Unexpected Sting Read online

  Orion and the scorpion is a story everyone knows, but Stinger has no interest in killing the man who helps her manage a wave of lust. He might be just what she’s looking for.

  Stinger is back in town for a family wedding and then another. Being in a family that is predominantly female has its challenges, and one of those is the wedding and baby shower season.

  After being kidnapped the night before Nessa’s wedding, Stinger finds herself facing a familiar face and a body she wants to know better. Arthur is a charming man who is carrying out the dark elf wedding tradition, separating the bride from her ladies and the ladies from the bride. They get along well during their first interaction, which comes in handy when she needs to ask him for help the next day.

  Stinger and her mother control and disperse the lust and magic generated at mage weddings, keeping it from making a hotspot of lust and fertility in random areas. Stinger needs an anchor point, and she chooses Arthur Orion. He agrees to help, and fate locks them together.

  When she looks at him, she sees a future, but when she looks at her mother, she sees that men don’t stay, so she has a decision to make—trust everything she has learned about the male of the species while working with women’s shelters, or trust her gut.

  If only she had known that he was a real ogre, she might have had a second thought or a first one.

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Unexpected Sting

  Copyright © 2021 by Viola Grace

  ISBN: 978-1-989892-78-7

  ©Cover art by Angela Waters

  All rights reserved. With the exception of review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the express permission of the publisher.

  Published by Viola Grace

  Smashwords Edition

  Look for me online at violagrace.com.

  Unexpected Sting

  Stand-Alone Tales Book 18

  By

  Viola Grace

  Chapter One

  Stiila Rosos completed her workout and unhooked her feet from the ladder before dropping lightly to the mats.

  “Stinger. Stinger. Come here, and check this out.” The gym attendant’s whisper pointed her toward the new member straining in the machine and nearly maxing out the weight available.

  She smiled and looked at the fit blonde who had her chin propped up on her hands, watching the area where the heavy lifting was going on. “Oh. Good for him. So, how is your day going to shake out, Peggy?”

  Stinger wrapped her towel around her neck and looked toward the newcomer.

  He finished his set and leaned forward with sweat beading and coursing down him. Stinger made eye contact with him, and he grinned. She looked at Peggy. “I am out of here. I have my cousin’s bachelorette party today. I am the designated driver.”

  Peggy smiled. “I am going to watch gym TV all day. Looks like it is going to be a fun morning.”

  “Enjoy. I have to scrub up. I hope that Nessa appreciates the effort that we are going to on her behalf. This is two showers in a day. What is the world coming to?” Stinger left her friend and sauntered into the ladies' change rooms. She had somewhere to be.

  * * * *

  Arthur pulled out his phone and texted his old friend. Is your fiancée named Nessa?

  Yeah. Why?

  If the offer is still open, I would like to join the party this evening.

  Sure. Any particular reason?

  Tynan, do you know a woman named Stinger?

  A riot of laughter emojis streamed across the text field. The answer was apparently yes.

  There had been something about watching her do those inverted sit-ups that had fascinated him, and now that they were going to be attending the same evening event, he might have a chance to push for a further connection.

  An instant familiarity had struck him the moment that he saw her, and he wanted to know why that was. Perhaps the gym bunny could tell him why he thought he saw the brunette everywhere.

  * * * *

  Stinger enjoyed the girls’ day, hanging with her cousin and just being in a zero-stress environment where no one was trying to kill someone she was working with. Tonight, the only danger was that Nessa would get snagged by the men she was already engaged to. Dark court rituals involved a little snatch and grab.

  She sipped her water with the single lemon as Nessa and Orvis laughed about their water polo triumph. Nessa was pretty sure she had won, and Stinger knew that Orvis had been holding back... a lot.

  She felt the first curl of magic and saw the line of riders form at one edge of the lawn, and a sharp whistle had the ladies forming up with thick warding.

  Stinger opened her mouth to shout that it was an illusion, but a hand clamped over her mouth, and she heard, “Now, now, don’t spoil the festivities.”

  She was yanked from the physical world into somewhere adjacent.

  Her aunt Kallie was grabbed by Cian behind her. Other married women were snagged by spouses or grinning dark elves. Orvis calmly pulled out her phone from wherever she hid it and continued doing whatever it was that she did, sliding a soft robe over her shoulders with a slit down the back. She morphed into her harpy form and flew slowly back to the house. In the giggles and amusement of the last few minutes, it was a very lonely sight.

  “You have completely forgotten I was here, haven’t you?”

  She bit down on his hand, and he hissed. “This would not be a place to leave you.”

  He pulled her through the shadows, and they ended up in the place between while Nessa was groped by some old dark elves. She fought, and then, she started using her words, and the elders flinched and backed up.

  Stinger chuckled as the wine cup was touched but handed over to the mage and elf that Nessa had chosen.

  “Content that nothing bad happened?”

  She nodded slightly.

  “Good.”

  He pulled her into a very pricey hotel room. He let her go, and she took a few steps away before she turned to face him. He was definitely wearing more than she was in her bikini and hip wrap.

  She stared. “You. I saw you this morning.”

  “I have seen you a dozen times in the last year. I pulled the camera files this afternoon. Are you following me?”

  “What? No! I don’t even know who you are.” She scowled. She would learn quickly who he was, but right now, she was clueless.

  “Why were you in Crioss?”

  “Animal shelter getting death threats. I sorted it.”

  “Daymar city.”

  “Stalked socialite. I sorted it.”

  “Yeringer?”

  “A child was involved. That one is mostly finished but up before the courts, so I can’t expound on it.”

  His eyes widened. “Right. So, it is just coincidence.”

  “Why were you at all those places?”

  “I am in acquisitions for Twilight’s company. I find companies in distress that we can take over and restructure.”

  “And you need a neck like a bull to do that part of your job?”

  His dark bronze skin and blonde hair barely contained a body that looked like it wanted to blow. His dark suit was a miracle of engineering. He obviously spent a lot of time on his appearance or hired people to do it for him.

  “Well, it has been nice to meet you and all, but can you return me to the Twilight’s house? Once the elf union has been locked in, we need to reclaim Nessa. Again.”

  He slowly started to walk around her. “You aren’t nervous about being here with me?”

  “Dude, I don’t ev
en know who you are. Why would I be nervous?”

  “Well, you are physically at a disadvantage.”

  “You believe that if it gives you comfort.” She watched him pace slowly into her field of view, but she noted that he was a projection. She stepped sideways, and his arm swept through the place she had been standing. “Aww... too slow.”

  He followed through, and she jumped back again. “You are surprisingly spry for a nearly naked woman.”

  “Oh, when we are naked is when we are fastest. We aren’t weighed down. The question is why are you trying to grab me?”

  “I would like to hold you for a moment.”

  She cocked her head. “Ask.”

  He paused. “Seriously?”

  “Yup. Ask. Use your big-boy words.”

  He smiled. “But it isn’t tradition. The tradition is that I capture one of the bride’s party and ransom a kiss from her.”

  “Or sex.”

  He blinked. “What?”

  She smiled. “The dark elves were always pushing for sex. We were briefed before the party today. You aren’t quite a dark elf, and you are definitely a magic user as well as being of supernatural bloodlines.”

  He looked amused. “How do you guess that?”

  She walked up to him and put her hands on her hips. “I just had a funny feeling.” She looked all the way up, and it was a nearly seven-foot trip before she met his gaze. “Either you are non-human, or your mom is still walking funny.”

  He bent and gripped her waist, lifting her until she was even with his face. She smiled. “So, which ransom are you asking for? If the answer isn’t a kiss, you are getting kicked, and I will flash my cleavage at cars until someone gives me a ride home.”

  He looked down at said cleavage and then said, “I am asking for a kiss. No time limit. I will return you to the mansion.”

  She nodded. “So, I suppose I am the one paying.” Stinger leaned toward him and braced her hands on his shoulders. She leaned in, and just before she made contact, she asked, “What’s your name?”

  “Arthur.”

  “Nice to meet you, Arthur.” She leaned the rest of the way in and brushed her lips along his, teasing him with her tongue until he parted his lips and his tongue politely flicked forward. She was in remarkably little contact with him aside from the kiss, and part of her was frustrated.

  She pulled him closer to her and deepened the kiss. He pulled her toward him and wrapped his arms around her, and that was what she wanted. Heat started to ripple through her in a slow wave as his participation in the kiss became more insistent.

  One arm pinned her to his chest, and the other slid into her damp hair and cradled the back of her head. His tongue stroked in and out slowly, withdrawing and starting again.

  She moaned, and they continued making out for several minutes until she leaned back and panted.

  Arthur leaned toward her. “More.”

  He was so polite that she leaned in, and they started again.

  When she started wondering about how bad it would be to renegotiate the ransom for sex, she pushed away, her chest heaving. “Take me back.”

  He blinked, dazed. “What?”

  She stroked his cheek. “Take me back to the Twilight mansion. The ransom has been paid.”

  He let out a sound that was reminiscent of a landslide meeting a whirlwind. “Right. I have to put you back.”

  She smiled. “But total applause for holding me up this long. I am not used to feeling dainty.”

  He blinked and looked down. “You are just right.”

  “Um, okay. I still need to get back to the mansion.”

  “You need to get away from me.”

  “That, too.” She chuckled. “You are doing funny things to my self-control. I need to get away—change my surroundings.”

  He stroked her cheek, mimicking what she had done to him. “What are you?”

  She chuckled. “Father’s species is unknown. Unlike Nessa’s parents, my mother couldn’t find my father after they had gotten me started.”

  “You are related to the bride?”

  “Second cousins, I think. I have never been able to figure that out. Our mothers are cousins.” It was odd to be having this conversation while being dangled against his chest.

  He cocked his head. “Will you be going to the gym tomorrow?”

  She chuckled. “No. It is going to be all wedding stuff. Based on the hotel room, I am guessing that you aren’t going to be in town long?” She paused. “And that you are not planning on holding onto me the entire time?”

  He smiled. “That does seem like an excellent use of my time.”

  “Well, I can’t help out at the wedding dressed like this, so I am going to say hard pass.”

  “Speaking of hard...”

  “Just because a guy gets an erection doesn’t entitle him to do anything with it, just like seeing you working out didn’t entitle Peggy to jump you.”

  He blinked. “How did you know?”

  “I have met Peggy and seen her in action.” She sighed. “She probably gave you a blow job near the locker room.”

  He was genuinely surprised. “She tried. I had a meeting.”

  That gave her pause. “You had will against Peggy?”

  He looked wary. “Is that so unusual?”

  “Yeah. It totally is. She’s a succubus, so once she latches on, she’s really hard to dislodge.”

  “You speak from experience?” He was chuckling.

  “Totally. She isn’t fussy, and I have a certain allure to women who like women.”

  He chuckled. “How did you escape from her clutches?”

  She blinked and cocked her head. “Who says I did? We reached a compromise and worked from there to get her what she needed while not creating a link between us.”

  His frown was dark. “I don’t understand.”

  She grinned. “I don’t doubt that, but there is a niche porn market for what we did, and I will leave it at that.”

  His eyes flared silver. “I would like to hear details.”

  “I am sure you would, but that wasn’t the agreement. Put me back where you found me. Now.” She put steel into her voice, and it snapped him out of whatever was going through his mind.

  He sighed and ran a hand over her bare back. “Well, it was nice while it lasted.”

  A portal moved them back to the guesthouse, and he set her down and bowed low. “It was an honour to meet you, Stinger.”

  “Good night, Arthur.”

  She nodded and headed for the house. She had to get some movies lined up for when Kallie got Nessa away from the guys. It was time for the sleepover to get underway.

  She stalked into the main entryway and nodded to Yusen. “Evening. Is this the glamour remover?”

  She prodded the barrier with her fingers.

  “It is, but it primarily attaches to faerie magic.”

  “Okay. Thanks.” She stepped through, and she felt her eyes go black, her hair wind into a tail with a spike on the end, and her body formed a harder shell. Normally, she kept those changes sub-dermal. “Huh, so he was faerie. Interesting.”

  “Miss?”

  “Oh, my father. My mom always said she wasn’t quite sure what he was. If the barrier works on fae glamours, then that must be what my father was. I will add it to the search criteria.”

  She smiled and was taken to the room set aside and joined Orvis while they waited for Kallie. It was always fun seeing Orvis in her natural form. They had intersected several times for work over the last five years. That woman really needed to let all the curves out more.

  * * * *

  Arthur dug through his emails and RSVP’d as attending and then waited for a reply. When an acknowledgement came through, he sighed in relief and went to get his formalwear ready. If he had a chance at seeing Stinger again, it would be at the wedding.

  He closed his eyes and thought about the taste and feel of her. She was tall for a woman; there was a lot of strength in those soft li
mbs and tight torso. Since he wasn’t going to sleep anytime soon, he set about using the information she had parted with to find out more about her.

  His fingers moved over the keys, and he checked the accessible court records to locate the woman in question. Stiila ‘Stinger’ Rosos was thirty-two and co-owned eight businesses in the surrounding three states. The businesses were under the control of Leetha Rosos, fifty-two.

  The image of Leetha that expanded on his screen was rather familiar. He cross-referenced his acquisitions, and that is where her name popped up.

  She had refused to sell an empty property at slightly below market value, and Stiila had gone back and forth, which resulted in him paying twenty percent more for an empty field. The part that stunned him was that she had retained mineral rights, and it turned out that there were gems in the soil. They weren’t expensive, but they were pretty and in demand, so it had the effect of tripling the sale price. Stiila Rosos was his arch-nemesis; she had already beaten him once without being face to face. He grinned. This made her far more intriguing. She wasn’t just gorgeous and fit; she was a keen businesswoman. He was going to have to raise his game.

  He chuckled. The hunt was on.

  Chapter Two

  After a fun girls’ night, Stinger woke up and helped to prep the most important person in the room. When Nessa was radiant in all of her silks, satins, and lacings, Stinger got ready to watch the ceremony.

  She had done her hair when the stylist had been in, her makeup was normal but not extravagant, and her dress was indicative of her nature, which was usually a bit embarrassing, but Cale had done an excellent herringbone pattern of black folded leather for the midriff, and the rest was in a dark rose chiffon with a silk liner.