One Last Shot (Cupid's Conquests)

Evernight Publishing

www.evernightpublishing.com

Copyright© 2012 Danielle La Paglia

ISBN:
978-1-77130-167-1

Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

Editor: Natascha Jaffa

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING:
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.  No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or
in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

D
EDICATION

To Carlos, I love you always

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I have to thank my family above all else. Thank you to Carlos and my beautiful Monster for always believing in me. Without your love and patience and unyielding support, I would be nothing.

Thank you to Ian O’Neill for being a constant source of encouragement, wisdom, and friendship. Your unflinching critiques brought my writing to life. I owe you so much more than this simple note. Thank you to Seleste deLaney, for your critiques, your advice, your friendship, and for creating this awesome series that I’m so proud to be a part of. Big thanks to my other critique partners on this project: the amazing PJ Schnyder for your enduring support and for always making me order dessert; and to the sexy Angela Addams for all your help. And a special shout out to my fellow Rebels, without you guys I’d just be a crazy woman still talking to the voices in my head.

Cupid’s Conquests

Danielle La Paglia

Copyright © 2012

Prologue

Eros
hopped onto the barstool and ordered a double shot of tequila. Drained of the adrenaline rush from his latest match, he was left feeling numb and empty
. H
is charm and grace
had been
diminished to this pudgy, balding frame
and now
his only respite came in the form of a stiff drink. Of course he’d much rather share something stiff with the leggy brunette a few chairs over.
His eyes caressed the swell of her calf, the tender bend of her knee, and trailed up to her lush thighs. The dangerously tight skirt and her crossed legs left a dark pocket just big enough for him to slide his hand into and find the greatest treasure known to man.

“Eros, my friend!”
A shark of a man clapped him on the back and slid onto the stool beside him, effectively blocking his view of
the
brunette. The man leaned in close as if sharing a secret. “Or do you prefer ‘Chris’ these days?”

“Hey
,
Dionysus.” Despite
interrupting
the fantasy he’d been having about the girl at the end of the bar, Eros was glad to see a somewhat friendly face. Dionysus
’s hair was pulled into a slick ponytail at the base of his neck and he
was dressed in all black, collar unbuttoned
,
and sporting
a close-trimmed goatee. His toothy grin was equal parts charming and feral, and the playful glint in his eye was always one step away from madness.

“Ah, I see you’re paying tribute to me?” Dionysus nodded to the glass of liquid gold in Eros’ hand.
“Drowning your sorrows or celebrating a victory?”

Shoulders slumped, he answered, “Both.”

“Well, drink up,
I’ve got a task for you
.
”

Eros swallowed the shot
;
the burn not quite enough to lift his spirits, but it was a start.
Any undertaking brought to him by Dionysus would most likely require several bottles of hard liquor, but at this point
,
he had nothing to lose.

“What can I do for you, D?”

“It’s more along the lines of what we can do for each other.” Dionysus waved at the bartender and held up two fingers. A moment later, two more shots of tequila were delivered to the waiting gods. “You see, I’ve heard about your little tiff with the big man.”

“I’m sure you have.”
The gods were nothing if not expert gossips. Word had traveled at the speed of Zeus’ bolts when Eros had been kicked off
Mt.
Olympus
. The state of love on earth had deteriorated while Eros
had
delved into the finer arts of ecstasy and Zeus had banished him until he could make enough love matches to earn his way back.

“I’d like you to help o
ne of my faithful followers, a bar owner in fact.
Not only is she stunning, she’s got a temper to match. And you know how I love my women with a touch of madness.
” Dionysus’ raised brow hinted more at lust than love. “
It should be an easy enough shot for you since they’re already in love, they’re just too stubborn to see it right now.
”

“You’re not usually one for encouraging lovers to settle down
to the whole monogamy thing.”
Eros knew enough of Dionysus not to trust his motives. The gods were nothing if not self-serving. He could use another match, but not one that would backfire and take
him
further from his goal.

“True as that may be, she’s also a facilitator of my followers and I can’t have her losing hope and closing down one of my favorite establishments. Besides, there’s enough passion and chaos with these two to keep us both happy.”

“I’m sure, but reuniting old lovers isn’t always easy. Too much time and resentment can sometimes make
the relationship
impossible to repair.”

“
And that’s where your trusty little arrows come in.
I have faith you in, Eros. And as a bonus, if this works out as spectacularly as I imagine, I’ll throw in an evening with that one.” Dionysus
gestured to an ethereal beauty on the dance floor.

“One of yours?” Eros asked.

“
Of course. And s
he has a thing for your type.”

Only then did Eros glance at the man dancing beside her. He was stocky and even more balding than himself.
Eros
watched her hands slide across the man’s square shoulders and down the front of his broad chest. He was nearly a head shorter than her, but she
didn’t seem to notice as she bent and whispered something in his ear, sending a wave of crimson up his face and across his bare head.

“I accept,” Eros said, forcing his eyes from the maenad on the dance floor.

“Excellent.” Dionysus handed Eros a shot glass and took the other for himself. “To the chaos of love,” he said
,
lifting his glass.

“I’ll drink to that.”

Chapter One

Shelby
popped the tops off five long necks and poured three shots, passing them to the waitress
standing
next to the bar. Carrie Underwood blared from the speakers, mixing with the din of the crowd—a typical Saturday night at Shooters
, a
simple bar with plain wood tables, hardwood floors, and
even
hard
er
liquor. Three pool tables lined one
side of the open room
and a small stage
stretched across
the wall
opposite
the bar—a showcase for local bands and small town musicians.

The last
notes
of “Before He Cheats” filled the smoky room as a
group of
hometown
boys took the s
tage and counted down to the start of a Tim McGraw
cover
.
Shelby
washed another round of mugs, keeping her eye on a few hot-tempered regulars to m
ake sure no trouble was brewing, while half-listening to the orders being called out at the bar.

“
Well, shit.
Look what the damn dog dragged in,”
Crystal
said
,
topping
off a mug and hand
ing
it to another waitress.

Justin
Tanner
walked through the door, followed by a
n
entourage of
over-dressed wannabe cowboys and scantily clad girls barely old enough to set foot in the bar.

The blood drained from
Shelby
’s face
and the mug
she was washing
slipped
from her hand
, bouncing off the rubber mat lining the floor behind the bar. “Shit.”

“You gonna be okay? I can handle things out here if you want to go take inventory or something.”

“I’ve got nothing to hide from.” Even though that’s exactly what she wanted to do—crawl bene
ath the bar and
disappear
until
long after
last call.

“You sure
?
”

Hell no.
“Yep.”
Shelby
snatched the mug from the floor
,
tossed
it
in the sink then grabbed a bottle of tequila and filled six shots for the gaggle of girls celebrating their friend’s twenty-first birthday.