* * *
Rachel sat perched on the balcony rail outside the honeymoon suite. The cold rain didn’t bother her at all. In fact, it was probably for the best. It kept her from overheating.
Watching the suite all through the night and well into the morning left her feeling quite hot indeed. She kept her hands pinned under her butt because she had no idea who might fly past while she tried to relieve the maddening heat between her legs.
Mesmerized by the action in her charge’s bed, Rachel was a bit startled when she heard the voice behind her ask, “Have you been here watching them all this time?”
Rachel yelped, jumping off the rail and whirling around. Floating there on angelic wings was Julia, Taylor’s guardian angel. Where Rachel looked fairly close to Alex and Taylor’s ages, Julia looked old enough to be Taylor’s mother. Her divinely beautiful mother, but older nonetheless. Age and image were relative things among angels, but the outward appearance of maturity only enhanced the suspicion and disapproval on Julia’s face.
“Uh, yeah,” Rachel said, recovering quickly. “I’m, like, guarding? Like a guardian?”
“Like a voyeur,” Julia said dryly. She folded her arms across her chest.
“Call it whatever you want,” Rachel shrugged, “point is I’m on the fuckin’ job.”
Julia just shook her head. “Peace. I do not mean to judge you. I am not blind to your predicament. Nor do I question your devotion to duty.”
Rachel released her hostility. “Thanks,” she said, brushing strands of soaking wet hair from her face.
“This does not exactly meet with my favor, though. Has the whore thoroughly corrupted my Taylor?”
“No. Lorelei hasn’t done anything that we could act on. And I wouldn’t call it corruption, anyway. She’s not…she doesn’t do that anymore, remember?”
“I have heard your position on her. You’ll forgive me if I reserve my judgment for now.”
“Well, she’s about to leave anyway. Taking off for wherever to give Alex and Taylor some time alone. And he’s no corruptor.”
“I know Alex well. They have been friends for several years. I have seen much more of him than you have.” Rachel smirked, casting a meaningful glance back at the balcony door. “Well,” Julia huffed, “not like that.”
Rachel’s expression was unchanged. “They’re kinda hot together. He looks better naked than you probably gave him credit for. Better than Taylor expected. Seems like he can really use what he’s got, too.”
At that, Julia huffed again. “Alex was a fine young man. It was never his physical appearance that kept him from having any chance with Taylor. He lacked self-confidence and wore his heart on his sleeve. He sought happiness from others that he should have been able to find in himself. It puts a girl off, you know.”
Rachel’s smirk turned to a wider grin. “Doesn’t sound like the Alex I know. Maybe this isn’t just Lorelei’s influence at work alone?”
Julia granted Rachel’s suggestion a nod. “I’m sure Alex has grown considerably since high school. I imagine his recent trials have also left him feeling more confident.” After a pause, she added, “The Alex that I saw last night was a very different young man than the boy I remember.”
“Trials will do that to a person,” Rachel shrugged. Her smile became sly and mischievous. “You sure you don’t want to watch them for awhile?”
“I think not. I have other charges. You have only the one. I came in part to say that you are doing well as a guardian angel. Others had their doubts that a mere messenger could rise to this, but all things considered I believe you are handling yourself quite well.”
Rachel blinked. “Wow. Um. Thanks.”
Julia allowed a bit of a smile. “And if the succubus steps an inch outside of her boundaries, I expect you to pitch her into the bay.” With that, Julia soared away on her broad white wings.
Rachel let out a long, deep breath. Finally, she’s gone, she thought. The praise meant a lot to her…but so did the naughty show inside.
* * *
“Thank you for this,” said Alex. He leaned against the wall outside the suite, wrapped in a bathrobe and Lorelei’s arms. She wore a casual but flattering blue dress.
“No. Thank you, Alex. This is lovely. I may develop an addiction to good-hearted people,” Lorelei grinned.
“I meant this whole weekend. Everything. You.”
“Reward me by enjoying yourself,” she said, slipping out of their embrace. “Talk. Make love. Have fun. But don’t feel you must make more of this than it is. Your popular culture aggrandizes young love, yet the world is bigger than that. I would not have made a point of reuniting you with your high school crush had she not all but literally fallen into your lap the way she did. You both may well be better as intimate friends than lovers.”
“I’m not looking for that. I’ve got you. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d ever see her after graduation. I was shocked as hell to run into her again.”
Lorelei nodded. “Consider that she might not have come here had you not already made your peace with losing her.”
“Are you always going to counsel me on how to handle other women?” he smiled.
“It serves my purposes. Truth be told, I’m being entirely selfish,” Lorelei answered. “Go. Decide where to go from here, or leave it unspoken as you wish. I would be more than happy to be ruthlessly used as a bargaining chip,” the succubus added with a wink. “I’ll be able to keep myself amused for awhile.”
Alex didn’t ask how she’d do that. He simply nodded, said, “I love you,” and went back inside.
Taylor stood a short distance away, staring at her naked body in the mirrored closet door. “I am fucking hot,” she declared in amazement.
“I know. Turns out I’ve always known,” Alex chuckled.
“No, I mean look at me.”
“I’m really looking at you.”
“I had a bit of a belly. Just yesterday. My legs weren’t this toned. And my butt was flatter. I’ve got like a perfect, tight bubble butt now. Look at me!”
“I am. I always thought you were beautiful, Taylor.”
“Okay, maybe I was cute, but not like this. I could be in movies just because I’m this hot. I wouldn’t even have to be able to act.”
“Glad you’re setting your personal standards high there.”
“God, I’m getting turned on again just looking at myself.”
“Well, then, I’d hate to get between you and you,” Alex smirked.
Taylor laughed at his comment and at herself. She finally tore her eyes off the mirror to look at him. “I sound stupid, don’t I?”
“I’d do you. My girlfriend would do you, too.” He grew a touch more serious as he added, “I’m glad you came.”
“Over and over and over,” she smirked. Taylor turned from the mirror to Alex, reaching into his bathrobe to explore with her hands.
He groaned at her pun. “Yeah, that, too.”
“We’ve got a lot to talk about, don’t we?”
“We do.” Alex’s tongue twitched at the sensations she put him through. His eyes fluttered. “But you’re driving me crazy with this.”
“I can tell,” she grinned. “So how…how do you and Lorelei find time to talk about anything? How do you not just have sex all the time?”
“I thought we were gonna talk about us?”
“Hey, I slept with her, too. And might again from the sounds of things. Kinda silly to be shy now. But it’s not like I can’t see how serious you two are,” Taylor said, drawing close enough to him to whisper her words into his ear. “So how do you handle the tension?”
Her hands escalated beyond friendliness. “We…uh…pretty much just give in whenever we feel the need and…tuh, talk…when we’ve c-calmed down.”
Taylor shuddered. “That sounds awesome.” Then she shook herself, firmly closed his robe and stepped back. “Wait. No. Talking. Supposed to do talking stuff.” She strode over to a table and grabbed the other robe.
Though he agreed with her, Alex needed a moment to shake off his rising desires. “Yeah. Right. Talking.” He sat down on the foot of the bed.