Though it seemed impossible, his expression became even more arrogant. “As a matter of fact, I helped introduce Chris Kringle to his wife.”
Lincoln rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Okay, you’re insane.” She hopped off the counter and shook her head in disappointment. “This is why I’m still single. I’m attracted to men who are no good for me, nutjobs and cheaters.” She was so busy with her spiel she didn’t notice he was moving toward her until it was too late.
Valen was suddenly pressing her against the counter, his hips moving seductively against hers. “How do you know I’m bad for you until you’ve had a taste?”
Her breath caught in her throat at the feel of his hard body pressed against her, but she managed to say, “I know chocolate glazed donuts topped with sprinkles are bad for me without having a taste. Same rules apply here.”
“Do they?” he murmured against her ear as his palms slid along her hips.
“They sure do!”
“I taste much better than chocolate donuts,” he promised, his breath hot as it brushed against the side of her neck.
She was finding it very distracting the way his hips rocked ever so slightly against her own. His nuzzling made her feel as if he wasn’t listening to her protests. “Crazy men who think they are Cupid are just as bad for me as chocolate donuts.”
“But you’ll enjoy me while I last.” His fingers inched under the edge of her shorts, sliding the silk up higher on her thighs.
Lincoln gave a squeak of alarm and managed to squiggle out of his grasp. “Hey now! I didn’t say anything about the groping this morning because you were half asleep, but this—”
“This is a conscious decision,” he finished for her.
She nodded. “Yeah.”
He was now leaning back against the counter, staring at her with interest in his eyes. “Waking up with you curled against me in bed was a green light if I’ve ever seen one.”
Lincoln’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “I didn’t climb into bed with you! That was…was…”
“Magic.” With a sigh, he pushed off the counter and offered her a plate of pancakes. “Well, let’s get this over with so I can move on to seducing you.” He waved a hand toward her, and then picked up his own plate. “Lay it on me. Tell me off.”
Lincoln snorted and took her plate to the kitchen table. Sinking into the same chair as the morning before, she began slicing her pancakes into tidy squares. “You’re insane.”
He grinned and set down a bottle of syrup in front of her. “Come on. You said it helped yesterday.”
She rolled her eyes as she snatched up the syrup and began pouring it over her food. “You’re not going to give this up, are you?”
He shook his head with a wicked grin and slid into the seat across from her. “Nope.”
Lincoln stabbed a chunk of pancake and shoved it into her mouth. Before she could speak, she had to close her eyes and give a low groan of appreciation.
When she opened her eyes, Valen was grinning at her. “Enjoying yourself?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Just because you’re an amazing cook that doesn’t make you any less mental.” She sighed. “But I’ll humor you.” Taking another bite of pancake, she savored the flavor before saying, “Cupid likes to play God.”
“You,” Valen corrected. “You can say you. I’m the one pissing you off.”
“Fine. You like to play God.”
“I like to make people happy.” Valen climbed to his feet, made his way over to the fridge, and pulled out the orange juice carton. Pinching the spout, he opened it and took a long swig.
“Well, I’m not happy,” she confessed, her voice thick with unexpected emotion.
“I could make you happy.” Valen’s statement hung in the air. They stared at each other for a moment in silence. Finally, he sighed and sank back down into his seat. “Listen, you’ve just not met your soul mate yet. That’s no reason to be unhappy. It will happen. You just need to be patient. He’s out there, and when the two of you finally cross paths, I’ll be the first person to let you know.”
Lincoln scowled in agitation. “I don’t believe in that crap. Good relationships come from hard work, not a higher power.”
Valen set the orange juice container in the center of the table between them. “You should believe. I do.”
“You also drink from the carton.”
It was Valen’s turn to roll his eyes. “I’ll prove it to you.” Wiggling his eyebrows at her, he added, “You’re coming to work with me today.”
Her response was a snort. “What do you plan to do, throw on some leather and dart about rooftops?”
“I’m Cupid not the Green Arrow,” he said dryly.
“Speaking of which, why does Cupid live in some dinky town in Minnesota? Shouldn’t you be living in a romantic city like Florence or Paris?”
“I happen to like Minnesota. The springs here are beautiful.”
“The springs here are beautiful,” Lincoln mocked, but the hint of a smirk was playing on her lips. “Does this mean Clarksfield, Minnesota is the most romantic place on earth?”
“Sure felt like it this morning,” he said with a snicker.
Her brows rose and she couldn’t stop her soft chuckle in response. “You’re terrible.” Lifting the orange juice carton, she took a delicate sip, smacked her lips in pleasure, and said, “So I’m going to work with you today.”
“Looks like.”
Chapter Three
Two hours later, Lincoln sat at a small, outdoor table of an expensive café called La’ Monte. After making a quick trip home, she was wearing her nicest sundress and a pair of wedge sandals. The warm spring sun shone down on her, heating her shoulders as she observed the other patrons and the pedestrians strolling past on the street.
Across from her and looking dazzling in a suit and tie, Valen was explaining the ins and outs of his so-called job. “It’s easier to find people near their soul mates at restaurants. Many are already dating. I just use my magic to give them that little extra push to break the defensive walls down.” He paused thoughtfully. “You know, it’s nice having someone with me instead of being the weird guy who always eats alone.”
Lincoln giggled, unable to help herself. “Trust me. When women see you alone, they are ecstatic. They aren’t thinking you’re weird.”
One expressive blond eyebrow rose at her comment. “Just because you find me irresistible doesn’t mean the rest of women are gaga over me.”
She gave him a dark look. “You do remember I’m only here because I dislike you so much that fate decided to magically bring us together to have it out?”
He waved this off. Then he continued with his explanation. “Unlike what you seem to think, I don’t force anyone to do anything they don’t wish. In fact, there are some soul mates who never even end up together. They get off on such a wrong foot before I happen upon them that they hate one another. They dislike each other so much they can’t see past it. They lose their opportunity at true happiness. It’s sad.”
Due to the sincerity of his voice, Lincoln started to soften on the concept. Realizing this, she sat up straight in her seat with a scowl, refusing to be swayed. “You’re sad when you’re little schemes don’t work out. So you’re saying you were happy when you tricked my boyfriend of four years into cheating on me with a flight attendant?”
“I’m never happy to see someone get hurt.” Valen scooted his chair until it rested next to hers, until their knees bumped. “Sometimes the immediate pain of a breakup is better than wasting your life being with the wrong person.” He then took her hands in his and offered her a look of sympathy. “He wasn’t your soul mate.”
She looked away from him, her heart feeling thick with the emotions racing through her. She’d never really seen it that way. All she’d seen it as was another man telling her she wasn’t good enough for him.
“You might have loved him at the time, but there is someone out there better for you, someone who will make you
forget all about him. That person will love you like you’ve never known love before. Somewhere out there is someone perfect for you. It wasn’t him.”
She didn’t know if she just wanted to believe him or if it was true, but Lincoln felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. “He was uptight,” she finally whispered. A laugh bubbled unexpectedly from her throat at finally being able to admit that. “He hated how absentminded I was. In his eyes, everything had a place and there should be no varying from his organization whatsoever.” She smirked at Valen. “It used to drive him insane when I drank from the carton.”
“I don’t mind when you drink from the carton. I think it’s cute.”
“You’re also insane,” she pointed out. “We might have had a happy, carton drinking future together if it hadn’t been for that.”
“I’m not insane,” he mumbled distractedly. His eyes searched the restaurant and the street in front of it. “I’m about to prove it.” He pointed to a couple standing on the sidewalk across the street from them. “See those two over there? Soul mates. He’s had a thing for her since the second grade, but he’s too shy to do anything about it. She would be willing to give the relationship a try if she had any idea he was into her.”
Lincoln stared at the pair standing a polite distance apart. “How can you possibly know that?” She saw no indication there might be anything even remotely romantic about their feelings toward one another. As far as she knew, they might be siblings.
“It’s my job to know.” Valen tossed her a confident grin and climbed to his feet. “Watch this.”
Lincoln gave a squeak of alarm as he lifted a large case from the ground and set it on the table. “What are you doing?” She glanced nervously around at the other tables to see if any of the nearby patrons were apprehensive at the obvious sight of a weapon case. “It looks like you’re pulling out a gun!”
“Don’t say gun in a restaurant, Lincoln,” Valen said calmly. He flipped open the latches on the side of the case and lifted the lid. “People only see what they want to see. Look around. No one is even looking over here. Humans don’t understand the supernatural, so they’ve learned to ignore it. It’s a defense mechanism, I suppose.” He lifted a bow from the case and tested the string. “Who should I shoot?”
“I don’t want you to shoot anyone!”
His response was a roll of his eyes. “You asked to follow me to work. It’s my job to shoot people.”
Lincoln watched with alarm as he lifted a red arrow and put it into place.
“Which do I shoot?” he repeated.
Her head swam. She was about to be an accessory to murder. “I…I…”
“Come on, Lincoln.” He lifted the bow to line up a shot. “Him or her?”
She glanced around for assistance, but everyone was still busy with their meals. “Oh, you dang humans,” she accused.
“Lincoln!”
“Him!” As soon as the word escaped her, she clamped a hand over her mouth.
Before she could take her choice back, Valen let go of the arrow. It soared through the air before imbedding in the man’s chest.
Lincoln cried out in horror, waiting for the stranger to fall down dead, but the man didn’t even stumble backwards.
Instead, he moved forward with determination. He suddenly kissed the girl Valen claimed to be his soul mate.
The girl looked momentarily shocked, but then she threw her arms around his neck and returned the kiss.
“I thought you were going to make me miss my window of opportunity,” Valen accused as he lowered the bow.
Lincoln stared in stunned disbelief. “They…they kissed.”
“Of course they did,” he said. “That was the desired effect. I was nudging them in the right direction. Cupid’s arrow gives a person the confidence they need to go for what they want. Now you’ve seen that firsthand.”
Lincoln watched the couple as they smiled and laughed. When they linked arms and disappeared into a nearby apartment building, she turned to Valen with an expression of awe. “You made them fall in love. That was amazing!”
“I know.” He smiled. “Still don’t believe in soul mates?”
She hesitated. Instead of answering his question, she asked, “How can you believe so whole-heartedly when you’re single yourself? Where’s your soul mate?”
Valen stayed silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he shook his head with a sigh. “It’s complicated. I can’t see my own soul mate. That would be considered cheating. I only hold the ability to help others.”
“That doesn’t seem fair.” Lincoln studied his handsome face with sympathy. “Forever alone with the ability to help others find love. Seems cruel.”
He shrugged. “I just have to hope she finds me.”
“Romantic.”
He chuckled. “I’m Cupid. It kind of goes with the territory.”
Her heart fluttered at his frank statement. Damn it! She was starting to believe him. Even worse, she was starting to think of him as more than just a pretty face and impressive abs. He was…sweet.
“Want to do another?” He held up his bow and waved it in front of her, distracting her from her somber thoughts.
She smiled enthusiastically. “Do I ever!”
Chapter Four
Lincoln and Valen sat outside the apartment building that housed her tiny dwelling. His sporty car looked completely out of place in the less than lavish surroundings of muddy grass, rusted porch railings, and tromped upon flowers.
She’d never upgraded to a better apartment after college because she’d been waiting until she had a family to settle into a home with the white picket fence. Belatedly, she wished she would have found a more suitable place on her own. Apparently, her prince was dragging his feet, and she was way too old to still be living the college life. It was pathetic and sad. “Um…” she said reluctantly. “Would you like to come in for a drink?”
“I’m parched. Sounds great.” Valen was out of the car and walking up the sidewalk to the apartment complex before she could stop him.
She cursed under her breath and rushed out of the car. She chased after him, her ankles wobbling as she tried to navigate the cracked and uneven sidewalk in her girly shoes. “I’ll warn you, the place isn’t great. I’ve…I’ve been meaning to—”
“Lincoln, I’m not going in so I can inspect your place. I’m going in to extend my time with you.”
She blushed and a pleased smile spread across her lips before she could smother it. “Oh.” Shyly, she tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear as he held the building’s door open for her. “Okay then.”
Lost in thought, she led him down the hallway with tattered green carpeting and faded wallpaper to the apartment that belonged to her. Her hands were shaking so badly she could barely get her key in the door.
Finally, the lock clicked, and she let the door swing open. “Well, here we are.” As she stepped inside, she cast a sidelong glance at Valen to gauge his reaction.
His expression was one of amusement. “I already told you. I’m here to see you, not your apartment.”
She couldn’t keep the unease from her face despite his assurances. “But…you’re so wealthy.”
He chuckled at that. “I’ve had a few centuries to build my fortune. You’re still a baby. No one expects you to have it all figured out yet.”
“A few centuries?” she squeaked. “Wow. You are far too old for me.” She squinted as she appraised him. “Obviously you’ve stopped aging if you’re more than a century old. What are you exactly?”
“I’m Fae.”
“Fae? As in like a fairy?”
“Something like that.”
“Where are your wings?” She peered at his back as if there was a possibility she might have somehow missed them.
His booming laugh filled her tiny apartment. “I’m Fae, not a pixie.”
Lincoln’s eyes narrowed. “Sorry. I’m not up on my folklore. I never expected to need it.”
/>
“Most humans don’t. The majority of you spend your lives seeing what you want to see, believing what you want to believe. Shutting out the supernatural is a habit ingrained since birth. It takes a really special woman to break past such things and open her eyes to the world beyond.”
Lincoln’s heart fluttered at his praise. His romantic comment about love finding him persistently nagged at her awareness. Unable to help herself, she moved toward him. Her body behaved as if it had a mind of its own. She crossed the tiny living room and practically fell into his arms. Her hands went to his face and she pulled him down for a desperate kiss. Her mouth opened under his, imploring him to reciprocate.
His response was instantaneous. He grasped her waist and pulled her toward him. Though his mouth became demanding, his hands were gentle. He smoothed them along her waist, curved one behind her back to hold her close.
Lincoln’s arms slipped around his neck and she arched against him. Her hands trembled as the hard plains of his body pressed against her. She’d never been more attracted to a man in her entire life, and it wasn’t just because he looked like a Greek God. It was his personality, his benevolent nature.
Valen spent his life making others happy while putting his own happiness on the backburner. He was selfless and good, qualities harder to come by than one would think.
Never breaking contact with his lips, she fumbled with his belt buckle. She knew she was high on adrenaline after watching him in action, but she didn’t care. Romance, lust, and desire were in the air, and she needed an outlet. He was standing in front of her as a living temptation, and she didn’t have the willpower to resist.
Once she had his belt undone, she fumbled frantically with the zipper of his dress pants. Her hand disappeared inside the fabric the instant it was parted.
Valen gave a strangled sound caught between arousal and surprise. “Lincoln…” His hand buried in her hair, and his kisses became downright frantic.
She cupped him in her palm and felt her knees go weak at the sheer size of him. Every physical aspect of this man was perfect. From his bronzed gold tan to his rock-hard abs, he was like an ancient Deity. “I’ve never had sex with someone this pretty before,” she confessed somewhat nervously.
Stupid Cupid Page 2