Operation: Winter Cupid

by Allyson Lindt

  She pulled away from his touch when it became too much, and he moved his hand to her leg, thumb tracing her thigh.

  He nibbled her earlobe. “You make the most delicious noises when you come. I want to hear you scream again.”

  There was no hesitation when he pushed inside her, burying his thick length to the hilt and stretching her out. She wrapped her legs around his waist and arms around his neck, thrusting against him in time to his frantic pace.

  Every time he drove inside, he hit a spot that tingled through her entire body. His breathing turned into grunts, as he increased his rhythm. She tightened her grip on him, holding tight as orgasm built inside again. She cried out when she came again, clenching around his cock.

  He bit into her shoulder as he pounded hard and fast, groans vibrating through her body. Somewhere through the euphoria, their voices mingled in a climactic chorus.

  She grasped for breath and reason, as he slowed and then stopped but didn’t pull out of her. She buried her face against his chest, struggling for her voice. “I, um… Wow.”

  He trailed his fingers through her hair, his heart hammering against her ear. His voice carried through her cheek. “Yeah, me too.”

  A sudden wave of uncertainty gripped her, and she failed to shove it aside. “Is this the only reason you’re here?”

  He placed a finger under her chin, and raised her head until her eyes met his. His voice was gentle but certain. “I meant what I said. Even if all you want from me is hours of conversation, I’m great with that.” He brushed his lips over hers. “Not that I’m complaining about this. You’re incredible.”

  Heat flooded her cheeks at the blatant flattery, and comfort settled in when he wrapped his arms around her. She wasn’t sure what she’d done to deserve this moment, but she was going to enjoy it for all it was worth.

  He kissed the top of her head. “Happy New Year, by the way.”

  She moved her head enough to read the clock. Sure enough, it was midnight, on the nose. “I can’t think of a better way to ring in the new year.”

  Chapter Four

  Josh pulled up an office chair next to Ella’s, until his knees brushed her leg. They’d broken apart long enough to clean up a little, and then she’d pulled him back to the server room. He was happy to follow, unwilling to call it a night just yet. If she was stuck here, even just for another half hour, he could keep her company.

  She clicked through a couple of things on the screen, then spun her seat back so she faced him. “I’m still having a hard time believing your story.”

  He shrugged. “Because you’re smart, and it’s a ridiculous story. But,” he added when she frowned, “it’s true.”

  “I don’t suppose asking you to prove it will do me any good.”

  He’d been thinking about that, and every time he believed he had a solution, it fell flat when he mentally followed it to a conclusion. “I can try, but you’ll still have to take some of it on faith.”

  She intertwined her fingers with his, and rested both hands on her knee. “Do your best.”

  He nodded at her computer. “Search obituaries, twenty years ago, in the Tribune.”

  She raised her eyebrows, gaze raking over his face for a moment, before she turned back to a computer. His gut turned in on itself when she pulled up the article. He’d read it all those years ago, after they’d brought him back, but after so long he’d forgotten how surreal it was. The picture next to the clipping was him, looking exactly as he looked now, but in a T-shirt. He scanned the first few sentences, and then had to turn away.

  The words were burned into his memory anyway, even though the newspaper didn’t tell the whole story. They said he’d been shot and killed by police fire, and that he wasn’t survived by any family.

  Ella turned to him, face pinched. “Is that really you?”

  He swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Yes.”

  “What happened?” No judgment in her voice, only concern and curiosity.

  He dug up the memory, surprised to find it still hurt to drag it to the forefront of his mind. Even after so many years. “My brother, Greg, had a problem. Serious addiction. It ran in the family—I don’t know how I escaped it.” That morning flashed through his mind as he spoke, playing out as if it happened just a few days ago instead of twenty years. “I begged him to go into rehab. To do something. And then the police knocked.”

  He dragged in a shaky breath, and pushed calm to the surface. “I didn’t realize he’d held up a convenience store the night before and killed both the owner and his wife, trying to score enough cash for his next fix. When the police pounded on the door, Greg answered with a gun in hand.”

  Her forehead creased as he talked, and she squeezed his hand. He managed a grateful smile. “I don’t remember anything after that, except waking up in the morgue. And spending the next several months denying any of it had happened.”

  “God, I’m so sorry.” She scooted closer.

  He pushed the fog of the past aside, and shook his head to come back to the now. “It’s in the past, really. Though some days I still can’t believe I got a second chance, away from all that. Apparently dying was the best thing to ever happen to me.” He paused, as something occurred to him. “Until they assigned me to cheer you up.”

  Pink colored her cheeks. He adored that look on her. It was so natural. So much of what she did felt real, though. He could tell she was being herself, and even the things she hid didn’t make her fake.

  “What about you?” He didn’t want to linger in the past anymore. That was a different life, and even if she wasn’t a long-term part of his future—an idea he hated more and more each time it resurfaced—she was here now. “Tell me about the Ella outside of this office.”

  “I don’t have anything nearly as interesting in my past.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “Went to college, got an internship, moved across several states for a job in information technology, and here I am.”

  “What about boyfriends?” Morbid curiosity made him ask, but a hint of dark cloud still hung over him.

  She ducked her head. “I haven’t really had a lot. A couple of guys I thought I was serious about. But…I don’t know. Dating just hasn’t been a part of my life, and I haven’t missed it, so I don’t think about it a lot.”

  “What would it take to get you to consider it a little more frequently, at least in my case?”

  The clouds lifted from her face. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Anything that lets me see you again.” Consequences be damned. “It doesn’t have to be more than that right now, but I figure it’s a good starting point.”

  “I’d love that.”

  He tugged her fingers. “How much longer do you have to be here tonight?”

  The corners of her mouth pulled down. “Another hour or two. I have to monitor these updates, and make sure they don’t bring the system down again. You can go if you like. I’m giddy that you’re here, but I can’t ask you to sit around and watch me work.”

  Something in his gut clenched at the idea of walking away now. It wasn’t that he was worried about leaving her; he believed when she said she wanted to see him again. But there were consequences waiting for him back at the cupid offices, and he’d rather enjoy her company as much as possible, before he had to face those. “You’re not really working, right?” He held up his hands when she frowned. “I don’t mean to sound rude. You said you’re only monitoring things, though. So you only need to give it a little bit of attention?”

  “It’s true. This isn’t really a hands-on process.”

  His cock stirred, as images of other hands-on activities raced through his mind. So tempting. He tried to be subtle about taking a few deep breaths to calm his heated pulse. “I’ll keep you company until you’re done here. I still owe you dinner, but this is a start.”

  As the minutes ticked into an hour, and then two, they chatted about anything and everything. Not just their pasts, but the now. Shared interests,
that they both enjoyed high action movies with big explosions and just the right touch of love, and how they spent their free time.

  Every time she laughed, or brushed her fingers over his hand, or leaned into him, something in his chest ached. What was he going to do, if he had to walk away from her before they even made it past the getting-to-know-you stage?

  Ella paused mid sentence, as a yawn tore from her throat. She covered her mouth, eyes wide. “I’m sorry. Don’t take this the wrong way. I’d have fallen asleep ages ago, if you weren’t here.”

  “I get it.” He scooted his chair as close as he could, and pulled her head down to rest on his shoulder. Too bad there wasn’t something more convenient in this room for lounging on. I guess a sofa is counterproductive to a room full of computers. He trailed his fingers through her hair. “I need to take you home.”

  She glanced at the screens one more time, never pulling away from him. “Ten more minutes. As soon as that bar there finishes, if nothing flashes or protests, I’m done.”

  Even as she finished explaining, her voice drooped. Moments later, her breathing evened out, and her weight slumped against his arm. Angelic, even when she’s sleeping. Where had that come from? He shook the thought away. As soon as her work was finished, he’d wake her up, and make sure she got home safely.

  The indicator she’d pointed out raced toward one hundred percent, and then announced it finished successfully. A hint of disappointment swelled in his chest. The night was over. He moved to nudge her awake, and his hand passed through her.

  The pressure of her body resting against his evaporated, and milliseconds later, she was gone. The server room vanished around him, and was replaced with his apartment. Shit.

  As far as he knew, only they had the power to do something like magically move people from one place to another in an instant, which meant he’d been caught potentially screwing with Ella’s fate. His gut twisted in on itself. So much for avoiding reprimand.

  Chapter Five

  Josh paced the length of his apartment, too many thoughts racing through his head to make sense of them. When he reached one wall, he spun and made his way back toward the other. According to Amanda, when Devin had done something like this, he’d lost his cupid status within hours. Sunlight streamed through Josh’s window. Apparently he’d been doing this for hours, and still hadn’t made any headway.

  It wasn’t that he was stuck. He was sure if he tried the door he could walk out. He jus wasn’t sure what to do next. Bow to the people who had given him a chance—wait for them to make their move, or go after Ella.

  He wanted to do the latter, more than anything, but unknown consequences stopped him. He’d never forgive himself if he caused something bad to happen to her.

  Did he know anyone else who’d broken the rules in this way? No. Every other cupid he knew found their second chance through legitimate channels.

  Jumbling his thoughts more than anything was a concern for Ella. She’d wake up alone, most likely back at her place, and not know how she got there or where he’d gone. And possibly missing out on her real future. One he hadn’t fiddled with.

  As his mind tumbled out of control, a single spot of reason broke through the clutter. Stop. He paused in the middle of the living room and breathed deeply. He’d already had this argument, and Ella agreed with his conclusion. Life wasn’t worth living, if he spent the rest of it second guessing whether or not each next action was the one he was supposed to take.

  What would he do, if he didn’t have a list of cupid rules to follow? The question barely finished forming in his head, before he had an answer. Make sure Ella’s all right.

  The only contact information he had for her was her office, though. Knowing her home address hadn’t been necessary to his assignment. Her work number would have to do. As he reached for his own phone to call her, it buzzed with a new message. His heart leaped, but he pushed the reaction back down. It wasn’t going to be Ella. With any luck, she was still asleep instead of dealing with the kind of confusion she’d have to deal with upon waking up. On top of that, she didn’t have any idea how to get hold of him.

  The text was from Amanda. What did you do?

  He gritted his teeth, and dragged his brain for the quickest, least incriminating answer. Nothing. Talked. Had some amazing sex, connected mentally in a way he hadn’t thought possible—oh, and told her who he was, in such a way she probably believed him. But sure, nothing was a legitimate answer.

  Amanda responded seconds later. Your name is flying like a curse word in the office next to mine.

  What was he supposed to say? Saying he was going to push their rules aside was easy enough, but actually making decisions after that was still complicated. There were so many variables.

  Another message came in from Amanda, before he could figure out his next step. You slept with her?!?

  For the second time that morning, Josh’s surroundings faded, and were replaced with something else. He was in his boss’s office. Skinny, a few inches shorter than Josh’s six foot two, and with a tendency to turn bright red, if he was experiencing any emotion, Bill was one of the nicest guys Josh had ever met.

  Just now, he was almost fuchsia. “What the hell were you thinking?” Bill’s voice echoed off the walls. “Telling her who you were? Not just telling her, but having her look it up online, as proof?”

  Because when you were a cupid, Big Brother was always watching. Josh never had a problem with it in the past, but now it gnawed at his sleep-deprived senses. “I was thinking, ‘Wow, let’s find a way to get yelled at?’”

  A bitter laugh accompanied Bill’s sneer. “Seriously. Twenty freaking years, and now this? What happens if she tells people?”

  Josh should feel remorse, or guilt, or something. He did feel bad for making Bill turn fluorescent pink, but that was the extend of it. Questions he’d asked twenty years ago, the ones shoved aside and eventually forgotten as he grew content, flooded his head. “So what if she does?”

  “Excuse me?” Had Bill actually just sputtered?

  “There are rumors all over the internet already. People who leave here undoubtedly tell their loved ones—it’s not like you wipe their memories. So what if she knows?”

  “The rules exist for a reason.” A growl lined Bill’s voice.

  “I know.” Moments ago, Josh hadn’t known what his next steps were. Now there was no doubt. “The rules exist to keep people from rushing back out into a life they’re not ready for. To stop those of us lucky to have a second chance from blowing it frivolously. To force us to consider the consequences of our actions, when most people never do.”

  Some of the violent red faded from Bill’s face, and his brows rose.

  Josh took the silence as a sign he could continue. He never put so much thought into this before, but now that the words were spilling out, it made sense. “I appreciate that. Everything this place has done for me. But I don’t need that kind of security anymore.” If he said this, there was no turning back. The thought made him pause, as the words caught in his throat.

  There was no turning back anyway, even if he didn’t say it now. He’d know. “I quit.”

  “I—but…” Bill shook his head and blinked, as if trying to make sense of the situation. “You can’t just quit.”

  “I can.” Josh loved knowing this was an option, regardless of what anyone said. “This is all about teaching us to be responsible with our choices, without taking them from us. I’m making this choice. Take my cupid status away. Pull me out of this holding pattern that’s a sorry excuse for immortality. Give me my real second chance at life.”

  Bill frowned. “I see. I don’t approve of this.”

  “You don’t have to.” Josh took a step back toward the door. “Are we done here?”

  “Once you step out the front doors, you won’t be able to find the building again,” Bill said. “Your stuff will be in that condo you haven’t told anyone you bought a few years back, and we’ll be gone to you.”

>   “I know.” Melancholy and nostalgia tinged Josh’s smile. “Tell Amanda goodbye for me.”

  Seconds later, he stepped through the front doors of the high-rise housing cupid headquarters and their local apartments. He spun back around, ambivalence filling him when a concrete-faced insurance company building stared back.

  He shook the sadness away, and pulled his phone from his slacks. His fingers brushed something cold, metal, and familiar. His car keys. A glance up and down the street confirmed that yes, his Impala was parked just a few meters away. At least he still had that. He typed out a quick message. He had a life to start living.

  *

  Ella stared at her phone, wristlet style purse, and car keys laid out on her kitchen table. She knew—knew, not just believed—she’d fallen asleep in the server room at work, head on Josh’s shoulder.

  So why the hell had she woken up in her own bed, in one very wrinkled little black dress, with all of her stuff waiting for her where she normally left it?

  She’d been asking herself that question over and over for the last hour or two—pretty much since she woke up to the sunlight streaming through her window. It was easier than dealing with the bigger, more painful question of what happened to Josh.

  Her phone rang, as if her staring at it for so long had made it nervous. She shook the ridiculous thought aside. With any luck, something else had broken at work. It would be a pleasant distraction.

  “This is Ella.”

  “God, even your voice is gorgeous.” Josh’s familiar tone, combined with the blatant compliment, heated her skin and pushed her confusion to the back of her mind.

  Most of it anyway. “And if we’re going to keep running into each other, you’re going to have to come up with a better lead-in than ‘I can explain.’” She should be furious at him for vanishing—or whatever had happened, but she was just glad to hear his voice.

  “I promise, this is the last time.” His sincerity carried over the line. “Meet me for lunch?”