Cupid watched from on high as the woman tried to discreetly shift through the crowd to get to the bar. Heads turned to follow her path anyway. There was no way this young woman would be able to sneak through an establishment like this. In truth, she would be hard-pressed to remain unnoticed even among the models of a Paris fashion show. Those flat-chested, anorexic, wannabes couldn't help but pale in comparison to this full-figured Latino beauty.
She was proof that a percentage or two of body fat only made the female form more perfect. Of course, the D-cups and full hips didn't hurt either. And all of that was completely independent of the bright red-white-and-blue spandex outfit that clung to every curve to leave no hint of her body to the imagination.
And she had turned eighteen only days before.
For reasons known to very few, Cupid kept a very close eye on the PRA. Oh, he didn't have nearly the penetration of the organization as he would really have liked, but he at least kept track of every scrap of public knowledge they let slip. And it was hard
not
to know about the baby girl that had been discovered with the ability to float, literally since birth.
Initially, Cupid hadn't taken much interest in her. What did it matter to him if the group that monitored and licensed paranormals had adopted some brat to be officially raised by them? The answer was, nothing more than any other agent he could get info on. It wasn't until a year or so ago that he became aware of how alluring she had become.
Lust was nothing to be scoffed at. All of Cupid's life revolved around the carnal emotion. It was the heart of the strip club he ran and the attached hotel rooms that he owned. And it was the focus of the ability he kept secret from everyone. Oh, there might be a few that had guessed he was a para, but as long as he kept away from the telepaths and power sensors, no one could prove anything.
Then again, someone at the PRA had guessed a para operated out of
Cupid's Desires
or Sparrow wouldn't have been there right now. That was fine by Cupid, however. In fact, he had cultivated that sentiment very closely, over the last few months.
Shortly after Sparrow had come fully onto his radar, Cupid had quietly sought to discover who her handler was. Once he knew, it was pure simplicity to arrange a chance encounter. After that, her handler had taken advantage of the at-cost drinks that friends of the owner got at the strip club.
As the date of the magnificent heroine's majority approached, Cupid began to use his ability on her handler. Every time a certain dancer took the stage, the club owner shot the tiniest bit of lust straight at the handler's libido. The greater the sensation, the more he would tip the girl. Over time, he gradually increased the effect until, days ago, it must have been great enough that the handler finally realized it wasn't a completely natural effect of the woman's gyrations and unspoken suggestions.
It wasn't an uncommon occurrence for Cupid, though he usually made certain to vary both the targets and the recipients of their attentions. A little here, a little there, and his club had a reputation for having the most alluring dancers around.
Now, Sparrow had been sent to investigate her young handler's suspicions. Just on schedule.
As Cupid watched, the bartender pointed the luscious heroine towards the stairs. Per protocol, she would seek out the owner of the establishment in order to arrange a conversation with the suspect. Cupid pressed the intercom button on his phone and hit the number of his manager's station, back stage.
"Pearl. Please have Ruby sent up to my office?"
"Yes sir, Mr. Cupid."
"Darling. How many times have I told you? It's just Cupid."
"Many, I suspect, Mr. Cupid." Cupid rolled his eyes at the endearing byplay. "If you're in need of some relief, however, I would be more than happy to accommodate you. I think things will run smoothly without me for a short while."
Bless her. Like all things, use of his ability came with a price. While not nearly as potent, Cupid was afflicted with a fraction of the lust he inspired. It was a small boost each time but by the end of the night it could become nearly unbearable.
A few of the longer-running girls had noticed his burden, although they thought it no more unusual than being forced to watch the erotic displays for hours on end. They had taken it upon themselves to help him relieve the tension. It was by no means a condition of working there. He had never even approached a single girl about it. One of them invariably showed up, sometime near closing time, and worked her wiles on him in the privacy of his office. When a newer girl showed up, he knew she had caught on to the action, been set to rights about the nature of it, and had chosen to offer herself.
Cupid found himself a bit disappointed that Pearl might think he would ask for it himself. At the same time, he was flattered that she was willing, even eager, to help him. He considered it proof of how well he treated the girls that they had to work out a schedule to allow everyone who wanted a chance to help. He'd never seen the list, but he'd caught whispers when they thought he couldn't hear.
"No, thank you, Pearl." He responded quickly. "Actually, we have an unexpected guest I believe wants to speak with her."
"Understood, Mr. Cupid. I'll send her right up."
Cupid smiled and shook his head once more. She was a bit incorrigible but he could not fault either her devotion or her capabilities. Without her, the club would never run half as smoothly as it did.
A knock at the door turned his head. Sparrow had vanished into the stairwell just long enough ago that it should be her. The push of another button on the phone unlocked the door even as he called out. "Enter."
Cupid was every bit as susceptible to attraction as anyone else. The door opened and his breath caught. He had never seen Sparrow in person. She was taller than he expected, even though he knew her exact dimensions from his research. She also walked with full confidence in the authority granted to her as one of the most trusted agents of the PRA.
Red boots climbed to her knees but the lack of any significant heel proved the height was all hers. Above that, her outfit shone shockingly white. Somehow, the very purity of the color drew attention to her perfect curves. A deep blue began beneath her arms and traced the upper curve of her breasts to plunge between them like a dagger and further accentuate her perfect figure.
Cupid couldn't help himself. His power reached out to tickle her. The moment he saw her, his need became achingly acute. In a fitting reciprocal of his normal ability, whenever something attracted his desire so strongly, he could not help but reflect a portion of that need on the object of his desire.
"Mr. Cupid. My name is Sparrow. I'm with the PRA and am here on official business."
No one could own an establishment dedicated to desire without understanding the slightest signs of it. Likewise, he had learned early as a result of his own abilities. A small flare of triumph curled through his breast as he watched the young heroine try to cope with her sudden desires, however small.
Muscles low in her body clenched ever so slightly. Her lip sucked in to be nibbled on during each pause in her prepared speech. Her eyes darted about nervously, though he obviously couldn't tell if she instinctively sought escape or looked for any possible witnesses should she succumb. Either way, her focus settled on the window behind him that looked out onto the whole of the club.
"Welcome, Sparrow." Cupid managed to offer without too many signs of the strength of his own desire. "Please, have a seat. And call me just Cupid."
"Thank you." The look in her eyes demonstrated exactly how honest her grateful reply was.
He understood completely. Sitting, they both found themselves less likely to reveal their aroused states. Unfortunately, seated in front of the desk as she was, there was nothing to mar his sight of her as there was her of him. The faux-spandex material of her costume continued to entice him so neither felt a measure of relief from his need.
"How can I help you, Sparrow? Does the PRA suspect I might harbor some super-powered villain?"
"In a manner of speaking only." She quickly assured him, unaware of her increased desire to please him as he pleased her. "It is far more likely that we've merely uncovered someone with an innate ability they were simply unaware of. If there's anything here at all, of course."
"Of course." He agreed. "How may I be of service?"
Cupid added a hint of innuendo, along with the slightest intentional use of his ability, with the offer. He was pleased and heartened to see her breath catch, almost imperceptibly. What surprised him, however, was the way she began to fidget immediately. If he had to guess, either it had been quite a long time for the girl or she had never actually consummated a relationship before. He had suspected she might be a virgin, but he had no proof of it. That would make this conquest that much sweeter.
"I need to speak with one of your dancers. I believe her stage name is Ruby?"
