Good Intentions (44 page)

just know I couldn’t possibly stand backing down from the good anymore than I could back down from the bad.” “Like those guys at the mal ,” Taylor suggested softly. “Yeah, I guess. Not like that was al me, though,” he reminded her. “You didn’t exactly cower in a corner.” She didn’t let him change the subject. “I wish I had known you were this bal sy back in high school.” Alex shrugged. “Nothing this crazy happened then. But it’s not like that would’ve made al the difference. I really was a spazz back then.” “Was? Back then?” Taylor grinned. It hung there a moment before he pushed her back onto the bed. The two wrestled together, soon finding that their robes didn’t hold closed very well . “You know this isn’t a good way to make me not make fun of you?” Taylor giggled. “I know,” he smiled, kissing her again. “Mmmhhh, what were we talking about again?” “Who else I’ve slept with or might have something going on with,” Alex reminded her. He sat up again and put his hands over his face. “Ugh. I’m such a whore.” Taylor laughed at him. “I’m sure most guys in your position would be. You’ve already got one girlfriend and she wants you to have more, and you’ve got no reason not to.” She giggled at a random thought. “Oh God. I can totally see you in a smoking jacket in your trophy room showing off al the panties mounted on your wall .” She affected a deep, melodramatic English accent. “‘And I claimed this one in Hawaii. She nearly gave me the slip, but in the end, I had her!’” “Jesus, if I ever get like that please shoot me. I so do not want to be Relentless Arrogant Seducer Dude. That’s just creepy.”

“I think you’re fine. But seriously. It’s only been a week and you’re already a raging man-whore. You’re gonna be so rock star your bitches will have bitches.” “I don’t think of anyone as bitches or whores,” Alex said. Taylor smiled at that and kissed him. “I know you don’t. I’m here right now and I know everything and al I feel is happy and appreciated and spoiled. I don’t feel pressured. It’s my choice, and I choose to be here because it’s fucking wonderful. So I can either drop you in a jealous huff, or I can admit that there’s something kind of sexy about you turning into such a stud. At least you’re not doing it behind my back. Or anyone else’s, right?” Alex shook his head. “They al know. well . Onyx knows I have someone else, but she’s got someone else, too… kinda need to talk to her about the rest when I get a chance, but I will . Audrey and Jocelyn were strictly casual. Rachel can apparently see me anytime I’m not with Lorelei. She says angels don’t feel jealousy.” At that, Taylor snorted and waved to the open air. “Hi, Rachel!” she cal ed out. “Fuck him! I did! It’s great!” Alex’s eyes bugged out of his head with shock, which left Taylor cackling with laughter. “Don’t joke about that!” he said, grinning but also mortified. “I’m not kidding! I have no idea when she’s watching and when she’s not.” Taylor was still laughing. “Oh man. Alex, that’s not a bodyguard, that’s a stalker.” “Maybe, if you think your stalker’s awesome.” He looked around the empty room. “I’m probably gonna pay for that later.” “You’re wellcome,” Taylor giggled. “You’re bad.” “You want me.”

“I really do.” “Good. Have me.” She pul ed his face down for a long, indulgent kiss, writhing against him indulgently. “You know I want to be your friend more than I want to be your bed buddy, right?” “Hopefully you can be both for awhile. I’ve really missed having you in my life, and I didn’t even really know it until last week…and if we really can hook up with no worries, I can’t see either of us resisting the temptation. Not unless I start seeing someone else.” Taylor looked like she was about to say something else, but then fell silent. Alex noticed. “What is it?” “Nothing.” She tried to blow off his unsatisfied frown, but finally relented. “What’s…is everything with you and Lorelei a two-way street? I mean, can she fool around with whoever she wants, too?” “Um. I’m, uh, being a total hypocrite with her,” Alex admitted. “I told her I don’t care if she fools around with other women al she wants, but I want to be her only man.” “Huh.” He shrugged. “She told me I don’t have to share at al if I don’t want to. Wants me to only do what I’m comfortable with. If she didn’t like that rule, I’m sure she’d do something to convince me to change my mind about it. She can run circles around me without me even realizing it. She’s said she doesn’t want other men, anyway. Something about having three thousand years of them already.” He fell silent, looking at Taylor thoughtful y, and added, “She likes you. If you want to see more of her, too, even if I’m not there…I respect her privacy on that sort of stuff. She can keep al the secrets she wants there.” “I’d really like that, but that’s not really why I asked,” Taylor admitted. “I’m not going to be a hypocrite about you, too. You start seeing somebody else, I’l cool it. I promise.”

“You’re not a hypocrite if she’s comfortable with your arrangement,” Taylor said, “but yeah. I don’t want to be exclusive, either. Even if we both know I’m not actually looking for someone else, we need to establish that.” Alex nodded. “It’s fine. I just want to know what will make you uncomfortable so I don’t act like a dork.” Taylor gave her head a dismissive toss. “I’m not tel ing you to hold back on being affectionate. I’m not worried about that. If that ever needs to change, I’l tel you. If I start seeing someone else, I’l tel you. But…Alex, you running around the way you have sounds so awesome. I don’t want a boyfriend, but I’m…” She was hesitant to say it despite the calm, affectionate look on her partner’s face. But she had to get it out. “She did something to me, Alex. Both of us. I mean, she told me straight off, no STDs, no pregnancies, and I’m way, way hornier than I’ve ever been…And she made me better looking than I’ve ever been. I mean I’m afraid of getting hung up on myself, but I can’t even tel myself I’m not hot so I can’t get a big ego.” “You’re smoking hot, Taylor,” Alex grinned. “I’m not gonna help with that. But I don’t think you’re going to get a huge ego. Say what’s on your mind.” “…I kind of wanna go nuts for awhile,” Taylor confessed. “Like you. I want to try things. Have fun. Be adventurous. Maybe kinda scandalous.” “You mean with other guys,” he said. She nodded, looking at him with a bit of worry and guilt. He asked, “Lots of other guys?” “Maybe? I just want to…go have fun.” Alex looked at her thoughtfully before he said, “Do you trust me?” “Completely.” He took a deep breath. “If you want…I imagine Lorelei’s really good at arranging whatever sort of fun you’re looking for.”

* “How closely have you been watching us, Rachel?” The angel looked up casually at the succubus standing above her on the rooftop’s edge. She shrugged. “Most folks gotta pay to see first-rate live porn like this. Why let it go unappreciated?” Lorelei suppressed a smile. “We should speak,” she cal ed down. They weren’t far apart, but the wind had kicked up. While Lorelei was less bothered by hardship than any ordinary mortal, she didn’t have the resilience of a guardian angel. With a shrug, Rachel stood and extended her wings. Within two beats, she caught enough lift to bring herself to stand face to face with Lorelei. A pair of shopping bags sat at Lorelei’s feet. Replenishing her wardrobe was ultimately the furthest thing from her mind, but she had to do something while Alex and Taylor had their time alone. Then she realized that Rachel couldn’t have been far away al this time. “You’ve recovered,” Lorelei observed. “Yeah,” Rachel nodded. “Um.” She paused. “Thanks for that.” Lorelei’s head tilted curiously. “For what?” “Nevermind,” Rachel said, waving it off. “What, uh, what did you want to talk about?” The curiosity hadn’t left Lorelei’s gaze. She could swear that Rachel was blushing. The girl was brash, rude, uncouth, and now…bashful? “The other night,” Lorelei explained, trying not to make her study of body language too obvious. “We ran into someone.”

“Yeah. Lydia. I know,” Rachel nodded. “I was there.” “How much did you see?” Lorelei asked, her brow darkening a bit. “Pretty much everything at the restaurant and after,” Rachel admitted. She smiled awkwardly. “I mean I wasn’t fol owing anyone into the bath—uh,” she stammered, glancing around at her feet and the skyline. “I, um, kept my distance. You know. Respectful distance. You two wanted to have a nice night out, right?” The angel’s shoulders were up and back. Her hands alternated between rubbing gently against her neck, twirling her blonde hair and fidgeting. Timid eye contact. Uncontrol able smiles. The signals were al there. Lorelei looked on in awe, less of the angel and more at her own reaction. These were clear signs of vulnerability before her, and yet her thoughts of exploitation fell far short of ruthlessness. “Was that—is that weird?” Rachel asked if only to break the silence. “No,” Lorelei said, shaking her head. “No, it isn’t. I should expect as much. So you saw Lydia?” “Yup,” Rachel nodded. “Can’t hardly miss the cunt. Reminds me of the Grand Canyon that way.” Lorelei blinked. Rachel glanced away again. “She may mean Alex harm,” Lorelei told her. “If only to strike at me, though he also insulted her.” “I know. Went and confronted her a little bit after you left.” “You did?” Rachel nodded. “Soon as I threw off the guys she sent to tail you. Went up and told her that if she fucks with you I’m gonna go nuclear mad dog on her,” the angel said casual y. “Honestly, I’d have just put my foot in her ass right from the start, but the angel that holds Dominion over this city has rules about preemptive actions. Just between you and me, he’s kind of an unmitigated cockbag.”

“You are the first angel I have ever heard criticize another.” The blonde snorted. “Hah! hell , you should hear ‘em bitch about me sometime. No, I cal ‘em like I see ‘em. Turns out we aren’t perfect.” Lorelei smiled tightly. She couldn’t help but appreciate the sentiment. “I have long had my suspicions.” Silence held between the two for a long moment. “I’m not gonna let her mess with you, Lorelei,” Rachel said finally. Her voice became more confident. Some of the shyness left her. “Not her or anyone else. Alex is my charge, but…he’s not the only one I’m looking out for. I’ve been kinda shitty to you, and you didn’t really deserve that, either. And I’m sorry.” Stunned as she was by the apology, Lorelei didn’t let it show. “We are what we are.” “No. Not real y. I didn’t think before. You weren’t there. At the fall . You came afterward. You didn’t choose to be what you are, did you?” “And if I was?” Lorelei asked, her eyes narrowing somewhat. “If I had chosen to be what I am, along with the fall en?” Rachel just shook her head. “I’m not gonna judge. I made a long string of bad decisions over a guy once myself. I’m not saying you did, too; I’m just saying shit happens. Sometimes you don’t see how it’s gonna turn out. Even so, if you weren’t there when things fell apart, I’d say you can’t help being what you are…except I think you can.” “I don’t know whether to feel insulted or praised.” Her thoughts bent toward one, but something within her pushed toward the other. “Perhaps both.” “I don’t want to insult you,” Rachel said quietly. “I’m just kind of clumsy that way. Like I said, just ask around.” Lorelei looked at her for a long moment. Experience and her cynical nature warred with emotions that had been alien a mere week ago.

“Does it…” Rachel began to ask, somewhat shy once more. “Do you really feel it when he’s getting it on with someone else?” There was a bit of mischief in her eyes. “Did the ritual actually work?” “Yes,” Lorelei smiled. “It did.” “So you feel like you’re getting laid right now while you’re talking to me?” The succubus nodded, closing her eyes for a moment as if to reveal how it affected her. “Wow, how can you be walking around right now like this?” “I have had ages of practice at concealing how I feel about virtually everything,” Lorelei said, and then opened her eyes. “Virtually everything that matters.” “Must be nice.” “The sensations? Yes. Indeed. Rachel, about Alex…” The angel nodded. “I know. I’m not gonna hide forever. It’s your weekend, though. I’l pick my moment and see where we end up. But I don’t want to interrupt or distract him from you. Even if he’s with her. Weird, huh?” “Stranger arrangements can be found in this city,” the succubus smiled. “Though I think I shall return to him. It is… good speaking with you, Rachel.” “Yeah. You, too,” Rachel said, tugging a lock of her hair. “Oh. Hey. Are you headed back in there? Uh…” she glanced down at the shopping bags. “Can you do me a favor and bring me something first?” * Frustratingly, Daniel had no idea where his charge’s friend was. He could see Jason just fine—he was the boy’s

guardian after al , and had been since Jason was born—but he had no clairvoyant connection with Jason’s friends. Daniel always had a problem with that. Especially with Alex’s original guardian angel being so…timid. Daniel had always been of a mind that guardian angels should be assigned responsibilities based on personal relations as family, friendship or love. It made more sense than the seemingly random al otment of completely unrelated charges a given guardian took on. Unfortunately, Daniel’s concerns didn’t really equate to actual change. When the succubus showed up in Alex’s life, and therefore in Jason’s, Daniel couldn’t really intervene. His charge was at no mortal or spiritual risk. It was objectionable, certainly— certainly! And it was already plain that damage had been done. Daniel found his charge in the morning so completely and utterly defiled by those two blonde hussies… Even now, hours later, they were still communicating with him. It was beyond Jason’s ability to resist. He fell deeper and deeper into their clutches with every salacious text message they sent. It was beyond Daniel’s ability to intervene. He knew of only one angel who could take direct action because of her unique handicap. She was also very much a part of the problem, of course. But Daniel didn’t know where to find her or her charge. As such, he had to ask around a bit. It took awhile to track her down. He finally found Rachel perched on the balcony rail near the top floor of a high-rise hotel overlooking El iott Bay sometime before sunset. She sat in the drizzle and the cold wind intently watching through the window of one hotel room. She held a partial y-empty bottle of Evan will iams bourbon in one hand. Daniel flew up to her, opening his mouth to speak, but Rachel just held up her hand. “Don’t even wanna fuckin’ hear it,” she said without the slightest change in her gaze toward the hotel room. Daniel’s eyes flared. He thought about saying something to that, and about the blatantly lewd grin on her face, and about a dozen other improper things. Before the comment got out of his mouth, Rachel’s hand shifted from an open palm of “halt” to an upturned middle finger. Daniel flew off in a huff. Rachel took another long pul off her bottle. “Fuckin’ prude,” she grunted.