Gunshy

Evernight Publishing www.evernightpublishing.com

Copyright© 2011 Seleste deLaney

ISBN: 978-1-926950-85-3

Cover Artist: LF Designs Editor: Emma Shortt

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

DEDICATIO( To Heather, the girl who decided long ago someone needed to bring me out of my shell, took it upon herself to do so, and then went on to make sure I knew no guy was out of my league. The gods don’t make friends like you nearly often enough.

GU(SHY Cupid's Conquests Seleste deLaney Copyright © 2011

Prologue

Mount Olympus “Eros!” The entire place shook with the echo of Zeus’s bellow. Rising on an elbow, Eros gazed down at the goddess lying on the bed of clouds. “Erato, my dear, do not move a muscle…” He slid two fingers inside her, making her clench around him. “Especially not that one. I’ll be back to finish what we started just as soon as I find out what Mr. Must-Be-Compensating-For-Something-With-ThoseDamned-Lightning-Bolts wants.” “I’ll miss you while you’re gone, but let’s not pretend I’ll be spending my time composing poetry.” The beatific smile belied her true intent. The little harlot was going to finish without him if he didn’t hurry. He didn’t bother drawing on clothes before rushing to locate their illustrious leader. “Damn you, Zeus, this better be important.” Inside his chambers, the king of the gods paced. “Too busy to answer a summons, Eros?” He thought of Erato, her golden blond hair splayed across his pillows and her lithe body awaiting his touch. “I came as soon as you called in order to attend to whatever needs attending.” So I can get back to the licentious beauty in my bed. Scowling as if he could read the lesser god’s thoughts, Zeus retorted, “This is not the first time I’ve summoned you regarding this problem.”

He swept a hand through the air, clearing the clouds and pulling in views from all around the earth. Couples arguing—even in front of their children, fights devolving into anger or violence or outright hatred. The dissolution of love played over and over in front of their eyes. Turning away, Eros vowed to seek out Dionysus for a drink or twenty after he finished with Erato. “The humans have turned from love and romance. They prefer status and propriety and even lust over genuine connection. Though to be fair, lust isn’t entirely a bad thing and can, upon occasion, lead to more…” Still thinking of Erato as he mentioned lust, he waved toward the humans. “This isn’t new.” Zeus nodded. “But it is your particular area of expertise and therefore your responsibility. Which, I might add, you’ve neglected for decades while you followed your own selfish pursuits.” The image before them shifted to show precisely what he’d been doing with Erato before Zeus so rudely interrupted them. “There’s only so much I can do for the humans. I can’t make them want what’s best for them.” “Of course not, but you can spend your free time encouraging them. In fact…” Zeus smoothed his beard in his fist, gazing back at the home of humanity. “That is your only duty now.” “Great. I’ll get right on it.” Eros turned to leave—beauty waited in his room and surely wouldn’t have finished yet, she had more stamina than a dozen satyrs. “You misunderstand me. You will ‘get right on it’, because you are hereby banished to earth where you will remain until you have taught them to find love again.” With another wave of Zeus’s hand, Eros felt an agonizing pop under his shoulder blades as his wings disappeared and the bones settled into place. “And you can’t be quite so pretty or all those women will want you.” With the pain from his missing wings still burning across his back, Eros’s skin stretched even as his bones compressed. A curtain of dark, lustrous curls drifted through the air to vanish before touching the floor. Eros reached up and ran a hand over his now smooth head. Banished and bald? “How many?” he whispered, fate settling on his shoulders with the weight of a death shroud. “How many must I reach?” In a flash of lightning, Olympus disappeared from view, and Eros crashed, fully clothed, onto the earth, the tingle of his bow and

arrow heady against his back. Zeus’s final word echoed with the clap of thunder. “Enough.”

Opening Act

The Ferris wheel jerked to a stop. Kira’s breath caught and she squeezed Nolan’s fingers as she looked across the carnival. It’ll be fine. He’s here with you. Just enjoy the lights. She tried to do just that, watching as one ride after another burst to life across the pier. If the students at her school could see her like this, she’d totally lose her evil bitch reputation. She just needed to focus on something happy. Like the pictures she planned to take to try out her new camera. Then Nolan tugged his hand free. “Kiki, we need to talk.” She hated the damn pet name—always had—it made her sound like a child. Up here, though, she felt a bit like one anyway, so maybe it fit. Her empty fingers clutched at air as their car started to rock in the evening breeze. Heart racing, she grabbed the bar in front of her and tried to put laughter into her tone, but her words came out choked. “Your timing kind of sucks ass. Can you wait until we’re on the ground?” “Not really. We’ve been together for two years…” Oh my God. He’s going to propose? On the top of the damn Ferris wheel? “… and I just can’t do it anymore.” Kira shook her head, trying to piece together what he’d said. “You’re… breaking up with me? On the top of the mother-fucking Ferris wheel?” Sure things had been tense between them for a while, but they’d been together for two years. Break-ups weren’t supposed to come out of nowhere. All he did was nod quietly. Nausea made her stomach churn. So much for her grand plan of building a career, finding a great guy and having the job, the picket fence and the two-point-five kids. She wanted to scream at him, hit him… something, but her fear kept her frozen. Just like he knew it would when he asked her to go on the Ferris wheel in the first place. Which she’d done—for him. She glared, wishing she could unclench her hands long enough to slap him just once. “Larissa said you’d freak out so—” “Your ex? What the hell does she have to do with anything?” Then the answer hit her as the ride jerked to life again and they swung

toward the ground. The secret phone calls, nights spent working late, even driving separately tonight. Kira’s teeth ground together. “How long has she been back?” “A couple months.” The glittering lights on the pier blurred in her vision as tears threatened, and she squeezed her eyes shut against the glare. A couple months. Was it a couple months since they started talking or a couple months since he started seeing Larissa again? Did it even matter? He’d lied to her. Strung her along. Pretended things were okay. Hell, there were times he’d pretended things were great. The ride shuddered to a stop, and the bar was yanked from Kira’s grasp. She sucked in a deep shuddering breath. “Kiki, you have to get out now.” Her eyes flashed open and she rounded on Nolan, snarling, for once his boyish handsomeness didn’t make her melt. In fact, rage boiled inside her so hot she wanted to knock the ridiculously trendy Versace glasses right off his face. “One, don’t call me that. Two, you lost the right to tell me what to do halfway through the ride.” She leaned in close. “The only reason I’m going is because it’ll be the first time in our relationship you actually managed to make me get off.” The ride operator was laughing so hard as she climbed down the bar slipped from his grasp. Kira couldn’t resist a smile when she heard Nolan howl. Wherever the thing hit him, she hoped the bruise lasted for a very long time. She wanted to leave. To just run home and get away from the joy and lights and noise, but the silence of her apartment would only encourage wallowing for every second of the holiday weekend stretching in front of her. And Kira would be damned if she let the cheating bastard steal her anger that fast. So she would damn well stick to the part of tonight’s plans that he hadn’t stolen away from her. Squaring her shoulders, she wound her way through the rides, stopping to snap pictures of kids eating cotton candy, guys showing off at the strength hammer, even couples canoodling on the rides. School might still be in session, but here on the pier, summer officially started tonight. By the time the barker manning the dart game stall got her attention, the angry surge of adrenaline had all but dissipated, leaving nothing behind but the pain. “Come on! I’ll give you the first dart free. Help me out here.”

Kira glanced at his booth. The game was indeed deserted. The short, chubby, bald guy waved her over, and something about his kind smile pulled her toward him. After glancing at his nametag, she waved a hand at the name over the booth. “Really, Christos? Cupid’s Darts? Shouldn’t that be arrows?” He gave a full-on belly laugh. “Probably, but I’m guessing letting drunken frat boys play with arrows might constitute a safety hazard.” Giving him a smile and a shrug, Kira said, “I don’t really do games…” “Honestly, just having a customer tends to draw other people over. You’re doing me a favor. Here.” He handed her three darts. “Just pop a balloon and you win a prize—my treat.” She’d played darts plenty, but she knew the games were rigged. Darts weighted oddly, tips dulled, balloons not quite blown up all the way. Christos wasn’t charging her though, and she didn’t want to take out the remnants of her anger on the guy with the dancing eyes. Better to take it out on the balloons. She took aim and let the first dart fly. It thunked into the wood between the balloons and stuck. “You’ve got a good arm—crap aim, but a good arm.” “No.” Kira snorted a laugh. “I just have righteous anger on my side.” The man chuckled. “What’s his name?” “That obvious?” She shot the next dart, and it too drove into the board. “Only a bit.” She sighed, staring at the last dart in her hand. “It doesn’t matter. He’s gone. I know I should say something cocky like I’m better off, but…” “But you’re not feeling it?” The emotions she’d suppressed made their way to the surface again, and Kira bit her lip as she nodded, a single tear making a track down her cheek. The barker reached up and wiped it away. “I don’t know you, but any man who’d leave you like this in public isn’t worth your time or your tears. There’s someone out there much better for you.” His words weren’t anything special, but something in the light behind his eyes sank into Kira’s heart and she nodded. “Now why don’t you try the game one last time?”

Her lips curved into a half-hearted smile, and without looking, she threw her final dart. A loud popping made her head swivel toward the board. The remnants of a bright red balloon drifted to the ground. “Congratulations!” The man clapped her on the shoulder then ducked below the counter. Standing, he handed her a silk rose with tiny fake water droplets clinging to it. “The only tears you should shed for love are already frozen on this flower. Any others that fall are for something less.” Blinking at the strange but beautiful proclamation, Kira took the flower and gave the man another look. But nothing other than his manner seemed out of place. Everything about his appearance seemed perfectly at home surrounded by the noise and lights of the carnival. She shook off the chill that raced up her spine. “Thank you.” He cocked his head to the side. “Ain’t nothing. And even though I already gave you one bit of advice, here.” He pressed a coin into her hand. “There’s an old fortune telling machine over there that isn’t seeing much action either.” She opened her mouth to respond, but just then a group of teenagers descended on the game and she found herself shuffled away from Christos and Cupid’s Darts. A quick look around revealed the machine in question. Its lights glowed more dully than everything else, like it was dying from some slow, wasting disease. As much as the conversation with Christos left Kira feeling better, she still wanted to go home, but something drew her toward the machine. Standing in front of it, she shuddered. This close, it seemed like it would suck out and feed on what little happiness was left inside her. The metal cut into her palm as she clenched her fist around it and she opened her hand with a hiss. A single drop of her blood clung to the jagged edge of the old coin. Her thumb moved to brush it away. Instead, the metal seemed to open up, pulling the blood into it. Kira gave her head a hard shake. The stress from earlier had to be getting to her—metal didn’t do things like that. With a sigh for her lost love and lost sanity, she shoved the coin into the slot on the machine and listened to it chink and clank its way to the bottom. For a moment, nothing happened. Kira was ready to leave when the machine’s lights flared bright enough she twisted her face from the glare. When she dared glance back, the eyes of the mannequin inside seemed to be on fire. She stepped away from the machine, but as

quickly as it started, the strange surge of lights died, and a slip of paper shot out from a near the mannequin’s hands. Trembling, Kira reached out, pulled the small card free, and read it. Embrace the unknown for lasting joy can be found in the most unexpected places. The words stole the air from her lungs. As she glanced from the paper to the machine to the dart game, the wind picked up and ripped the card from her fingers. Unsure why she did it, Kira raced after it as it tumbled and bumped along the ground before it finally blew against a pair of dark wash jeans and stuck there.

The First Arrow

As she staggered to a stop, the man peeled the card from his pants and held it out to her. “Lose something?” His deep, gravely voice sent a shiver all the way to her toes as she took in the six-footplus wall of muscle. Kira wasn’t a small girl by any stretch, but in front of him, she felt tiny. “I… uh… dropped that.” He read the card aloud. “Take a chance, huh?” Kira started, knowing those weren’t the words she’d read a moment before. With a shrug, he pressed it into her hand. “Better hold on tighter next time.” When his fingers left hers, something pricked into her shoulder. She slapped her free hand against the pain and felt something. In her palm, she held a tiny golden arrow, but when she blinked, it was gone—replaced by a very dead wasp. The guy in front of her, t-shirt straining against his chest as he moved, leaned close. His words belied the gruff tone of his voice. “That’s weird. Someone must have fucked with a nest. You aren’t allergic, are you?” “N—n—no,” she stammered, staring at the arrow-wasp. Gently, he gripped her wrist and tipped her hand until the insect fell to the ground. “Why don’t I take you to first aid anyway?” The words on the card drew her gaze: Take a chance. They’d been different before; she was sure of it. Then Kira looked up at the man in front of her, his leather jacket and jeans such a stark contrast to Nolan’s polo and pressed khaki shorts, and the wasp sting burned. The strange, but not painful, heat traveled from her shoulder through her body to settle between her legs. She bit her lip, wondering where the feeling really came from. The guy in front of her wasn’t her usual type. Too big, too muscly, too rough around the edges right from his worn boots to the scruff along his strong square jaw. In her mind, her teeth grazed that same jaw, and a shiver ran through her as she tore her gaze away. “Yeah. I think the pain is getting to me.” Releasing her wrist, he rested his hand on the small of her back. The heat of his skin seared straight through Kira’s thin tank top. Her throat went dry within ten steps, and she had to swallow hard before she could speak again. “Thank you for your help, Mr.…”

He arched an eyebrow at her quizzically before answering. “Stanford. I prefer Jesse though. I killed the last guy who called me mister.” Kira froze, fighting against the light pressure of his fingertips. “You what?” she squeaked. He twisted his head and winked. “Kidding. Mister just makes me feel old. And you are…” “Sorry. Kira Murphy.” “Well, Kira Murphy, who needs to learn to take chances, consider yourself safely delivered to first aid.” He nodded toward the rickety trailer with the sloppily painted red cross on the side. “Have a good night.” His hand fell from her back, and this time she shivered from the loss of his heat—heat she very much wanted back. But Jesse had already melted into the crowd. “So much for taking chances.” With a sigh, she went inside to have the sting tended. After telling her—more than once, and in increasingly snotty tones—that there was nothing wrong and no sign of a sting, the worker finally slapped some cream on her shoulder and handed her some ibuprofen. Kira didn’t care what the scrawny little pimple-faced jerk said, her shoulder was on fire to the point it felt like fever was spreading through her entire body. By the time she stepped outside the trailer, night had fallen fully. Between that and the heat inside her, gooseflesh broke out across her skin instantly. She thought of the way Nolan used to always admonish her for forgetting a jacket and snorted. Tipping her face up to the wind, she sucked in a deep breath of the brisk air. **** Jesse leaned against the booth, cell phone pressed to his ear. “Yeah, Pauly, I checked the damn equipment. It’s all set for the show tomorrow.” The itching on his chest that had started the moment he left Kira at the first aid trailer flared again and Jesse rubbed the heel of his hand against it. The tattoo was over a month old. It sure as hell shouldn’t be bothering him now. “So, are you coming back then? Word got out where we’re staying—” “I wonder how that happened,” Jesse said, his voice dripping sarcasm like bitter syrup.

Paul didn’t say anything for a minute, and Jesse could picture him taking a long drag off a cigarette or whatever else might be handy. “I’ll take that as a no then. You know, there was a time not that long ago you embraced all of this too.” Jesse banged his head against the aging wood behind him. Nothing he said would ever make Pauly understand that after so many years, he was just bored with it all. Bored with everyone wanting him for some made up idea of who he was. Bored with women with their fake hair and fake tits and fake everything. Bored with a life with no substance. “It’s just time for something a little more real.” “Whatever, man. Just be ready for tomorrow.” Paul disconnected, leaving Jesse alone with thoughts of filling the emptiness in his life with something real. Something like the woman walking out of the first aid trailer who shivered as she lifted her face defiantly to the breeze. The one who didn’t even blink when he told her his name. Without stopping to question the reason behind it, he pulled off his jacket, strode up to her and draped the distressed leather across her shoulders. “Hey.” She started, jumping back a step and landing on his toes. “Oh my God, I’m sorry, I… What are you still doing here?” This time when she met his gaze, he saw a fire in her brown eyes that hadn’t been present earlier. The blaze there seemed to erase the damn itch from his tattoo. “I needed to make a call and saw you come out as I was about to leave. Figured I’d make sure you were going to survive your run-in with the wayward wasp.” “Yes. The jerk inside insisted there was nothing wrong, but the cream finally seems to be working, it doesn’t hurt anymore.” He reached up and swept a hand behind her neck, lifting her hair from beneath the weight of the leather, and fought the urge to press his luck when she closed her eyes and leaned toward his fingers. “Are you sticking around for a while?” Her eyes opened, their fire doused once more, and she gave a small sigh. “No. I think, whatever I was proving to myself tonight, I’m done.” Jesse didn’t know what it was about this woman, but he didn’t want to watch her walk away yet. “In that case, can I follow you to

your car so you can stay warm until you get there?” He tugged gently on one of the jacket’s sleeves. Biting her lip, Kira turned inexplicably toward the Ferris wheel, a faraway expression on her face. She let out a little laugh and gave her head a tiny shake. “I’d love it if you walked me to my car.” He pointedly ignored all the people who turned and stared as they walked by. He was off-duty, the rest of the night belonged to him. Or, if he didn’t screw it up, him and Kira. Thankfully she didn’t notice the looks or the young girls trying to press closer. He got the sense if she knew who he was, it would ruin everything. In the parking lot, Kira led him past rows of vehicles, wending her way through, obviously sure where she’d parked. Riveted by the way her full hips swayed in front of him, Jesse didn’t say anything for a while. All he could think about were her curves and the fire he’d seen blaze in her eyes for that brief moment. “What is a beautiful girl like you doing here alone anyway?” He cringed as the ridiculous words left his mouth. He was far too out of practice at this sort of thing. She stumbled like she’d tripped on something. When she spoke a moment later, he realized there might not have been anything other than his question to trip her up. “I didn’t start out that way, but this crazy carnie convinced me I shouldn’t dwell on it. So I’m not.” Jesse’s fists clenched at his side as he fought the urge to console her. Kira’s words might have been strong and sure, but he heard the note of pain lingering beneath. Still, something told him she didn’t want that kind of comforting. He rubbed absently at his chest, even though the itch was gone. “The guy gave you good advice. A tattoo artist told me something similar about a month back.” Turning, she laid her hands on the hood of a large, dark gray Chrysler and leaned back. Jesse had to draw his gaze away from the way the position enhanced her breasts and focus on her eyes again. The fire was back, but this time it smoldered more than flamed. “And how’s that working out for you?” Sounds from the pier dulled in the background as he ran his tongue over his teeth, all thoughts of asking her out for coffee and conversation disappearing. He wanted her in a way that was both primal and absolutely ridiculous. So much for holding out. “Brutally. You basically just told me you split up with someone tonight and—”

Kira pushed off from the car, his jacket sliding from her shoulders as she fisted his t-shirt and pulled herself close to him. “I’m not looking for forever here, Jesse. Unless you are, I don’t see the problem. Do you?” Again, her words didn’t match the slight tremor in her voice. He didn’t know the answer to her question either. He wanted something real, but did real mean forever or just more than what he was used to? Jesse searched Kira’s eyes; lights reflected from the rides on the pier danced in their depths. He should go. As much as he was drawn to her, as much as the swelling in his jeans screamed that he wanted her, she’d just been hurt. He didn’t want to take advantage of that, not to mention he was pretty sure she was the type of woman he could have something more with. His fingers slid over her arms to wrap around her hands. “Kira—” Then she stood on her tiptoes, erased the distance separating them, and pressed her mouth to his. Every rational thought about walking away disappeared with his first taste of her. His hands left hers to tangle in her auburn waves, even as the tattoo on his chest warmed.

Or Was It the Second?

Kira couldn’t believe what she’d done. Kissing on the first date wasn’t a sure thing with her, and she couldn’t even pretend this was a date. She’d met Jesse less than an hour before coming onto him and kissing him. It was stupid beyond belief. But she didn’t want to stop. His lips moved with hers like they were meant to be together, and heat from where his hand rested on her shoulder flooded through her body. She opened her mouth slightly, and Jesse didn’t hesitate. His tongue gently caressed hers and traced her lips until her knees went weak. Jesse’s hands moved lower, holding her tight to him as his kisses moved from her mouth to her neck. His erection pressed against her belly, rock hard and insanely inviting. She let out a low moan, her mind and body reeling with sensation. The next thing she knew, he was cupping her ass. Kira didn’t have enough time to feel self-conscious about the fact that he couldn’t hold all of her, even with how big his hands were, before he picked her up. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around his waist. His hardon ended up in a much more strategic position and she ground her hips against his. The motion must have been more effective than she anticipated because he backed her up until she was sandwiched between the wall of his body and the car window. She hadn’t felt like this since she was a teenager. All she could think about were his kisses and getting him alone. Nothing else mattered. Breath coming in short gasps, Kira pulled him toward her, desperate for another taste of his lips. Every move his mouth made just had her wanting more. More kisses. More tongue. More of him. Much more. From deeper in the parking lot came voices laughing as they shouted, “Get a room!” Jesse pulled back and set her on her feet again, his voice a deep growl, hungry with need. “Where the fuck is your car?” Biting her lip, Kira tried not to laugh. “This is my car.” She fumbled in her pocket for the key fob, unlocking the doors the instant her thumb found the button. Before her hand was out of her pocket, Jesse had the back door open.

Both of them froze, her by the fender and him with his hand on the door. What was she doing? He wasn’t even her type. She went for polished and professional, and Jesse was leather and tattoos and… sweet… and sexy as sin. The wasp sting throbbed in time with the pulsing in her clit. Reason didn’t matter. She wanted this. For once in her life, it was time to let caution be damned. Bending down, she picked up his jacket and dusted it off, trying to act casual while her heart raced. In two steps, she destroyed the security that distance had provided. His jaw hardened as he took the jacket from her fingers and he let out a sigh. “Kira, I didn’t mean to—” Lips quirking into a smile, she fisted her hands in his shirt again. “Shut up.” She sat on the edge of the backseat and pulled him in after her. His bulk filled the opening for a second, and then she was on her back with him propped on his hands and knees over her with the door shut behind them. If he didn’t touch her—really touch her— soon, she was sure she’d explode, but as much as she wanted this, it had taken every ounce of her strength to make the moves up to this point. Now, with him this close, she hesitated, her fingers trembling as they moved from the wrinkles in his shirt down to the hem and toyed with it. “First time?” His blue eyes were shadowed in the dim light from outside, but the concern was evident in his tone. “Doing something like this?” she asked. He smirked and dimples carved into his cheeks as he nodded. “Is it that obvious?” The dimples got deeper. “Only a little. I just don’t want you to feel pressured. We could go get coffee or—” “Believe me when I say there is no external pressure.” “In that case…” He sat back as much as he could in the confined space and tugged the t-shirt over his head, exposing every one of his perfectly chiseled muscles and the elaborate tattoos covering the left side of his body. “Sit up.” Breath caught in her throat, Kira ran her hands up his stomach, letting her fingers trace the patterns of his tattoos. The lines were precise, almost violently so, coming to points so severe they looked like they should draw blood. Only when he nudged her legs off the seat did his words register and she sat up. His hands, as gentle as his body was harsh, slid under the edge of her tank top and eased it over her head. He draped it over the front

seat before turning his hungry gaze on her breasts. Light as feathers, Jesse’s fingers brushed the curve of her cleavage. Trembling, Kira reached behind her back and unhooked her bra, allowing the full weight of her breasts to fall free. His lips twitched, and she resisted the urge to cover herself again. “What?” Gaze meeting hers, Jesse cupped her breasts. “They’re real and they’re gorgeous. Just like you.” Then his lips were on one nipple, pulling it into his mouth as his hands roved over her and unbuttoned her capris. Surrendering to his touch, Kira closed her eyes and leaned against the door to lift her hips. The cotton slid over her skin like a whisper of promise. His kisses blazed a path up her neck to her mouth once more, and she found his belt, blindly yanking at it until it came free. While his hands kneaded her ass, she tore at the button on his jeans, desperate to touch him. As soon as his zipper was down, her fingers searched for the waistband of his underwear… and found his dick instead. “Oh God,” she moaned against his mouth, and he pulled back from the kiss. “You go commando. Of course you go commando.” His chuckle vibrated against the pulse in her neck, and she could only imagine how wet her panties were. “And you don’t.” His finger slid under the lace trim of her boy-shorts. “These are lovely, but I kind of want to rip them off you right now.” His teeth grazed against her neck, and her eyes rolled back in her head. “Yes. Oh God, please yes.” As much as she liked the feel of his long, thick shaft in her hand, Kira wanted more. She wanted him inside her so badly she ached for it. When Jesse grabbed the front of her panties and yanked, the pressure nearly pushed her over the edge. Then with a loud rip, the last of her clothes were gone, and he thrust two fingers inside her while his thumb rubbed her swollen clit. She turned her head and bit his shoulder to stifle the scream that echoed in the confines of the car as she came against his hand. Jesse sucked in a breath before she realized how hard she was gripping his cock. She loosened her fingers. “I’m sorry.” But she wasn’t, not really. Well maybe a little. With wicked thoughts racing through her mind, Kira slithered to her knees and pushed him back against the seat, trailing kisses across his chest and down his ripped abs. When she tugged his pants over his

hips, Jesse’s entire body was trembling. The fact that he seemed to want it as much as she did made her bolder. Kira moved to take his glorious hard-on in her mouth, but his fingers tipped her chin up. “Not that. Not tonight. I want all of you right now, and if you suck my dick, it’ll be over.” Sliding his hands down to her arms, he tugged her up until she straddled him and her slick center hovered over his ready cock. He asked, punctuating each word with a kiss on her neck. “Are… you… good… with… this… instead?” How could she not be? Just his kisses made her dizzy. She found his hands and guided them down her body until the heat of his palms cradled her hips. Then she lowered herself onto him, savoring every inch as he stretched her. He buried his face in her breasts, kissing one then the other as she quivered, knowing that, no matter how slowly she moved, this was going to be over far too soon. Jesse’s muscles bunched under her fingers as she moved against him, rocking her hips to take him deeper with every stroke. “God, woman, you’re going to undo me.” With her own climax building inside, Kira had to fight to keep her voice steady. “Then I’ll just have to find a way to do you again.” His lips curled into a wicked grin and he squeezed her waist, preventing all but the smallest movements. “Now that’s a plan that works for me.” He thrust his hips up, driving into her from below over and over again. Nails digging into his skin, she clung to him as her muscles clenched and darkness danced at the edges of her vision. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t even take in enough air to make a sound. All she could do was feel him as he swelled inside her. Then an orgasm like she’d never known before ripped through her. Wave after wave of pleasure left her believing she couldn’t possibly feel anything else… until the next wave hit. When she regained her senses, she lay against his chest while aftershocks set her trembling. Jesse’s fingers combed through her hair, and he sang something so quietly she couldn’t make anything but the melody to the tune. Sighing happily, Kira let her eyes drift shut and she relaxed into his embrace.

The sound of laughter outside jolted her back to reality, and she jerked upright. “Oh my God.” Her gaze darted around. “We’re in the damned parking lot.” Jesse cocked an eyebrow at her. “Same place we’ve been since we started.” He said it like it didn’t matter, like it was perfectly acceptable to have sex in public. And without a condom. I just met him. How stupid can I be? They couldn’t stay here. She reached frantically for her clothes, shaking as she picked up his instead. “Hey.” Lifting her from his lap, Jesse set her next to him. “Breathe, gorgeous. You’re so frazzled, I’m not going to let you drive like this.” There was no denying it, he was right. Every inch of Kira was a shaking, nervous mess. “We can’t stay here.” Handing over her tank top, he brushed her mouth with his, hovering there for a second to let his voice ghost over her lips. “Then let me drive you home.” **** They’d been basking in the afterglow of a second round of sex—this time in an actual bed and with protection, even though they almost hadn’t made it up the stairs to Kira’s room—when Jesse realized he didn’t want to leave. He genuinely liked Kira. He couldn’t stay though. The moment he’d stupidly asked her what she did for a living, he knew things were destined to fall apart. And he should have known sooner—secrets weren’t a good way to start anything, but he knew telling her the truth tonight would ruin it too. He felt like he was coming down from some high and remembering all the things he shouldn’t have done. Kira’s laugh jarred him from musing on his idiocy. “I’m the worst nightmare of teenagers everywhere—the dreaded high school principal. I’m sure I look exactly like evil incarnate.” She laid her head on his chest, and he tried to picture her as anything other than the stunning woman he saw. He couldn’t comprehend how any teenage boy could look at her body and think of anything but sex. Of course, the conversations they’d had on the way to the house made him see her as so much more. He wished more than anything that he could have more time with her. Giving a sigh, she traced the patterns of his tattoos just as she did earlier, her touch

feather-light—a distinct contrast to the way her nails dug into his skin minutes before. “What about you? What do you do when you’re not saving women from nocturnal wasps?” As soon as he’d asked her about her job, Jesse knew the question would be coming. And he still didn’t know how to answer, he didn’t want to lie. He tucked his arm behind his head, staring at the ceiling for a moment so he didn’t have to look at her… so she wouldn’t see the evasion in his eyes. “I work in the entertainment industry.” Her fingers paused. “Like what? Model? Professional wrestler? Porn star?” “All the above?” Laughing, she flicked at his chest. “I get it, you’re a comedian.” Her hand rested on his left pec. “So, tell me something, all your tattoos are these really stark tribal designs—except this one. Why the change?” Jesse gritted his teeth for a second but forced himself to relax. It wasn’t Kira’s fault. It was all the damned tattoo artist, that idiot Chris Erosou. He ran his hand along her back, loving the softness of her skin under his callused fingertips. “I had my ex’s name there. Stupid, I know. After we split and I was finally over her, I went in to have my shoulder piece extended. I told the artist I wanted it covered to work with the extension. Freaking guest-artist, my ass. Instead of just carrying the piece over, he did this.” A God-damned tribalized broken heart right in the middle of his design. He still wanted to find the little Greek asshole and make him fix it. She followed the lines with her fingertips, and Jesse closed his eyes, sucking in the sweet scent of her shampoo. “I understand it isn’t what you wanted, but it’s gorgeous. Almost like the rest of the design is this wall of brambles around a heart that’s been broken one too many times.” She leaned over him and pressed her lips against the offending tattoo. “The arrow’s a nice touch. I’ve never seen ink like that, it actually looks like…gold…” Her voice trailed off like she’d disappeared from the very conversation she’d started. If she only understood how fitting her explanation of the art was, maybe… No. She was a fucking high school principal—nice and respectable. Even if he believed the kind of chemistry they shared could have a real future, they lived in totally different worlds. Pulling

her tight to him, Jesse kissed the top of her head, sucking in one more deep breath of her scent. “Kira, I shouldn’t stay.” Saying the words made a strange, tiny pain flare in his chest. Silence stretched for a long minute, and when she responded, her voice was small, like his words had extinguished all the fire he’d seen in her. “I know. Just… can you hold me for a little longer?” He crushed her to him and nodded against her head, wishing for a moment he could make the rest of the world disappear so they could stay there forever. “Definitely.” A little longer threatened to turn into him not leaving, and after an hour, he forced himself to get out of her bed and text Lou for a ride. When he got dressed, Kira stood up, the sheet wrapped around her body. “Thank you.” Stopping with his pants halfway up, Jesse looked at her and forced himself to resist the urge to start kissing her all over again. “For what?” She shook her head, a smile flickering across her lips. “For staying at the pier, for not walking away, for making it about more than just the sex.” So she’d felt it too. Jesse hiked his pants over his hips and stepped up to Kira. Wrapping her in his arms, he reveled in how soft she felt against him—her skin, her body, even her breath. This was what a woman should feel like. This was what he wanted. He thought of the strange paper that had blown against his pant leg. Take a chance. She was the best chance he’d ever taken, and he didn’t want to just give her up. “I want to see you again.” Kira stiffened in his embrace. “What did you say?” “You were right. This wasn’t just about the sex. I’d like the chance to take you out on a real date.” “I…” She tipped her head back and met his gaze, her eyes searching his. Then she nodded. “I’d like that too.” He kissed the tip of her nose, picked up her cell phone from the dresser and programmed in his information. The doorbell rang all too soon, just as she finished giving him her number. “I’ll call you soon. Okay?” “Perfect.” Though she smiled, he could see the doubt clouding her eyes.

“It’s not a line, Kira. I promise.” He sealed the words with a lingering kiss then made his way down the stairs and out into the night. “Took you a while, man.” Lou shoved the keys at Jesse as they walked to his Jeep. “I hope she was worth hauling my ass out of bed the night before a damn show.” “It’s your job. Get over it.” Jesse ruffled the punk kid’s shaggy blond hair. After climbing behind the wheel, he stared at Kira’s modest two-story home. He hadn’t lied to her, but he hadn’t been honest either. If he wanted any sort of chance to make this work, he needed to come clean. “Besides, you’re not done working for the night. There’s an errand I need you to run after you drop me off.”

Star-Crossed Lovers

Kira fell asleep without any problem. Waking up, however, brought with it guilt along with burning pain in her shoulder. She stumbled into the bathroom, downing a pair of ibuprofen right after twisting on the shower. “What was I thinking?” Head hanging in her hands, Kira tried to banish images of Jesse. The strong arms wrapped around her. The cleft in his chin. The way his mouth moved as he whispered beautiful words to her. How the arrow through the tattooed heart glittered on his chest. She didn’t have sex with men just because they were hot. Or just because they made her heart melt. That wasn’t her. Besides, she went for clean-cut, boy-next-door, and Jesse definitely wasn’t that guy. He was more the bouncer at the bar, or worse, the dangerous guy you met in the dark alley next to the bar. But then she remembered the way he’d touched her and the feel of his lips on her skin. Even more, the way his hands roved over her skin like he worshipped every nuance of her body. And he said wanted to see her again. She squeezed her eyes shut. Odds were he’d never call anyway. There was no point dwelling on it. Sucking in a deep breath, she pushed the negative thoughts away and stepped into the shower. The water beat on her skin and washed away the worries. Whether or not she would have done it normally, she’d enjoyed herself last night, and the time she’d spent with Jesse had more than chased off the pain from the break-up. As the water sluiced over her back, it took the guilt with it. She deserved one night of total reckless abandon. Minutes after settling in with her coffee and e-reader, the doorbell rang. She lowered the cup with a sigh, the rich spicy scents dissipating with distance. Opening the door, Kira found herself facing a young man with shaggy sun-bleached hair and bags under his green eyes. His clothes looked like they’d been slept in. She fought to place his face as a current or former student and failed. “Can I help you?” “Are you Kira…” He squinted at something scrawled on his hand. “Murphy?”

Her brows pulled together as she nodded. “Yes, I am. Can I ask what—” The man pulled an envelope from his pocket and thrust it at her. “Congratulations.” He spun around, his sneakers squeaking on her doormat. Kira flipped over the envelope. There was no name or other indication it was for her, but he’d known who she was. “Are you sure—” She raised her head to ask him, but the guy was already in his car. Shrugging, she stepped inside and closed the door. After slitting open the envelope, she pulled out the contents and frowned at the tickets in her hand. What the hell? It didn’t take long before her mind tripped on the likely answer. Kira grabbed her phone and punched in the number of her best friend, Beth. “Hey, I was just going to call you about my schedule for next year.” Beth taught chemistry, mythology, and romantic literature— the strangest combination of disciplines Kira had ever seen. But she’d proven a brilliant educator in all her classes for the last ten years, so Kira didn’t question it. “Sure, we can talk about that in a bit. You know how you win all those stupid radio contests all the time and put some in my name?” “Yeah…” She gave the word extra syllables as she said it. “Some guy just delivered a couple tickets to my house for a concert tonight. I figured since I didn’t enter to win anything it had to be you.” “That’s kind of weird. I’ve never gotten front door delivery before. What concert?” Kira read the tickets again: Ring in Summer Concert Series presents TriggerHappy. “Some band playing at the pier tonight. TriggerHappy? Have you heard of them?” The high-pitched squeal that echoed through the phone made Kira wonder if her friend had accidentally hit the number pad. “Are you living under a rock? TriggerHappy is only the best band to hit the airwaves in like the past two decades! How can you not know who they are?” “You know I don’t pay attention to band names. Anyway, do you want the tickets?”

“No, no, no. We’re going to see them together. I know you, and I’m sure you have a plan-free Saturday night again. Pick me up early and we’ll grab dinner first.” Part of her wanted to say no. The same part that ridiculously thought Jesse might actually call back, maybe as soon as tonight. Kira rolled her eyes at the thought. He’s not going to call. One night of fun, that’s all it was. Just accept it and move on. “I’ll be at your place at six.” She clicked off the phone and sat back down. Even with her coffee in hand, she couldn’t focus on the novel she was reading. Her eyes kept darting back to the tickets on the table, and every time she looked, a rush of warmth traveled from the bite on her shoulder. After dinner, Kira drove them to the pier—parking in what could have been the exact same spot as the night before. As they climbed from the car, Beth narrowed her eyes. “Okay, what gives? You’ve had this bizarrely calm demeanor all night, and now you look like someone in crazy love…” Beth’s eyes opened so wide, Kira laughed, wondering if they might fall out of her head. “Nolan?” The smile melted off Kira’s face like snow in July. “Nolan and I split up last night.” “Damn. I’m sorry.” Kira squared her shoulders and put the smile back on her face. “Nothing to be sorry about. I’m better off—much better off.” Tilting her head to the side, Beth stared at her, her brows wrinkling. “You do seem happier.” She shrugged. “Whatever happened, it looks good on you. Now let’s get to the hot rock stars. I still can’t believe I won us front row seats to this and managed to forget about it!” As they made their way through the rides and games, Kira pulled up short and glanced around. This is the place. There’s the Ferris wheel right there. “Hey, earth to Kira. Something wrong?” “It’s just… there was a fortune teller machine here yesterday. And a dart game over there.” She pointed to what was now a caricature artist’s booth. Beth tugged her toward the grandstand. “You’re probably just a row off or something. Come on… rock music… sexy men… this way?”

Allowing herself to be dragged through the sounds and noise around them, Kira tried to shrug off her confusion. Beth had to be right. The stuff wouldn’t have just disappeared overnight. She didn’t think the pier could get any crazier than the madness of the midway, but inside the grandstands, people were milling all over, the press of bodies so intense she held onto Beth’s hand so they didn’t get separated. Of course, Beth didn’t lead them to their seats. Instead she made a beeline for the booth hocking the band’s wares. “Since you thought of me when you got the tickets, I’m buying you something.” Kind of wanting to just sit down, Kira said, “You don’t have to do that.” Beth waved off her protests. “Don’t be a pain. What do you want? T-shirt? Calendar? Poster? CD?” Blocked from the stall by what felt like a million bodies, Kira made the most logical choice. “If you think I’ll like them, go for the CD, it’ll get the most use.” “Got it.” With the disc stuffed into her bag, they finally made their way to the seats at the end of the aisle. The stage was elevated, and from their spot in the front row, they would have an interesting view. Too bad the other side of the stage was at such a bad angle she couldn’t see any part of it except the very front. Kira eyed the speaker next to them dubiously. “We’re so close I’ll be lucky if I can hear the kids bitching about finals when we get back to school Tuesday.” Laughing, Beth pointed at the mic less than twenty feet away. “And we’re so close I could jump on the stage, grab Paul Bruce’s crotch, and tell him I want to have his babies before security could catch me. That trumps your eardrum worries.” Kira chuckled and adjusted her top. Though the clothes were casual for her, she was overdressed for this crowd. Black t-shirts and boots were the order of the day, at least among anyone near the front—men and women. Her low-cut crimson blouse, though sexy and great for clubbing, stood out brazenly here. “Stop it. You look fab. If I’d been smart, I’d have worn color too. The guys are all going to notice you first thing.” Beth grinned, flashing brilliantly white teeth. “In fact, if you’re that worried about it, we could always swap shirts.”

One look at the crowd between them and the bathroom made up Kira’s mind. “No. I’m just going to rely on you to dazzle them all with your smile so they’re blind to me.” She checked her phone—no messages—and sighed. Just as she suspected. He wasn’t going to call. It was probably for the best anyway. “Are you sure you’re okay about the thing with Nolan?” Phone tucked securely back in her purse, Kira plastered her smile in place again, determined to have fun tonight. “Yeah. I’m good.” Then the local radio DJ came out and introduced the band. As soon as he left the stage, any hope of conversation disappeared in the thrumming of a haunting guitar melody. The guitarist, a wiry guy in slashed jeans with a white button-down and loose tie, came up to the edge of the stage in front of them. His fingers moved in patterns devoid of meaning to Kira, but beautiful nonetheless. She closed her eyes and swayed to the music. “That’s Erik Bauer. He’s brilliant but not as hot as the rest of the band,” Beth yelled in her ear. Kira actually thought he was cute in a boy-next-door-trying-to-be-tougher-than-he-is kind of way, but she wasn’t about to try to argue with Beth here. “Oh my God. Here comes Paul!” The aforementioned Paul Bruce stepped to the mic, his longish hair blowing in the breeze off the water, and amid screams from the audience, started singing. His voice was sexy with just a hint of rasp to it and, coupled with whichever band member was singing backup, vibrated through the air and set Kira’s nerve endings on fire. Of course, Beth also insisted on pointing out the sizable bulge in his leather pants. And while a trifle embarrassing, it did make her understand for the first time since she was a teenager exactly how hot bad boy musicians really were. By the time they started the second song, the “missing” booth and her breakup really didn’t matter to Kira anymore. She was far too lost in the music and energy of the crowd for anything to get to her. Dancing at the very edge of the stage with Beth made her feel eighteen again—free of adult responsibilities and expectations. This was the person she could still be, if she only let herself. Here was the chance she was supposed to take. Let her hair down. Have fun again, and not treat everything in life like a task to be handled and completed.

Several songs later, Paul stopped singing for a moment, took a swig of water and the chance to breathe by introducing the band. “On guitar, the inimitable Erik Bauer!” After a brief guitar solo, Erik stepped back. “On keys we have my man Randy Gunn!” He wasn’t as good as the guitarist, but Kira applauded when his solo ended. “The guy who likes to beat things with sticks—on drums, Greg Alexander!” The drum solo struck a tribal beat that heated Kira’s blood and made her cheeks flush. “And last, the one who likes to take it low and deep—” A hypnotic bass-line thrummed through the air, building on the sex implied by the drummer’s solo. Beth punched her. “Kira, open your damn eyes. This one’s a hottie, and he’s been hiding on the other side of the stage all night.” “—Jesse Stanford!” Every female voice around her screamed, but Kira just stood frozen as Jesse came front and center on the stage, bass guitar slung over his shoulder, sweat glistening on his massive biceps as he teased yet another chord free. Kira couldn’t breathe. He was a freaking rock star. The guy who told her he’d call. The guy who made her feel like she was more than just a frumpy high school principal. The one who’d made her orgasm more times than she ever had before in her life. Seeing him in front of her, with women howling his name as he played, she knew one thing for certain. The time they spent together had never been about her. She’d been a willing body, one more notch on a bedpost already teeming with scratches. As much as last night meant to her… it had been just another day at the office for him. Everything that she’d held together since Nolan’s announcement shattered, and she fled the grandstand without once looking back. **** When Kira dashed out of the front row, Jesse wanted nothing more than to jump off the stage and rush after her. Damn it. He’d played this so wrong. She’d just suffered a break-up and he topped it off by a very public announcement of what she was getting herself into with him. At least her friend was still there. She wasn’t enjoying the show much anymore, but she hadn’t gone in search of Kira—which, he hoped, meant there was nothing to worry about.

As soon as they finished the last number, Jesse asked security to bring Kira’s friend backstage. A single song encore, and he came face-to-face with the bouncy redhead. Excited bouncing would have been preferable to the hopping from foot to foot she was doing though. “Hi. I’m Jesse Stanford.” He stuck out his hand. She pumped it once and darted a glance back toward the audience. “You know, under any other circumstances, I’d be totally geeked to be back here, but my friend’s gone AWOL. I really need to find her.” Shit. So much for any hope she’d just stepped outside the grandstand. “Maybe I could help you.” The redhead narrowed her eyes at him. “That’s a really sweet offer. It’s also really odd, especially considering she bolted during your solo. What the hell?” His jaw clenched hard. Of course she hadn’t told anyone—not even the friend she’d given her other last minute ticket to. “Someone disappears during one of our shows… I feel a bit of responsibility.” “Appreciate the offer, but all that’ll happen if you go out there is you’ll get mobbed and I won’t be able to see or hear anything. Pity I can’t stick around, but she’s more important than hanging out with my favorite band. Gotta go.” Suspicion still in her eyes, the redhead turned to leave. Jesse wanted to follow her, to find Kira and talk to her. “When you find her, tell her I’m sorry I drove her out of the show.” He forced a wink and a smile, hoping the redhead wouldn’t see the real emotion hiding behind it. She was gone without saying another word. A crowd of women gathered at the fence, and he knew he should be over there signing autographs and doing the post-show bullshit. He also knew all too well that the rest of the band would be inviting some of those women to stick around. Young, old, single, married… depending on the night, none of that mattered to them. It all mattered to him because it was all meaningless. He’d only known Kira twenty-four hours, and in that brief time he’d felt more alive than he had in years. He didn’t want some nameless fan—he wanted her. He’d thumbed on his phone and found her number before he even thought about what he was doing. She left. Obviously she didn’t want to talk to him. At least not yet. She wouldn’t want her friend to

worry though. He tapped in a message and hit send, hoping she’d eventually respond. She had to. Now that he’d found her, he didn’t want to think about the prospect of going back to the emptiness his life was before.

Broken Arrow

Kira hadn’t told Beth anything on the drive home Saturday night, regardless of the questions she’d asked. It wasn’t fair, but she couldn’t explain why this hurt at all, much less why it hurt more than Nolan’s betrayal. By the time Tuesday rolled around, she reached the decision to treat it just like she’d promised herself she would. A fun night with no strings attached. So what if he was a rock star? If anything, that should have made it an even better memory. Sure, he probably had been with more women than there were kids in this year’s graduating class, but for whatever reason he’d chosen her Friday night and that was good enough. On the other hand, she’d already made an appointment with her gynecologist just in case. She tried very hard not to think about that though. Memorial weekend was over and the final two weeks of school stared her down like a gunslinger at high noon. The last thing she needed was anything extra distracting her. The kids would be more than enough. Beth shoved her office door open. “Are you fucking kidding me?” “Hello? School’s still in session, let’s keep it a little cleaner.” Kira hoped none of the kids were close enough to hear. Flopping into the chair in front of the desk, Beth threw her head back, clearly exasperated. “Screw that. I cuss in class all the time. What I want to know is why you’d keep this from me. I thought I was your best friend.” Kira stood and shut the door, sealing off what was sure to be a more personal conversation than she wanted the office staff to hear. “What are you talking about?” “You’re kidding, right? It’s all over the fucking school.” At Kira’s blank look, Beth twisted her laptop around and pulled up a video. “I have to say, I never thought our nice little buttoned-up principal would be the biggest news leading up to final exams.” The video quality wasn’t great, but Kira recognized the scene playing out. Her, in the parking lot, up against the car with Jesse. Her heart stopped beating. How long did the video go? They’d had sex in the parking lot and…

The images cut off just as the lights flashed from her unlocking the doors. Beth scrolled to a close-up of their faces. “Now, I’d like to pretend the kids are crazy and that isn’t you and Jesse Stanford, but I was with you at the concert Saturday night.” Kira couldn’t even form words. Sure, they didn’t post the sex, but if the kid hadn’t been scared off when the lights flashed, there could be video of that as well. Her career. Her reputation. Everything she’d worked for could be ruined. Tears welled in her eyes as she nodded. Scrubbing at her face, Beth let out a deep breath. “Well, at least it explains why he was so worried about you after the show.” Startled, Kira managed to eke out a word. “What?” “Security gave me a backstage pass, and it was just Jesse back there. He wanted to come help me hunt for you, but I said no.” Beth searched Kira’s face for a minute, frowning. “I get why you’d be upset about the video. Without even knowing how far it went— though when you’re sane about this, you better fucking tell me everything—I don’t understand why you freaked out at the show. What gives?” Sinking into the other chair, Kira closed her eyes and told Beth everything from Nolan dumping her to the events on the video. “There was more, but the short version is he made me feel like I was something special. I should have known better. I mean, even if he wasn’t part of the band…” She shook her head, squeezing her eyes tighter against the memory of his arms around her. “With guns like that, I should have known he has his choice of women all the time. I wasn’t special. I was just a warm and willing body.” Beth’s hand fell on her shoulder—the same one that still ached from the wasp sting. “You can’t know that. I mean, yeah maybe, but he seemed genuinely concerned Saturday night.” Concerned. Sure. He’d even sent her a text to tell her that ditching a friend at a concert only served to worry the friend. The same text that said he wanted the chance to explain when she was ready. The one she’d ignored other than to contact Beth about where to meet. Wiping away the tears that threatened to fall, Kira stood and gave a heavy exhale. “I can’t let myself get sucked into another guy who’s going to spend his time lying to me. Not after Nolan.”

“Kira…” She held the door open, a clear signal of dismissal. “Get back to your class, Beth. I need to do damage control on this stupid video.” **** Jesse stared at his phone. He’d waited a week before he texted again. No response. So he’d tried calling her school between concert stops, and her secretary gave him the runaround. On the day after school finished, he’d even made a side trip to stop by. A hall monitor—the guy should have been wearing a damn jacket with “Security” emblazoned on the back—stopped him at the door. It wasn’t until tonight, another week later, frustrated and stuck in a crappy hotel room, that he started poking around at old videos online and came across one of them making out in the parking lot. “Shit.” He rubbed at the stubble along his jaw. The video wouldn’t affect him at all, but depending on how conservative her school was…. “Fuck me.” -o, dumb ass, that’s what caused the problem in the first place. And now he couldn’t think of anything but the soft skin of her curves under his hands. Pushing back from the computer, he swallowed hard. Not that it would make any difference, but he picked up his phone, typed I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you, and hit send. He slapped the laptop closed, emotion surging inside him. It was too late to hit the exercise room here, but he needed to do something or he’d lose it. His gaze strayed to the cases on the bed, lingering on the nearest one, and the fingers that itched to touch Kira smoothed over the curves of the worn leather instead. Unlatching it, he pulled out his beat up acoustic guitar and strummed a chord. Time fell away beneath his fingers and the strains of the music. In the morning, he strode bleary-eyed to Pauly’s door down the hall and rapped on it. When no one answered, he knocked again— louder. A tiny blonde wearing the freshly fucked look of messy hair and smeared eye makeup cracked open the door. “What?” Jesse scowled, hoping she wasn’t going to be a delay. “Are you naked?” “No. Who the fuck do you—”

“Good.” He pushed the door open and walked in, ignoring her cry of outrage. “Pauly, wake up. I’ve got something for you.” The lump in the king sized bed rolled over, sheets slipping off his naked body. “What the fuck?” Jesse bent down, grabbed a pair of boxers off the floor, and threw them on the bed, along with the stack of papers he’d brought from his room. “Time to work. Get your ass up.” Pauly picked up the papers and scanned them. Then he laid them on the bed and yanked on the shorts before pointing at the blonde. “You were great last night, but it’s time to get dressed and get out, doll.” She huffed for a second before sauntering over and wrapping her leg around him from behind. “Come on, Paul. Kick his ass out. He can’t do the things for you that I can.” Her hand reached around and slipped under the waistband of the boxers. Without blinking, Paul tugged her hand free. “And he does shit for the band you could never do. You want us to make music for you? Then after you have your fun, you get out and let us work.” Snarling something insulting at Jesse, she bent slowly to pick up her clothes from the floor. Considering she was wearing one of Pauly’s shirts, he was fairly certain her crotch was on full display. He didn’t say anything until she’d stood like that for well over a minute. “I’m not trying to be an ass, but if he hasn’t looked by now, either he doesn’t care or he’s busy. You might want to get dressed before he tosses you and your stuff out.” She scowled at him, and he raised his hands in mock surrender. “I’m just saying he can be a bigger jerk than me if you interrupt him while he’s working.” When Pauly started humming, she finally seemed to get the message. She flipped Jesse the bird as she left, but at least she left. For a few minutes, he didn’t say anything, just kicked the worst of the mess from last night’s party into a pile. When he turned back toward the bed, Pauly was staring at the pages and nodding. “I take it that means you don’t think it sucks ass.” Pauly snorted and looked over his shoulder with a smirk. “No, it means I think you’re an idiot. A brilliant mother-fucker—but still an idiot. Is she really worth putting this much of your soul out there?” Parting the heavy curtains, Jesse stared out the window. He wasn’t even sure what town they were in—the tour dates started to blend together a couple weeks ago—or how far they were from Kira,

only that she was somewhere toward the golden glow of the sunrise. He sucked in a deep breath, imagining he could smell her shampoo, and smiled softly. “Maybe not, but holding it in isn’t doing either of us a damn bit of good.” “In that case, I’ll call and make sure we’re still set on the studio time.”

Intermission

Complaints about the video had quieted to echoes as soon as school let out for summer. And for a month, Kira had ignored calls and texts from Jesse, trying like hell to forget him. She’d even finally allowed her mother to set her up with a guy she’d met at church. Sitting at the restaurant with its dark wood and low lighting should have been romantic, especially with the guy sitting across from her. Charming from the moment she first set eyes on him, he’d displayed every single socially-acceptable alpha male trait. From the power suit and Lexus to the way he ordered their meals and wine. Kira savored a bite of her shrimp, nodding in all the right places as he talked about his recent acquisition at work. Sadly, she couldn’t recall what exactly he did. Stocks? Lawyer? Lawyer sounded right. Swallowing, she smiled and nodded once more. “Sounds fascinating, Bob.” He set down his chardonnay and cleared his throat, his golden brown eyes going dark. “It’s Rob.” Heat rose in her cheeks as she fought for a way to cover for the flub. It wasn’t like she’d been dating heavily and had the excuse of recently going out with a Bob. Not to mention that would sound horrible. No. She’d been thinking about Jesse... again. “I’m sorry. I have an Uncle Robert who always insisted we call him Bob and not Rob. I guess it stuck too well.” “I suppose in order to maintain family harmony, I can tolerate Bob for a little while.” He winked and chuckled, like it was all some grand joke. She laughed softly and took a sip of wine, knowing the excuse was not only stupid, but if he talked to her mother at all, he’d know soon enough that Uncle Bob was a fabrication. In order to avoid any more silly gaffes, Kira made a point of hanging on his every word for the rest of the meal. Every. Single. Last. Boring. Word. She’d started the night thinking Rob was a man she could go out with again, but by the time he walked her to her front door, his starched collar and impeccable hair and ideal... everything had lost every last bit of sparkle.

“I had a great time tonight, Kira.” He held her hand, but she felt nothing. No tingle, no spark, not even warmth. “Me too, Bob... er, I mean Rob.” They both laughed, but only she knew she’d made the joke intentionally so they could end the evening on a light note. Then he leaned in to kiss her goodnight and she turned her head slightly so his lips brushed her cheek instead. His brows furrowed for a second when he pulled back, but he recovered quickly. “I’ll call you soon.” She nodded and waved as he walked away, certain of only two things. One, that he wouldn’t call. And two, that the idea of kissing anyone who couldn’t even start to erase images of Jesse from her mind was a collosal waste of time. **** The new song had been getting plenty of air time already. In fact, the moment they’d finalized the recording, the album producer said it would be the first single and everything moved at record speed. Crowds, including tonight’s, went wild every time they played it. Stepping through the door into the green room, Jesse thumbed on his phone. Once more he received all sorts of response to the song, except from the one person he wanted from. Pauly slapped him on the shoulder as he walked by. “Still no word from Kira?” Stuffing the phone back in his pocket with a sigh Jesse shook his head. He caught the beer Paul tossed his way, cracked it open, and took a long, slow drink. “Nothing.” “Not to play devil’s advocate or anything, but what if she doesn’t call? Ever? How long do you plan to wait?” The sounds of the crowd tromping out echoed overhead, and Jesse’s head pounded with the same questions Pauly asked. “I don’t know. It’s kind of ridiculous.” “Yeah. A bit.” Pauly drained his beer, crushing the can and tossing it in the general vicinity of the trash. “Why don’t you just try to remember what life with the band used to be like? Just for one night. Maybe then this chick will stop haunting your every waking moment.” If it was only the waking moments, he might be able to deal better. He stared at the can of beer in his hand. It had been a long time

since he’d let loose with the guys. Maybe it was what he needed. “Fuck it. Why not?” For a while, he’d even had fun. Most of the people with backstage passes were more interested in pictures and talking, so he chatted them up, answering questions and posing for photo after photo. Then, half a dozen more beers in, the crowd started thinning, and only the girls were left behind—the hand-picked and the regulars. He flopped onto the nearest couch, and the next thing he knew, a leggy bottle-blonde who followed the band around a lot found her way onto his lap. “Hey, stranger. Not used to you sticking around.” A single sparkled fingernail toyed with a button on his shirt. “Looking for anything in particular.” Her name danced at the edges of his memory. He knew the guys mentioned her a lot, but for the life of him, he couldn’t recall why. Laura? Lainey? Lucy? “Hey, Lacey. Nope, nothing special. Just thought I’d see what I’d been missing since it’s been a while.” “That’s easy. You’ve been missing all the fun.” She passed him the bottle she’d been swigging from, and he tipped it up, the long swallow of whiskey burning like fire down his throat. It had been way too long since he’d had more than a couple beers. Six... no, seven in an hour or two with a whiskey chaser started to hit him hard. “I don’t know,” he said, glancing around the room. Eric and Greg had already disappeared with their girl, or girls, of the night. Randy’d gone back to the hotel to skype with his wife. Only Lou and Pauly were still here. Paul had a girl on each arm across the room, lost in a haze of conversation and maybe something more chemical. The kid stood guard near the door, chatting up a cute young thing. The whole time Lou kept shooting glances Jesse’s way. “Honestly the party seems to be winding down.” “Oh, sweetie, that’s just because we haven’t gotten to know each other yet.” The taste of cheap lipstick coated his mouth as she flipped around to straddle him. He remembered this. A new woman every night. No strings. No drama. So much easier. His hands shifted up the flat planes of her body and curved around her breasts. The mounds filled his hands, but there was no softness there. Then memories of Kira surged through the alcohol fog. She would never do this. Wait around night after night to throw herself at the first band member who looked too drunk to

bother saying no. Even when she’d kissed him in the parking lot, she’d kissed him, not the bassist for TriggerHappy. The man, not the rock star. Jesse pushed away from the kiss. “No.” Lacey tried to move in again, but he held her at arm’s length. “Look, you seem... nice. But— ” She glared and shoved off him. Strutting on too high heels, she gathered her things. “Christ, Pauly was right. You are a pathetic piece of shit, waiting around for some bitch who’s too screwed up to see what she’s missing. Let me know when you change your mind, because you’ll come to your senses eventually. Maybe I’ll still be around then.” Night air rushed in as Lou held the door open for her. Drunk as he was, Jesse didn’t miss the nod of approval from the young roadie. At least he knew one person with the band who had his back. Then again, who knew if Lacey was right. If Kira never did come back into his life, he could very well fall back into the same old traps. And end up just as empty and lost as before.

What’s Love Without a Little Music?

“Student lists are in your mailboxes. Make sure you get with your department heads if there are problems with supplies before you come breaking down my door. Odds are they have better answers than I do. If they don’t know, by all means come see me. We still need teachers to sign up to attend sporting events these first couple weeks. I don’t care if you hate football, make it to a game—just one.” Kira raked a weary hand through her hair, trying to remember if there was anything else. “Okay, people, that’s all I’ve got. Let the fun begin.” With some good-natured grumbling, the staff filtered out of the cafeteria. Beth, however, stuck around, her skin glowing like she just stepped off the beach. “Well, Kira, you officially look like crap. Is it because he kept calling or because he stopped?” Swallowing hard, Kira scooped up her briefcase and started toward her office. “Both? Neither? I just haven’t been sleeping well.” It was the best excuse she could muster. For a while, Jesse had kept texting and calling. And then, near the fourth of July, he sent one that said When you’re ready, you’ve got my number. Since then… nothing. She should have been relieved, but part of her missed knowing he was thinking of her. Especially since she couldn’t stop thinking about him no matter how hard she tried. She’d even kept trying to date after the fiasco with Bob/Rob. The men had been nice enough. Polished and professional… and not at all what she wanted anymore. There was no thrill, no spark, nothing to grab onto her and say, Yes, this one. Instead, she’d listened to the damn TriggerHappy disc over and over, searching for something that would finally convince her brain that Jesse was the bad boy he looked like and nothing but trouble. But it never happened. “Well, whatever the problem is, the kids get here next week. Find your game face, Miss Principal-of-Doom.” Beth flounced off toward her classroom. Behind the closed door of her office, Kira settled into her chair, knowing full well Beth was right. The kids would eat her alive like this. She squared her shoulders, determined to refocus now that she was back at school and in her element. Within an hour she caught

herself reaching for the icon that would make TriggerHappy blast through the speakers of her laptop. Kira shot to her feet and crossed the room to file some papers that she’d only need out again once classes started, but anything to get distance from temptation was a good plan. Finally, she found a rhythm to her work and forgot about Jesse and even the music. Her office door cracked open and a stout bald man wearing the standard blue uniform of postal workers strode in with a package. Not their normal mail carrier. Allison must be on vacation. “Kira Murphy?” She nodded without looking up. “I need you to sign for this, please.” “Normally my secretary takes care of those things.” The instant she realized how harsh the statement sounded, she forced herself to smile and wave him over. “I’m sorry. A little edgy with classes starting next week.” “Not a problem. My boss is just a stickler for doing everything by the book, so I came straight to you.” His dark brown eyes twinkled, and for a moment Kira swore she knew him from somewhere. Silliness really. She shook it off and signed the paperwork for the box. Another shipment of chemicals for Beth—anything dangerous needed to be logged through the front office first, so it was no wonder he came straight to her. “TriggerHappy fan?” Startled, her pen slipped at the end of her signature, ink going off the page in a violent line. The tension in her arm made her shoulder flare with pain. “What?” “You were humming. It was a TriggerHappy song, right? I love their stuff.” Avoid putting on the damn album, just to end up humming their songs while working. It was beyond pathetic. She laughed to keep from crying. “Yeah. I guess it was.” “If you’re a fan, you have to hear the new one they did for that disaster relief album. Jesse Stanford’s a brilliant writer! You should pick up the single.” The man reached across her desk, spun her laptop to face him, and pulled up a video online. “Have a great day.”

With a wave, he was out the door, leaving Kira alone with the strains of a hauntingly familiar melody—the wordless tune Jesse had sung to her in the car after they’d made love… had sex. Only now there were lyrics. You were the best mistake I ever made, From my first moment to my last. All the other things I’ve done I can imprison in my past. Kira stared at the computer and watched as images of carnival rides and parked cars and arrows through broken hearts flashed by. It wasn’t the real video—just one that felt like it was custom-made for her. She lost track of the lyrics as the pictures pulled every memory of that night to the surface. By the end of the song, tears were streaming down her cheeks. I never meant to hurt you. Or be the one to make you cry. I miss everything about you, baby, Your touch, your kiss, your sighs. Tonight when you go to sleep, And pray the Lord your soul to take, Let me keep a piece of your heart, Because you were never a mistake…. Crap. Had she screwed up? She pulled out her phone, but her teeth pressed against her bottom lip as she stared at it. He hadn’t texted almost two months. Sure, he’d said when she was ready, but was she? Really? The lyrics did everything but call her out by name, but how could she know if he even felt that way anymore. He was a musician. For all she knew, he poured it all into the song so he didn’t have to feel it anymore. Some crazy way of throwing it out there for the whole world… just so he could forget. She tucked the phone back into her purse, but she started the song over again, settling into her chair this time to really listen.

Hurts So Good

Jesse checked his equipment one last time before heading down the hall to the back door of the arena. He’d busted ass to get the guys to agree to this gig since they didn’t like to hit the same area twice in one year. But Pauly figured out the real reason behind the request and made it happen, even though he still didn’t seem to understand. The last text to Kira had been nothing but the show date and location. On the one hand, it didn’t really ask for a response. On the other, it had been five months since he saw her last. Was a, “Sorry, can’t make it” too much to ask? Outside, he jerked the door shut, the sound echoing in the stillness of the morning. “Hey, man. Go easy on the door. It goes off the hinges before your show and the chicks’ll bust in here and poof… there goes your private green room.” A young guy with a shaved head and a security uniform leaned against the building, cigarette dangling from his fingers. Jesse snorted and rubbed at a strange ache on his chest, wondering why the kid looked so familiar. “If you know anything about TriggerHappy, you know the green room is rarely private.” “True enough.” The security-guy glanced at the door and shrugged. “Any types of girls in particular we should let in? Or keep out?” Hands shoved in his pockets against the icy October wind, Jesse debated saying no. Any other show that would have been his answer, but this wasn’t any show in any town. This was his last ditch effort to see Kira. After tonight, he’d vowed to move on. One night with her had already turned into five months of wanting her. At some point, he had to accept that she didn’t want him. Not tonight though. “Yeah, if a woman named Kira Murphy shows up, she’s in—ticket or not—and gets anything she asks for.” “You got it, Mr. Stanford.” The kid actually gave a huge grin and saluted. If Kira showed up, he owed the guy a tip. Hell, he’d owe him a lot more than that. **** She should have asked Beth to go with her.

Kira stared at the lone ticket resting on the sink next to her. She’d taken so long deciding whether or not to go after getting Jesse’s text about the show that she was stuck in the nosebleeds. He’d never know she was there. The more she thought about it, the stupider the concert sounded. She slammed the brush against the porcelain and glared at herself in the mirror. “You will not be gun shy about this, damn you. You need to see him, even if it’s from so far away you can’t see the blue of his eyes.” Giving her reflection a curt nod, she dragged the brush through her hair in rough strokes then hid it in a drawer before she pulled all her hair out. Committed to a course of action, she let out a slow breath and slipped the ticket into her pocket. Halfway down her stairs, she pulled up short at the sound of her doorbell. She never got uninvited visitors this late. Her brows pulled together as she finished descending to open the door. Outside stood a man in a black suit and hat. He shifted from one foot to the other, and the limo behind him confirmed what she’d first thought—he was a chauffeur. “Sorry. I didn’t order a limo. I’m afraid you have the wrong address.” She smiled at him. His bushy, graying eyebrows raised. “No, ma’am. I’m sure I have the right house. I got a description of you before I left, just in case, Miss Murphy.” Kira stepped back. Who the hell would send a… Jesse. Sending a limo was so presumptuous it nearly made her change her mind about going. But she wasn’t that petty. Besides, only an idiot would give up a free ride. She shrugged on her jacket and followed the driver to the limo. At least it wasn’t a stretch. That would have been overkill. For a second before he opened the door, Kira panicked, wondering if Jesse was waiting for her in the backseat. When the chauffeur held the door though, the inside was completely empty save the black leather seats. She let out a shaky breath, not sure if she was disappointed or relieved. “Ma’am?” He still held it wide open. “Sorry.” She climbed inside and sank into the leather, thoughts on Jesse and being in the backseat of a car. The rest of the ride was spent with her eyes closed, both reveling in and trying to hide from the memory.

The door opened with a quiet creak. “We’re here, Miss Murphy.” Trying to steady her nerves, Kira opened her eyes. The sign confirmed they were at the arena, but… “I think you’re at the wrong door.” The chauffeur swept off his hat, his hand rubbing at his bald pate before setting it back in place. “Nope. This is the right place.” Over her protests, he knocked on the steel door. It cracked open, and a very familiar kid with shaggy blond hair and green eyes peeked out—the same one who had delivered her first set of tickets. “What’s the fucking password?” “Miss Kira Murphy is here.” The kid looked at her, his eyes widening as his jaw dropped. He recovered fast and held the door open. “By all means, come on inside.” Biting her lip, she ducked under the arm holding the door. When it shut behind her, it echoed with harsh finality. “He didn’t think you’d come. Hell, the betting pool odds agreed with him.” “He was betting on it?” Maybe the limo was still outside… “Nah. If Jess knew, he’d have thrown a fit. I just told you so when I said thanks, you’d understand why.” He winked as he waved her into a room. “I won. Wait here. I’ll be right back.” Beer bottles were spread from one end of the room to the other. She didn’t want to think about how many bodily fluids stained the couches here. Swallowing hard, she realized this was Jesse’s life. “Who the hell are you?” A skinny woman with obviously fake boobs and legs that went on for miles shoved up from one of the couches, staggering slightly. “I’m Kira.” She forced a smile, wondering what the hell she’d gotten herself into. The woman combed her fingers through violently streaked hair, a malicious grin spreading across her face. “Well, Kira, I hate to tell you, but I’m pretty sure you’re wasting your time.” When Kira didn’t respond, the woman walked over and poked her in the chest. “Jesse is over you, you know? When he realized he could have someone like me, he forgot all about you and your fat ass. So why don’t you just turn it around and leave?”

Every one of Kira’s insecurities flared to life along with the fears that had battered against her mind since discovering who Jesse really was. She shouldn’t be here. If this was all some stupid ploy to let her see he’d moved on… Not missing the satisfied smirk on the woman’s face, Kira spun around, tears blurring her vision, and stepped toward the door she’d just come in through. She ran right into the blond kid. As she tried to sidestep him, his voice growled, anger filling the room. “Lacey, you stupid bitch, get out. Pauly told you to leave before they went on stage.” With a huff, the woman drunkenly sauntered past. “You know I’ll be back, Lou. They can’t get enough of me.” “Well, they’ve had more than enough tonight. Your cab’s waiting outside.” The kid, Lou, still wasn’t letting Kira leave, and as soon as she heard the door clang shut, she said, “So all the stereotypes are true. This is what it means to party like a rock star?” Lou shuffled around, picking up empties and tossing them in recycling. “Some of them. And the fans kind of expect it. But Lacey’s an extreme. The guys put up with her because she used to be fun. President of the fan club and all that shit. Then…” He shook his head as he tossed a bottle into the bin, the glass shattering. “Jesse hasn’t done much of any partying for the last year—about the same time Randy’s son was born and he stopped drinking. Paul and the others still like to get their rock star on though.” So the woman wasn’t here with Jesse? And a year? That was long before he met Kira. A sigh of relief shuddered out of her lungs. “So Jesse doesn’t drink?” “Sure, he drinks sometimes. He just doesn’t do the hardcore crap anymore. He plays nice with the fans since he genuinely likes them, but that’s it. He poses for pictures, signs autographs, hangs for a while and calls it a night.” A door opened somewhere and music filtered in to them. Lou jerked his head toward the sound. “Go on. You’re missing the show.” She wanted so badly to believe what he’d said, that Jesse had given all this up—the booze, the drugs, the women—and not just because of her. But she still paused at the door. This was the last moment to walk away, because she knew once she opened it the uncertainty, the questions, all of it would end one way or another.

Sound pounded against the steel, reverberations rippling up her arm until her shoulder shook. She needed to know. Kira pushed the door open and stepped through.

Sex, Love, and Rock and Roll

The moment he started strumming the bass line to “Mistake”, Jesse felt her there. He couldn’t see her, but he knew without a doubt she was in the building, listening to the song he’d written for her. It would never be enough, but at least it was something. He closed his eyes and let himself sink into the music and the memories. Then a subtle change in the noise from the crowd made him look around. Following Pauly’s gaze, he turned. In the doorway off the ramp leading down from the left hand side of the stage, she stood, glancing around nervously. The crew must have seen the band looking because a soft spotlight found her, and she raised a hand to shield her eyes from the glare. The gesture was so natural, so unassuming, so very much the woman he remembered. Jesse stepped toward the side of the stage. Her lips twitched into a nervous smile, and he knew she was seeing her own face plastered on twenty-foot screens throughout the arena. He had to be cautious; this was the moment of truth. If the video online had been more than she could handle, this would drive her right back through the door. Then her gaze found his, and she took a hesitant step forward. Screw hesitant and screw caution. He’d waited for her for too long. Still playing, he made his way down the ramp toward her. As he hit the last chord, she took a step forward until only music stood between them. Then he yanked the strap over his head—a stagehand grabbing the instrument before it hit the ground—and pulled her to him. “Not letting you go this time.” Before she could respond, he tipped her chin up and pressed his lips against hers. Electricity shot through him as her fingers twined around his neck, his entire body alive from touching her again. He didn’t know how long they kissed before she drew back, her body still pressed tight to his. “Good. Because I don’t want to run anymore.” She laid a hand on his chest, over the tattoo he never did get fixed. “I’m willing to brave the brambles around your heart if you’ll put up with the wildly insecure nature of mine.”

He smoothed her hair back, searching her face and knowing he didn’t have to memorize it this time. He had more than just this moment, but still he wanted to soak it up. “It’s not really putting up with something if you know you can’t live without it. I’ve tried living without you, Kira. Your insecurity isn’t enough to drive me away. You’ll have to try harder.” Her eyes twinkled as she laughed. “Never.” “I like the sound of never.” This time when their lips met, the silence of the crowd shattered, erupting in thunderous applause. Jesse didn’t care; he didn’t even really hear them. His entire world had shrunken to the feel of Kira in his arms and the steady rhythm of her heart beating in time with his.

Epilogue

Eros stood on the pier, the carnival rides long gone, and stared out at the fog rolling over the water while the sun crested the horizon. “One down.” Granted, showing up with a limousine was a little more heavyhanded than he should have been, but he wasn’t about to let this one get screwed up by standing back. Jesse and Kira made a good match—balanced and true. He had no doubts they could weather whatever storm blew their way. “You did well, son. He’s impressed.” Aphrodite stepped up next to him, her long waves of chestnut hair fanning behind her in the breeze. She still wore her goddess visage to meet him, which likely meant no one else could see her. “Does that mean I’m finished here?” He knew better, but he needed to ask. She laughed, the sound echoing through the air, each note building with the others to form music the likes of which no human would ever hear. “My child, you angered Zeus. He doesn’t dole out punishment to our kind often, but when he does it’s severe enough to not be dismissed. Not even your father is willing to ask him to bring you back yet.” Ares, the god of war, unwilling to do battle for his son. Love truly had disappeared from this realm. Eros sighed. “Then why did he send you, if not to bring me back?” “So you know he is watching. The time will come when he ends your banishment. You must do your duty, and he will see fit to bring you home.” Her touch felt like mist on his skin as she cupped his face and pressed her lips to his forehead. “You were made for this, Eros. You are my son. Show the humans love like they’ve never known.” Then, like the fog, she dissipated in the light of the rising sun, and he was left with nothing but her promise and his own hope.

The End

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Other Books by Seleste deLaney: 'Twas a Dark and Delicious Christmas

Evernight Publishing www.evernightpublishing.com