NaalaDareia

The sound of a glass breaking followed by a whispered “shit” woke you up. Nonetheless, you did not startle or jump out of bed. No. The sound made you smile because you knew what it implied. Your sweet husband was making you breakfast. He was trying to, at least. 

A few minutes of silence followed. He was certainly trying to make sure the noise had not woken you up and that you would not barge into the kitchen to scold him. Like you could anyways. He would look at you with those adorable puppy eyes of his and you would melt instantly. Besides, you had been feeling so tired lately that even opening your eyes seemed like an impossible achievement. Thus, you snuggled under the covers, dozing off as you listened to the faint sounds of your husband bustling about in the kitchen. 

The rays of sunshine piercing through the curtains were what made you stir again even though your eyes, still heavy with sleep, refused to open. The steps creaked under the weight of your husband as you heard him climb the stairs carefully. Your lips curled up on a smile again as Cole swore when he found himself standing in front of a door he had likely closed earlier as to not disturb your sleep. The dishes gently clashed and you supposed he was putting the tray on the floor before opening the door cautiously. 

You hid yourself a bit more under the warm cover. You knew Cole wanted to surprise you and you would not ruin this for him. He had always been so caring. Besides, you could not deny it was a pleasure to feel pampered on the day of your fourth anniversary. 

Once the door was opened, Cole bent over to grab the tray and straightened up. You heard him sigh with relief, probably happy he had not created another catastrophe until then. He took a few cautious steps towards the bed and you felt him getting closer. Your eyes remained close, waiting for him to wake you up gently with anticipation. 

But instead of Cole’s “Hello” and a soft kiss on the cheek, a loud commotion burst into your bedroom. You heard your husband trip on something, swear and fall miserably on the floor. You could imagine all the contents of the tray on the floor or probably on him. 

“Ah damn slipper!” You couldn’t help the fit of sleepy giggles that escaped your mouth at the comical thought of your husband tripping on one of your huge Eeyore slippers and tumbling miserably.

“That’s not funny” He whined. 

You finally opened your eyes, still heavy with sleep, raised your head and sure enough, your husband was sprawled out on the carpet, surrounded by broken dishes and spilled orange juice. He pushed on his arms and stood up. You giggled again when you saw his shirt was soiled with a mix of juice and tea. 

Cole looked at the mess and sighed, dejected. “The surprise is completely ruined, so is your mother’s gift.” He pouted.

Your smile faltered. “Hey…it’s nothing. We wanted to have this carpet cleaned anyways.” You held out your arms. “Come here, I definitely need my morning cuddle.”

Cole cracked a smile and took off his dirty tee-shirt before dropping it carelessly on the floor. You gulped at the sight of his chest. You knew your husband’s body by heart now but the slightest sight of it made you melt instantly. You watched him as he walked to the bed and lay down next to you. He wrapped you in his arms and you snuggled against his warm chest.

“This is nice.” You whispered. “I could stay like this all day.”

“Yeah, it is.” Cole whispered back before kissing the crown of your head. “I wish I could too but I have many surprises for you today.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, I do….and I promise I will do my best not to ruin them like I just did.” He kissed your hair. “I am sorry I am such a mess.”

You lightly pulled away from his embrace to look up at him. “Hey…you are my mess and I wouldn’t trade you for anyone. I love you.”

“Yeah?” He asked hopefully as if he could doubt you loved him. Deep down, he knew you loved him more than anyone. He just constantly needed some reassuring words one way or another. After all those years together, you could have been annoyed but you knew he couldn’t help feeling insecure. You knew how it felt too. So, you would tell him. Again, and again.

“Of course, I do love you.” You lightly hit his chest, faking outrage. “Always and forever, Mr. Turner.”

He chuckled, the sound vibrating against your ear. “That cheesy line again?”

You raised your eyebrows. “You would know about cheesy. Don’t mock Haley and Nathan.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dare. Always and forever, Mrs. Turner.”

He kissed your forehead. “I’d better clean this mess and prepare breakfast. Good thing I’ve got some batter left.”

 “No, stay a bit longer please.” You whined, holding onto him. “You are warm and soft.”

“Don’t you want some waffles?” Cole coaxed you. “With chocolate syrup?”

At his words, your stomach grumbled. You hadn’t felt this tempted by food for a few weeks. “And fresh strawberries?” You asked in a small voice.

“Lots of strawberries.” Your husband replied. “Even got some whipped cream if you’d like.”

You pretended to think for a second or two. “Alright, if we must. Breakfast, it is. Give me ten minutes and I’ll join you downstairs.”

Cole chuckled and pressed his lips against yours for a tender kiss before going out of bed and taking care of the mess on the floor. You felt your heart swell as you watched this man you had been loving for more than twenty years. The road had been bumpy, full of heartbreaks, but you were finally here. Together. 

You called for him as he was about to leave the room, tray in his hands. He gave you a questioning look. 

“Happy anniversary, Mr. Turner.”

 He smiled softly. “Happy anniversary, Mrs. Turner.” With one last wink, he was out of your bedroom. 

You fell back against the mattress, sighing happily and cosing your eyes. Maybe dozing off a few more minutes wouldn’t be so bad.

“And no stalling!” Cole shouted from the kitchen as if he had read your mind. “We can’t be late for your next surprise. Trust me, you wouldn’t want to miss this one. I’m certain you will love it.”

Another fit of sleepy giggles left your mouth. “Coming!” You shouted back. 

You sat up and smiled. “Got a surprise for you too.”, you said in a lower voice. Slowly, you put your hand on your lower stomach. “I am certain you will love it.”

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My work is not to be copied or translated on any other site. Likes, comments and feedbacks are always appreciated. ; )

The plan was simple. Infiltrate. Gain trust. Steal. (Or rather recover) Leave. 

Step one went smoothly. Bjorn Ragnarsson was searching for a new head of security, someone he could lean on. Not to protect him, no. He needed someone to protect his home, his wife that he always cheated on, his children that he barely took care of, and there were his belongings. The things he valued the most. Among them was the thing you were after, the diamond that belonged to your family. Never mind that, as Northmen themselves, your elders had probably stolen it during one of their raids. The blue diamond of Alqualondë belonged to your land, your family. It was a shame to see it between the hands of such a shallow man who only wished to be the center of attention. You had to take it back.

So, when you learned Bjorn had fired his former head of security for trying to sleep with his wife – and succeeding – you applied for it.

The interview was a success. You were perfect for job and it had been easy to convince him of that. He was the kind of man who would use a woman’s assets and skills for his own benefit. He could show admiration if needed be. You gave him that opportunity. You were prepared for every situation, every case that could cross your path and you knew how to deal with it. He gave you the job right away. It helped that you were a woman who would not probably end up sleeping with his wife and that he was not interested in you in the least – not that you were interested in him. Of course, he was quite attractive, big, muscular but he had very questionable ways of treating the women he got close to and it did not sit well you. Besides, you were on a mission and there was no way you would be distracted from it. Not by Bjorn, anyways. 

Step 2 was easier than you thought. After all, Bjorn was in a line of work that called for suspicions and betrayals. He hadn’t told you everything his business was about but he revealed enough so that you would understand he sometimes tended to mingle with mobsters. You did not ask questions, just nodded and proceeded to do what your job required. You were not curious, you only talked when needed and that was enough for your boss to give you his complete trust. 

You were aware he had probably done some background research about you but you also knew your name would not ring any bell. You were no threat to him and his business because you were never associated with any name he might have been linked to. There was no reason for him to believe you could betray him.

Sooner than you thought possible, he gave you  a complete access to every room of his house, including his so-called “Trophy room”. 

When you first entered it, you contained the gasp that threatened to leave your mouth. The place was filled with crowns, tiaras and all kind of jewelries but also paintings, sculptures, different pieces of art he might have got the same way he obtained the blue diamond you were looking for. 

You barely glanced at it but each time you entered the room. Your brain was buzzing with excitement but you knew you had to contain yourself as not to attract any attention. You just played the admiration well enough so that Bjorn acted like a proud peacock and would not worry about anything. It was time to think of the best way to retrieve the diamond and leave before he could even think about you being the thief. 

Step 3 was a nightmare. Having Bjorn’s complete trust meant getting more responsibilities and more work. There was not much time left to build a decent plan and get into action. Furthermore, he had granted you with a complete team of men who were constantly on your tail. There was no opportunity of being alone without raising any suspicions. 

Then, there was the distraction you were not waiting for. The person you had not planned to meet. Harald Finehair. 

You had met him a few times during Bjorn’s famous events. He seemed to be part of his inner circle even if you had understood very quickly Bjorn acted with him like with everyone else: by taking advantage of him. Surprisingly enough, it bothered you. One of your missions was to watch every person passing through the entrance door very closely and what you had seen in Harald’s eyes had intrigued you. He was calm, collected and very silent, keeping himself in the shade, even though people intently listened each time he talked. It seemed he was both admired and mocked somehow. And you perfectly knew the reason. It was no secret that him and your boss had a heavy history and it did not take a genius to guess it was linked to Bjorn’s wife, Gunnhild. There was always a certain type of longing each time Harald looked at her. That meant a potential threat for your boss and that meant that you were watching him very carefully. He did not seem to notice or have a problem with that. Until he watched back. With the greatest attention.

You had thought at first that he would be an obstacle. He had approached you with the most charming smile. 

“I heard you were the big guy’s new head of security?”

“So, I am.”

“Why?”

Everything in his stance could tell he knew why you were here: his sly smile, his eyes sparkling with mischief and what he said next.

“It’s a long trip from Norway. The job must be very well paid….or maybe there is something else you’re after.”

Of course, he knew who you were. He seemed to be very observant, that one. But he did not threaten to tell everything. No. He offered to work with you, stating he also deeply wanted to get back at Bjorn for many reasons. You had looked at him though squinted eyes and just asked him to give you time to think. 

He did not insist, did not ask again and you came to him after a few weeks. “Okay, but I get to keep the diamond.”

He gave you another sly smile. “Of course, every queen needs a diamond to shine…although I am not certain you do.”

You had blushed under the praise. The man had his way with words. It was no surprise you found yourself in his bed not long after the two of you had started to work together. He might have been a few years older than you but he was delicate and he seemed so enamored you felt yourself falling for him in return. One could think you should have been more careful but you felt like you could trust him. Besides, he had provided you with the help you needed. And the perfect plan you were waiting for.

“You are ready for tonight?” Harald kissed your neck as you clasped your necklace around it. “Not too stressed?”

You turned and framed his face between your hands before catching his lips in a fiery kiss that left your both panting. “Just a tiny bit. You helped, though.” You winked at him and he chuckled. The sound made your insides tingle. The two of you shared a knowing look. There was no time left for this kind of entertainment. Tonight, was the night and you couldn’t be late. 

“Don’t worry, everything will go according to plan.” Harald tucked a lock of hair behind your ear. “It’s perfect. You managed to hijack the surveillance cameras, you organized the perfect schedule rounds for your crew. No one will know and they will have their suspects. We won’t fail. I won’t fail you.” He leaned close, your foreheads touched. “You trust me, right?”

You nodded. Step three was in motion.

___________

The event was going perfectly well. Every Bjorn’s business partner had come with a beautiful partner on their arms. The waiters were trying to make their way around overexcited wealthy people who wouldn’t stop eating and drinking. The atmosphere was relaxed. Until they arrived. 

Ivar and Hvitserk, Bjorn’s infamous half-brothers tried to sneak their way into the party. But you were prepared. You did not wait for the slightest outburst and had the security guards taking them away as fast as possible. It took a few minutes but most of the guests did not even notice the commotion. Bjorn nodded in acknowledgement and you know you did well. You just hoped Harald had succeeded, you hadn’t given him much time to do so. When your eyes met a mere moment later, his smile gave you what you needed. 

Waiting until the end of the event was a torture, feeling both tense and excited. There was still a tiny possibility you would be discovered but you were closer to success than failure. Once the last guests had left, Bjorn gave you the permission to do the same. You calmly did your last round, pretending everything was in place. You knew something big was missing though and you prayed he would not notice until tomorrow morning. 

You made your way towards a little path near the gates, a narrow place far away from any surveillance camera where you and Harald were supposed to meet. And there he was, waiting for you, with a confident smile on his face. 

The moment he saw you, he retracted something from his pants pocket. Something wrapped around a black silk cloth. He unwrapped it slowly and this time, you could not contain the tiny gasp that escaped your mouth the moment your saw the blue diamond. It was finally here in front of you. 

You extended a hand to grasp it when you heard the sound of a crutch hitting the gravel. Two silhouettes emerged from the shadows. Your eyes widened as you saw the two men you had chased away earlier walking toward you and your accomplice.

“Thought you could get rid of us that easily?” Ivar asked as his brother simply snorted.

You glanced at Harald who did not seem as surprised as you were. You frowned. 

“The moment our common friend told us about your little plan, we knew you had given us a key to trick our dear brother and take this wonderful thing away from him.” 

Hvitserk snatched the diamond from Harald’s fingers and threw it carelessly to Ivar who took his time to admire it. 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”  He said tauntingly as he eyed you mockingly. “We decided to play along, be the perfect distraction so that Harald could steal it and take it away from you.”

You looked at Harald, dumbfounded. “How could you?”, You almost screamed, your voice full of anguish. “I trusted you.”

Harald stared back at you, his eyes showed no emotion. “They made me a very interesting offer.”

“Lots of money.” Ivar stated, his voice still full of mockery. “What? You really thought he was interested in you? Your dear Harald might have a weakness for women but his heart always brings him back to what is more important: money. You definitely can’t compete.”

You closed your eyes, completely defeated. When you opened them again, you glared at Ivar.

“So, what now? You think Bjorn won’t suspect you? He will instantly believe you are guilty and he will restlessly chase you to get what he wants.”

Ivar did not seem impressed by your words. He just smirked. “Why would he? He saw you having us thrown out of his property and there is absolutely no proof we went back. He might come to that conclusion but we won’t be the first suspects when he finds you here unconscious, suggesting you were secretly meeting with someone.”

You registered his words and noticed Hvitserk was not near his brother anymore. You were about to turn around when something heavy knocked you on the back of your head. You just had the time to see Harald’s worried look before you fell and darkness engulfed you.

__________

One month later, you were back to step one. Ivar’s little scheme had worked perfectly. Bjorn’s bodyguards had found you unconscious during their morning round. Bjorn was furious, he had found out about the diamond’s disappearance just after having breakfast and he had looked after you everywhere. He accused you of being behind all this and had his men interrogate you for hours. No matter how much they threatened you, your story did not change. You had heard a noise as you were leaving the estate and went to check just to see two masked men fleeing. You had tried to catch them yourself and they had knocked you out. You could not tell them his brothers were there or you would incriminate yourself somehow.

Ivar was right though. No matter what you said, he still doubted your words and thought you were meeting with someone. His trust was broken. After hours of interrogation, he let you go but you were fired. After all, you had failed immensely at protecting his most beloved belonging. 

You found a job at a museum who thankfully didn’t call your former boss to get some information about you. It was boring but it gave you some money to pay the bills and time to wait. Because you desperately waited. Waited for someone. Waited for something to show up and prove there was a ray of hope. A proof that the diamond could still be yours. 

Sighing, you entered your apartment and slammed the door behind you. You took off your shoes and hung your jacket on the coat rack. 

As you walked into the living room, you stopped in your tracks. Harald was sitting on your couch, legs wide opened, his arms nonchalantly thrown over the back of the piece of furniture. You watched him as he extirpated something from the inner pocket of his leather jacket. Something that closely looked like the black silk cloth you had seen last month. He unwrapped it again and revealed the diamond, which he delicately put on the coffee table. 

Your gaze alternated between Harald the blue diamond. Gulping loudly, you slowly bent over and reached for it. This time nobody interrupted you when you closed your fingers around it and you carefully raised it to your eye level. You watched it in awe. Then, a small smile formed on your lips. 

“You did it.” You whispered and you saw Harald nod through your blurry eyes.

“You did it.” You repeated a bit louder before letting out a squeal and throwing yourself at Harald who welcomed you between his arms. 

“I can’t believe it worked!” You lightly slapped the back of his head. “You were supposed to be here two weeks ago though.”

You felt your chest vibrate as Harald chuckeld against you. “I figured one month was better. Bjorn’s men only stopped following you last week. I needed to be sure before coming back into your life.”

You hugged him harder. He had truly thought about everything. “And they believed everything?”

Harald nodded against your cheek and you leaned back to watch him. “Every word. They thought I could betray you. I just had to let them gloat and wait for the right moment to make a little switch between a fake and a real diamond.”

“They did not realize you had switched it?”

Harald shook his head. “If there is one thing those silly brothers have in common is that they are underestimating me. They don’t think I would be able of anything they couldn’t guess….and they think I can be bought with money.”

Tenderly, you stroked his cheek. He leaned into your touch. “But I could never be bought with anything to betray a woman I love.”

Your breath hitched and you felt like butterflies were fluttering in your stomach. Love was definitely not part of the plan but you would lie if you told you were not feeling the same towards him. It had hit you hard and fast. There was no point denying it. Even if you had been scared when he did not show two weeks ago, you knew deep down he would not betray you. And when you looked back, you had not even thought for a second to betray him either.

You kissed him hard, your teeth tugging at his lower lip. He opened his mouth and your tongue met his. The fact of being away from him for four long weeks was finally taking its toll on you and you rubbed your pelvis against his, feeling the need to being taken wildly. But Harald grabbed your hips to cease your motions.

You sighed out of frustration in his mouth before he pulled away. You glared at him and he smiled. 

“I took the liberty to book you a boat ticket for your little trip back to Norway.”

“Why did you take a boat ticket?”

“There will be less security than in an airport. It will look like you indulged yourself in a little cruise to go back home rather than leaving in a hurry.”

He really thought about everything. Something was missing though. 

“Are you not coming with me?”

He looked at you tenderly. “No, it would be too risky. They can’t see us leaving together. It’s better if I wait a little. Besides, their mother will be coming soon and I’d rather be here when he does so that I know about their next move. Something tells me they will keep accusing each other for a while. Won’t take more than a week or two, I am certain.”

“And you will come to me?” You enquired worryingly. 

“Oh, I will, my queen.” He kissed your nose. “It will also give me the perfect excuse to visit my brother and to introduce you. I am certain he will like you, he is a good judge of character.” 

“You trust me enough to know I won’t disappear with the diamond and will never contact you again?” You asked, playing with the lapel of his jacket.

“Of course, I trust you.” He kissed your nose again. “Because I know you love me too, right?”

You smiled and nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I do love you.”

“Perfect”. His hands on your hips became a slow massage that tantalized your body. 

“Perfect…” Your hips started grinding again. “Now can we fuck or what? Because I love you but I missed your body too.”

Harald laughed loudly, throwing his head back. He then helped you getting rid of his jacket and sneaked his hands under your shirt to let them run along your skin. 

He took your lips feverishly. You smiled into the kiss. 

You would leave and Harald would soon join you. The Ragnarssons might come to get their revenge but you would be ready with Harald next to you. Step four was in motion. Mission accomplished.

____________

Here it goes ! Surprised myself a bit with this one. Was not planning on writing so much. My work is not to be copied or reposted elsewhere. Don't be afraid to like, comment or reblog. Feedback is always welcome. ❤️

The plan was simple. Infiltrate. Gain trust. Steal. (Or rather recover) Leave. 

Step one went smoothly. Bjorn Ragnarsson was searching for a new head of security, someone he could lean on. Not to protect him, no. He needed someone to protect his home, his wife that he always cheated on, his children that he barely took care of, and there were his belongings. The things he valued the most. Among them was the thing you were after, the diamond that belonged to your family. Never mind that, as Northmen themselves, your elders had probably stolen it during one of their raids. The blue diamond of Alqualondë belonged to your land, your family. It was a shame to see it between the hands of such a shallow man who only wished to be the center of attention. You had to take it back.

So, when you learned Bjorn had fired his former head of security for trying to sleep with his wife – and succeeding – you applied for it.

The interview was a success. You were perfect for job and it had been easy to convince him of that. He was the kind of man who would use a woman’s assets and skills for his own benefit. He could show admiration if needed be. You gave him that opportunity. You were prepared for every situation, every case that could cross your path and you knew how to deal with it. He gave you the job right away. It helped that you were a woman who would not probably end up sleeping with his wife and that he was not interested in you in the least – not that you were interested in him. Of course, he was quite attractive, big, muscular but he had very questionable ways of treating the women he got close to and it did not sit well you. Besides, you were on a mission and there was no way you would be distracted from it. Not by Bjorn, anyways. 

Step 2 was easier than you thought. After all, Bjorn was in a line of work that called for suspicions and betrayals. He hadn’t told you everything his business was about but he revealed enough so that you would understand he sometimes tended to mingle with mobsters. You did not ask questions, just nodded and proceeded to do what your job required. You were not curious, you only talked when needed and that was enough for your boss to give you his complete trust. 

You were aware he had probably done some background research about you but you also knew your name would not ring any bell. You were no threat to him and his business because you were never associated with any name he might have been linked to. There was no reason for him to believe you could betray him.

Sooner than you thought possible, he gave you  a complete access to every room of his house, including his so-called “Trophy room”. 

When you first entered it, you contained the gasp that threatened to leave your mouth. The place was filled with crowns, tiaras and all kind of jewelries but also paintings, sculptures, different pieces of art he might have got the same way he obtained the blue diamond you were looking for. 

You barely glanced at it but each time you entered the room. Your brain was buzzing with excitement but you knew you had to contain yourself as not to attract any attention. You just played the admiration well enough so that Bjorn acted like a proud peacock and would not worry about anything. It was time to think of the best way to retrieve the diamond and leave before he could even think about you being the thief. 

Step 3 was a nightmare. Having Bjorn’s complete trust meant getting more responsibilities and more work. There was not much time left to build a decent plan and get into action. Furthermore, he had granted you with a complete team of men who were constantly on your tail. There was no opportunity of being alone without raising any suspicions. 

Then, there was the distraction you were not waiting for. The person you had not planned to meet. Harald Finehair. 

You had met him a few times during Bjorn’s famous events. He seemed to be part of his inner circle even if you had understood very quickly Bjorn acted with him like with everyone else: by taking advantage of him. Surprisingly enough, it bothered you. One of your missions was to watch every person passing through the entrance door very closely and what you had seen in Harald’s eyes had intrigued you. He was calm, collected and very silent, keeping himself in the shade, even though people intently listened each time he talked. It seemed he was both admired and mocked somehow. And you perfectly knew the reason. It was no secret that him and your boss had a heavy history and it did not take a genius to guess it was linked to Bjorn’s wife, Gunnhild. There was always a certain type of longing each time Harald looked at her. That meant a potential threat for your boss and that meant that you were watching him very carefully. He did not seem to notice or have a problem with that. Until he watched back. With the greatest attention.

You had thought at first that he would be an obstacle. He had approached you with the most charming smile. 

“I heard you were the big guy’s new head of security?”

“So, I am.”

“Why?”

Everything in his stance could tell he knew why you were here: his sly smile, his eyes sparkling with mischief and what he said next.

“It’s a long trip from Norway. The job must be very well paid….or maybe there is something else you’re after.”

Of course, he knew who you were. He seemed to be very observant, that one. But he did not threaten to tell everything. No. He offered to work with you, stating he also deeply wanted to get back at Bjorn for many reasons. You had looked at him though squinted eyes and just asked him to give you time to think. 

He did not insist, did not ask again and you came to him after a few weeks. “Okay, but I get to keep the diamond.”

He gave you another sly smile. “Of course, every queen needs a diamond to shine…although I am not certain you do.”

You had blushed under the praise. The man had his way with words. It was no surprise you found yourself in his bed not long after the two of you had started to work together. He might have been a few years older than you but he was delicate and he seemed so enamored you felt yourself falling for him in return. One could think you should have been more careful but you felt like you could trust him. Besides, he had provided you with the help you needed. And the perfect plan you were waiting for.

“You are ready for tonight?” Harald kissed your neck as you clasped your necklace around it. “Not too stressed?”

You turned and framed his face between your hands before catching his lips in a fiery kiss that left your both panting. “Just a tiny bit. You helped, though.” You winked at him and he chuckled. The sound made your insides tingle. The two of you shared a knowing look. There was no time left for this kind of entertainment. Tonight, was the night and you couldn’t be late. 

“Don’t worry, everything will go according to plan.” Harald tucked a lock of hair behind your ear. “It’s perfect. You managed to hijack the surveillance cameras, you organized the perfect schedule rounds for your crew. No one will know and they will have their suspects. We won’t fail. I won’t fail you.” He leaned close, your foreheads touched. “You trust me, right?”

You nodded. Step three was in motion.

___________

The event was going perfectly well. Every Bjorn’s business partner had come with a beautiful partner on their arms. The waiters were trying to make their way around overexcited wealthy people who wouldn’t stop eating and drinking. The atmosphere was relaxed. Until they arrived. 

Ivar and Hvitserk, Bjorn’s infamous half-brothers tried to sneak their way into the party. But you were prepared. You did not wait for the slightest outburst and had the security guards taking them away as fast as possible. It took a few minutes but most of the guests did not even notice the commotion. Bjorn nodded in acknowledgement and you know you did well. You just hoped Harald had succeeded, you hadn’t given him much time to do so. When your eyes met a mere moment later, his smile gave you what you needed. 

Waiting until the end of the event was a torture, feeling both tense and excited. There was still a tiny possibility you would be discovered but you were closer to success than failure. Once the last guests had left, Bjorn gave you the permission to do the same. You calmly did your last round, pretending everything was in place. You knew something big was missing though and you prayed he would not notice until tomorrow morning. 

You made your way towards a little path near the gates, a narrow place far away from any surveillance camera where you and Harald were supposed to meet. And there he was, waiting for you, with a confident smile on his face. 

The moment he saw you, he retracted something from his pants pocket. Something wrapped around a black silk cloth. He unwrapped it slowly and this time, you could not contain the tiny gasp that escaped your mouth the moment your saw the blue diamond. It was finally here in front of you. 

You extended a hand to grasp it when you heard the sound of a crutch hitting the gravel. Two silhouettes emerged from the shadows. Your eyes widened as you saw the two men you had chased away earlier walking toward you and your accomplice.

“Thought you could get rid of us that easily?” Ivar asked as his brother simply snorted.

You glanced at Harald who did not seem as surprised as you were. You frowned. 

“The moment our common friend told us about your little plan, we knew you had given us a key to trick our dear brother and take this wonderful thing away from him.” 

Hvitserk snatched the diamond from Harald’s fingers and threw it carelessly to Ivar who took his time to admire it. 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”  He said tauntingly as he eyed you mockingly. “We decided to play along, be the perfect distraction so that Harald could steal it and take it away from you.”

You looked at Harald, dumbfounded. “How could you?”, You almost screamed, your voice full of anguish. “I trusted you.”

Harald stared back at you, his eyes showed no emotion. “They made me a very interesting offer.”

“Lots of money.” Ivar stated, his voice still full of mockery. “What? You really thought he was interested in you? Your dear Harald might have a weakness for women but his heart always brings him back to what is more important: money. You definitely can’t compete.”

You closed your eyes, completely defeated. When you opened them again, you glared at Ivar.

“So, what now? You think Bjorn won’t suspect you? He will instantly believe you are guilty and he will restlessly chase you to get what he wants.”

Ivar did not seem impressed by your words. He just smirked. “Why would he? He saw you having us thrown out of his property and there is absolutely no proof we went back. He might come to that conclusion but we won’t be the first suspects when he finds you here unconscious, suggesting you were secretly meeting with someone.”

You registered his words and noticed Hvitserk was not near his brother anymore. You were about to turn around when something heavy knocked you on the back of your head. You just had the time to see Harald’s worried look before you fell and darkness engulfed you.

__________

One month later, you were back to step one. Ivar’s little scheme had worked perfectly. Bjorn’s bodyguards had found you unconscious during their morning round. Bjorn was furious, he had found out about the diamond’s disappearance just after having breakfast and he had looked after you everywhere. He accused you of being behind all this and had his men interrogate you for hours. No matter how much they threatened you, your story did not change. You had heard a noise as you were leaving the estate and went to check just to see two masked men fleeing. You had tried to catch them yourself and they had knocked you out. You could not tell them his brothers were there or you would incriminate yourself somehow.

Ivar was right though. No matter what you said, he still doubted your words and thought you were meeting with someone. His trust was broken. After hours of interrogation, he let you go but you were fired. After all, you had failed immensely at protecting his most beloved belonging. 

You found a job at a museum who thankfully didn’t call your former boss to get some information about you. It was boring but it gave you some money to pay the bills and time to wait. Because you desperately waited. Waited for someone. Waited for something to show up and prove there was a ray of hope. A proof that the diamond could still be yours. 

Sighing, you entered your apartment and slammed the door behind you. You took off your shoes and hung your jacket on the coat rack. 

As you walked into the living room, you stopped in your tracks. Harald was sitting on your couch, legs wide opened, his arms nonchalantly thrown over the back of the piece of furniture. You watched him as he extirpated something from the inner pocket of his leather jacket. Something that closely looked like the black silk cloth you had seen last month. He unwrapped it again and revealed the diamond, which he delicately put on the coffee table. 

Your gaze alternated between Harald the blue diamond. Gulping loudly, you slowly bent over and reached for it. This time nobody interrupted you when you closed your fingers around it and you carefully raised it to your eye level. You watched it in awe. Then, a small smile formed on your lips. 

“You did it.” You whispered and you saw Harald nod through your blurry eyes.

“You did it.” You repeated a bit louder before letting out a squeal and throwing yourself at Harald who welcomed you between his arms. 

“I can’t believe it worked!” You lightly slapped the back of his head. “You were supposed to be here two weeks ago though.”

You felt your chest vibrate as Harald chuckeld against you. “I figured one month was better. Bjorn’s men only stopped following you last week. I needed to be sure before coming back into your life.”

You hugged him harder. He had truly thought about everything. “And they believed everything?”

Harald nodded against your cheek and you leaned back to watch him. “Every word. They thought I could betray you. I just had to let them gloat and wait for the right moment to make a little switch between a fake and a real diamond.”

“They did not realize you had switched it?”

Harald shook his head. “If there is one thing those silly brothers have in common is that they are underestimating me. They don’t think I would be able of anything they couldn’t guess….and they think I can be bought with money.”

Tenderly, you stroked his cheek. He leaned into your touch. “But I could never be bought with anything to betray a woman I love.”

Your breath hitched and you felt like butterflies were fluttering in your stomach. Love was definitely not part of the plan but you would lie if you told you were not feeling the same towards him. It had hit you hard and fast. There was no point denying it. Even if you had been scared when he did not show two weeks ago, you knew deep down he would not betray you. And when you looked back, you had not even thought for a second to betray him either.

You kissed him hard, your teeth tugging at his lower lip. He opened his mouth and your tongue met his. The fact of being away from him for four long weeks was finally taking its toll on you and you rubbed your pelvis against his, feeling the need to being taken wildly. But Harald grabbed your hips to cease your motions.

You sighed out of frustration in his mouth before he pulled away. You glared at him and he smiled. 

“I took the liberty to book you a boat ticket for your little trip back to Norway.”

“Why did you take a boat ticket?”

“There will be less security than in an airport. It will look like you indulged yourself in a little cruise to go back home rather than leaving in a hurry.”

He really thought about everything. Something was missing though. 

“Are you not coming with me?”

He looked at you tenderly. “No, it would be too risky. They can’t see us leaving together. It’s better if I wait a little. Besides, their mother will be coming soon and I’d rather be here when he does so that I know about their next move. Something tells me they will keep accusing each other for a while. Won’t take more than a week or two, I am certain.”

“And you will come to me?” You enquired worryingly. 

“Oh, I will, my queen.” He kissed your nose. “It will also give me the perfect excuse to visit my brother and to introduce you. I am certain he will like you, he is a good judge of character.” 

“You trust me enough to know I won’t disappear with the diamond and will never contact you again?” You asked, playing with the lapel of his jacket.

“Of course, I trust you.” He kissed your nose again. “Because I know you love me too, right?”

You smiled and nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I do love you.”

“Perfect”. His hands on your hips became a slow massage that tantalized your body. 

“Perfect…” Your hips started grinding again. “Now can we fuck or what? Because I love you but I missed your body too.”

Harald laughed loudly, throwing his head back. He then helped you getting rid of his jacket and sneaked his hands under your shirt to let them run along your skin. 

He took your lips feverishly. You smiled into the kiss. 

You would leave and Harald would soon join you. The Ragnarssons might come to get their revenge but you would be ready with Harald next to you. Step four was in motion. Mission accomplished.

____________

Here it goes ! Surprised myself a bit with this one. Was not planning on writing so much. My work is not to be copied or reposted elsewhere. Don't be afraid to like, comment or reblog. Feedback is always welcome. ❤️