Cupids Bakers Dozen

By Trinity Blacio

“What? You’re telling me this now? That’s only one week, not to mention that each of these humans is impossible!” Eros snarled and glared at his friend Claus or, what humans called him, Santa.
“Nonetheless, you have your assignment. You know each of us has to prove ourselves this year.” His friend held up his list that was three pages long. “Do you know how hard it was to get Sara on the good list? I swear, that woman could make a Pitt Bull look like a kitten. I’m still trying to work her on my list, which is twice as long as yours, by the way,” Claus grumbled.
“Yeah, but you don’t have to find their partner, and on top of that, two of them could be considered virgins for Pete’s sake,” he mumbled shaking his head, trying to picture each of the women on his list.
“Ria, Sadie, Violet, Xena, Zoey, Breann, Cait, Koko, Peta, Esi, Nia, Isabella!” His voice rose as he read each name on the list along with their location. The list was impossible, not to mention the men who were supposed to be with them.
Eros moved into his office and started up his program. He had homework to do, and with these women, his work was going to be cut out for him. Oh, he was going to earn his immortality, that was for sure, and the fates wouldn’t question his deviation again.
His personal program started up, and he pulled up the first name on the list, Ria Martin, age thirty-two, a nurse, divorced from a cheating bastard and has two kids.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trinity Blacio
• Release date: Feb 5, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311083944

Trinity Blacio

Trinity Blacio is an established romance writer of best-selling Running in Fear series, as well as a number of dark fantasy, erotic romance, erotic horror and ménage titles. She is the mother of two children and lives in Ohio. Her work can be found at Freya’s Bower and Ravenous Romance, as well as the work of her alter-egos Maria Moonstar and Selene Noreen.

Book preview

Prologue

What? You’re telling me this now? That’s only one week, not to mention that each of these humans is impossible! Eros snarled and glared at his friend Claus or, what humans called him, Santa.

Nonetheless, you have your assignment. You know each of us has to prove ourselves this year. His friend held up his list that was three pages long. Do you know how hard it was to get Sara on the good list? I swear, that woman could make a Pitt Bull look like a kitten. I’m still trying to work her on my list, which is twice as long as yours, by the way, Claus grumbled.

Yeah, but you don’t have to find their partner, and on top of that, two of them could be considered virgins for Pete’s sake, he mumbled shaking his head, trying to picture each of the women on his list.

Ria, Sadie, Violet, Xena, Zoey, Breann, Cait, Koko, Peta, Esi, Nia, Isabella! His voice rose as he read each name on the list along with their location. The list was impossible, not to mention the men who were supposed to be with them.

Eros moved into his office and started up his program. He had homework to do, and with these women, his work was going to be cut out for him. Oh, he was going to earn his immortality, that was for sure, and the fates wouldn’t question his deviation again.

His personal program started up, and he pulled up the first name on the list, Ria Martin, age thirty-two, a nurse, divorced from a cheating bastard and has two kids.

Ria Martin’s Story

Ria glared at the doctor in front of her, Diego Rantez. He was an excellent doctor, loved his patients and always managed to make her panties wet when he was around, but his attitude for those under him sucked some days.

Today was one of those days, as she listened to him chew out one of her nurses.

Oh, sure, she deserved to be chewed out, and Ria would make sure the nurse would understand why she was being placed on down time until an investigation could be ordered, but that did not give the good doctor the right to embarrass her in front of everyone on that floor.

Melody, have Nancy take over your duties and head to my office, please, Ria ordered, interrupting the good doctor’s rant.

She started to leave, and Diego swung around to face her. I’m not done.

Yes, you are, she said quietly, not wanting to draw any more attention than he had already drawn.

My office now, he snapped at her and pushed through the ward doors.

Well, that went well, her friend Sam said next to her. Are you going?

No, he can wait. Melody can’t. Change her shifts; someone will have to be with her at all times. I want to see what she is doing wrong, if it’s accidental or carelessness. After I meet with Melody, I’ll go to his highness’s office. Then, I’m out for the night. Oh, until I find out what is going on, only the floor nurse will have access to the cart.

Ria moved down the hall. Her feet were killing her, and she knew that her evening was just beginning.

She smiled; tonight, her son would be singing in the school play. At age of ten, her little man could sing with the best of them. He even had his first solo tonight. Where she was a nervous wreck, he couldn’t care less.

The nurse inside her stood before her door and took a deep breath. This was one of the worst parts of her job as head nurse, discipline. Putting on her work expression, she pushed the door open and stepped into the office.

The woman was pacing back and forth until she stepped in. I’m sorry about what happened with the doctor, Melody. He shouldn’t have confronted you in front of everyone, but he was right about one thing. This can’t happen again. You are now off for the night. All your shifts will be supervised until the board decides what to do. Ria moved around her desk to sit down and nodded to the chair in front of her desk.

What the hell happened? You’ve never done anything like this before, she asked the young woman."

Melody shook her head, tears rolled down her cheeks. I honestly don’t know. All the meds were all set, Ria. I double-checked them before I even entered the room, but I was distracted by the boy getting sick and crying, so I set the pills down and started to help him. I forgot all about them while I was helping, but when I went back to grab the container, that is when the doctor came in. She looked up at her.

He is the one who noticed the meds had been changed. I would have checked them before I gave the child the pills, but he didn’t give me time to explain.

She had always known when someone was lying, and Melody wasn’t. "Okay, Melody, I want you to go to the front desk and write up everything you remember before you go home, do not do anything else.

Do not forget anything, even if it is little. If what you say happened, then we have a bigger issue here. Someone is playing with the lives of our patients and that scares the crap out of me. Go now, do as I said. She waved the woman out of her office and called the nurses’ desk.

Sam answered right off the bat. Sam, do not leave the cart unattended; I’ll explain later, Ria said and hung up with her before calling the detective that had been working on the other incidents in the hospital, Ryan Duggan. God, she didn’t want to deal with two assholes tonight. Plus, it was well known the man also owned the local club downtown.

One look from him and Ria swore she melted inside, but once more, how could she trust any man. Look at what happened before.

But that was two years ago, she mumbled to herself and banged her head on her desk, sighing, knowing Ria couldn’t put off calling Ryan.

* * * *

Eros stood in the office, smiling at himself. Oh, this was going to be good. The woman in front of him didn’t want a man. well, she was going to get two men. Each of them were good men and both wanted her. To boot, they both had shared woman before in their local club.

He got ready, knowing the two men were now both on their way there. Yes, Ms. Ria would be set for loving this Valentine’s Day, and she would earn his special mark. Only a few were lucky to carry it. Their love would last a lifetime and wouldn’t fade.

Yes, each of these women would earn his special mark this week. They were worth the love that he had arranged for them.

* * * *

Her door flew open and not one sexy man stepped in but two. If at all possible, her night just went to hell and her damn panties were going to be a lost cause.

Dr. Diego Rantez moved to her desk. What is going on here? I thought I told you to report to my office, and why have you called in the detective here? It seems you don’t like to listen to orders, do you, Ria? he asked, sitting on the edge of the desk as the other man moved to stand on the other side of her desk, staring.

She couldn’t believe it; three years Ria hadn’t been interested in anyone, and all of sudden, these two men seemed to push every damn hormone in her body. Ria turned to the officer and smiled at him.

Thank you for coming so fast. I just got done talking with one of my nurses, and I believe we have someone on our floor fooling around with patience meds. She held up her hand when the handsome doctor started to say something.

You will hear me out, Doctor, then, you can put in your two cents, but you will not embarrass me in front of anyone. She leaned over her desk and flinched. Something in her butt pinched the hell out of her. Shit, Ria reached back and rubbed her butt cheek.

What? Are you in pain? Diego moved around the desk and ran his hand down her back almost to her ass but jumped back. What the hell? he asked, rubbing his arm.