Page 39 of Incurably Cupid

“This way, Nan.”

I turned to Mesmer, oddly touched and stung at the same time. “Am I really that frightening to small children?” My conscience twinged. It was irritating that the lady hadn’t believed me when I told her I didn’t work here, but I thought I had handled it okay.

Mesmer looked at me warmly. “You don’t scare me at all.”

Leo snorted. “You’re like six-six and roughly two hundred and fifty pounds of solid muscle. Ofcourseshe wouldn’t scare you.”

“I don’t think you’re scary,” Lance chimed in.

Leo snorted again. “She’s scary. You just haven’t been around her long enough yet.”

I smiled at Leo and said sweetly, “I’m sorry, did you want to be homeless?”

Leo sputtered unintelligibly, while Lance said, “Oh, yeah, that must be what he meant."

Mesmer laughed, but even from our short shopping trip he looked worn out. Lance, the devoted and amazing fae wheelchair that he was, noticed and reclined Mesmer a little so Mesmer wouldn't have to use as much energy to sit up.

“Alright, moving on, everyone. What’s next?”

We arrivedat theRosea little after noon. I checked us in, then we made our way to our room. The décor was a mix of Swiss and German styles. The main lobby hadBeauty and the Beastvibes, with plush red carpets, and a white and gold color scheme. They even had a lounge area that had a fireplace and lots of books packed onto tall bookshelves.

Despite sprawling over an entire city block, the rest of the hotel was only three stories tall. The walkways between room clusters were each themed after different fairy tales—Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty, HanselandGretel, Snow White—transforming the entire space into something out of a storybook.

Our rooms were just past theAlice in Wonderlandsection.

“I wonder which section Mum and Dad are staying in?"

“Look, they painted the roses red,” Mesmer said, as we passed a small display of red roses, life-sized playing cards, and a gardener shaped from a bush with a paint can and brush.

I shook my head. “This place is surreal.”

We found Mesmer’s room—right next to mine. I opened the door for him. “Let me know if you need anything.”

Mesmer looked like he had mixed feelings about having his own room. To be honest, I did too, but I was ignoring them. Letting myself into my own room, I put my things away, then sank onto the bed. I was so exhausted that the white noise of the air conditioner instantly soothed me to sleep.

A few hours later,there was a soft knock at my door. I’d managed to nap and shower, and I felt a million times better. When I opened the door, Mesmer stood there, looking slightly refreshed but still pale.

“I come bearing an appetite,” he said with a small smile.

I let him in, and we ordered food delivery—wet burritos smothered in red sauce, a heaping family-sized portion of Spanish rice, and creamy refried beans. The scent of warm tortillas, spicy tomato sauce, and melted cheese filled the room, making my stomach grumble. We hadn’t eaten much today, and I was starving.

We dug in, eating until I was stuffed, and then we picked a movie to wind down.

I propped Mesmer up on the bed with extra pillows since he was still weak and then lounged next to him, using Lance as a makeshift chair. The soft glow from the screen flickered across Mesmer’s face as he relaxed against the headboard.

Mesmer wasn’t... traditionally handsome. While most attractive faces are symmetrical, Mesmer’s looked like it had been chiseled from craggy stone. His jawline was too prominent, and his brow was too broad. But it held appeal for me, perhaps more so because his face was uniquely his own.

Not to say that he wasugly.

Most paranormals had a certain type of beauty. That beauty might resemble the grip of a gun when you were surrounded by cutthroats, but it was a beauty nonetheless.

A rugged,dangerousbeauty.

I sighed without meaning to.

Mesmer turned his head. His face was soft and open. I thought that meant he trusted me, that he... cared for me. I wasn’t sure, but that’s what I learned at the U a long time ago, and I had many, many years of field experience to back that up.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

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