www.Cupid Read online

  Table of Contents

  Excerpt

  Annette Miller’s paranormal romances

  www.Cupid

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  Allison jumped to her feet

  and slammed her hands on her desk. “Your ‘much better idea’ just landed me in hot water with Cupid! I’m sick of being called on the carpet because you can’t follow the rules and do your job within the parameters of the file you’re given.”

  “Come on, Allie. The fact he proposed while she was throwing up after getting off the roller coaster and she accepted, ought to count for something. Think of the great stories they’ll have to tell their kids.”

  She narrowed her eyes. The fact he still insisted on calling her by her college nickname told her he’d never live up to become the agent she, and Cupid, she quickly added, wanted him to be.

  “Their future relationship is not our department. Shape up or I swear I’ll ship you back down to Flowers and Poetry. As much as you complained about being there, do you really want to go back?”

  He stared at her. “No, ma’am. But you wouldn’t do that to me, would you?”

  “Yes, I would, in a heartbeat.”

  Annette Miller’s paranormal romances

  in her “Angel Haven” series:

  NIGHT ANGEL

  BEDEVILED ANGEL

  available from The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  www.Cupid

  by

  Annette Miller

  A Candy Hearts Romance

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  www.Cupid

  COPYRIGHT © 2016 by Annette Miller

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: [email protected]

  Cover Art by RJ Morris

  The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  PO Box 708

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First Fantasy Rose Edition, 2016

  Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-0599-8

  A Candy Hearts Romance

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedication

  For Brian, Scot, and Alex,

  who always believed I could realize my dream.

  Chapter One

  Allison closed the door to her boss’s office and let out the breath she’d been holding. Cupid was livid over Preston’s antics. Again. This was the seventh time this year, and the third time this month, and it was only February. Valentine’s Day was only three days away. How could one agent get into so much trouble in just two short weeks?

  Stomping down to her office, she flung open the door, not even flinching when it hit the wall with a bang, and turned to her assistant, Sarah. “Tell Preston to get in here, pronto!”

  As she picked up his file, which was thicker every time it ended up on her desk, she thought about when she’d met him in college. He was by the book back then, and she was the free spirit he’d become. His approach to life had been clear and straight forward. He had the knack for knowing what to say and how to say it. When she was upset or having a really bad day, he could steady her with a word or a touch.

  She smiled a little. Preston had been very popular with the girls on campus, but he always spent his time with her. He’d held her heart back then, and she was sure he had no idea how deeply her feelings for him had gone. Now, their roles had switched. At times, she felt he was breaking the rules on purpose, just to get a reaction from her.

  She laid the file back down, her chest constricting so much she struggled to draw a decent breath. With everything he’d put her through since he joined her department, how could he still have a small hold on her heart?

  Sarah nodded and picked up the phone. Allison flopped in her chair and rubbed her temples. He was going to make her nuts before the holiday even got here. She took a deep breath and released it slowly. Thinking about the past wouldn’t help her now. Now, she needed to be the executive that had to discipline her employee.

  “Preston’s on his way up,” Sarah said from the doorway. “Are you okay, Allison?”

  “I’m fine. Cupid really got on me this time.”

  Sarah walked over and sat in the chair in front of her desk. “That bad, huh?”

  She blew out a breath. “Completely. Preston could jeopardize my position with the company. I’ve worked so hard to get where I’m at. I don’t want to lose it all for one agent.”

  “Allison, I’ve seen the way you look at him. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to ‘lose it’ for one agent, especially when that agent is Preston Carlyle.”

  “I don’t look at him any differently than any other agent.”

  “You keep telling yourself that.”

  There was a soft knock and the door opened. “You summoned me, boss?”

  Sarah glanced at him before heading back to her desk. “Later.”

  Allison took a minute and studied him. His brown hair was the color of chocolate, and his green eyes were lively with love and laughter. He was everything an agent for the Department of Romance and Proposals should be, and he would be perfect, except for his penchant for breaking rules and getting her into trouble with Cupid himself.

  “Come in, Preston, and shut the door.”

  “Uh oh,” he said and the door closed with a quiet click. “Not even a please. What did I do this time?”

  “This time?” Flinging open his file, she snatched the top paper off and shook it at him. “How about your recent trip to a major theme park? You were supposed to get the young man to propose during the fireworks show, but did you?”

  Preston grinned. “Any rookie could have pulled that off. My idea was much better.”

  Allison jumped to her feet and slammed her hands on her desk. “Your ‘much better idea’ just landed me in hot water with Cupid! I’m sick of being called on the carpet because you can’t follow the rules and do your job within the parameters of the file you’re given.”

  “Come on, Allie. The fact he proposed while she was throwing up after getting off the roller coaster and she accepted, ought to count for something. Think of the great stories they’ll have to tell their kids.”

  She narrowed her eyes. The fact he still insisted on calling her by her college nickname told her he’d never live up to become the agent she, and Cupid, she quickly added, wanted him to be.

  “Their future relationship is not our department. Shape up or I swear I’ll ship you back down to Flowers and Poetry. As much as you complained about being there, do you really want to go back?”

  He stared at her. “No, ma’am. But you wouldn’t do that to me, would you?”

  “Yes, I would, in a heartbeat. We have to watch what we do and say these days. Cupid Corporation is merging with Aphrodite Enterprises. Any hiccup now could hinder the merger going through on time. You know how skittish Aphrodite can be. She’s already unsure she should go through with it. Now get your report written and in to me by the end of today. I’m still waiting for the on
es from yesterday, too. And my name is Allison, not Allie. Please remember that next time.”

  “Fine.” He gazed at her for a few moments. “You’ve changed, Allie, and I’m not sure it’s good for you.”

  “I could say the same about you,” she said quietly.

  Allison watched Preston leave, then sat, laid her head on her desk, and thumped her fist lightly against the stack of paperwork next to her. Why couldn’t he be the way he was in college? Why did he always have to do things his way? Why was the man so infuriating? She lifted her head before sitting back and smiled. And why did he have to look so adorable while he did it? If only he would follow the rules.

  Sarah poked her head into Allison’s office. “So, not good?”

  “No. We still on for lunch?”

  “Of course.”

  ****

  Preston made his way back to his desk, sat at his computer, and stared at it. “Oh, Allie,” he murmured. He pulled the company regulations binder off the shelf. He ran his fingers over Allison’s name under the title. He flipped it open and leafed through the pages.

  Each page was crammed with dos and don’ts of his department. Some, he could see having in place and others were just ridiculous. Humans were unpredictable and sometimes Cupid’s nice little box he wanted things to fit into just didn’t work. The man in charge was supposed to be this great symbol of love, but Preston was beginning to think his boss just had really good PR people. There were times he wished Cupid was the little cherub in a diaper with a bow and arrow. His job might be easier if that were the case.

  “Valentine’s Day is more than regulations.” He snapped the binder shut. “How do I get my bosses to see that?”

  Allison shouted something, and then he listened to her footsteps as she blew through the office with all the bluster and force of a tornado. He stood up and looked over the cubicle walls. Sarah was grabbing folders off her desk and running in and out of Allie’s office. Allie hurried back in, snatched several folders from her desk, straightened her suit, and was off running again, probably to Cupid’s office.

  He rummaged around on his desk for his notes from the previous day’s assignments before sitting down to begin typing his report.

  A head with short, black hair poked around the corner. “Hey, Preston. I saw you head to Allison’s office. What did you get yelled at for this time?”

  He looked up. “Hey, Will. The roller coaster incident.”

  Will burst into laughter. “I told you that would happen, but the great Preston Carlyle didn’t want to hear it.”

  “Hey, it worked didn’t it? Now that girl knows she’s found a man who’ll stand by her, no matter what.”

  Will perched on the corner of his desk. “Did you explain that to Ms. McCall?”

  “How could I when she didn’t let me get a word in? She told me Cupid was all over her about it. She threatened to send me back to…”

  Will look horrified. “Not Flowers and Poetry?”

  Preston nodded. “I’ve got to shape up, but that’s going to kill me. How can I tell her love doesn’t follow rules or company guidelines? It just happens and you’ve got to change and adapt to the situation as it occurs.”

  “You’re still in love with her, aren’t you?”

  “Have been for years,” Preston said, running his hands through his hair. “But I don’t think she feels the same.”

  Will stood and clapped him on the shoulder. “How about you actually tell her? Let her make up her own mind and then kick you out for breaking the rule against being in love with your boss.”

  “Thanks. You’re a big help. Remind me again why we’re friends?”

  Will just laughed as he walked back to his own cubicle.

  Preston turned on his computer and typed in his reports. He wondered if Allison actually would kick him out if he told her how he felt. He snorted. Probably. He wished, for a moment, he could show her how she used to be before she became a supervisor. Yeah. But how and when he was going to do that he had no idea.

  Chapter Two

  The next morning Allison shut the door to her office and dropped her briefcase on the floor under her desk. She spent so much time here, her office felt like a second home. She glanced around her workspace. She’d added more than a few personal touches, like family pictures, several figurines, and three crystal vases with her favorite flowers in them—even the afghan her mother made for her. Presently, it draped across the back of the couch against the wall.

  Being a department head for one of the largest holiday companies made her swell with pride, and she’d worked hard to get where she was. Cupid recently teased that she might get a board position once the merger was complete. All she had to do was keep everything running smoothly in her department.

  She frowned. Preston was anything but smooth and, even though he didn’t realize it, his behavior could jeopardize everything she’d wanted in her career.

  After her first promotion, Allison decided she needed a more “corporate” look. She’d cut her thick, blonde hair shorter and gave her wardrobe a complete makeover. She discarded the clothes that weren’t the business casual as she saw other supervisors wear. She opted for sedate pumps with lower heels and anything she considered too flashy for the workplace was out the door. She now chose colors that blended with her blue eyes and fair complexion as opposed to the ones that accentuated them. Many of her colleagues told her she could be the model for how to look and what to wear in the office.

  Sunshine beckoned, and she walked to the window to look down. Valentine’s Day was right around the corner. Couples passed by, arm in arm, looking very happy. She was happy, right? She had a great job, lots of friends, her boss was pleased with her work, and she was on the cusp of a great promotion. But what had she sacrificed to get to this point? Another couple walked by, laughing and holding each other close, and for a moment, she envied them.

  She and Preston looked that happy when they dated in college, and then when she’d first started at Cupid Corporation. He’d wanted to take things to the next level, but her career was finally starting to come together. She’d broken things off with him, and just now, considered she might have made a mistake.

  She rubbed her arms. It looked like it was shaping up to be a doozy, too. There hadn’t been time for relationships while she’d been carving out her professional life. She bit her lip, watching another couple. Had she lost her own chance for love?

  Scolding herself firmly, she sat down and turned on her computer. There were emails to be read and answered, requests on the website waiting to be divided up among her team members. As she logged in, she couldn’t help wondering what Preston would do today. He only had a couple of assignments, and they were easy ones. Smiling to herself, she considered how good he was at getting the job done, but he had an uncanny knack for turning them into something more complicated. However, his assignments were always the most memorable and became the talk of the office. Often, she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

  The first message to pop up was from the Holiday Security Agency asking if there were any special instructions they needed for the merger between Cupid Corporation and Aphrodite Enterprises. Preston had talked about going into the agency when they’d first met. She thought about how hard he’d worked out, and the great shape he’d been in. Heck, he was still in great shape.

  As her mind started to wander with thoughts of Preston, she found herself back at the window for the second time in fifteen minutes. She leaned forward, looking to her left and right. What on earth was she doing? Was she trying to catch a glimpse of him? Preston and his friend ran laps around the building when they weren’t busy. She glanced back inside the office, shook herself, and went back to her computer. One more glance to the window told her Preston Carlyle was in her thoughts a little more than she realized. No more daydreaming.

  There were still a dozen or more messages to be answered. Another one from the security agency. She sighed. The agent in charge wanted a meeting
with her as soon as possible to make sure they were on the same page. Her fingers moved quickly across the keyboard. She wrote out a quick response detailing the few points Cupid brought up at the last meeting.

  “You are way too busy to let yourself get distracted by Preston Carlyle,” she muttered. “Now, focus.” There was a knock and she looked up to see her assistant grinning at her.

  Allison held her hand up. “Don’t say a word. It’s not good policy to make fun of your boss. What’s up?”

  Sarah just shrugged and continued to smile at her. “Cupid wants me to remind you that you have a meeting at two with some of Aphrodite’s executives. Do you have the notes on what you plan to cover?”

  She lifted a pile of papers, and then another. “They were here. Hang on a second.” She got up and went to the file cabinet. She thumbed through the first few. “Ah ha! Got it.”

  “I’ll put these on my desk. You seem a little preoccupied and your organized chaos is a little less organized and a little more chaotic than usual.”

  Allison sat down and leaned back, massaging her temples. “It’s Preston. He’s got me going crazier than ever this year.”

  “He should. He’s cute.”

  “Oh, really? I hadn’t noticed.”

  Sarah gave her a thumbs up. “Love the sarcasm.”

  “And he keeps getting me in trouble with Cupid. If only I could get him to shape up.” Allison looked at Sarah. “Did you know he started downstairs in Flowers and Poetry?”

  Her assistant shook her head.

  “He looked so out of place when he came up to give me the things I needed for my assignment. I guess that’s why he transferred here. Not everyone really fits in with that department.”

  Sarah hugged the file to her chest. “Are you sure that’s the only reason he came to Romance and Proposals?”

  “I was promoted soon after he arrived here. I don’t have time for foolishness. I’ve got a department to run.”

  “Suit yourself, boss,” Sarah said as she walked to the door. “Just remember, you’ve got to be foolish every so often. All work and no play…”