“Cupid, criminals, assassins, missing money, ex-boyfriends who don’t care if you get shot, me tackling a man with a spear-sized arrow… that’s gold.” Amorette laughed, looking at him as if she needed his assurance. “I’ve definitely gone insane.”
“No, you haven’t.” Valentin leaned forward and cupped her jaw, kissing her softly. “You are brave. You took charge of your fate.”
“But I’m not brave. Not like this, at least. Sure, I opened my café, which terrified me, but I don’t tackle people and threaten their lives.”
“You’re like me.” He caressed her cheek. Pride swelled in his chest that she was opening up to him, and he focused on her eyes so she would know he spoke the truth. “You protect what is yours. What you lo—care about.” She pinched her eyebrows at his slip-up, but he sped on before she commented. “You can never predict how you’ll react until faced with danger, but you refused to surrender without a fight. It’s sexy as hell.”
“It’s you.” She pushed herself off the hood of the car, breaking their contact. “I’m different with you. Even when you only came in for coffee, I sensed a change in me. Why is that? Why do I feel braver, more myself around you?”
Valentin stared at her, a rock suddenly in his throat. He couldn’t say it. It was impossible.
“We should get going.” He opened the car door. “I have a contact at the station. They’ll handle him and the body, and I’ll ask him to send someone to protect your parents.”
Amorette ducked to sit, but then jerked back to stare at him. “What did you mean, fuck the rules?”
“Get in the car, Amorette,” he smiled, gently nudging her to the driver’s seat. He needed a few minutes alone before his control broke and he told her every secret.
The drive did little to cool the fire in his blood. The crisp February air bathed his skin, but the sight of her driving that car, unafraid of the man behind her, electrified him. He always had the sense that she was confident and self-assured, but seeing her in action was mesmerizing. They would make a great team, working side by side to ensure love and justice triumphed, but like a knife to his heart, her mortality reminded him their beautiful partnership would end before it ever truly began.
They made it to the station in record time, his contact waiting outside as they parked, and Valentin dragged their captive from the backseat. He had called his friend on the drive over, explaining the situation. The detective was a human, and while he didn’t understand Valentin’s true nature, he was more aware than most. A multitude of humans worked with the Fae to ensure peace between the races, and his contact knew enough to not ask questions.
“I have a unit heading over to the address you provided.” The detective shook Valentin’s hand before accepting the bound offering. “We received a call about a potential gunshot, so it was easy to dispatch a car. They’ll stay outside the residence until you give me the all-clear.”
“Thanks. I owe you one.” Valentin turned to leave but froze as he watched Amorette climb out of the car to wait expectantlyby his bike. “Cavitto?” he twisted back to the detective. “Do you have any idea where he or his men might be?”
“Why are you looking for Cavitto?” The detective’s gaze flicked to Amorette, and Valentin bristled at his observation. His friend was smart, already piecing together the clues before him.
“Do you have anything for me?” Valentin shifted until his massive frame blocked Amorette from sight. “As a cop, you have to operate within the proper channels, but I don’t.” Valentin stepped closer and glared at the bound man who had the decency to look terrified. “Even if it’s just a hunch, tell me you have something.”
The detective sighed and shifted his weight before surrendering. “The Rye. It’s an upscale whiskey bar. Some of Cavitto’s known associates have been spotted there, but we aren’t sure if it’s a meeting spot or a coincidence.”
Valentin nodded as he studied the bound man. The criminal refused to spill Cavitto’s secrets, but Valentin’s Fae’s senses picked up the man’s increased heartbeat when the detective mentioned the bar. He smirked. They always said they wouldn’t talk. If only they knew how much they communicated without ever saying a word.
“Thanks.” Valentin nodded at his friend and turned to Amorette, holding out his palm in an invitation. She didn’t hesitate to take it and climbed on the bike behind him, her body communicating more than he could bear.
Valentin nudged the kickstand with his boot and pulled himself off the motorcycle, taking Amorette with him. The Rye was the exact place he would take her if this was a Valentine’s Day date and not a hunt for the men threatening her life. All exposedbrick, rustic décor, and industrial architecture; he pictured her dining here in a little black dress paired with stiletto heels. Heels she would wear while he stripped her bare and fucked her after spoiling her with a decadent meal and expensive jewelry… preferably a diamond to sit on that lonely left hand.
Valentin shook his head slightly and slipped his fingers through hers. He needed to get a hold of himself. Cupid could never marry a human. It was impossible, forbidden for his rank, and the best Valentine’s Date he could hope for was this one. One where he led his woman into the devil’s mouth.
“How is no one staring at us?” Amorette asked, glaring pointedly at the bow strapped to his back and the blood dripping from his healing shoulder wound as they carved a path through the tables.
“The same way you never saw my weapons.” He squeezed her fingers affectionately as he led her past the concrete-style bar. “They simply see a couple on a date.”
“Our first date. Serving justice like vigilantes… with Cupid.” Amorette laughed, rolling her eyes at the situation.
“This isn’t a date,” Valentin said, but when disappointment flashed across her face, he cupped her chin possessively. “If it was, you’d be wearing a gorgeous dress without panties underneath so I could slip my hand up your thigh to your bare pussy and make you come anytime I wanted while feeding you the best food and wine.”
Amorette squeaked, and Valentin slammed his mouth shut. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud. She was going to think he was crass. They’d been acquainted for months, but she didn’t know him that well.
“We have time for that later,” she said with a devilish grin. “After the vigilante part.” Valentin’s heart almost ripped out of his chest at her expression. “I consider this a date since you kissed me. Today has been insane, but the more time I spendwith you, the more I know this is where I’m supposed to be. That we are meant to fight alongside each other. Is that weird? It is weird. Maybe I’m still in shock.”
He shouldn’t say it. He couldn’t, but that damn word was boiling over, threatening to spill off his tongue. She wasn’t the only one who sensed they were destined for one another.
He opened his mouth. The words raced unbidden up his throat, and to keep them inside him, he slammed his mouth to hers, backing her up against the brick wall out of the diners’ sight. He held her face in his hands, leaning down to claim her lips, and she offered him every part of her in that kiss.
“Stay close.” His voice was rough as they parted, his words thick with need, and she blinked, trying to clear her lust. Damn, he loved her like this, shifting as she tried to ease the ache between her thighs. She would be glorious to edge, to watch hover in a constant state of arousal until she was begging, and a deep longing rushed through his chest.
Valentin seized her waist and pulled her further down the hall before pushing her back up against the brick. He kissed her with a rough possession, and as her fingers tangled in his ice-blond hair, he pushed his knee between her legs. Amorette gasped as his massive hands gripped her hips, grinding her down on his thigh, and the moan that followed made him lightheaded. He captured her sounds with his kiss, using his fists to guide her, and she arched into his body, desperate for more. Heavens, but she was intoxicating, writhing and moaning and kissing him as she rode his leg. He heard her heart racing, felt her skin burning with arousal, scented her orgasm rushing to the surface, but just before it crested, he withdrew. It was painful to release her, but the shock on her flushed face made him smirk.
