For the Love of Cupidity: A Valentine’s Day Novella (Heart Hassle Book 4)

When I’m done in the bathroom, I walk back to the front room, only to stumble to a halt at the sight of a dozen cupids now stuffed inside. The room suddenly feels tiny.

Even though Sev warned me that these cupids failed training once before, it didn’t really sink in until just now. Because now that they’re in front of me, I can kind of see why.

They’re a motley crew of cupids. Leather jackets, goth makeup, hipsters, nerds, a couple weird looking fae, and one chick is wearing a ballgown like she was an actual princess. Another one has a cell phone stuck to her hand like she died mid-text. She keeps trying to scroll, even though it doesn’t work anymore. There’s even a damn troll cupid. A troll. He can barely fit inside without his head hitting my ceiling.

To put it simply, even with their new pink hair and red wings, they don’t look like the cupid-type. I’m surprised as hell that they picked this as their afterlife job, to be honest.

I walk further into the room to stand beside Sev. “These are the trainees?”

He’s schmoozing up some cupid beside him, taking advantage of their physical state by running a finger up her arm. She either has a fetish, or she was at a costume party when she died because her face is painted to look like a skull, and she’s wearing some tight leather get-up with assless chaps. What a time to die.

“Sev!” I snap, pinching him on the nipple when he continues to ignore me.

He rubs at his pec and gives me a glare. “Did you need something?”

“Yes! Help me,” I whisper-yell.

There are entirely too many cupids staring at me right now, and I feel totally on the spot. They’re intimidating. It’s like I’m the teacher forced to run detention for all the slackers. I’m sensing an impending mutiny. Why did I think that I could do this?

“Just tell ‘em how to blow Lust shite and shoot some arrows. They’re fooking hopeless, though, so I wouldn’t get too excited.”

“Thanks for the positivity,” I say dryly.

“You’re the boss, so boss the shite out of these jobbies, or poof the fookers.”

Turning, I march to the front of the room to address them. Well, I don’t march, to be honest. I waddle.

“Okay cupids,” I say, addressing them. “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Emelle.” I flash them the inside of my wrist to show them my cupid number and boss mark. “Since you failed your last training, I’ll be taking over.”

They look at me, utterly bored. I’m pretty sure a couple in the back are making out. And…where did that one get a pipe to smoke?

“Okay guys, pay attention,” I say, clapping my hands. They don’t pay attention.

“Hey, when’s our break?” the troll cupid asks.

“Yeah, and when do we get to take vacation time?” another one pipes up.

That’s it. I narrow my eyes, fluff up my wings, and let a bit of my angel power through so that I start to shine like a night-light. It’s the only angel power I know how to use, but it looks impressive. “Hey!”

The cupids finally deign to look up at me.

“Listen up, I’m just gonna say it. You guys totally suck,” I tell them. Sev starts laughing at their expense, and I earn some glares, but I push on. “But, if you can stop sucking and become decent cupids, you guys won’t be in danger of getting poofed. If you want all the perks that come with the job, then you’re gonna have to earn it.”

“Yeah, and if you areseholes fail again, you’re getting’ poofed for sure,” Sev adds.

They grumble their unhappiness. “You guys picked this job, and you’re stuck with it,” I tell them. “So buck up, or I’ll be forced to poof my first ever cupid, and I don’t want to have to do that.” I let the threat hang in the air for a beat. I don’t know if I could actually terminate any of them, but the warning seems to work, and they look like they take me a bit more seriously. “You’ve all been assigned to the earth realm, so we need to get you ready for Valentine’s Day. We only have one week. Let’s start with practicing some Flirt Touches.”

When no one moves, I glare at them in a super intimidating way. Or not. My dress is nearly bursting at the seams, I’m barefoot because my feet are too swollen for my shoes, and my hair looks like a hot mess.

For added effect, I snap my fingers and make the terminate button appear. This makes them jump to it. I barely suppress a smirk. I’m totally boss bitching the eff out of them right now.

“Practice on each other. Skin-to-skin works best,” I explain, demonstrating how the power should look and work as I swipe my finger across Sev’s jugular. He gets a dopey look on his face. “Aww, luv. What say you and I go out and eat some food under the moonlight or some right soppy shite before we do the diddy?”

I arch a brow. “That’s your idea of flirting?”

“Fooking right.”

I turn back to the cupids. “Let’s see it.”

They break off and begin to practice, the room immediately filling with toying romance. The girl in the ballgown starts giggling, the goth guy is reciting lyrics from a rock metal band like it’s Shakespeare, and cell phone girl begins talking in flirtatious hashtags.

Pretty soon, they’re all loosened up, and I show them how to use the Flirt Touches with some more finesse. Once they do a few more passes, they’re not nearly as hopeless as I first thought. Once they actually try, they’re just fine at it. For this group, motivation seems to be the key.

After practicing Flirt Touches for an hour or so, I feel like I’ve worked plenty for one day. “Okay, everyone, I think that’s good for today. Let’s break and continue training tomorrow.”

The cupids look around. “What should we do until then?”

“Umm…” Crap. What am I gonna do with all of them? I can’t send them back to Cupidville, because the time warp will throw things off. “I’ll get you situated with somewhere to stay. Hang out in here until I get back.” I pause. “But no having sex on my bed. Or my couch. Or my bathroom. Actually, just no sex whatsoever in here, got it?”

They look disappointed.

I shuffle out of the room and head outside to find my mates. I find Ronak first. He’s out back, training as usual. He’s lifting huge boulders and chucking them across the yard like they’re pebbles, even though they shake the ground as they land. Ronak’s muscles are bulging, his shirt is off, sweat is slicking down his tanned skin…and I’m horny again.

When he spots me, he tosses the boulder in his arms over his head—one handed—like it’s nothing. “Done already, little demon?”

Motioning toward my stomach, I say, “There is nothing little about me.”

As soon as I’m closer, he snatches my hand and pulls me against him. I don’t even mind the guy sweat, because now his abs and V are right in front of me, and that shit is just nice to look at.

“Not true,” he says, raising my fingers in front of his face.

Very slowly, I watch as he raises my pinky up and then sucks it into mouth. My breath catches as his hot, wet tongue dances around it, his teeth scraping against it ever so slightly. When he drags my finger out of his mouth, his eyes stay locked on mine.

“This finger is still little,” he says, his voice husky.

I swallow hard and nod. I don’t even know what I’m nodding at, to be honest. I forgot what we were talking about as soon as my finger went into his mouth.

I don’t notice that his tail has wrapped around my arm until I feel it tugging my hand toward the front of his pants. My hand lands on his hard length, and the second I feel it beneath my palm, I feel my insides heat.

His hands move to cup my breasts over my dress, and he strums his thumbs against my nipples. “And then there’s these little nipples. Pink and peaked and perfect.”

His breath fans my neck when he leans in and scrapes his sharp canine against the curve of my neck. My lashes automatically flutter closed. His tail demands that I continue to pay attention to his cock though, so I squeeze him hard, just the way I know he likes it.

He growls low in his chest, and then his hand moves to cup me between my thighs, and if his other arm weren’t holding me around the waist, I would’ve dropped right to the ground.

A whimper escapes me as he presses the heel of his palm against my throbbing clit, and I feel his smile against my neck.

“And this? This little pussy right here? It’s the perfect size for my cock.”

This time, my knees actually do buckle, but he simply just holds me against his chest, my feet not even touching the ground anymore. He does it while not smooshing me against him, either; ever mindful of my protruding belly, his hold is firm and steady, despite my body’s awkward girth. And he does it all with one arm.

And…I orgasm. Just like that.

I try to hide it because…for fuck’s sake that’s just embarrassing, but Ronak rears back and looks at me. I’m still shaking from the orgasm, and I’m pretty sure I’m grimacing from trying to hold it in.

“Did…Did you just come?”

“What? No,” I say quickly. “That’s ridiculous. People don’t come by one stupid touch.”

The asshole alpha smiles. “You did. You just came on my hand. I barely touched you.”

“I did not just come. You’re mistaken.”

“I felt your pussy clench against my hand. Through your dress, even. And you forget, I can always scent it.”

Godsdammit. He’s gonna be so cocky now.

“Shut up,” I tell him.

The asshole laughs.

“Fucking hell. You got her all worked up again? I can smell her need from here. And…did she come?”

I look over to see Evert, Sylred, and Okot walking up, all three pairs of nostrils flaring. How embarrassing.

Ronak nods, and his wings puff up. “Yep, after about three seconds.”

“She gets worked up easily these days,” Evert muses, although he looks happy about it.

“It’s true,” Sylred says. “Her panties get drenched at least once a day.”

“You guys sexually tease me and get me all revved up!” I defend. “And I’m not that bad.”

It’s a bit awkward defending myself when I’m still hanging in Ronak’s arm on account of being too horny to stand.

“I thought the fucking lamassu took care of your morning needs?” Evert asks.

My brows raise. “Are you guys keeping track?”

“We make sure our mate is sated,” Sylred answers.

“So, you all talk about me when I’m not around? What, are you keeping a tally?”

“More like a schedule,” Sylred admits.

I blink at them, unsure if I should be insulted or impressed at them for being so organized.

“I can stand now,” I tell Ronak.

“If you want me to put you down, you’re going to have to let go of my cock—If you can.”

I look down between us, but…yeah, I can’t see anything past my belly. I drop my hand that was, in fact, still squeezing his cock. “I did it,” I say with more pride than I probably should.