Page 16 of Coveted By Cupid

A wanton moan escapes my lips, bouncing off the ceiling. I grab my nipple through my clothes, getting lost in the fantasy of being manhandled by my dream biker.

Just as I’m about to peak, someone knocks at my door.

My eyes spring open, and I immediately snap back to reality. Someone better be dead for them to interrupt me from my month’s long dry spell.

Groaning, I turn off my vibrator and quickly dress. I walk to my door, peering out the peephole, and see nothing.

I crack my door open, peeking out into the hall. Nobody is in the hallway, but there is a small bouquet of red roses lying at the foot of my threshold.

“Boden,” I mutter, cursing him for denying me pleasure. I grab the flowers, shutting the door behind me, and toss them in the trash.

A quick glance at my clock alerts me I need to hightail it to work. I scramble to finish dressing, struggling to get my shoes on in my haste.

My pulsing vibrator taunts me from my bed.

“I’ll come back for you later,” I say under my breath, wishing I had time to wash it before leaving. It will have to wait.

To avoid being late, I jog the three blocks to the deli. By the time I arrive, I’m a sweaty mess and cranky. It gets worse when I walk inside and find Boden sitting in the booth, facing the entrance. He sees me immediately and rises from his seat to greet me.

“Vanessa Baby,” he half shouts excitedly, rushing toward me. “Did you like the flowers? I left them for you outside your door.”

Rolling my eyes, I sidestep around him to get behind the counter as fast as possible. I need a barrier between us. “You need to stop with the gifts. One, I don’t want them. And two, there’s nothing you can gift me that will erase what you did.”

Boden pouts. “I know I can’t make it up to you. What I did was awful.”

“Try disgusting,” I clip, tugging on my food-safe gloves. “You fucked some rando on my couch, Boden—my couch. Why not do it at your place? Did you want me to find you two together?”

“No,” he says, chastised. He looks around at the customers in the deli, his face turning red. He turns back to me. “Could we maybe not talk about this here?”

“We can do one better. We cannot talk at all. I opt for my choice,” I say flippantly. “Stop bothering me at work. Stop tracking me down on campus. And for the love of everything holy, stop leaving shit outside my apartment. It’s creepy.”

Before Boden can respond, I look to the next customer in line. “Welcome to Deli Delights. What can I get you today?”

Like a sulking child, Boden heads for the exit. He turns back to me, all droopy-faced, “I’ll never stop trying to win you back, Vanessa Baby.”

“Stop calling me that!” I snap, gripping the bread knife in my hand as if I might use it on Boden. “You lost the privilege to use it.”

Ignoring what’s good for him, Boden shakes his head. “I have lost nothing, especially not you.”

UGH! I’ve had enough.

“Fuck off already,” I holler across the deli at him, throwing a loaf of bread at his head and beaning him against the temple.

He gets the point, taking off like he’s afraid I’ll throw a chair next. The customers all clap, cheering for me and validating my outburst. I do a little curtsey behind the counter, making them all laugh.

“Vanessa?!”

Ah shit. I grimace, turning to face my manager like a kid caught misbehaving in front of a teacher.

George has his hands on his hips, giving me the stink eye. “How many times do I have to tell you not to throw bread at the customers?”

“First, I only throw bread at Boden. Second, he wasn’t a customer. He bought nothing.”

My manager shakes his head, turning to head back into his office. “That loaf of bread is getting docked from your pay.”

“Worth it,” I mutter under my breath, turning back to help the customers in line.

CHAPTER SIX