Chapter 15 - Bee

There are two kinds of people in the world: morning people and people who want to shoot morning people. I’m the latter.

~ Phoibe Cupid

As I lay in bed, I admired the smooth texture of the luxurious, lightweight cotton sheets sliding against my skin. Damn, I loved these fabulous, outrageously expensive sheets shipped direct from Paris. Mac had outdone herself in finding a little bit of luxury in the repulsive box my father had caged me in. In the air above me, I used the weak powers I still possessed to play with the dust motes, moving them around until they were shaped into images. Currently, a giant heart drifted above me, each speck of dust suspended with barely a hint of movement. A dust mote arrow pierced the heart, and I added some dust to fall in the way blood might, adding a little red to make it look more authentic. Regardless of how impressive the macabre image was, and how utterly fabulous my sheets were, I felt empty. After the movie with Austin three nights ago, we’d gone for coffee before Austin and Walker had gone their separate way. Walker had planted an indecent kiss on Mac’s lips, leaving her best friend floating in a bubble of lust, while Austin had dragged me forward, my lips puckered and ready for my own indecent action, when he’d simply gone and placed a chaste kiss to my forehead. It left me feeling . . . odd. Never in a million years would I have imagined a kiss to my head would find an erogenous zone. The kiss had not only made my lady bits pulse, but the action also settled somewhere deeper, somewhere precariously close to my heart. I was still kind of bummed he didn’t shove his tongue down my throat, though.

My view of auras was completely muted without the help of my bow, but I hadn’t missed the faint pink glow from Austin’s skin at the movie. His aura began reaching for mine, and I’ll be damned if my own aura hadn’t reached right back. Love, freaking love! It was beginning, a softened color that would eventually grow into a bright, blinding red as we continued to bond. The thing was, the thought of Austin loving me wasn’t as awful as I thought it would be. The thought of returning that love made me feel nauseated, but the thought of his love being for someone else made me want to stab something.

Confusion followed me like a heavy cloud. My emotions were muddled, my heart flipping at even the slightest acknowledgement or touch from my potential. I didn’t want that, but at the same time, I totally did. My heart and head were currently at war, and on some level I knew it was the arrow of love that was causing my body to react with desire. And yet, I was a Cupid and knew how this game worked. The feelings wouldn’t be felt with such power if Austin and I hadn’t been potential soul mates.

A loud pounding on the front door drew me from the lazy thoughts and losing concentration meant there were thousands of tiny dust motes falling over me like a cloud of dandruff. It was too late to deflect their descent, and I was covered in dust. The pounding continued, and I crawled quickly across the giant bed and slid out the door. This was the first time anyone had ever knocked on my door, literally. In the immortal realm visitors were announced with an errant thought. Reaching for the door, I pulled it open and froze as my gaze settled upon Austin. Dressed in a white t-shirt and well-worn jeans, he looked delicious. My gaze started at the sexy black boots, gliding up those long and powerful legs, took a leisurely stroll around the land of abdominals before reaching those eyes that made my lady bits flutter like the wings of a hummingbird. That fluttering caused me to shift restlessly as a sexy smirk lit up Austin’s handsome face.

“Did you dress up just for me?” he drawled, his gaze taking the same path up my body that I had taken of his.

Glancing down, I then remembered I was wearing nothing but a black shirt that didn’t have a chance in hades of covering the tiny black panties I had paired it with. I’d never been known to possess modesty, after hundreds of years being nude came naturally, and I was more than at peace with the subtle curves my body rocked. With Austin’s lustful eyes eating me up, I didn’t know whether to preen with pride or run for cover. Bee Cupid didn’t shy away from a challenge, though, so sitting a hand on one proud hip, I stared back at my handsome pooptential who I noted held a cup of coffee in each hand.

“Hey,” I murmured.

“Hey,” he replied, handing me a cup and doing a terrible job of keeping his eyes above my waist.

I hid my smile behind a sip of coffee barely holding back a shiver. I could blame the feeling on the excellent coffee, but that would be a bold-faced lie. It was the way Austin’s eyes roamed over my flesh. This was as close to an orgasm as I had in weeks! Austin shoved his now empty hand in one pocket and took a sip of his own coffee while we continued to stare at one another. Austin’s gaze dipped down my body every now and again.

“You been painting?” He finally asked.

Scrunching up my nose, I glanced around the dilapidated apartment. What on earth would make him think that? Couldn’t he see the paint peeling off the wall in my living room?

“Ummm, no.”

“What are you covered in?”

Glancing down, I caught the grey dust that coated the top half of my black shirt. Running a hand through my hair, I watched more dust fall away.

“Crud,” I muttered out loud. So much for looking like the nonchalant temptress I was trying to pull off. I must have looked ridiculous. “What are you doing here?” I grumbled.

Austin’s smile broadened. “Mac told me you had no plans today. I’m here to take you out.”

“Shouldn’t you have asked me if I have plans today, not Mac? And if you spoke to Mac, she would have told you I don’t go out at hades o’clock. I’m cranky and unreasonable before ten a.m.”

Austin wasn’t the least bit dissuaded by my mood. “I wanted to surprise you, and I’d say I’m sorry for speaking to Mac first but I’m not . . . and, Sugar, its noon.”

Groaning, I rubbed my tired eyes. If I’d had my bow, exhaustion wouldn’t be a problem, but running on a partially empty battery was playing havoc with my body. Add that to the bombardment of new emotions I had recently been exposed to, thanks to my father and Mr. Hotty-with-a-lotty standing before me right now, I felt out of sorts and maybe a little overwhelmed.

“This is when you invite me in,” Austin murmured, a twinkle in his eye.

Oh yeah, front door etiquette. Stepping aside, I waved my arm signaling he should enter, which he did with a casual swagger that drew my gaze to his perfect behind. I closed the door and leaned against it, crossing my arms over my chest, which unfortunately drew my shirt up another inch higher. Of course Austin took that moment to turn around and his gaze once again dipped below my hips. I used one hand to discreetly tug at the bottom of my shirt, and Austin was gentleman enough to feign indifference as he looked around the apartment. I knew what he saw: a crumbling box filled with pretty things, a mismatch of funky and old meets gorgeous and new.

“This isn’t what I pictured you living in,” he noted.

“What did you picture me in?” I asked, honestly interested in his answer.

Austin snorted. “A palace.”

My frown deepened. “You assumed I was some spoiled princess who lived in the lap of luxury?” It really wasn’t far from the truth, I did live a luxurious lifestyle, my immortal home not necessarily a palace, but it was definitely opulent.

“I didn’t assume you were spoiled, or a princess, but you’re obviously like nice things, exhibit A . . .” Austin pointed at the exquisite statue of my mother, Psyche, something Mac had collected from my immortal apartment, bringing a little piece of home to the mortal world. I loved it and it was obscenely expensive, crafted by an artist in France and sculpted in rose quartz, one of my mother’s favorite gemstones.  Austin then proceeded to pat the back of the giant sofa that took up most of the living room. “Leather, and not cheap leather, this is top shelf stuff.” He pointed to the monster sixty inch TV proudly displayed on the wall which had an entire dictionary dedicated to its specifications; then he pointed to the double door stainless steel fridge with ice-maker, of course; and finally he picked up the throw blanket draped over the back of the leather couch. “Cashmere?”

“Alpaca,” I murmured. “I like nice things, sue me.”

“You’re also always dressed to kill. I like that you like nice things. You take care of yourself and you take pride in your appearance. I must say though Sugar, this is my favorite outfit to date.” His gaze dipped to my waistline again. “I think you’re prideful, not pretentious.”  Austin hit the nail on the head, and I found my heart skipping beat, tripping over his perceptive words.  “You’re also beautiful, intelligent, intriguing, and I can’t stop thinking about you. I’ve never experienced this kind of attraction before and having you in front of me with so much skin exposed is making it difficult for me to keep my hands to myself.” 

I stopped breathing as each of Austin’s words caused the ice structure around my heart to thaw just a little, and while that scared the bejeebees out of me, the fact Austin wanted to touch me erased all logical thought. My nipples pebbled and my lady bits throbbed. I wanted his touch, to feel the calloused flesh of a man who worked with his hands, a musician’s worthy instrument. I just knew I’d become a willing slave under those talented hands. I needed them to take away the incessant pain that increased every day he didn’t touch me.

“So stop keeping them to yourself,” I dared him.

Austin’s nostrils flared with a sudden deep breath, and lust filled those beautiful eyes until the pale green almost disappeared under the dark expanse of his pupil. His fist clenched, and I could tell he was having a hard time keeping still. It would take nothing to push him over the edge he was currently perched on. If I pulled off my shirt, I knew he’d be done for. Just as that thought entered my mind, before my hand could even move to disrobe the offensive fabric, Austin shook his head.

“I’ve got nothing against one night stands, Sugar. But I’m in the process of building something bigger here. Until then, I’m keeping my hands to myself.” 

He’d struck me speechless. My body was throbbing for his and I was honestly holding nothing back, he could have me right this moment, all of me, on the freaking one hundred percent New Zealand felted wool rug to our right. Frustration turned my body from gentle seduction to slightly affronted tension, and my face pinched with irritation. Austin obviously noticed the change and smirked. 

“Doesn’t mean I won’t be touching myself when I’m lying in bed thinking of you tonight.”

I sucked in a shocked breath. “That’s just mean!”

At that moment, Krueger pattered into the living space from the hallway, prancing about like a gift from the gods.

“Fuck me,” Austin whispered, “that’s one ugly pussy.”

“Be careful, he’s sensitive and a remark like that will get you disemboweled, especially considering he’s not fond of strangers.” Set on proving me wrong, Krueger went right up to Austin’s leg and began to rub along the denim of his jeans, a loud purr filling the space. Austin knelt down and Krueger immediately curled into him, butting his little head against Austin’s much larger hand. “Traitor,” I hissed, heading for my bedroom and leaving the two frustrating males to fawn over each other. As I stepped past the cat, he let out a low, angry growl, his arrogant blue eyes watching my every step. “Keep that up, and I’ll let Mac feed you.” The threatening noise immediately stopped, as if the beast realized he would never get fed if left to Mac. “His name is Krueger, and he’s a mean SOB, so good luck with that. I’m going to shower and change.”

Austin stood up with Krueger tucked under one arm. “Take your time, really, because this view is spectacular.”

I glanced over one shoulder and found him leaning against the wall and watching me walk away. Infuriating man! Two could definitely play at this game, so I added a little extra swing to my hips as I entered my room and climbed onto the bed in search of something to wear. Austin might have found restraint that I couldn’t quite comprehend, but I was determined to break it, because the only restraint I was interested in were the ones I might let him use to tie me to his bed.