I know that only last night I asked Cal to sneak into my room but somehow with Cupid it feels different. More intimate. Cupid takes the keys out of the ignition of the car, cutting out the engine and leaving us in thick silence. Then he turns back to me – his eyes gleaming expectantly in the light of streetlamp outside.

My mind takes me back to our kiss by the fountain – his ragged breaths, his mouth, hot, moving against mine. The air in the car seems to buzz with the memory of it.

As if sensing my trepidation he smiles.

"Hey, I just want to make sure you're safe!" he says – a teasing gleam in his irises. "That's all!"

I roll my eyes and flash him a smile.

"Fine..."

I flick my gaze to the clock on the dashboard. It's half ten. I'm sure dad said something about wanting an early night tonight – he has a meeting in the morning, and his big date with Sarah tomorrow. I think he will have waited up for me though – and I can't just parade Cupid around the house.

"Wait here a minute," I say. "I need to make sure my dad's out of the way."

Cupid nods, holding my gaze longer than necessary; the intensity of it does things to my stomach, making it flip over and melting my insides. I take a deep breath then look away to climb out of the car. I can feel him watching me as I head down the street to my house.

I unlock the door and step inside.

"Lila? Is that you?" Dad calls from upstairs.

I release the breath I was holding - glad he's already out of the way - then roll my eyes at dad's question. Who else would have a key?

"Nope! It's a burglar!" I yell back.

"OK, can you make sure you loot the house quietly. I have an early meeting tomorrow."

I grin.

"Sure thing. Night dad."

I hear movement upstairs, then quiet – permeated only by the rhythmic ticking of the antique clock in the hallway.

I take another deep breath.

This will be the first time Cupid has ever been inside my house. The thought makes me feel both apprehensive and exhilarated at the same time.

What will he think of it? It's nothing like the massive mansion that he lives in, with his pool, and terrace, and four poster bed, and...

Calm down, Lila!

I quickly check my reflection in the mirror in the hallway, running my fingers through my dark hair in an attempt to tame it, and brushing off the remnants of white ash from the arrow that still coats the shoulders of my leather jacket.

Then – very quietly – I open the door again. I creep to the end of the driveway and gesture at Cupid down the road. I go and wait for him inside – slipping off my shoes and turning to put them in the shoe-rack to distract myself.

Cupid is coming to my house.

I sense him before I see or hear him – his body heat washing over me from behind. For someone so tall, and man-shaped, he really can move with a quiet grace when he chooses to. I turn and he's stood close to me, his eyes burning into mine. My eyebrows raise when I see the elaborate black bow slung across his chest.

"Subtle..." I whisper, "It's a good job my dad's already in bed..."

A smile spreads across his face.

"What??!" he says. "I told you – I'm here to protect you."

There's something in the way that he's looking at me, though, that makes me think he is here for more than that. My heart feels like it skips a beat as we stare at each other. 

Then I grin and navigate around him to close the door. He makes no effort to move out of my way and my body brushes softly against his. My pulse races at the contact of our skin, at the scent of Cupid washing over me.

I take a breath then move out of his way – putting a finger on my lips I start to move up the stairs. I feel him following close behind.

"Lila?" my dad's voice carries through the closed door at the top and onto the landing.

I freeze, my heart beating fast. Hurriedly, and ungracefully, I push Cupid into my bedroom. His eyes widen as he stumbles through the door.

"Yeah?" I call back – hoping my voice doesn't sound too guilty. My mom could always tell when I was acting suspicious, but thankfully my dad is a little more oblivious.

"I'll probably be gone when you get up for school tomorrow," he shouts through the closed door, "but I just wanted to make sure you were still OK with me seeing Sarah tomorrow night?"

I grin, a wave of relief washing over me. "That's fine, dad," I say. "Night!"

I pause outside my door for a moment - the thought of Cupid being in there doing strange things to my body. 

Then I head into my room.

Cupid is inside, wandering casually around and studying my things – his bow and arrows propped up against my full-length mirror.

I watch him in silence for a moment as he pads around the cream carpet - the dim glow from my bedside lamp making parts of his dark blonde hair look almost golden. It's a strange sight, seeing him in my bedroom; someone new among all the familiar belongings that have accumulated since childhood. I see his eyes pass over the black and deep pink cushions on my bed, an old snow globe on my desk that Charlie gave me when we were kids, and the heap of clothes on my chair that I'd have tidied away if I'd known he was coming.

Softly I close the door and he turns to look at me. With an inward groan I realize he's holding the tattered stuffed bunny that was sat on my bed. He looks at it then me, the corner of his lip tugging upwards.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" he says.

I roll my eyes.

"Cupid, this is Mr. Snuffles. Mr. Snuffles, Cupid."

Cupid laughs softly then turns to look at the stuffed toy.

"So, Mr. Snuffles, you get to sleep with Lila every night?" he shakes his head. "Lucky, lucky, man."

I walk toward him and pull the soft toy out of his hands, throwing it back onto the bed. I give him a scathing look and Cupid's eyes hold mine, gleaming with humor.

"Oh, shut up," I say. "My mom got me him when I was a kid," I shrug. "I used to really like rabbits."

As I look up at him, I'm suddenly aware of how close our bodies are. I can feel his heat, hot as fire, washing over me. We fall into silence, and his ocean colored eyes seem to trace my face, lingering on my lips, then meeting my eyes again. His chest rises and falls heavily beneath his grey T-Shirt, and my heartbeat speeds up.

I take a breath then step backwards.

"I should get ready for bed," I say. "School tomorrow."

His eyes remain on my face a moment longer, then he nods then grins – throwing himself back on my bed and laying casually back against the pillows.

Oh God, Cupid is on my bed.

The sight of his body, stretched cat like across my sheets, makes my stomach clench and my pulse quicken. I look at him, then I grab my pajamas from the end of the bed. He clasps his hands behind his head, not moving his gaze from me.

I fold my arms across my chest.

"Erm...Close your eyes," I tell him.

He gives me an exaggerated look of disappointment and I raise my eyebrows at him, though the corner of my lip tugs upward. He does as I tell him. I turn and hurriedly pull off my clothes and throw on my pajamas – my eyes fixed on him through the mirror the whole time.

"I'll know if you open them," I say. "And you'll be in trouble if you do."

A grin spreads on his face, his eyes still shut, as I'm doing up the buttons of my top.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he says as I turn around to face him, "Well, maybe I'd dream of it...but I promise I won't look until you tell me to." He pauses and the smile falls from his face. "I know my brother likes to make out I'm some kind of terrible guy, but I'd never be disrespectful to you. I'd never be disrespectful to any woman. You have to know that, Lila."

With his eyes still closed I go and lay down beside him on the bed. My arm brushes against his and I hear his breath intake slightly.

"Yeah, I know," I say. I pause, remembering something that Cal said when I first met him, "Though Cal said you used to obsess over women – make women obsess over you..."

His frown grows.

"Well...that's not true." he pauses, as though in thought for a minute. "You know my brother has a tendency to be dramatic..." Then he smiles again.  "By the way – can I open my eyes yet? It's killing me not being able to look at you."

"Ah, and Cal is the dramatic one," I tease.

His grin widens.

"Yes. You can open your eyes," I tell him.

He does so and turns on his side – his ocean colored eyes burning into me. I expect him to make some comment about my silly pajamas, but he doesn't. His face is serious, his expression intense. Slowly I turn on my side too to meet his gaze. His face is close to mine, and I can feel his warm breaths tickle my skin.

I remember what he said to me that first time I stayed over at his house on the armchair by the fire and smile.

"Time for pillow talk?" I say – repeating his words back to him.

He smiles softly then shifts toward me - so close now that our faces are practically touching and I can feel his body heat burning through his clothes. Lightly he brushes a hand across my cheek and my skin tingles at his touch. I feel my breathing speed up. My pulse races – and I'm suddenly certain my heart is pumping hot fire through my veins.

"Hmmm," he mumbles softy. "I'm not sure I feel like talking, right now. Do you?"