She regretting going ahead of him as soon as she set foot on the stairs; he wouldn’t be able to avoid a close-up view of her backside, and Kara’s bottle green dress was cut to leave little to the imagination. She forced herself to keep climbing the steps steadily, and when she turned to him at the top he looked at her with a grin.

“What?”

He threw his hands out to the side and raised his eyebrows innocently.

“Nothing.”

Sophie narrowed her eyes at him.

“Which way next?”

Lucien placed a hand on the small of her back and urged her forwards down a corridor. The moody décor from downstairs continued up here, dark and opulently atmospheric. Each door along the corridor was closed, three on either side. Lucien reached for the first one and pushed it open, and Sophie peeped in. And then, hesitantly, stepped inside and stared.

“Okay. So this is nothing like a normal club anymore,” she murmured, taking in the huge bed area in the centre of the room and the mirrored ceiling.

“No.” Lucien’s voice was close enough to warm her neck, and his hand still scorched the small of her back. “We choose the best fittings and fixtures to make our rooms the most comfortable around.” Sophie nodded, too conscious of the fact that she was staring at a big sexy bed with Lucien to comment on the quality of the furnishings.

“Try it out. Tell me if it’s comfortable.”

Sophie gasped and shook her head.

“Don’t panic, it’s unused. This is launch night, remember?”

Sophie weighed up her options. She kind of wanted to say no, but she had to acknowledge that she kind of wanted to say yes too. She remembered her resolution to have fun today, and stepped tentatively forward towards the edge of the bed.

What would sexy Sophie do? She dropped to her knees on the edge of the mattress and crawled to the centre, then flipped onto her back and glanced up at her own reflection. She caught her breath. The woman looking back at her was nothing like the woman she usually saw. This girl was sexy, no, sexual. Rosy cheeked, blonde waves spilling over rich aubergine velvet like a fifties pin-up.

“Well?”

Lucien crossed to the bottom of the bed and gazed down at her, then reached for a button that made the whole bed vibrate. She shot up on her elbows, and he laughed, low and smutty. “Pretty cool, huh?”

The vibrations did strange things. Sophie lay back and closed her eyes, allowing the sensations to play along her spine. She pushed her body down into them, and in answer Lucien turned up the intensity. Sophie could feel her whole body melting into the bed and as she pushed her bottom down, the sensations were strong enough to radiate all the way up between her legs. She gasped involuntarily and opened her eyes, meeting Lucien’s gaze as he watched her. “Shall I turn it up again?” he asked, levelly, one knee resting on the mattress.

Sophie straightened her dress and crawled hurriedly off the bed.

“It’s, umm, very comfortable,” she managed, as she darted out of the room. Jesus Christ. What was happening to her?

She jumped as Lucien’s hand returned to the small of her back. Her skin throbbed with awareness. If he’d chosen that moment to press her against the wall, she’d have let him. And begged him for more.

He opened the doors to the rest of the rooms along the corridor one by one, but Sophie made sure to do no more than stick her head around and peep inside. Which was just as well, given that one room held a cage and shackles, plus an impressive array of whips and other sinister looking things she didn’t recognise on the wall. Another revealed a Nordic steam room, and a further one seemed quite tame by comparison, with its central pool table. Tame until Sophie’s mind offered up the idea of Lucien bending her double over it. She caught his eye and, not for the first time, she felt as if he could see the very thoughts inside her head.

As the tour continued, Sophie became familiar with the concept of playrooms for couples, swingers, singles… whatever your desire, it could be met here in these shadowy rooms.

A large spa area dominated the rear of the upstairs space, with an opulent hot tub lit with inviting stars and glittering mirrors all the way around. It was undeniably fabulous.

“Fancy a dip?”

Sophie had to look over at Lucien to be certain he was joking. After the unexpected interlude in the first room she couldn’t be altogether sure.

“Maybe later,” she ventured, and received instant gratification from his expression of surprise. “Just kidding.” She smiled sweetly.

“That’s a shame, Princess.”

Sophie caught her breath at his casual endearment. Coming from him, this towering Viking, it was mind-numbingly sexy. She was in way over her head with Lucien Knight, and in that single moment of clarity she made a decision. If she didn’t let herself have this man, she’d spend her entire life wondering what would have happened if she had. Dan had absented himself from her in body and mind for long enough. No more.

Lucien unlocked a side door, and led her up a separate flight of stairs to his private suite on the top floor. The front area held a desk, with office paraphernalia to one side and a lounge with invitingly sumptuous sofas and a huge TV on the other. Double doors stood open at the end of the room to reveal a decadent bedroom beyond. Sophie moved silently forward to stand on the threshold, and her eyes took in the huge bed, the massive gilt-edged mirror leaning against the wall, the open door affording her a view into a hotel-style, slate tiled bathroom.

This was it.

Now or never.

CHAPTER SIX

Sophie stepped into the bedroom and sat down on the club chair nearest to the window.

Lucien leaned one strong shoulder against the door and tilted his head to one side, watching her.

She crossed her ankles and looked up at him.

“My husband is having an affair, Lucien.”

He had the grace to look genuinely shocked, then waited and watched for her to continue.

“And here’s the thing. Right at this moment, he’s God knows where with God knows who until next weekend, and I don’t think I even care.”

How good did it feel to say that? Sophie was momentarily taken aback by the strength of her relief at hearing her own words out loud. Dan had held her down with his casual disinterest for long enough. Acknowledging it was a release. Lucien crossed the room slowly, never taking his eyes off her, and sat in the chair opposite.

“He’s a fucking fool.”

Sophie shrugged and looked out of the window. “Maybe. He’s avoided having sex with me for more than six months now.”