Free Divine and Dateless by Tara West

spreading across his face like an infestation. “So I was your fantasy?”
    Oh, crud.
    Wildfire raced up my chest and fanned my cheeks. Other than that time I’d gotten wasted on tequila and my tampon leaked through my pale purple bikini during spring break in Mexico, I was pretty sure this was the most mortifying and horrific moment of my existence. I clutched my cotton bathrobe by the neckline. Despite its thick material, I felt completely vulnerable and exposed. The way Grim was undressing me with his eyes, I could have been standing on my tile floor naked for all it mattered.
    “What did you expect after that kiss yesterday?” I waved him off, attempting to save face, as if fucking his imaginary twin was no big deal. “You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing in my house?”
    I tried to ignore his cute dimples and the twinkle in his bright blue eyes as he looked down at me expectantly. “How was I?”
    I rolled my eyes. “This is Heaven. How do you think you were?”
    When he folded his tanned arms across his broad chest, my gaze was drawn to the patch of fur beneath his collar. Oh, yes, too hairy. Much like an ape. My fantasy Grim was far sexier.
    “Wow,” he laughed. “I guess I’ve got a lot to live up to.”
    My head instinctively snapped back as if I’d been slapped. “Who says I plan on sleeping with the real you? Besides,” I said in an indifferent tone I didn’t feel, “I’ll probably conjure up a Swede tonight, anyway.”
    As if. Once I got rid of this Grim, I was going to take out all of my sexual frustration on my other Grim. I’d be fucking his hard, un-hairy body all morning long.
    “That’s what I came to talk to you about.” Grim flashed a sheepish grin, and were my eyes deceiving me, but he actually flushed. “I’m afraid there won’t be any more fantasies for a while.”
    My heart slammed against my chest, the shock even more powerful than when I’d been electrocuted.
    “Excuse me?”
    There was unease in his stiff shoulders and unsteady gaze. I could tell he’d rather be anywhere than with me at the moment.
    Grim cleared his throat. “There was a clerical error. Someone miscalculated your credits. You were supposed to be dropped off at the second floor.” That last part came out in a jumble, as if his words had tripped over his tongue along the way.
    I gaped at him. He looked at me, though his stare still wavered. A shiver stole up my spine as my wet hair dripped down my back while I waited for Grim to tell me he was kidding.
    God wasn’t supposed to make mistakes, and if he did, surely he couldn’t have been cruel enough to send me packing to sweaty, smelly Purgatory.
    Could he?
    When Grim offered no other apology or explanation, I tried to summon the will to speak, which was rather difficult considering my mouth had gone dryer than dust. What I really needed was a warm latte with extra cream and chocolate shavings. I spied the steaming cup on the granite counter. The whipped cream was melting into the liquid, teasing me with its rich aroma. I had the feeling the only thing I’d get to drink on the second floor was leftover sludge.
    “Is this some kind of joke?” I rasped.
    He shrugged, splaying his hands in an apologetic gesture. “I’m afraid not. I’m really sorry.”
    I looked down at his beefy fingers, painfully aware that almost those exact same fingers had been stroking and teasing me that morning. I should have listened to fantasy Grim and stayed in bed.
    I crossed my arms and gave him the stare-down, realizing my scowl probably looked more like a pout, especially as I could feel the backs of my eyes watering. “The second floor? Are you saying I’m supposed to leave mind-blowing sex and chocolate cheesecake and go to a shithole in Purgatory?”
    His eyes widened, and he scratched the stubble on his chin. “Mind blowing, huh? So I really was that good?”
    I was so hot, I was seeing red. “Get out of my house!” I pointed a finger to the