Past due, p.17
Past Due, page 17
part #4 of Good Intentions Series
"We could talk about sexy stuff," Molly suggested.
* * *
Evergreens and low brush lined the small hill to the right of the two-lane highway. Much more of the same ran along the highway back toward Seattle on the left. Traffic on this side slowed to fits and starts. Alex knew it would be like this as they got closer to Blaine and the border crossing. He didn’t find it as annoying as the bumper stickers on the SUV in front of him. The flashiest of them read, "Warning: In case of Rapture, this vehicle will be unoccupied."
"I feel like this guy’s gonna be super disappointed when he hits the afterlife," said Alex.
Lorelei looked up from her tablet in the seat beside his. Her knee-length black dress seemed a touch lighter than his jeans and long sleeves, but they didn’t need to bundle up in the car. Warm clothing was a matter of appearances for demons, anyway. "It’s an ancient sentiment. Many crave religion only as assurance they and their tribe are special, while all others are not."
"Never could wrap my head around the idea that one religion is saved and everyone else goes to Hell. Kinda refutes the whole ‘loving God’ thing."
"I have my own thoughts on that particular concept of love." The words carried a bitter edge, but she let it go. "Religions were not always so absolute. I somewhat miss the days of ‘My god is better than your god.’ It’s easier to navigate than ‘Your god doesn’t even exist.’"
"That’s gotta be an afterlife shocker, too," said Alex.
"While I haven’t experienced it firsthand, I gather it’s all a shock to everyone. The religious sorts are likely stunned at how many atheists they find in Heaven."
"Probably not as shocked as the atheists."
She laughed. Lorelei shifted in her seat to face him as he drove, tracing her fingers through his hair. "You don’t talk much about these matters for someone who has had such exposure."
"Should I?"
"That’s up to you."
"Part of it might be all the distractions from earthly pleasures." Alex leaned ever so slightly into her touch.
"Shall I stop?"
"Absolutely never," he replied.
"Excellent."
"Part of it is how Rachel doesn’t want to discuss this stuff."
"With good reason on her part. I do not have the same concerns," said Lorelei. "Nor do I have the same knowledge. It pains her to keep things from you. We have spoken of it more than once. Even I must stay silent on some matters. But I may speak with more freedom than Rachel. She knows this, too. You will always have my ear."
"Yeah, I know," he said. "I guess even with all the things you know and everything I’ve been through, I don’t want to take anything for granted. Not reincarnation, not the afterlife, any of it. I can’t be sure it plays out the same every time, right? Especially after all this."
"Wise."
"The funny thing is, I’m not any more or less scared of dying now than I was before I met the two of you. Dying is still dying, right? No more Alex. Life is more dangerous than it used to be, but it doesn’t change the end result. That’s always been there. I don’t like thinking about what it means for you, though," he admitted. "Life without me."
"One way or another, I will find you, Alex. We will not be apart long."
"Is that gonna be a problem for Rachel’s side of the fence?" Alex grinned.
"Ask me if I care, love."
Red lights flared in front of him. Not for the first time on this stretch of road, Alex pushed the brakes. More such lights beyond the SUV heralded the long wait at the border he knew was inevitable. One open lane awaited in the distance, but he wouldn’t be taking it. "I have a different question," he said. "How is it with all your resources and all your experience, I have a Nexus card and you don’t?"
Lorelei rolled her eyes at his teasing. "I didn’t grow up with a grandfather who liked to take me to see the Canucks play. Road trips to Canada were not among my near-term plans."
"It’s always a little entertaining when demons have to deal with the same bureaucratic nightmares as the rest of us."
"Mortals have only yourselves to blame for such trials. I have TSA pre-check, at least," she muttered.
"You’ve been all over the world all through history," said Alex. "I figured you’d know all the ins and outs like the back of your hand. Kinda looking forward to traveling with you."
"And I with you. When I traveled with mortal victims or other companions, I’ve had to use mortal methods."
"What about when you’re not with mortals?"
"The Earth is riddled with demonic gateways and passages far faster than any highway. They aren’t universally known to every demon, let alone open to all, but one learns the ways through experience. Paris to Singapore is much faster if one passes through Hell along the way."
"Uh. Wow."
"The pathways only scratch the edges of the Pit," she went on casually. "You’d hardly know you’re there at all for some passages. Others involve greater exposure. Use of the passages also typically requires some negotiation or payment when the keepers and travelers serve different princes. I imagine they’re a bit of a mess lately, what with recent events." Traffic slowed to a complete crawl. A faint smile of revenge spread across her face. "Although even now they likely move faster than the border at the Peace Arch."
"This isn’t that bad, but the Truck Crossing is faster, yes," he conceded.
"Then why this choice?" Her eyes narrowed with a suspicious grin.
"It’s nicer scenery. And I figured we wouldn’t mind the extra time together." He said it as if his hand wasn’t drifting up from her knee. He pulled back the dress along her leg without a glance.
"I see." Lorelei sank back against her chair, pushing forward a little in the seat and spreading her legs to invite more.
His hand slowly ran back and forth along her inner thigh. The steering wheel buttons allowed him to kill the stereo without interrupting his caress. He silenced it in time to hear the first heavy breath escape her lips.
Her skin felt warm to the touch. Her fingers traced from his scalp to the back of his neck, but they stopped with a tremble at the first caress of his fingers at the black lace between her thighs. She made no complaint when his touch moved away, but her voice let out a low purr of approval when that touch returned. They never teased one another for long.
"I sensed some hint of this in your desires before we set out," Lorelei murmured. "You had a plan all along."
"It’s not a complicated plan. I only had to keep waiting for traffic to either get clear enough or slow enough that I wouldn’t get distracted."
"Mmh. This distraction is always welcome." The thin barrier of lace welcomed his probing and caressing fingers with damp, intimate warmth. Lorelei sank a little further into her seat and his touch. He gently rubbed the flesh he knew so well beneath the material, dragging more quiet encouragement from her throat.
The SUV ahead of their car moved up a few yards. Alex let up on the brake, closing the gap. His fingers kept working. It wasn’t clear how long they’d have before they hit the booths, but he wasn’t in any hurry now—for either of his tasks.
"You are so good to me," Lorelei breathed.
"I don’t know if I could ever match how good you are to me, but I like trying."
"I feel the same way about you." Her breath grew heavy with pleasure under the soft, steady circular motion of his fingertips. "You embrace me for what I am. For who I am. You love me for it."
"How could I not?"
"Many would not." She tilted her head forward to indicate the SUV, then leaned back again with her eyes closed to savor his touch. "So many would reject me. So many more would want me only as a possession, not an equal. You give me freedom. Trust. Devotion. Everything."
"How’s that any different from you?"
Lorelei let out an unguarded groan. She’d been created for sensual pleasures, both given and received. She also fed on his desires. Alex paid close attention to his efforts and her reactions. The bond between succubus and prey gave him an edge in pleasing her. Even with that edge, he invested great effort at it. She appreciated every bit.
He also remembered to pay a little attention to the road. The SUV moved up, creating more space. Alex got the car crawling forward before anyone honked.
"Deeper," Lorelei breathed. "More."
"Wasn’t sure."
Her mouth spread into a wide grin. "Now you’re teasing me."
"Some women like it better with a little barrier. Didn’t want to assume."
"I like this growth of your knowledge, but you have ravished me for months. You know me. And I know when you’re teasing. More."
His fingers stroked upward to the edge of the lace before slipping inside. He felt hair and skin now slick from all that teasing. She wasn’t wrong about his knowledge. He knew how to curl his fingers, where to probe and where to caress. He read her breath and her tension for his cue to move faster. Panting, wordless pleas guided his pace.
They rolled forward one more car length. The line of booths was in sight now. They’d have a camera on them in moments. Alex wondered if he’d have to stop, and what sort of state that would leave her in. He’d seen her snap into total calm and hide the signs of her arousal in the blink of an eye, but he knew that for an illusion. What would come after such an interruption might be more than he expected.
Apart from all that, a simpler motive kept him going: he wanted to get her off.
"That! That feeling. Yes," she gasped. "There."
Lorelei tensed and groaned with release. She held nothing back, filling his ears with her voice. Her tremors radiated through the car. As the spasms subsided, her groans turned from low and lusty to softer and lighter tones of relief and affection.
Alex delivered the interruption gently, though with a wry grin: "Hey, I’m gonna need your passport. It’s camera time."
Without so much as a glance his way, Lorelei produced the passport in her left hand. With her right, she held his wrist in place at her groin. Her wicked and satisfied smile made him wish he could get a copy of whatever picture the automated cameras would produce.
"Kinda need both hands to do all this," said Alex.
"The light hasn’t turned green yet." Lorelei brought his hand to her mouth. She sucked each finger one by one, looking forward as if it were a casual matter to send a shudder through him with every lick of her tongue and scrape of her teeth. "Thank you." She released his hand when a green light summoned them forward.
Alex wondered how awkward this would be if the border agent saw it all. His heart fell into his stomach when they pulled forward to find a striking brunette in a dark uniform waiting for them. He’d expected someone different.
"Identification, please." She seemed to notice nothing unusual. Her eyes fell upon Lorelei’s passport and Alex’s Nexus card. "Where are you coming from?"
"Seattle."
"What’s the purpose of your visit?"
"Tourism, mostly."
"Mostly? What’s the rest?" she asked.
He blinked. "Er, we’re going to a party. The rest is tourism."
"Where?"
"Vancouver."
"What kind of party?"
Alex fought the urge to say he didn’t know. "Fancy dress." He thought fast. "It’s live-action roleplay nerd stuff. There will probably be vampires."
"Thought that went out of style a long time ago."
"They did, and yet here we are," said Lorelei.
"How long are you staying?"
"Three days." Alex considered how embarrassing it would be to have their supernatural nonsense get held up by a random border check.
"Do you have any drugs or weapons?"
"No."
"Going unarmed to a party with vampires seems unwise, doesn’t it?"
He couldn’t tell if she was joking. She had to be joking, except for her straight-faced delivery and his growing paranoia. "We didn’t want to get in trouble at the border."
"Aw, that’s a good answer." She handed back their identification. "Welcome to Canada. Have a nice visit."
"Thanks." Alex pulled their IDs back into the car and rolled forward as casually as he could. He didn’t speak until he had the window back up. "Holy shit."
"She’s lovely," noted Lorelei.
"Yeah, and now I’m convinced she’s some Canadian freakin’ super-agent."
"She was playing with you. We should come back for her."
He swallowed hard. "They don’t normally do that."
"I wouldn’t know. I’ve never made this particular drive."
"They’re usually nice compared to the Americans, but ‘nicer than Border Patrol’ isn’t a high bar," said Alex. "That was, um. I was afraid of what would come out of my mouth there."
"That was as much a matter of my influence as anything else. My curse has its moments. We weren’t exactly chaste while we awaited our turn."
"Yeah, I thought about that. I was afraid I’d stick my foot in my mouth and get us pulled over for flirting with a border agent. Pretty sure they’d qualify that as harassment."
"Ordinarily, yes. You might give yourself a little more credit. Yourself, and the influences you are under." Her hand drifted to his leg, though she wasn’t as ambitious as he’d been. "You are better at this than you know, Alex. You might consider using it to your advantage. You have every skill and talent you might need."
"We’ve talked about this before. A bunch. I know you’re fine with it. I get flirty. Sometimes it goes somewhere. It happens."
"I don’t mean casual flings. I’m talking about somewhat more utilitarian ends. You have an untapped talent for seduction, Alex. I have seen it many times."
His mouth twisted into a smirk. "We’re talking about me here, right?"
"You don’t get to play shy and innocent with me anymore, love," said Lorelei. "You know you have such talents. I see them daily."
"I think you’re biased."
"By experience, yes. I am also something of an expert in the field. Or do you doubt my qualifications?"
"You’re talking about this party tomorrow night. You’re talking about the people there."
"In the moment, yes. I do not know who you might meet or what options you may have. What I do know is the potential power and utility of this option."
"What, hooking up with the bad guys like I’m James Bond?"
"Using charm and sex appeal to your advantage, yes. If you have some fun along the way, so be it. You know I will not mind. Much the opposite. You do not run the risks shared by other mortals, Alex. You will catch no disease. You will not leave behind any pregnancy. Not as long as we are bound. We both know you would never violate anyone’s consent."
"Manipulating people doesn’t count?"
"I think you can trust your own moral compass on that concern. You know an innocent when you meet one. Those who would think you a target for manipulation are another matter. You are more than capable of turning that to your advantage."
Their surroundings spread out as they continued on, still largely rural, with open ground and tall trees to the right and a small neighborhood off to the left. Alex drove on. Lorelei waited in patient silence.
"I’ve been stalked and kidnapped by someone who wanted me as a mate," he said. "I lost my job because I wouldn’t have sex with my boss. You know what Lydia did to me. What she wanted to do. You were there."
"Yes. I remember. You are nothing of the sort, Alex. You are not the kind of man who preys upon women," she said. "You know full well who and what I am, yet you love me. You even love me because of all that I am.
"I know what you are and aren’t comfortable with," she continued. Her caress turned less seductive than the touch they’d shared at the border. "Lydia cared nothing for your consent. Your former boss and Diana were hardly any better. I suggest no such crime. Seduction is a matter of subterfuge, yes, but one that still requires consent.
"I say none of this to pressure you. Far from it. I only bring it up to let you know you have the option. You know how to use your talents and your charm."
"Maybe. I don’t know if I’m that guy," said Alex.
"I love you regardless."
He nodded, then threw her a confessional glance. "It’s not just you, though."
As usual, the topic made her smile. "You have three other lovers."
"One," he said. "Onyx is okay with the ‘boyfriend/girlfriend’ label for ease of conversation, but that’s still a tangle of feelings. And Molly is Molly. Whatever we are. But yeah. They matter here, too."
"Rachel would not hold you and I to different standards. She has watched me in action once already. Talk about it with her yourself. As for Molly and Onyx, I think they knew who you were when they took you home."
* * *
"Cool digs," said Rachel. She stood between the last pews, arms folded over her chest as her eyes rolled across the cathedral’s vaulted ceiling. "Landmark?"
"Yes, of course." The angel beside her spoke at a volume suited to a library. "The cornerstone was laid in 1899. Our city has grown much since then."
"Cool, cool," Rachel replied. With no mass or other meetings underway, the handful of mortal parishioners were outnumbered by the angels. Most were up near the altar, coming and going and occasionally casting a glance her way. She could walk straight through the pews and the people to find the angel she needed, except for how she couldn’t. Not with a babysitter on top of the chilly reception she’d gotten on arrival.
"I understand you all meet on top of a skyscraper in Seattle these days?" asked her minder.
"Pretty much," said Rachel.
"The city has several large places of worship, doesn’t it?"
"Yep. Nice ones."
"Why the change?"
"It’s functional. No walls on the roof. You can see all around." Rachel shrugged. "The city’s growing like a motherfucker."
"Rachel?" Another angel arrived, hands clasped and smiling politely. "He’ll see you now."
"Peace out," Rachel told her babysitter. She didn’t have to look back to sense his relief.
Walking across the chamber, Rachel noted a thinning of the crowd near the altar. She caught glances and a couple of awkward nods, but nothing more. Soon only one angel remained, waiting beside the altar with a stony expression. "What’s up, George?" she asked.
