toward her with the confidence of a master champion. She quietly gasped, pinned by sapphire eyes sparkling with a sensual promise he could surely make good on. He'd tied a light wool cape at his neck and it casually fell over his shoulder. Short hair framed his head in brown waves, and his freshly-shaven face relaxed in composure.
He smiled, revealing a deep dimple and straight white teeth. Her breath quickened, and her mouth went dry. She wanted him right then. And somehow it didn’t matter where she was as long as he accompanied her.
Perfectly proportioned, he fit her precise specifications. Her gaze flitted to his crotch. Though covered by the tunic, enough of a bulge pressed against the gauzy fabric to assure her of the fulfillment of even that desire. This man wasn’t a knight; he was a god. Strong. Magnificent….
And then her paradigm shifted as something unfortunate happened—he spoke.
Chapter Two
“Yo, are you Marianne? Cause I just figured you were the chick I was looking to hook-up with.”
Mare stood in stunned silence as he scratched under his chin. All the air had been instantly sucked from her lungs in a vacuum of grief and disillusionment. This can’t be happening. No, no, noooo. She shook her head. Where was the knight who would compose poetic verses for her? Where was the cavalier who would whisper seductive words into her ear as he made love to her? This wasn’t him.
His shoulders fell as he eyed her up and down. “Oh, you’re not? That’s too bad. I guess I’ll keep looking.” He turned away.
She glanced at the ground and nibbled her cuticle, then realized he’d returned to the forest, leaving her alone in this…place. “Wait.”
She hurried after him. Forgetting her dress, she twisted her foot in the long hem and stumbled to the ground. Pain shot through her ankle and up her leg. She winced. “Ouch. Crap.”
In a flash, he knelt beside her. “Where are you hurt?”
“My left ankle.”
He pulled her up to a sitting position, pushed her skirt to her knees, and slid her slipper off. She gulped at the feel of his hands on her leg, suddenly thankful for the new shoes instead of her old stinky ones. Gingerly, he pressed all around the bones and tendons. “Let me know if this hurts.”
Tingles shot through her leg as his strong fingers nimbly worked her flesh. He rotated her foot and found a tender spot. She sucked in a breath through clenched teeth.
He glanced to her face, and she stifled a gasp at the clear blue of his eyes. “You have a mild sprain. You should stay off this today, and we need to get some ice on it.”
Where he thought they could get ice perplexed her, but she didn’t say anything.
He slipped her shoe back on and pulled her skirt down. “The castle isn’t far. I’ll carry you so you don’t have to walk on it.”
She couldn’t meet his gaze. What a chivalrous thing to do. Her chest filled with shame that she’d judged him so harshly. “I’m Marianne by the way. Are you Robert?”
His e
yes widened, and he tilted his head back. “So now you’re Marianne? Why the fuck didn’t you say so earlier?”
Oh no, he did not just say that. She bit her lip and shook her head. “Well, Prince Charming, at first I didn’t understand your question, and you didn’t give me a chance to answer before you stalked off.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and stared at him.
He shook his head and muttered under his breath, “Un-fucking-believable.” He swept his arm around her waist and one under her knees and lifted her with ease.
He smelled so good, misted in the scent of cedar and pine with a hint of musk like the forests in northern California where she’d gone to college. His sturdy arms were like the limbs of a sheltering oak. She could curl up against him and stay for a while. As if filled with helium, she felt light and airy in his arms. Maybe that’s why her voice squeaked when she asked, “So, Robert, what do you do?”
He cocked his head toward her, their faces mere inches apart. “You mean what do I do to make a livin’?”
She winced at the East Coast accent. Her question seemed simple, but maybe it didn’t translate to Neanderthal. “That’s what I mean.” More sarcasm than she intended laced her words.
“You’re kind of a smartass, aren’t ya? Well, Lady Marianne, I have my own business. I’m in sales.”
Great. He probably dealt drugs.I asked for Robin Hood, but what do I get? Robby from the Hood.
I am so getting a refund.
The thunder of horses filled the air as a small band of uniformed men galloped toward them. Her body tensed and her vision narrowed in an instant flight/fight response—more flight than fight.
Robert’s barely audible sonofabitch did nothing to assuage her desire to run like hell. Her head bobbed against him as he dashed toward the forest in the opposite direction.
