A Little Bit Cupid: A Collection of Short Stories Read online

  While I was making sure the compartment under the plane was properly secured, my cell phone rang. Since we were near Willow Brook, there was decent reception.

  I quickly slipped the phone out of my pocket. “Flynn here,” I said.

  “Hey Flynn, it’s Nate Fox. Heard you were at the airport in Willow Brook and about to head south.”

  “Yep. That’s my flight plan, heading back to my place near Diamond Creek.”

  “I need a favor.”

  Although Alaska was geographically sprawling, there was a tight-knit sense of community amongst the residents in the small communities scattered across the state. The sense of community was even tighter in some professions, particularly that of bush pilots. We shared a sense of purpose and were often the link for many people to friends, family, supplies, medical treatment, and more.

  I’d known Nate for years, although we didn’t see each other very often. If he needed a favor, I wouldn’t hesitate. And I knew he’d do the same for me.

  “Whatever it is, you got it.”

  Nate chuckled. “That’s faith, dude.”

  “I trust you not to ask me something ridiculous.”

  “We have some food and supplies for Henry Cooper waiting for delivery. Do you mind dropping them off at his place on your way?”

  Henry owned a remote fishing and hunting lodge between Willow Brook and Diamond Creek. Considering it was only a slight detour, it would be an easy favor.

  Less than an hour later, I was maneuvering my plane up into the air with the delivery of food and supplies. The wind was kicking up a bit, and the plane bounced slightly in the air. I glanced toward Daphne, but she seemed completely unruffled.

  “You enjoying the view?” I called over the loud rumble of the engine.

  Daphne glanced at me with a broad smile on her face. “I love it! Thanks for letting me tag along today.”

  My mouth was curling into a smile before I could stop it. “Anytime.”

  By the time we landed at the next lodge, the wind was bad. With it being late summer in Alaska, it was getting cooler in the afternoons and evenings. When we climbed out of the plane, the wind was chilly enough that Daphne curled her arms around her waist and stomped her feet on the ground.

  “Wow, it got cold fast,” she said over the wind.

  We were deep in the Kenai Mountains. As the crow flew, we were roughly an hour away from home and a few thousand feet higher. It was windy enough that I wasn’t sure it was smart to take off again.

  Without being asked, Daphne started to help me unload the boxes. Much as she gave off a princess vibe, she didn’t like to be idle. If there was something to do, she was jumping in to do it.

  Henry came jogging out of the lodge. “Need some help with those?”

  “There are two boxes left in the plane,” I replied, gesturing with my chin over my shoulder.

  I’d delivered supplies here before, so I knew to go into Henry’s lodge and hook a right into an industrial-sized storage area for food and goods. Not much later, we stood in the entryway of his lodge.

  Henry was a longtime Alaskan. He’d moved here in his twenties and was now pushing eighty. He ran a minimalist fishing lodge, much less luxurious than the one I’d taken over from my mother when she passed away. Henry’s place was nuts and bolts. He served exclusively those guests who wanted to hunt and fish. There were no viewing tours or any extras.

  Due to how long he’d been here, he was also generally unfazed by Alaska’s occasional extreme weather. Having grown up here myself, not much weather worried me. Being in the southcentral part of the state, we experienced less of the brutal and frigid cold than the northern part, but we got plenty of wind, rain, and snow. Wind could be a ruthless devil when you were in the air in a small plane.

  Henry met my eyes. “If I were you, I’d stay put. I just checked the forecast. The wind’s picking up, and the storm’s going to last through the night. Rain and fog are already on the way.”

  I knew, perfectly well, that Henry’s suggestion was the right thing to do. I simply didn’t know how Daphne would feel about an overnight here. As I glanced her way, my eyes collided with hers just as she looked up at me.

  A hint of anxiety swirled in the jade green depths of her gaze. Then, she lifted her chin. Fuck me. It was getting bad. Whenever she lifted her chin like that, a stubborn little motion, it turned me on.

  “Henry’s right. You okay sitting tight for the night?” I asked.

  “Of course,” she said, her voice squeaking at the end.

  * * *

  Roughly a half an hour later, Daphne and I stared at each other across the bed.

  “It’ll be fine. I’ll sleep on the floor,” she offered.

  “You’re not sleeping on the fucking floor, princess,” I replied, my words coming out harsher than I intended. I looked down at the floor in question. It was hardwood and uninviting. Looking back at her, I shrugged. “I’m not either. We’ll share the bed, and it’ll be fine. I promise I don’t bite. If necessary, you can put some pillows between us.”

  Chapter Five

  Daphne

  Flynn’s words echoed in my mind. If necessary, you can put some pillows in between us.

  Since the discovery that only one room was available for us to share at this rather utilitarian lodge, my mind had been frantically trying to come up a way to deal with the situation. My brain was like a hamster on a wheel, spinning and spinning and spinning with nowhere to go.

  Now, it was the middle of the night, and I’d awoken to that barrier of pillows completely obliterated. I couldn’t even blame Flynn. I must’ve kicked them out of the way and was now latched on to him like he was my personal teddy bear.

  He was warm and hard all over. After three weeks of practically salivating and wondering just what his body looked like underneath his clothes, I was now currently plastered against it. Although I couldn’t see it, I most assuredly could feel it.

  His arm was wrapped around my back, his big palm curled over my bottom with his fingers almost brushing between my thighs. My hand rested over one of his pecs, and before I could even stop myself, my fingers went exploring.

  Oh hell, who was I kidding? In this quiet darkness with the wind rushing at the house in gusts, I felt as if my heart was beating in tune with the storm outside. I wanted Flynn. Life and its messiness had convinced me I might never experience desire again, so the headiness of wanting him was intense.

  I hadn’t laid a hand on Flynn until now. Like light suddenly rushing in when a shade opened in a darkened room, so did desire rush in where I’d thought I’d lost all capacity for it. My cheeks were so hot I knew my face would be bright pink if anyone could see me. The thaw had begun inside me the very day I’d met Flynn. For more than one night, I’d brought myself to climax with my fingers while imagining him.

  Those same fingers traced over his chest and shoulders before mapping lower. Oh wow. He had a true six-pack. I could count the hard ridges with my fingers.

  I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of his voice, like rough velvet in the night. “What are you doing, Daphne?”

  Flynn didn’t move or say anything else, but I could feel his body’s shift to being awake. A subtle tension thrummed through him, and his heart thudded against his ribs. I had no doubt he could feel my heart, beating wildly against his side.

  “I don’t know,” I lied.

  Even though the polite and proper voice in my mind was screaming at me, I didn’t move. It felt as if an electric current was circulating between Flynn and me. Sparks skittered over the surface of my skin, and liquid need slid through my veins. The air was abruptly in short supply in the room. I could hardly get more than a shallow sip in my lungs.

  I expected Flynn to notice his hand was cupping my bottom and shove me away. The man had been nothing but distant and cranky with me. At his best, I got something akin to a smile.

  “So much for your pillow barrier,” he murmured.

  An almost hysterical laugh bu
bbled up in my throat. I tried to keep it from escaping, but a little bit slipped out. Flynn surprised me when I felt the rumble of a laugh in his chest under my palm—because, yeah, my hand was still on his chest. His chest was incredible—his skin warm and sleek with a dusting of hair. All hard planes that I wanted to explore with my hands and my tongue, if I was being completely honest.

  “Wow, princess, you laughed.”

  For the first time ever, the nickname he called me didn’t irritate me. I laughed again. I finally dared a glance at him, resting my chin on my hand over his chest.

  Some kind of fluorescent night-light glowed in the corner of the room. He’d attempted to turn it off last night, but apparently, it was impossible to turn off. That little silvery stretch of light from the corner cast his face mostly in shadow, but I could see his eyes. They locked on mine the moment I looked toward him. I didn’t know what to think of any of this.

  I was aroused beyond belief. I could feel the slick heat of it at the apex of my thighs. I knew the moment I looked into Flynn’s gaze that he was aroused too. His eyes searched mine. Although the room was quiet, the storm raged outside, coming at the roof in a rhythmic give and take. Rain struck sharply against the window beside the bed.

  Blood rushed through my ears with every beat of my heart. I could feel Flynn’s answering heartbeat thudding hard and fast. I could also feel the edge of his hard, hot cock barely brushing my knee where it rested over his hip. Because I had truly plastered myself to his side, practically climbing him in my sleep.

  “Tell me what you want, princess.”

  Flynn’s voice came out husky and thick, and his words shocked me. While I may not have understood why I wanted him so fiercely, I knew it down to my bones. Every cell in my body was attuned to him.

  With the force of my desire humming through me, in the darkness of this room in a place I’d never been with a storm cascading outside around us, my usual barriers fell away. I spoke the plain truth. “You.”

  I felt the leap of Flynn’s heart against my palm when I spoke that single word. As his eyes searched mine in that thin, silvery light, I braced myself. What he said next surprised me. “Okay.” He said it easily, his tone relaxed and nothing like the usually curt way he spoke to me. “That works because I want you.”

  A little thrill raced through me at his blunt, direct statement. Surprising myself once again, I shimmied closer and dropped a kiss right at the little divot at the base of his throat. I wanted to taste him. So I did.

  After that, I dropped another kiss on the side of his neck, and my tongue darted out. He smelled woodsy and crisp with the fresh scent of soap clinging to him from the shower I knew he’d taken earlier.

  Need pierced me so sharply when he let out a rough growl that I could hardly bear it. His hand gave my bottom a squeeze and then swept up my back in a rough, heated pass. His fingers slid through my hair as he cupped the nape of my neck and drew me closer to him. I didn’t mind one bit that he pulled me over his body, and my knees fell to the sides so I was straddling him.

  I hadn’t planned it that way, but I could feel the tease of his cock through his boxers just barely grazing between my thighs. I let out an inelegant moan.

  Flynn’s low chuckle sent my belly into spinning flips. I saw the flash of his smile in the darkness.

  Just before his lips met mine, he spoke, “Don’t get bossy, princess. I’m in charge.”

  When I opened my mouth to argue the point, my words were lost because he fit his mouth to mine as he tugged me closer and swept his tongue inside in one deep stroke.

  I was waaaay out of practice with kissing, with anything even remotely related to flirting, romance, or sex. That said, I was instantly confident Flynn was the best kisser in the entire universe.

  I melted into him with every stroke of his tongue against mine. He angled my head to the side and kissed me so masterfully I was pretty sure I was going to go up into flames. I wouldn’t even care. I wanted to dive into this fire and burn to ash if only Flynn kept on kissing me.

  His tongue stroked mine almost lazily. He was in no hurry at all. He alternated those deep, overpowering kisses with drawing back to drop hot kisses on the corners of my lips, to nip lightly on my bottom lip, and to murmur all kinds of indecipherable things. I couldn’t even process the words, but I knew how they felt—naughty, flirty, dirty, and somehow sweet.

  I barely registered as he shifted us until I was on my back, my hair in a tangle on the pillows and one of his hands pushing my T-shirt up. The calloused surface of his palm on my skin sent sparks flying, rising in the air and then falling over me again as I tried to catch my breath and frantically absorb every sensation.

  “Mmm, princess,” he murmured against my belly, the stubble on his cheeks yet another sensation that made me feel hot and needy. I shifted my legs restlessly, my clit throbbing. I was so wet my arousal had saturated my silk panties.

  “You’re so fucking beautiful.” He rose up on an elbow to cup one of my bare breasts. My nipple was already tight and achy, begging for his touch. He gave it to me, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger, then brushing back and forth over it in a teasing touch.

  I gasped, and cried out, “Flynn!”

  “Right here, princess.” He teased my other breast as my hips rocked against his thigh where it rested between my knees. “Open your eyes.”

  I dragged my eyelids up to find him watching me. “I want to see those gorgeous eyes when you come,” he murmured.

  Oh. My. God. He was so blunt and direct, and it turned me on more than I ever could have imagined. His hand slipped over my trembling belly to cup my mound. I rocked restlessly.

  “You want me,” he teased. “You really do, princess. My, oh my.”

  “I already said that,” I gasped when he teased a finger lightly over the wet silk, his touch grazing over my clit and making me bite my lip to keep from crying out.

  In another second, he pushed the silk out of the way, and two fingers trailed through my folds. I was slippery wet and had absolutely no shame.

  “Flynn, please,” I begged between pants as he rubbed his fingers back and forth, just glancing over my swollen clit.

  “Open your eyes,” he demanded, repeating his husky command.

  I was nearly out of my mind with need, but I obeyed and was instantly ensnared in his gaze. He sank one finger and then another knuckle-deep inside me, the feel of it pushing me to near delirium. My vision blurred as I struggled to stay focused on him.

  “You feel so good, princess,” he murmured, watching me intently as he moved his fingers in and out of the very core of me.

  My hips rocked into every stroke as I chased my sweet release. Pressure built and built, tightening inside until I was trembling all over.

  “Give it to me.” His husky command pushed me over the edge.

  My eyes finally closed as my head fell back into the pillows. A rush of pleasure cascaded through me and intensified when I felt his tongue swirling around my clit as he sucked on it lightly. My climax went on and on as shudders wracked me.

  By the time it was over, I’d practically forgotten who I was, and where I was. I’d forgotten everything but Flynn.

  My awareness came in fragments, and I felt Flynn’s light touch when his palm coasted over my belly. He pressed a kiss on the side of one breast before he pulled my T-shirt down.

  Chapter Six

  Flynn

  Rain lashed against the windows. The wind rushed through this valley, rolling in rhythmic swells over the roof. My internal state was just as unsettled, if not more so.

  It felt as if the storm itself had taken residence in my body. Lust lashed at me with as much force as the wind and rain outside. Daphne—uptight princess—was absolutely breathtaking when she let her guard down. She’d utterly slayed me.

  In this dark, stormy night while we were cocooned in our own space, I forgot the weight of everything I carried inside. I’d also greatly underestimated the effect Daphne could have on me
.

  Her skin was silky and warm. The temptation to take things further was nearly impossible to resist. I called upon every ounce of discipline I had and shoved against it.

  Rising on an elbow, I all but yanked Daphne’s T-shirt down and folded her into my arms. I could feel her heartbeat where her rib cage pressed against my chest. As hers beat a rapid pace, mine echoed through my body, and I slowly caught my breath.

  Jesus fucking Christ. We hadn’t even taken things further. I hadn’t even buried myself inside her, but I knew the very core of her was welcome, slick, and clenching. I was out of breath, stunned, and rattled beyond measure. My control was absolute. Except, apparently, when it came to Daphne.

  When Henry commented it was lucky we could share a room, mistakenly thinking Daphne and I were a couple, I’d almost wanted to argue the point. When he mentioned further it was the only room available, I didn’t want to make a scene. I wasn’t about to freeze my ass off and sleep on a wooden floor, nor allow Daphne to do so. I figured with the barrier of pillows she put between us at the start of the night, I would have no problem. It was just sleep, after all.

  Yet, sleep suddenly felt deeply intimate. If I shoved Daphne away now, I knew there would only be questions, so I would play it cool.

  “Flynn?” Daphne’s voice was soft and frayed on the edges.

  I silently reminded myself to stay calm.

  “Yeah?”

  “I feel selfish.”

  “About what?”

  I felt her eyes on me in the darkness and opened mine. The moment I met her gaze in the shadowy room, my heart felt physically pulled toward her, and there was a tug low in my gut. An overwhelming rush of uncertainty washed over me.

  I steeled myself, and repeated, “About what?”

  The light was too dim for me to know for certain, but I was pretty sure she blushed. And, I knew just how fucking cute she was when she blushed. “Yes princess?” I prompted.