Good Intentions (19 page)

More blinking. “Alex did?” The cop nodded, shook Alex’s hand and Taylor’s, and left. “I should really be going, too,” Taylor said. “Right, right,” Alex nodded. “Thanks for coming with, Taylor.” She smiled. “I’l be in touch. Promise.” She leaned in, kissed him lightly on the lips, then grabbed her purse and headed out. Michel e saw this and looked at Alex with a smile of surprise and pride threatening to disrupt her shocked expression. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t known about his high school angst. “You and Taylor?” she mouthed. “Um, Mom,” Alex said, figuring that now was an appropriately horrible moment to get it out of the way, “this is Lorelei. My girlfriend.” Michel e’s thoughts ground to a halt. This woman had to be ten years older than Alex, maybe more. She was dressed in designer clothing. She looked like a supermodel, except supermodels needed makeup and airbrushing. Later, she would feel awful about it, but the only thing she could think to say was: “Seriously?” “Wow. Thanks, Mom,” Alex sighed. “Ladies,” a voice broke in, “I’m going to need some room. I need to put a better wrapping on him. Could you step outside?” “Sure,” Michel e said, trying to come back to reality. “What’s wrong? I don’t even know how he’s hurt.” “Cracked rib, bruised kidney, generally knocked around,” the nurse shrugged. “He needs to stay home tomorrow at least and take it easy for the next couple of weeks.” She then looked expectantly at Michel e. Lorelei was already

stepping out. Eventual y, the mother understood and walked out of the room. “Yeah, this is gonna be awkward,” Alex sighed. “Honey, if I was your momma, I wouldn’t believe that woman is your girlfriend, either.” Outside the room, Michel e was immediately, inexplicably uncomfortable in being alone with this woman. “Mrs. Carlisle,” Lorelei began, “We’re both sorry that you and I are meeting for the first time like this.” “How long have you been seeing my son?” Michel e asked, still quite stunned. “I didn’t know he was seeing anybody. He’s never had a girlfriend.” Lorelei smiled softly. “We only met a few days ago. several men had accosted me. Alex saved my life.” “Are you—are you serious with this? On top of tonight? When did my son become a superhero?” Lorelei’s smile twitched a bit. “I wouldn’t cal him that, but as the officer said, he’s an extraordinarily brave and unselfish man.” “He’s—? He couldn’t sleep without his stuffed pony until six years ago! The footbal coach cut him for flinching too much!” “I can hear you, Mom!” Alex’s voice reverberated through the window next to her. Michel e winced, tossed an apologetic glance over her shoulder, then looked back to Lorelei. “There is a difference between common machismo and courage,” Lorelei shrugged smoothly. “Alex is often cautious because he is intel igent and does not take unnecessary risks. But faced with a worthy task, his inner fortitude is quite inspiring.” The mother’s eyes flared. She had no doubt what this stranger meant by ‘inspiring,’ regardless of how subtle her shift

in tone was. “Look,” she said, “you’re obviously a very sophisticated, older… b-beautiful woman. I mean, I think the world of my son, but he’s just a year out of high school. This doesn’t compute.” “Does it have to?” “Of course it does! This is just…what would a woman like you want with my son?” Lorelei simply shrugged. “I want to make him happy.” * She didn’t come home with Alex and Michel e. At least, not that Michel e saw. They faked a goodbye. Al it had taken was a wordless glance for him to understand that she would catch up to him later, undetected. “I don’t want to sound so critical,” his mother said in the front seat of Eddie’s car, “but that woman seems just so…I don’t want to say this, but—” “Say it, Mom,” Alex sighed. He sat in the back seat, as straight as he could manage for the benefit of his cracked rib. The conversation was uncomfortable, but he wasn’t angry about it. This was bound to happen. He couldn’t blame his mother for reacting like this. “Doesn’t it just seem too good to be true?” “I’d think that if things went more smoothly,” her son grumbled grimly. “That’s the other thing. I mean, she got you shot! Three guys came to kidnap you and that Taylor girl—and what’s up with that, by the way?”

“Those guys were looking for Lorelei because they thought she knew someone they knew, Mom. I told you already. Just like we told the cops. And Taylor and I are just friends.” “Honey, ‘just friends’ don’t say goodbye like that. Her name came out of your mouth twenty times a day for years. I’m surprised your head didn’t explode in there.” “I don’t have an explanation for that, Mom,” he sighed. Not that he was going to tel her right now, anyway. Michel e was normally much cooler. The isolated hook up in a store dressing room would have shocked her and would easily have been well into “too much information” territory, but in the end she would have laughed it off and let him live his life. There was just no way to put it into context now. “That didn’t seem to bother Lorelei,” Michel e noted. “Not a whole lot does.” “Are you sure she isn’t just using you for something?” “Like what? My money? My awesome social connections? Can we talk about this later, Mom?” “I’m sorry,” Michel e sighed. She looked at Eddie. “And I’m sorry you’re here for al this.” Eddie just shrugged. “It’s not my business, but I can’t really blame your mom, Alex,” he put in, glancing up at the mirror. “This is your first relationship, right?” “First girlfriend label, yeah. Not that we’ve really discussed it. I just didn’t know how else to introduce her.” He nodded. “Look, only a fool would try to tel you to stop seeing someone like her,” he said as much for Michel e as for Alex, “and an age gap like that means less and less as you get older. It’s just odd because you’re so young. I don’t want to discount the idea that you’re really just happy together and everything will work out great, but that gap is going to be a real chal enge.”

“Don’t I know it,” Alex muttered. Michel e frowned, resenting the fact that Eddie was right. There was no way to tel someone her son’s age not to date someone like Lorelei if the opportunity was there. She turned back to Alex. “Are you in love with her?” He glanced meaningfully at the back of her co-worker’s head, as if to remind her that he’d met the guy al of once before if ever. “We haven’t used that word.” “But are you?” “I don’t know. I get how weird this is. Better than you do, Mom,” he said, shrugging glumly. “But I’m not going to let go of something good just because of what might happen. I’l be careful, but if I get my heart broken, I guess that’s just the way it goes, right?” Michel e’s frown did not abate, but she really couldn’t argue with that. He’d learned it from his mother. Lorelei’s car was parked just up the block from Alex’s home as they pul ed up. Complete with broken window, he thought. Alex wondered if she were sitting inside it, but couldn’t really go look. Instead, he gingerly exited the car and walked with the two of them to the entrance to the condo complex. He found Lorelei waiting there, standing by the front gate with a single finger held up to her lips. She winked. A laptop bag hung from one hand. The others obviously couldn’t see her. “I guess I’l see you tomorrow, Eddie,” Michel e said. “I’m probably going to go in late in the morning.” “I can’t blame you. Sure you don’t want to take the day off? Everyone will understand.” “I don’t know. We’ve still got to wrap up those contracts. And I’l have to go get my car, anyway. Thanks so much, Eddie.” Alex had already buzzed himself and the unseen succubus inside. Michel e paused to kiss Eddie on the cheek before fol owing them. At the elevator, Alex asked with a smirk, “Is that how co-workers say goodbye, Mom?”

“Oh, you’re one to talk.” * “Holy shit,” Alex said with his hands over his face as he lay in bed. “I can’t believe my mother just tucked me in. It’s like I’m supposed to be eight years old again.” Lorelei kept her amused smile to a minimum. “It’s understandable. Moving is painful for you at the moment. You could have been kil ed. She feels the need to be a mother.” “Stil . I should’ve known she’d freak out about you.” His hands fell away. He looked up at her, now standing over his bed in the relative darkness. A gibbous moon and reflected street lighting through his window provided enough light to see her. “We could have done a number of things to mitigate this. It is not too late. I could look younger to her and others, and convince her to remember this night slightly differently. Some degree of deception is necessary, given the reality of our situation.” He sighed, considering it. “I don’t want to hide you or what you are. Or what you are to me.” Lorelei smiled softly. “What do you want, Alex?” “I want you. I want to be with you,” Alex answered. “I don’t want to hide with you in my bedroom in my mom’s house anymore.” “I had assumed that last part,” Lorelei said. Her intensified smile showed how pleased she was with the rest of his answer. “I can help ensure your mother comes to terms with it. There is no harm there. We can acquire a new place

for you—us—to live fairly easily.” “We accomplished basically nothing we went out to do tonight,” he grumbled. “I am rather amazed at al that you have accomplished,” Lorelei replied. “Priorities often shift regardless of intentions. And I am at least in possession of my finances and transportation again, along with a few other helpful things. The rest will come quickly. Alex, I am terribly sorry for what happened to you and Taylor.” “You’ve said. A bunch of times. You don’t have to apologize. I know you didn’t plan al that.” “I would like to make it up to you,” she said, slipping off her jacket. Alex smiled. “I’m sure I’d really like that,” he said quietly. “Just don’t make me move my upper body.” Lorelei smiled back, dropping the jacket on his desk chair. “Tonight you mustn’t move a muscle. Just relax and let me take care of you. I think you’l find that I am very skill ed in physical therapy.” She reached for his stereo and pressed a single button. It was pop music, soft, sexy and turned down comfortably low. Lorelei began to sway. “Among my other talents,” she added with a smile. Alex watched as she slowly ran her hands over her body, starting from her legs and moving upward to draw is attention to every delicious curve. She had quite a few of those. She hooked a thumb under one shoulder strap of her top, pulling it free. “You set this up ahead of time,” he said quietly. “I had the better part of two days here to myself,” Lorelei conceded in a hushed tone. Both shoulders were bared now, and with her arms crossed over her chest, she leaned forward to give him a teasing view. “I rather like setting up things to please you.” “Like Audrey?”

She laughed, just a little. The succubus straightened, continuing her slow strip-down. “Yes, like Audrey. Though I suspect you aren’t giving yourself enough credit for making that happen. I hope you know now that my designs are in line with your conscience. I know what you can and cannot accept.” Her crossed arms rose, lifting her top up over her head to reveal a lacy purple bra that she hardly needed for support. The top fell to the floor. “Did you know Taylor would be there?” “I had no idea. But I could feel your sudden desire for her. Knowing your desires as I do, I knew it could be no one else. You seemed to have handled that quite well .” “There’s no way she’d have jumped me like that without whatever you did to me. I’m not really sure I should be proud of myself for that.” “It’s not mind control,” Lorelei reminded him. “You may be more attractive because of me, but don’t discount her own agency in this. She has known you for years. Taylor’s motivations were hers alone. She knew what she was doing and why.” Partly mol ified by Lorelei’s argument, Alex gave a tiny shrug. “She knew that I would tel you it happened, and was okay with that.” “I felt you make love with her, Alex. That is what it was, regardless of the setting. I felt it al , as if I were part of it. So much genuine affection and passion. You need not worry about me betraying your trust. I shall consider her as protected as any close to you. Your time with her was amazing.” Her thumbs slipped under the waistband of her jeans, sliding around them to draw attention to her hips, her al uring bel y, and the sexy depressions between. “You seem to have parted on very good terms despite tonight’s ugliness.” “I’m amazed at that. She said she just wants to be friends, but she doesn’t want to lose touch again. Taylor, um, seemed interested in hooking up again in the future, though.” Lorelei’s eyes glittered with interest. “Oh?”

“If my girlfriend doesn’t mind,” Alex said with a slightly sheepish smile. “Oh, Alex,” Lorelei said, “I may want that even more than you.” “Is it that enjoyable for you?” Lorelei nodded. “I have told you that your desires and pleasures empower and heal me. Hedonism aside, I derive strength from my victim’s lusts, not my own,” she winked. She continued to sway enticingly to the music as she spoke. “I’m really supposed to just run willd like this? Won’t that hurt a lot of people?” “Ordinarily, I don’t make much of a concern of others,” Lorelei shrugged. “My usual goal is to tempt mortals into a spiral of self-destruction. Naturally others are bruised in the process.” She reached out to stroke her fingers across his chin. “But I know how important it is to you to keep your conscience clean. You aren’t ‘supposed’ to do anything. Restrict yourself to me alone if that’s really what you want. I merely want you to recognize your opportunities.” Lorelei delighted in his gaze. It was plain in her smile. “What happened tonight brought great strides in my recovery,” Lorelei said. The top button on her jeans came undone. The zipper came down. Alex caught only a hint of the purple lace underneath before she turned away, still swaying, now showing off that ass he found so mesmerizing. The jeans started to slide down, revealing purple boycut panties and flawless flesh…and something new. “Lorelei, you…” Alex blinked. “You have a tail.” She looked over her shoulder at him with a smile. Swaying across her back from just above the crack of her ass was a long, thin, darkly-colored devil’s tail. “Others will not see it. You will rarely see it yourself, and I can always conceal it if you prefer. You don’t seem the type to develop a fetish for tails…but I did not expect you to be bothered, either.” “I’m not,” Alex said, a bit surprised to say it. “I’m just glad to hear it’s a good sign.”

“It is. As Rachel said in the graveyard, symbolism means much to beings such as us. The loss of supernatural features brings with it a loss of power. Regaining this is a significant improvement. I am more grateful than I can say.” “Long way to go yet, though, isn’t there?” “Yes,” Lorelei said, “a very long way. I don’t think there will be such easy shortcuts again.” She slipped onto the bed, sliding along his body more like a snake than a person. “We have much…work ahead.” * Sergeant Alex Carlisle was held firm on the cold metal table by energy beams that looped around his feet, wrists and shoulders. They had stripped him of weapons and gear, leaving him only his fatigue pants and a torn black shirt. He didn’t know how long he’d been there, but it couldn’t have been long. The headache from the enemy’s stun weapons had only just worn off. He heard the slide of the door to the softly lit prison chamber. The familiar click of heels on metal flooring crept closer. She was strol ing, smiling in wicked triumph. “Hel o again, Carlisle,” crooned the Star Queen. “Funny, isn’t it, how we keep meeting like this?” “You mean right before I escape and blow up your facility?” he grunted. “Again?” “Oh,” the beautiful Star Queen tutted, looming over him. “There’s no need to be unfriendly.” She was dressed in shimmering silver strands that hung from jewels along her neckline and shoulder. It spread out below her breasts to reveal her flat, sexy belly and the low line of her similarly glittering skirt. A guard was with her, yet another young woman whose lovely face was set in a deadly serious expression. The Star