Page 3 of Cupid's Arrow

“Sure, you are.”

“I mean it.” This time, I manage to keep my tone even.

“Well, you didn’t miss much. It was just Ben and me stuffing our faces with cupcakes.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad.” The burning rage inside of me fades away slightly.

“I spent a good amount of time sucking icing off my fingers,” Corinne teases. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch her lift her hand. Closing her lips around her index finger, she slowly slides it in and out of her mouth. “I’m pretty good at sucking things.”

That little minx.

“Maybe I could suck—”

“Stop!” I yell, abruptly turning the steering wheel and pulling the car to the side of the road. “I don’t know what happened to you while I was gone, but you can’t say shit like this to a guy, especially not one who hasn’t fucked in as long as I have.”

The thought of her flirting with someone else. Someone who would take advantage of her… someone who isn’t me, has a fire roaring all around me. The burning anger is so intense I can almost smell the invisible flames smoldering around me. Only when I turn to look at Corinne does that blazing fury simmer down to glowing embers.

Her big blue eyes stare back at me with a mixture of fear and shock. I have never yelled at her before, and now that I see the way she reacts, I will never yell at her again.

I’m about to apologize and beg for her forgiveness when she whispers, “I don’t talk like this to other guys.” She pauses and clears her throat. Her voice is clear and strong when she starts talking again as if she is not ashamed to admit it. “I never have, and I’m not planning on doing so. And for your information, I’m only talking to you like this because you’ve always ignored me in the past. I just wanted you to notice me for once.”

Fuck. Motherfucking fuck. I’m so fucked.

“I noticed you before it was appropriate to notice you. I didn’t ignore you, either. I’ve been trying my damnedest to keep my distance because I know if I ever let you get close, I won’t be able to control myself.”

There, I said it. The secret I’ve never told anyone.

“What if I don’t want you to control yourself?”

“If you don’t, you’ll regret it later.”

3

CORINNE

“You’ll regret it later.”His heavy words hang between us. It’s not a threat, more like a sad premonition. Something he is scared of happening.

“Why would I regret it?”

“You want a list?” he asks with a humorless chuckle.

“How about you give me one reason?” Whatever he is thinking, he is wrong.

“I would hurt you—”

I throw up my hand, showing him my palm. “That’s a lie. I know you wouldn’t hurt me.”

“Not on purpose.” He hangs his head low, scrubbing his hand down his face. “I wouldn’t hurt you on purpose, but I probably will. I’m not a good person, little girl.”

My breath hitches. “I’m not a little girl anymore.”

Arrow’s head turns toward me, his gaze burning against my skin. “Maybe not, but you sure as hell like it when I call you that.”

My cheeks heat further. “Let’s not distract from the subject. We were talking about how you wouldn’t hurt me,big guy.”

“No, we were talking about how Iwouldhurt you,little girl. You are tiny, fragile, innocent. I’m the polar opposite of that.”

“Opposites attract; ever heard of that?” I quip, proud of my fast comeback. Too bad he has to ruin it by bringing up my brother.

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