Finding Cupid

by Daisy Dexter Dobbs

  Hearing her say the words again stabbed at Dake’s gut.

  “I think that’s a wise idea. It’s only a few blocks to the shop from here,” Zeb said as they left the police station, skipping down the cement steps. “Feel like walking or should we take the bus?”

  “I prefer walking, if that’s okay with you and Dake.” Both men nodded in agreement. “Is Alfred feeling better now?”

  “Much,” Zeb responded. “We shared some good conversation over shortbread cookies and chamomile tea this morning and he’s even come to the realization that Leonard was a user, an opportunist. I think Alfred finally accepts the idea that he deserves better.”

  “Of course he does,” Lula agreed. “I only wish I could be here long enough to help him find his soul mate.”

  Zeb kissed her forehead. “You’re very sweet and caring.”

  “Thank you, Zebulon. And so are you.” She planted a kiss on his jaw. “Well, at least one truly good thing came out of the trouble I caused today.” When Zeb lifted an eyebrow in interest, Lula went on. “Dake admitted that he loves me.” The way she bounced and bubbled with excitement as she said it warmed Dake’s insides like a shot of single malt scotch.

  “Indeed?” Zeb grinned at Dake, giving him a hearty pat on the back. “Well, it’s about time. I’ve known it from the start, of course,” he sniffed with a perceptive air. “From the moment I walked into Cupid’s Headquarters and saw you two together.”

  “Me too,” Lula said and then she trilled a voluminous sigh. “If only Dake and I could have had more time together, but the fates did not have that in store for us.”

  “You’re not going anywhere. You’re staying here with me,” Dake announced and both Lula and Zeb shot him startled looks as they halted in their tracks.

  “Oh but, Dakin, my love, I can’t do that.” Stroking Dake’s jaw, Lula gazed up at him with an expression so sweet, tender and loving it nearly shattered his heart. “It’s not permitted. I must return to Olympus. How I wish it could be different but, alas, it cannot.”

  “No.” Dake shook his head back and forth as he grabbed Lula’s upper arms and held tight. “No, I won’t let you go. I’ll…I’ll tie you up and hide you in a closet or something until they leave.”

  Lula chuckled. It was a pained, forlorn kind of laugh. “They would find me, Dake. Their tracking methods are quite advanced. Believe me, if there were any way I could stay here on Earth with you, I would. Leaving you will be the most difficult thing I have ever had to do.”

  “But—”

  “Remember,” she kissed her fingertip and touched his broken nose, “unlike your broken nose, our parting will only be painful for a short while, Dake. Once your memory is cleansed, you will be left with just a slight almost imperceptible sensation of melancholy.”

  “I don’t want to forget! I want to remember everything about you.” For the only time in his adult life other than when his parents died, Dake felt the sting of tears prick his eyes. Blinking them back, he yanked Lula hard against him, holding her as if his life depended on it. And in a way it did.

  He gazed at her angelic face, totally at a loss for words as he contemplated the bleakness of life without the infectious sound of her laughter, her sweet naiveté, the warm soft feel of her luscious curves, her unquenchable appetite for sex and, yes, even her penchant for inadvertently creating all manner of havoc.

  Still bracing Lula’s head against his chest, Dake looked at his brother with pleading eyes. “Zeb…help me. I can’t lose her.”

  Quickly flicking the tears from his eyes, Zeb straightened, his chin elevated with an air of confidence. “I absolutely refuse to allow this to develop into another Tristan and Isolde tragedy,” he announced. “Trust me, Dakin, we’ll find a way to keep you and Lula together.”

  ———

  “Yup, here it is,” Zeb said, tapping his finger against the page of one of the thick books strewn around the living room of his apartment. He sat cross-legged on a tasseled, oversized magenta pillow on the floor while Dake sat on the futon and Lula curled up in a chair. Each of them was surrounded by books from Zeb’s extensive collection on mythology.

  “The story of Cupid and Psyche?” Lula asked animatedly, clapping her book closed.

  Zeb nodded, his features evidencing a sense of triumph. “Psyche was a mortal so beautiful that Venus, the goddess of love, became jealous,” he read aloud. “She instructed her son Cupid to make Psyche fall in love with a hideous monster.” Zeb look up from the page and smiled. “Ah, but au contraire—instead, Cupid falls in love with Psyche himself.”

  “I love that part,” Lula said, dreamy-eyed. “It’s so romantic.”

  “And Cupid’s a god, right?” Dake asked, suddenly finding mythology, a topic that once made him snore, intensely interesting.

  “Yes.” Zeb nodded.

  “The god of love, sex and eroticism,” Lula added.

  “So if his mother was the goddess of love, who was Cupid’s father?” Dake asked.

  “Mars,” Zeb answered. “The god of war. He was just one of Venus’ many lovers. In fact, it seems there’s an awful lot of promiscuity and inter-family relations weaving through the gods.”

  “Interesting. That makes Cupid a byproduct of love and war,” Dake mused. “So his daddy was named after the planet?”

  Lula laughed. “The celestial planet Mars was named after the god of war because it shines with a red color resembling blood.”

  Zeb went back to skimming his finger along the page. “Let’s see…yada, yada, yada…okay, here it says that Cupid took Psyche as his wife, but as a mortal she was forbidden to look at him.”

  “Huh?” Dake said.

  Holding up a finger, Zeb read on. “Psyche was happy until her sisters persuaded her to look at Cupid. As soon as she looked at him, Cupid punished her by leaving.”

  Dake screwed his features. “Sheesh. What a hard-ass.”

  Lula sighed. “The gods are known for being quick to temper and then meting out harsh punishment.”

  “As Psyche wandered, trying to find her love,” Zeb continued, “she came upon the temple of Venus. Intent on destroying Psyche, Venus gave her a series of tasks, each harder and more dangerous then the last. Ooh…some of these were downright nasty.”

  A deliciously wicked grin broke out on Zeb’s face as he read to himself. “Mmm-hmm, here’s the clincher,” he said. “Cupid could no longer bear to witness Psyche’s suffering or to be apart from her. So he pleaded their case to the gods and, voila! Psyche becomes an immortal—a minor goddess—and the lovers are united forever. Ta-da! The end.”

  “Theirs is a most celebrated story,” Lula said. “Every child on Olympus learns it even before they begin school.”

  “Zeb, I apologize,” Dake said, reaching down to give his brother a solid pat on the back.

  “You what?!” Zeb’s hand flew to his chest and he gasped. “Dakin, are you trying to give me a heart attack?” he teased.

  “No kidding. I mean it. I take back every mean, rotten thing I ever said about your obsession with Greek and Roman mythology. In the last two hours, we’ve come up with several different instances where residents of Olympus and Earth have managed to remain together, either up there or down here. Hell, if Cupid himself went through this with a mortal, then he’s got to be sympathetic.”

  He glanced across the room at Lula. “We can do this, babe. I know we can.”

  A wary look across her features, Lula shook her head. “I don’t know, Dake. I’m not important enough for the gods to consider. I mean, it’s not like I’ve accomplished some incredible feat or like I have any real stature. I’m not a goddess, I’m just a—”

  “A nymph who fell in love with a mortal man,” Zeb interrupted. “Lula, my dear, these books are filled with stories of love matches like yours and Dakin’s. And you know all that hubbub you keep making about being nothing but a lowly nymph?” Lula gave a tentative nod and Zeb wagged a chastising finger. “It seems you’ve been telling little wh
ite lies.”

  Dake frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “According to what I’ve read,” Zeb explained, “nymphs are classified as minor female deities. That would make our little Lula a minor goddess. Just like Psyche.”

  “What?” Dake looked agape at Lula. “But I thought you said—”

  Huffing a sigh, Lula gave a dismissive wave. “It’s an age-old controversy. Some believe nymphs are minor deities, while others are certain we’re merely spirits of nature with extended life spans. I simply choose to think of myself as the latter.” She shrugged. “I’m far too absentminded and impish to be a minor deity. Besides, I’m of mixed heritage, which might make me ineligible for being a goddess.”

  After skimming over Lula’s gold curls, blue eyes and milky complexion, Dake and Zeb exchanged glances. “Well, don’t leave us hanging,” Zeb said.

  “Apparently it happened generations ago.” Lula sighed. “You see, I’m part Dryad and part Limoniad,” she finished, just as if it made perfect sense.

  “Uh-huh. And that means…?” Dake asked.

  “Each nymph subtype presides over a certain aspect of nature,” Lula explained. “The habitat of Dryads is the forest while the habitat of Limoniads is meadows. I’m happiest and most productive in either. That’s why I’m partial to flowers and foliage. It’s also why I enjoy your Earthly city of Portland so much. It’s like a lush mix of forest and meadow here.”

  “That settles it,” Zeb said, slamming his thick hardcover book shut with a loud thud, capturing Dake and Lula’s full attention. “Dryad or Limoniad, Lula, there’s no damn reason why you, a minor goddess, and my mortal brother can’t plead your case before the gods. Period.”

  Lula sucked in a small gasp and nibbled her bottom lip. “The Council of Deities…” she said with reverence.

  “How am I going to do that?” Dake asked. “That’s on Olympus, right?”

  Lula nodded silently in response.

  Zeb shrugged, polishing his nails against his shirt and inspecting them. “If you truly love Lula, then I’m sure you’ll find a way. Of course, maybe you don’t care if you lose her forever. Or perhaps you don’t have the stamina that a mortal woman like Psyche had.” He indulged in a shrewd smile.

  “Jeez, this is crazy.” Dake stared at nothing, trying to piece all the bizarre stuff together. “I mean, Zeb, do you hear what we’re talking about here? We’re talking about me, Dake Dronyer,” he rapped his fingers against his chest, “flying up into the clouds in some god’s chariot, for chrissakes. Shit. It’s insane.” He dropped his head in his hands, massaging his temples and groaning.

  “Would you really be willing to do that for me?” Lula asked hopefully. “Plead before the Council of Deities?”

  Dake looked over at her. She looked so damned adorable he wanted to scoop her up, take her into Zeb’s bedroom and fuck her until she was quaking and boneless with pleasure. He slapped his hands against his thighs. “Bring it on,” he pronounced, getting to his feet. “I’ll do whatever it takes for us to stay together.”

  Lula bolted upright in her chair. “Even if it means battling dragons or braving the fiery domain of Pluto?”

  Bug-eyed, Dake swallowed hard. “The planet?” he asked, having a pretty good idea that wasn’t what Lula meant. And as soon as she shook her head, he knew he was right.

  “I believe she’s referring to what we call Hell,” Zeb offered, his complexion taking on a sickly pallor.

  Lula nodded slowly. “In Greek mythology, it’s known as the domain of Hades.”

  Dake just looked from Lula to Zeb and back again. “You’re kidding, right? Fire-breathing dragons and the pits of Hell…” His laugh sounded like a sick hyena’s. “Tell me you’re not serious?”

  Lula lowered her eyes, nibbling on her bottom lip again.

  “Shit. You’re not kidding.” Dake took in a sharp breath, letting it out with a whoosh. His head pounded with the mind-boggling madness of it all. How the hell did he suddenly get stuck in the middle of some fucking fairy tale? He could be laying his life on the line if he did this. Damn, if he got barbequed by some dragon he’d be dead before he was forty!

  Yeah, but what kind of life would he have if he played it safe and lived to eighty—without ever seeing or holding Lula again? Ever. Whether they erased her from his memory or not, Dake knew damn well he’d go through life like a walking zombie without Lula at his side.

  “See? This is why I never wanted to fall in love,” he finally said, wagging an accusatory finger toward a wide-eyed Lula. “Because as soon as I do, look what happens. Dragons and Hell and…” He watched her chin tremble. “Aw shit, Lula…” Dake plucked her from her chair, squeezing her close, nestling his nose in her hair and breathing in the fragrance of sunshine, spring flowers and the sweet scent of the woman he loved.

  “I love you,” he told her, “and I don’t ever want to be without you.” He kissed her hard. “Bring on the dragons and Pluto and whatever else. Dake Dronyer, master electrician, will tackle them all!”

  Chapter Twelve

  “What’s that?” Dake asked, eyeing Lula as she sat cross-legged on Zeb’s futon.

  “It’s a list,” she said, clearly in deep concentration, the tip of her tongue peeking out as she scrawled something on a pad of paper. “Of all the types of sex and sexual positions we haven’t had an opportunity to try yet.” She glanced up, a look of concern across her features. “We’re going to be very busy tonight, Dake.”

  Chuckling to himself, Dake figured he was just about the luckiest man in the world. Lula was a walking wet dream and she was all his…at least for one last night of passion.

  “So what’s first on your agenda, sweetheart? Your wish is my command.”

  “Posterior sex,” she announced matter-of-factly. “That’s where you take my buttocks and your—”

  Dake held up his hand, aware that his cock jerked at the same time. “Yup. I know. So, uh…you’ve had prior experience in that area?” It was crazy but somehow the thought of Lula engaging in anal sex with another man brought out Dake’s primal, possessive, caveman persona. My woman! he was tempted to grunt while beating his chest. My woman’s ass!

  “No, I’m an anal virgin. But I’ve—”

  She stopped abruptly when Dake started to laugh. He couldn’t help it.

  “Is there something humorous about my being an anal virgin?” she asked.

  “No, sweetheart,” Dake said, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from guffawing. There was something about Lula’s straightforward, no-nonsense approach to the subject that thoroughly tickled him. “Go ’head, what were you saying?” He covered his mouth with his hand, stroking his jaw so she wouldn’t see his lips twitch.

  “I just wanted to let you know that I’m not completely ignorant about the act because I’ve read about it and have studied the diagrams.”

  Dake’s eyes bugged. “They’ve got diagrams for that sort of thing?”

  “Of course, along with detailed descriptions.” Lula nodded. “We were issued separate manuals describing all known sexual positions and various methods of inducing orgasm.”

  “Hot damn, I’d love to get my hands on that book.” Dake wagged his eyebrows.

  “So would I,” Lula sighed. “I only hope it hasn’t fallen into the wrong hands.”

  “Well, whoever found it will be in for one hell of a good time,” Dake assured her with a pat to the head. His brow furrowed when a disquieting thought flitted across his mind. “You and your classmates didn’t pair up like lab partners or anything, did you? I mean, to conduct sex experiments.”

  Images of scantily attired Olympians engaged in all manner of orgiastic pursuits in the name of higher education filled his head. His male, testosterone-driven brain was divided—half of it making his dick leap in his pants at the lusty idea and the other half raging with jealousy at the notion of Lula happily learning her sexual ABCs at the hands of a bunch of horny classmates.

  “Dakin, Dakin, Dakin.” Lula uttered
a prolonged groan and tsked. “I can only imagine what’s going through that twisted male brain of yours. But I can assure you, education on Olympus is a serious pursuit and classroom activity is not synonymous with debauchery.”

  “A guy can dream, can’t he?” Dake winked. “Actually, I’m quite happy and honored,” he made a courtly bow, “to be the first man to deflower your cute little butt.”

  “Just so you know, I’m afraid I didn’t get very far in the book yet,” Lula informed him. “But I do recall the graphics showing the cock entering the anus fairly well. Besides, whatever I don’t know you can teach me from your own anal experience.”

  “Yeah, well…” Dake scratched his head, not quite sure how to tell her he was just as inexperienced in that area as she was, though not by choice. “I’ve never actually found a woman who wanted to do that,” he finally admitted.

  “Really?” Lula was clearly nonplussed. “How strange. I find the thought of engaging in a lusty bout of anal sex with you to be quite stimulating. So much so that it makes my pussy trickle warm juice just imagining it.” She giggled as she squirmed in place.

  Damn, she made him hot. Dake was ready to bend her over the coffee table, hike her ass into the air and, after beating his chest and grunting, plunge inside her tight, virgin territory, claiming it as his own.

  “Don’t worry about your inexperience, Dake. I can guide you,” Lula told him confidently. “I received the highest grade in my class on the anal test.” She beamed a proud smile in his direction.

  After looking at Lula agape for a long moment, Dake couldn’t hold back any longer. Not the part about claiming her virgin territory—the part about erupting with laughter.

  “So you aced the ass test, huh?” he managed to get out.