by Liz Schulte
“I don’t cook,” Esme said, placing her hands on her hips.
“Me neither,” Trish added, mirroring her stance.
Eros released Elle, much to her dismay. The forlorn look on her face made me want to roll my eyes. He strode over to Esme and Trish, taking them both by the hand. “Not an issue ladies.”
They both leaned into him, their heads close to his as if the trio was discussing something in strict confidence. After a moment, Esme let out a happy laugh and Trish grinned, her face flushing bright red.
“Better?” Eros asked them.
They both nodded and happily took their places behind their work stations.
“You’re going to love this,” Esme said, piling her dark hair into a bun on top of her head.
“Ladies, I have something special to help you out with your baking.” He turned toward a large mirror covering one wall, raised his arms high in the air, and waved as if beckoning someone.
We stood there in silence, while Trish fluffed her short black hair and…what was she doing? Gads. She was sucking her stomach in while pulling her v-neck T-shirt down, revealing even more of her already ample bosom. My goodness, she had quite the rack. I glanced down at my own modest chest and wondered if those breast creams that were advertised on late night TV really worked. Maybe a spell. I’d make a note and ask Jade about magical breast augmentation. Just a cup or two sizes bigger would do the trick.
“Kat,” Esme whispered. “Why are you scowling at your left tit? Did it insult the right one or something?”
I jerked my head up just in time to see six perfectly-sculpted gods walk right through the mirrored wall wearing nothing but aprons tied around their waists.
“Holy abs,” Trish breathed.
“Abs? Look at those perfect pecs.” Esme took a step forward with her hand out as if she was going to sample one.
My mouth went dry as a tall, blond, Greek God stepped up next to me, his apron so low I could see the outline of his V cut disappearing into his groin area. I suppressed a groan. Good goddess. I’d never seen anything hotter. Perfection in an apron. I eyed him up and down, and then before I could stop myself, I said, “Turn around.”
The corner of his mouth lifted in an amused, knowing smile, but after scanning my body with a searing gaze, he did as I asked.
Much to my relief and disappointment, he was wearing black boxer briefs. But they still showed off quite the perfect backside.
I licked my lips.
“Focus, ladies,” Eros said. “The men will be your baker’s assistants. Use them in any way you see fit—”
Multiple snickers cut him off.
He cleared his throat. “Ahh, I meant use their knowledge and skills about baking. Save the rest for after the competition. All right?”
“Yes, sir!” Esme saluted him, while the other girls expressed their agreement.
I stood there, staring at my assistant, that uneasy feeling coming back to me. Something niggled at the back of my mind, and I felt like I’d forgotten something. There was something I was supposed to do or remember, only I couldn’t put my finger on it.
“Kat.” Eros casually slipped his arm over my shoulders. “This is Bradley. He’s an expert in all things chocolate. Make something divine.”
The unease slipped away, but the nagging doubts lingered.
“How about warm-center chocolate cakes?” Bradley asked, his voice so rich and smooth, I nearly melted at the sound of it.
“Okay,” I breathed.
He chuckled, clearly used to being ogled. “Let’s go, Kitty Kat. We have chocolate to melt.”
I happily followed him and every instruction he gave me. It was more like he was doing the baking and I was the helper, but that was perfectly fine with me. To be honest, I paid more attention to the muscles rippling beneath his apron than I did anything else—until Esme screamed and jumped back from her stove.
Hot sugar boiled over the saucepan and kept right on going down the front of the stove.
“Turn it off,” her helper ordered.
“I can’t. It just keeps growing.” She had powdered sugar in her hair and a smudge of chocolate on her cheek and was straight-up panicking. “I’m going to burn the house down. “ She grabbed a bag of flour and threw it at the stove. White powder went up in a giant dust cloud, completely coating the sugar mess, the pot, and the stove. Not to mention me.
“Hey! Watch it.” I patted at my shirt, but it was too late. My black shirt was a goner. The only saving grace was that my dessert was already in the oven, safe from her destruction.
“Sorry.” She grimaced and finally reached over to turn off her stove. She turned to her assistant. “Any other ideas?”
He glanced around at her mess, then the clock and frowned. “It’s too late to cook anything. We’ll have to improvise.”
The pair retreated and went to investigate the items in the pantry.
“Wow,” Elle said, holding a gorgeous chocolate pecan pie. She nodded toward Esme’s station. “That doesn’t look promising.”
“But that does!” I exclaimed. “Holy chocolate, that smells delicious. What’s that spice I smell?”
She smiled. “It’s a secret ingredient.”
“It’s bourbon,” Kari said, frowning at her uninspired chocolate chip cookies. “I saw her add it to the pie mixture. And now that I see how nice hers turned out, I think I need a shot.”
I turned to Bradley. “How’s ours coming?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Didn’t you set the timer?”
“Timer?” Crap. I bit my bottom lip. “Do you know what time we put them in there?”
He shook his head as he walked to our oven. Then he groaned. “I said 375 degrees, not 475.”
Oops!
He pulled them out, his face grim. “Not looking good, Kitty Kat.”
I peered over his shoulder and let out a groan. The edges were burned. Worse, when he cut into one of the individual cakes, the batter wasn’t all the way done.
“Double damn,” I said, and dipped my finger into the rich filling. “Maybe no one would notice if we serve them on your abs.”
He laughed. “We can always try.”
“That’s it!” Esme cried, having already returned with a can of whipped cream. “Holden, lie down on the counter.”
Her assistant stared at her, one skeptical eyebrow raised.
“Trust me,” she said. “We’re going to win this challenge.”
As the others were placing their desserts on the judging table, Holden climbed up on the counter next to it and held still as Esme went to work. When she was done, Holden had whipped-cream-topped, chocolate-ganache kisses arranged in a heart shape with an arrow through it right on his abdomen.
She waved a hand and bowed as she said, “Voila. My masterpiece is complete.”
Eros took one look at her offering and let out a bellow of a laugh. Then he immediately handed her a rose. “You, my dear, are a complete delight.”
She beamed and then literally licked one of the kisses off Holden’s abs.
I chuckled, while two of the girls scowled.
Elle beamed at her. “Well done, Esme. You’re so creative.”
“Thanks.” Esme slipped her arm through the blonde’s and waited with her for the verdict of her dessert. To no one’s surprise, it was delicious, and Eros handed her a rose as well.
He moved on to Trish’s brownies. They were lovely, sitting there on a fancy plate all cut up into perfect squares. I was certain she’d pass Eros’s test, but when he bit into the first one, he gagged and spit the crumbs out, splattering them all over her white shirt. Little specks of chewed up brownie looked like… well, never mind. Let’s just say it wasn’t pretty.
“What are these?” Eros asked.
Her baker wrinkled his nose and with an air of disgust, he said, “Sugar-free, gluten-free, flavor-free brownies.”
“They’re healthy!” Trish cried, crossing her arms over her brownie-vomit T-shirt.
“It’s Valentine’s Day,” Eros said. “I think it’s a day of indulgence, don’t you?”
“One does not keep ninety pounds off by being indulgent!” She tightened her hands into fists and turned bright red.
“Ninety pounds. Wow. That’s impressive,” I said. “Good for you.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it and gave me a single nod of acknowledgment.
“Impressive indeed,” Eros agreed. He inspected the brownies once more, sniffing them. Then he gingerly put a tiny crumb on his tongue. His look told us everything we needed to know. The brownies were garbage bound. “I’m sorry, Trish. I admire your effort and your conviction, but I’m afraid we’re not going to be compatible. Healthy desserts are never going to fit in my world view. I’m sorry.”
Trish shrugged. “Fine. Where’s my gown. I want to get out of these disgusting clothes.”
“Ms. Bex will take you.” He gestured to the house manager who’d reappeared after making sure Mina got home safely, and the pair of them left the game room.
The other two women didn’t fare any better, though their desserts appeared to be at least edible. Eros claimed he was looking for someone a little more adventurous.
When he got to me, I was certain I was going to be sent home. And while my heart seemed perfectly fine with that scenario, there was a strange part of me that was disappointed, a detached part that seemed to have a mind of its own.
So when he handed me a rose without even looking at my dessert, I stared at him in surprise. “I thought for sure I was a goner after this mess.”
He winked. “Not everything is as it seems.”
Chapter Seven
The three of us, along with Eros, entered a large, elegant room that appeared to be a formal sitting room. Only the settee, two ornate armchairs, and a coffee table barely managed to fill half the room. The other half was taken up with three large, cloth-covered pedestals filled with candles and other curious items I’d only ever seen at a new age, witch supply store. Potions, feathers, herbs, pestles and mortars were among the curiosities on display.
And of course, there was a single red rose in the middle of each pedestal.
“What’s going on?” I asked him, foreboding crashing into me.
“Just one more challenge before I choose my bride,” Eros said, patting my arm.
That same warmth and soothing energy flowed through me, but again, the nagging doubts didn’t go away.
Magic.
This entire night had been influenced by it. There was no doubt about that. But who was casting the spells? I peered at Eros. He didn’t seem to notice my scrutiny as he brushed a lock of Elle’s hair behind her ear. He likely thought I was concerned he was going to choose her.
I wasn’t.
I didn’t want to be anyone’s wife… or did I? A flicker of those green eyes came back to me. So familiar. So comforting. I fought to hold onto the image of those eyes, but a glass was shoved into my hands by Eros.
“Drink, Kat. The liquid will help you relax.”
I did as he said without a fight and let the harsh bourbon burn my throat. It felt good to finally feel something real, something that wasn’t mild contentment. I downed the rest of the glass, hoping the liquid heat would snap me out of my pliable zombie state.
“Whoa. Slow down.” Eros took the glass from me with a kind smile. “You don’t want to be drunk for this last test.”
I had a feeling I did, but I tried not to scowl. The last thing I wanted was another shot of his brand of comfort.
“This test is to see if any of you have latent magical abilities. I want to see if when you concentrate, you can light a candle with your mind, levitate a rose petal, or mix a potion. Having magic isn’t a requirement, but it would help me in my line of work if my partner had some talent in the field.”
Esme frowned. “I’m not a damned witch. I’m a musician.”
“You could be. One never knows until they try.” He slipped his hand into Elle’s and escorted her to the middle pedestal.
Esme and I followed, taking our spots beside her.
“Now, the bourbon I gave you? It was laced with a hint of an anti-inhibition potion. If you have any magical talent, it should be easier to tap now. Just concentrate on one candle in front of you and imagine it lit.”
The other two women concentrated on their candles, but I couldn’t. The pendant on my chest was burning again. The last time was right before we’d been transported from the ball. Was he taking us somewhere else? Not again. I didn’t think I could handle it. I cast him a glance, but the vision of the green eyes flashed in my mind again, and this time they came with a face.
Lucien.
The name filtered through my mind, and I swear I heard an answering call. “Kat?”
I twisted, searching for the voice I knew, but sucked in a gasp as the heat from the pendant intensified. “Ouch!” I fumbled with the clasp, trying desperately to remove the necklace. Dammit! Why couldn’t I get my fingers to cooperate?
Kat! I heard the desperate cry again, only this time I knew it was in my mind.
Lucien, I answered back. I’m here.
Break the spell. I know you can do it.
Beside me I heard the delighted gasp of Elle and noticed the flicker of candlelight.
“Excellent!” Eros said, pleasure turning his voice to velvet.
I turned just in time to see him holding out a blood-red rose to her. She reached out and her fingers were almost around the stem when I wrapped my hand around the pendant and yanked, breaking the chain. The fiery stone seared a burn into my hand, but I didn’t care. The spell, it was the pendant. Eros had given it to me. I’d seen Esme in a vision after I’d put it on and known exactly what jewelry piece each woman would want.
Everything was tied to the pendant. Hadn’t Jade said my energy was a little heavy? But I’d disappeared off to dance with Eros before she could finish that thought, and I hadn’t seen her since.
A flash of light nearly blinded me, startling everyone. And when my vision cleared, I saw Jade and Lucien standing not ten feet in front of me. I nearly cried in relief.
“Destroy it!” Jade ordered as she ducked a blow from Esme.
“How dare you interrupt our Valentine’s Day,” the rocker bellowed, as she went after Jade with a candlestick.
“Esme!” I shouted, but she didn’t listen.
Elle jumped in front of Eros, stopping Lucien from restraining him. “No! You can’t. He’s the love of my life.”
“Step aside, miss. I’m not interested in hurting you,” Lucien said calmly, while magic crackled in his palms.
“Kat! The pendant,” Jade urged.
I glanced down at the now-cool pendant, then dropped it onto my pedestal and smashed it with one of the heavy stone candlesticks. Sparks shot from the contact point, making me jump back.
Everything stopped.
The surroundings changed from the luxurious Italian villa, to a rundown old Victorian with rotted boards and cobwebs.
“Eww,” Esme said, backing up from a round man with cherry red cheeks and golden curls who was standing exactly where Eros had been a moment before. He wore a white toga and golden sandals.
“Cupid,” Lucien said to the man, admonishment in his tone.
“Cupid?” Jade and I asked at the same time.
“The name is Eros,” he spit out, as he glared at Lucien. “How many times do I have to tell you that?”
Eros? Cupid was the gorgeous man who’d been putting us to the test all night. I shuddered. Holy V-day horrors.
Lucien glared at him then turned to me and put his arm around my waist, pulling me close.
I leaned against his strong, hard body and let out a sigh. “Where were you?”
“Tracking a witch who was selling illegal love potions.” He jerked his head toward Cupid. “Turns out Cupid here bought one this morning. I didn’t know until about an hour ago when Jade and I finally connected. She’s been going out of her mind ever si
nce you disappeared from the ball.”
“An hour? What took you so long?” All I wanted to do was go home, take a scalding shower, and forget I’d been spelled to want Cupid. Gah!
“We needed an opening. I finally figured out you were the one that had been spelled, but it took me long enough. The spell was extremely subtle.”
Jade used a corner of the table cloth to pick up the pendant, which was still in one piece. Only the spell had been broken. Then she tucked it into her handbag. “For the Witch’s Council. They’re going to want that.”
“Can we go now? Or do you have to do something about him?” I asked, more than ready to be home.
Lucien let out a huff of frustration. “Unfortunately there isn’t a law about unknowingly buying an illegal love potion. Since the rogue witch was selling them through a reputable outlet, we’re going to have to let him go.”
“But if you so much as look at another woman in this city in the wrong way, you’re going to have to answer to me,” Jade said to Eros, her eyes flashing with power.
“Hey,” Elle said in her sweet tone, and took Cupid’s hand in hers. As soon as she touched him, he morphed back into the handsome man wearing the purple velvet jacket. Because she was so petite, he was barely an inch taller than her. “Eros was nothing but a perfect gentleman. There’s no need to threaten him.”
“Other than spelling all of us into competing to be his wife?” I blurted.
“What?” Jade gasped out. “You’re kidding me?”
I shook my head. “Bathing suit competition, baking contest, and then the magic test.”
Jade’s eyes widened. “Swimsuit? Baking? You’re kidding me. What was he doing? Looking for a trophy wife?”
“No.” Eros put his arm around Elle in a protective manner. “I just wanted to see how they all handled themselves in certain situations. I spend a lot of time around desperate people looking for love. Because of that, I have more than my share of women who hit on me. Jealousy was a red flag for me. The swimsuit competition was about seeing how everyone reacted when presented with superficial beauty. I didn’t want to be stuck with someone who was insecure. That’s why I sent Mina home.”