Page 52 of Incurably Cupid

His gaze lingered on me, unreadable. "Do you think so?"

I swallowed and nodded.

“Hmmm.”

Not sure what that meant, I changed the subject.

“I think Leo is closing in on your subject.”

Mesmer smiled slightly as he swirled color across the white mug. “I’d hoped he would. He’s having to do a little white-hat hacking, though, which I feel bad about.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Not bad enough, apparently. If the Italian government shows up at my door, I'm sending them straight to you."

He grinned. “Leo assured me he can't be traced.”

I grumbled under my breath, though he was probably right. Besides, was there anything Mesmer wouldn’t do for the king and consort? Probably not. Well, maybe a few things—but his devotion seemed fairly unwavering.

My brush stilled.

If we got together, where would we live? Mesmer would never leave King Draven and Consort Mia, and my life was in Devotion. My family was there; my work was there.

I scrunched my brow, feeling a throbbing headache begin. I guess... I would have to move. I couldn’t imagine living on the villa property. Living so close to the lovey-dovey king and his consort, living away from my cupid home.

I’d never lived anywhere else. It was all I knew.

I painted the rest of my dragon in silence, giving him purple eyes. The proprietress came by to take him to a back room to dry, and then to be placed in the kiln to gloss and harden. She would ship the ceramics to me when they were finished.

Mesmer had finished well before me, waiting patiently as I wrapped up. He and Lance were murmuring quietly to each other, and I smiled, shaking my head.

He’d come a long way, from awkwardly refusing to sit on a sentient wheelchair, to being able to talk with him like they were old friends.

Chapter 18

Indie

“Love hopes.”

Cupid Inc. New Recruit Training Manual

That night, I paced my room, waiting for Mesmer to finish getting ready. My stomach was in knots, and Leo was trying to distract me from my spiraling thoughts.

“Are they serving dinner there?”

He wasn’t coming again, choosing instead to continue cracking Italy’s secrets.

I nodded, inhaled deeply, then exhaled. “Yes, Felix is having some catered in. He wanted fine dining for the event, and his pub only serves typical pub food.”

“But you love pub food.”

I shot him a look. “I’m not a participant. I can have the pub food.”

“Indie, sit,” Leo ordered.

I sat.

“What’s going through your mind? You can’t keep pacing the room; you’re making my circuits dizzy.”

I snorted a laugh, then sighed, leaning against the headboard. “I could lose him tonight, but I have to do this.”

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