Good Intentions (26 page)

“I thought it was the dominant hand?” “Only if you don’t know what you’re doing.” Onyx’s eyes glittered with interest. “You a big believer in this?” “I believe in lots. Laugh if you want to.” “Oh, I’m not one to judge lately,” Alex smirked wryly. He chewed on his burger while she looked his palm over. “Anything interesting there?” “Yeah. Your lines are al weird. ‘kay, now gimme your other hand,” she said. Her brow furrowed as she looked at it. “So am I the Chosen One?” Onyx laughed. “I don’t know. Do you believe in fate?” “Not real y. Nobody’s ‘chosen’ for anything. You happen to be in one situation or another and you make your decisions based on who you are. Maybe you’re the right person for that situation, maybe you’re not. Hopefully you do the right thing for the world and you move on from there.” He watched her. “Why are you grinning like that?” “I knew I liked you,” she answered quietly. She let him have his hands back. “I think you’ve got a whole mess on your palm lines from a past life or something,” she said. She didn’t sound serious. “Never thought about that. What were you in your last life?” “Last life was only a couple years ago. I was a cheerleader.” “Bul shit,” Alex laughed. “No, seriously. First couple years of high school. I tried really hard to fit in. Then I sort of found myself and gave up on the social scene. I started hanging out with the wrong crowd and went off the deep end,” she explained with a

sarcastically ominous tone. “Spent a lot of time in the counselor’s office after that, but at least I felt like I was being honest with myself.” “Wow. I’d pay to see those cheerleading squad photos.” “You’l have to pay a lot,” she grinned. “What about you? What’d you do?” “Swim team.” She cocked an eyebrow, and he shrugged. “I was okay at it. I guess it was good for me, but I only joined because there was a girl.” “Ah,” she nodded. “How’d that work out for you, Flipper?” Alex just snorted. That was al she needed to hear about that. “So you don’t have a girlfriend, do you?” Onyx asked casual y. There was some trepidation in her voice, but only if one really listened for it. Alex swal owed, hoping this didn’t blow things. Or sound completely pretentious. Or slimy. “I’m sort of seeing someone,” he said with a casual tone to match Onyx’s, “but it’s really recent and it’s not exclusive. We’ve talked about that a couple of times to make sure we’re al clear on it.” Holy shit, I sound like a philandering creep, he thought. His mind raced for a way to dig himself out of the hole he had just dug. He needn’t have worried. Onyx’s smile was small , but it was there. “Kind of in the same boat,” she admitted. There was no attempt at being casual. She seemed to be staring. “What, you’re a philandering creep, too?” Alex asked. Onyx burst out laughing. “No!” she said. “I mean I’m not in anything exclusive.” “I feel totally weird even saying it,” Alex shrugged. “I used to wonder if I was bad for even having a crush on more than one girl at the same time.”

She chewed on a fry thoughtful y. “I think I’m supposed to tel you that you should just date only one person if that’s what makes you comfortable.” He nodded, but then she said, “Except I think if that’s the situation you’re in, you should blow off al those worries and enjoy yourself. What happens, happens.” He blinked. “Real y?” “I might have selfish ulterior motives behind that opinion,” she shrugged, still looking directly at him. He didn’t miss the hint, but wanted to know more before he went further. “What’s that boat you’re in look like?” “Keep it to yourself?” “I’m not going to hide things from who I’m seeing, but past that, sure.” She nodded. “Fair enough.” Then she took a deep breath. “I’m mainly into girls. I’m in a relationship that’s pretty serious. But she doesn’t want to tie me down and she knows I sometimes like guys, too, when they aren’t jerks. She just doesn’t want me being stolen from her.” Alex smiled. “I can appreciate that.” “So that means I can’t date someone who’s looking for something exclusive and super serious.” “That would make it complicated, yeah.” Onyx shrugged. “I haven’t actual y, um, taken advantage of my freedom yet.” Alex nodded, saying nothing. She added, “It also means I can’t exactly take boys home with me.” “You live with your girlfriend?” Alex asked. She nodded, still looking at him. She was nervous. It showed. But she was gutsy, too, and that was fullly on display. “I should point out,” he ventured after summoning up his courage, “that I am a guy, and not a jerk. And am not looking

for anything exclusive. And I like you a lot.” “I can tel ,” she grinned. “I like you, too.” They were silent, looking at one another for a long moment before she finally said, “What I’m saying is sitting here in my car is going to get old, but we can’t really go back to my place.” “We could go to mine. I’m one of those dorks who lives at home with his mom, though.” “Whatever. You’re a year out of high school. I’m only living away from home by virtue of luck and having someone else to lean on.” “Point being, we could go hang out at my place. We’l have it to ourselves for at least a few more hours.” Her bright blue eyes drifted away from him. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly and heavily, and then turned the car on. * “Yes, we’l be happy to make an appraisal,” said the older gentleman. He was already pulling out measuring tools and placing them on the counter. There were a dozen diamonds on the small felt bag in front of him, professionally cut and gleaming under the shop’s lights. “Ah,” he stopped, wanting to head off any dramatic disappointments, “you understand that as a resel er, what we would provide as an appraisal isn’t necessarily what we ourselves offer in exchange? I can tel you a reasonable fair market value, but we can only buy at rates below that.” Lorelei smiled and nodded patiently. “I understand. I’l have to hear out your estimate, but to be frank I believe cash in hand will likely win out over a long search for a more mal eable buyer.”

The old jeweler smiled. “Understood. Is there, ahem, documentation with these pieces?” The succubus leaned in a bit closer, looking at him with the earnest, innocent eyes of several mil ennia of manipulation and deceit. “Would that be absolutely required? We found these in storage. I’ve simply no idea where the paperwork might be found. If that affects the appraisal, I’l understand.” His cheeks and bald forehead reddened. “Oh, no, Miss, not a requirement. Not necessarily. I’m sure we could, ah, work around that.” He pushed a finger under his col ar to give his neck a bit of room. “It just might, as you say, affect the… ah… total appraisal a bit is al .” Lorelei nodded. She felt a building desire and clear sense of anticipation. Wherever Alex was, it was only getting better. “I understand,” she said, deliberately keeping the tremble from her voice. It was difficult not to ask the man to hurry. * Fifteen minutes and a few miles later, Alex showed her into his home. She looked around curiously. “This is a nice place,” she said with sincere admiration. “Wasn’t always like this,” he said. “We’ve only been here a couple of years. I can remember thinking food stamps were pretty neat. Mom’s come a long way.” “You and your mom are close?” she asked. “We really are. She doesn’t treat me like a kid much. Unless she’s freaked out, I guess.” “Must be nice to have a cool parent,” Onyx mused. She wasn’t really thinking about that, though.

For once, Alex felt confident in his interpretation of subtle body language. He leaned in and kissed her. She kissed back, pulling him toward her until he pushed her back up against the door. Onyx tugged at his shirt, her face turned up into his while his hands softly trailed down her curly black hair to the small of her back. Instinct warned him to be gentle with her. Her kiss and her body felt delicate and needful yet with an innocence that seemed completely out of place with everything he’d learned of her. He had only spoken with her in passing a few times in class and the last couple of hours of hanging out with her one on one. Onyx had a girlfriend. Lived with her. Things were serious. She was a little older at a time in life when even a little could mean a lot. Her image was a carefully constructed blend of dark, foreboding colors and mysterious al ure. She had to know how pretty and sexy she was. Had to be much more worldly than he was, even after this last crazy week. Yet if she had told him as they kissed that she had never been with anyone else before this, he’d have believed her. That kiss lasted a long time. They embraced closely but softly up against the door, cuddling as much as anything. Both of them released a breath pregnant with tension and excitement. “I’ve wanted to do that since the first time I saw you,” Alex murmured. Onyx’s eyes glittered up at him. “This is really special.” “Yeah.” She inhaled, being bold once again. Onyx said, ever so quietly, “Don’t take me to a couch if we’re just going to wind up moving to your bed.” *

There was a tremble in her legs as she walked with al possible speed to her car. She didn’t really have to hide anything this time. Lorelei was in public, but only walking through a parking lot to her Lexus. Passing no one and with no need to shield her pleasure, there was no reason not to let her breath come out in soft, expectant moans. This had been coming on for the last few minutes. She had felt the first kiss while in the appraiser’s office. Despite the rush of power she felt as Alex indulged his desires, it was momentarily al Lorelei could do to conceal her reactions. It felt like he was kissing her. He could have been there, right up against her, lips and tongues intertwined as if the last few nights had never happened. She could feel everything with even greater clarity than she had enjoyed in his adventures at the mal . Lorelei pushed the appraiser harder than she’d meant to. There was an unrestrained use of manipulative power in that office, along with consent to a lower exchange rate than she probably could have worked out with a little more bargaining, but it didn’t matter. The diamonds were just pricey baubles. There was always more money out there to be had. What was happening to her master and prey, and therefore to her, was exquisite and by its very nature fleeting. She got to her car, opened the door and slipped inside even as she felt the sensations of her legs being spread apart by friendly, gentle hands. Those hands caressed her stocking-clad legs before moving down to pul off her tal boots. Except she wasn’t wearing stockings or boots at al ; Lorelei was in a skirt and high heels. Lorelei’s eyes hardly tracked her surroundings at al . She locked the doors and hid from mortal eyes before giving in. She felt herself lying back onto a bed and having Alex’s hands roam up her sides, still fullly clothed, al as if for the first time. His face rose up to hers, kissing her for only the fourth time ever now, and she felt swept away by it. Her heart beat faster. The trembling in her legs now rippled deliciously through her whole being. She needed him so badly, wanted what would inevitably be hers, yet also needed him to take this slowly and careful y. In the car, Lorelei dropped her seat backward. She shifted, enabling herself to unzip and loosen her skirt. Her hands moved inexorably to answer the heat between her legs.

She saw Alex smiling at her, soothing her with words about not rushing things and wanting her to be comfortable. She laughed, nervously and innocently. Innocence. Lorelei’s eyes flared. “She’s a virgin,” the succubus gasped. * “Well , I’ve never been with a guy before, anyway,” Onyx confessed. They lay intertwined, shoes kicked off and their most restrictive clothes loosened, but still basically dressed. Keeping his cool about it, Alex managed to show only a little surprise. It was tactful. “That’s okay,” he said. “I don’t want to pressure you. I like you.” “This is really fast for me, though.” “Yeah,” Alex said. He shifted to sit up. “Maybe we should cool—“ Onyx tugged him back down. “I want this,” she nodded. “I do, too. But why me?” “I don’t meet a lot of nice guys,” she said softly. “Not nice guys who are cute and trustworthy and understanding.” He was more than flattered. He was blown away. “How do you know al that about me for sure?” “Any girl with taste can see you’re cute,” she smiled. “As for the rest…trade secret. But I can tel .” She pul ed him

closer to kiss him again, then tentatively slipped her hands up under his shirt to pul it off. Onyx’s hands trailed back down again, and then her eyes went wide as she found the fresh scar under the left side of his chest. “Oh my God,” she murmured, “what happened here?” “Um. It’s okay now, but can I tel you later?” His lips found their way to the side of her neck, which she offered up without resistance. “If I tel you now I can’t use my mouth for this,” he pointed out. “Deal,” she giggled. Hands slipped under her back, working to free her from her complicated top. Again she laughed softly, helping him with that, revealing a black lace bra that contrasted with alabaster skin and a figure that her fashion sense didn’t do justice. Alex marveled at her until she tugged him closer, kissing him out of self-consciousness. It was the only thing she could do to break the moment. “Wow,” he breathed finally. “Alex,” she whispered into his ear, a soft plea between equals, “I trust you. Do this for me.” He hesitated only for a second to process that. She couldn’t be more explicit than this, he realized. Not this first time at any rate. But that moment’s thought al owed him to understand what she was asking of him. There was a point of no return here for each of them. He had the thought that if she were to back out, it was better that he crossed it first. Alex pul ed away from her for a moment to unbutton his jeans. He twisted off of her to pul away both denim and black cotton underneath. Onyx couldn’t help but look, and then her eyes went wide for a second time. “Wow,” his new friend gasped. Then she looked up at his eyes apologetical y. “I didn’t mean that in a bad way at al ,” she quickly explained. Alex just smirked. “No? You’re sure?”

She grinned, her hands roaming down his back and then, for the first time, across his ass. “Shut up, you.” Alex’s hands returned to her hips, as did his mouth. He pul ed her skirt away, then the lace underneath. His eyes were on hers as his kisses slowly slipped low between her legs. She couldn’t hold his gaze long, though he could see surprise and gratitude and joy in her eyes before they closed and her hands softly caressed his head. The fact that she was about to go al the way with a guy like this was thril ing enough. She hadn’t expected this treat, too. There was only one person in the world with whom Onyx had ever gone this far. She used to feel embarrassed and vulnerable with her, spread like this and offering up such private things that she’d spent virtually al of her life hiding. The embarrassment faded, but the vulnerability never did. If anything, Onyx learned to embrace it with her partner. Here, she found herself embracing it again. She had reason to trust this man. Climax came soon, without warning or preamble. Her breathing quickened, but she made no other noise. The only real cues she gave Alex was the tension in her touch as she rode out his affection. Alex brought her down smoothly, enjoying the grateful undertones of her panting and soft, wondrous laughter. “I didn’t expect you to do that,” she said finally. “I want you. Now.” “Now?” he taunted, moving up to lie against her. “Before I get worried that you’re too good to be true,” she smiled. Onyx let one hand trail down his body, gathering the courage to finally touch what she wanted. “Just…go slow.” “I like going slow,” Alex reassured her. He had little trouble reading her intent. She needed him to be the aggressor here, having brought the whole affair as far as she could of her own initiative already. Onyx was strong, self-possessed, bold. She knew who she was better than most women her age. There was no submissiveness or fear here. For whatever reason, she wanted this moment to be directed by her partner. Her kiss became ever more encouraging and rewarding. Riding high on everything she’d already enjoyed, Onyx felt little discomfort when Alex pushed into her. Though she wasn’t giving it much thought in the moment, she would later have a hard time thinking of anything that had ever felt so comprehensively good. They were friends. There was intimacy. There was trust. When they began, she had felt self-conscious about the way he admired her beauty, but