Psyche's Heart : CUPID'S MATCH BOOK 3

Chapter 3

Around us the party is underway but I don't move my eyes from Cupid. Heat floods to my face.

"I...uh..." I start to say. "I didn't expect...Cal said..."

Cupid brushes the disintegrated arrow off his shirt with a sweep of his big hand and his grin widens at my obvious embarrassment. He holds my gaze a second longer before looking over at Cal and raising a thick eyebrow. "What did you give her the arrows for, brother?!"

Cal at least has the decency to look slightly sheepish as he stands beside Charlie. He shrugs, straightening the cuffs of his gray tux jacket.

"You said to tell her that there was something dangerous going on here. Thought it would be more realistic."

"Yeah...right...if I didn't know any better, brother, I would have thought you wanted me to get shot."

"Imagine that," says Crystal dryly as she approaches – looking as stunning as ever in a backless dark blue evening dress, her blonde hair in a fishtail braid over her shoulder. She smiles when she sees me, but I think there's something strained about it. "Cal, can I have a word?"

Her blue eyes catch Cal's and something seems to pass between them. She turns and heads towards the corner of the trial room, by the stage. He watches her go for a moment, before turning back to me.

"Happy birthday, Lila," he says somewhat formally.

"Thank..." He turns on his heel and heads after Crystal before I can finish.

Cupid's lip quirks upwards as he watches his brother. Then he strides over to me. He cups my face with a big hand and gently brushes his lips against mine. My heart quickens, heat flooding my veins the way it always does when he kisses me. It drives away some of the cold darkness that has been twisting around inside me since my dream about Valentine.

"I can't believe you hit me with a Capax," murmurs Cupid, softly pulling away from me.

The corner of my lip twitches.

"I know. I'm sorry. But you should never creep up on a girl who's holding a bow and arrow."

"Lesson learned." He grins and steps back, slipping his arm around my shoulders. He leans down, and whispers in my ear, his warm breath tickling my cheek. "And you've nothing to be sorry about, lovebug. I blame my brother entirely."

I slip my arm around his back, feeling the hard muscles of his body even through his black tux. "Yeah...I blame him too."

He laughs and I gesture across the room to where Crystal and Cal are in deep conversation – their expressions serious.

Trouble is on its way.

"What's up with those two, anyway?"

"Don't know. Don't care," says Cupid.