“His offenses are indeed egregious,” Hannah deadpanned. “Though I meant to suggest you might have other duties to attend.”
“Right! The job. Dominion. Yeah. Think that’s under control right now, too. I made the rounds earlier. I’m good. Seriously.”
“You’re ready, then?”
“Yeah.”
“Nothing I might do to help you through this?”
“I’ll love you forever if you’d pull my hair and spank me a little before we head in there.”
Hannah rolled her eyes and turned away. “I suspect your love for me will endure if I decline, dear.”
“But Hannah, you’re my confidant!” Rachel pleaded sarcastically. She followed her mentor into the cathedral, hissing, “If I can’t turn to you in my moment of need, who else is there?”
“The burdens heaped upon you are truly unfair.”
“C’mon, we’ve been intimate before!” Rachel quipped. Hannah turned, gave her a dry look, and then continued on her way. “You could at least tell me I’m a dirty girl or something.”
“On that note,” Hannah said, “please remember that this is a chance to set an example for your dominion. A little eloquence and propriety would serve you well.”
Rachel dropped the rest of her teasing pleas as they entered the main chamber. Somewhere off beyond the altar, a mortal swept and cleaned with only the light through St. Mark’s windows and a couple of overhead lamps to guide him. He knew nothing of those assembled, neither hearing nor seeing the glory of hundreds of angels packed into the pews and hovering overhead. The light would have blinded him instantly.
Standing before the altar, Donald watched Rachel’s approach with all the composure he could muster. Others stood nearby, but the disgraced guardian angel wore no chains or other restraint. He couldn’t escape this.
All eyes turned to Rachel as she strode down the aisle. “Rachel of Seattle,” called Lawrence, looming beside Donald at the altar, “you have called this assembly to address charges you have laid against this guardian. We will hear your case, we will hear Donald’s defense, and we pass judgment. Please begin.”
Rachel took a spot beside Donald, glanced at him once in obvious disdain, and then turned to face the assembled angels. She could have heard a pin drop.
Time to be eloquent, she thought, and then her body shuddered in time with her far-off lovers. Rachel’s mouth opened and promptly shut to stifle a moan.
The assembly waited. The words she’d worked out to begin her case flitted away from her mind. Fucking dammit, you two, she thought. I had something for this moment! Shit! Shit! Everyone’s staring! Dammit!
She jerked her thumb at Donald. “This motherfucker is a complete twatwaffle of a guardian,” she began.
* * *
“Holy shit, this is complicated.”
“It’s just a bra.”
“Yeah, but damn, y’know?”
Standing with Jason’s arms wrapped around her inside her unbuttoned shirt, Amber let out a playful sigh and reached back to help him. “You just have to unhook the clasps,” she told him.
“You say that like I wasn’t trying to unhook. That’s not a normal clasp.”
“How familiar are you with women’s underwear?”
“Do you really want me to answer that?”
“Not if it’ll spoil the moment.”
He answered her with another kiss, full on the mouth, as his hands reached up to massage her back now free of her bra. She hummed appreciatively at both aspects of his affection, letting him walk her slowly backward into his bedroom. To his credit, he’d happily dragged out their foreplay in the living room until she couldn’t stand anymore.
She stopped as soon as she felt the corner of his bed against her legs. “Wait,” she said, and claimed another kiss before she went on, “I have to ditch these.”
“What?” he asked.
She reached around to get rid of the handcuffs behind her hip. Her gun already sat on his coffee table, quickly discarded to prevent any accidents. “Don’t get any ideas about these,” she said, holding up the cuffs. “They’re not comfortable.”
“Yeah, I noticed earlier.”
“No, I mean even in bed.”
Jason scowled in protest. “So, what, you and whatever guy you were with just jumped right into the bondage stuff the same day they gave you your first pair of handcuffs, didn’t you?”
“Well, yeah,” Amber snorted. “What do you think happens? Hey,” she said, her hand coming up behind his neck as he rolled his eyes, “He’s not here now. He lost.”
“I wasn’t worried about it.”
“Besides, I’m still sore about being put in my own handcuffs. That was pretty messed up. I didn’t even get an apology.”
“Maybe I can make that up to you?”
Amber’s grin broadened. “Maybe,” she hissed, and then tugged him down onto the bed beside her. She pulled his shirt up over his head, tossing it aside before running her hands down his chest. His fingers went to the button and fly of her slacks. Her hips rose to aid his work.
“Tell me you’ve got condoms,” said Amber. She immediately noticed his slight hesitation. “Oh, you’re kidding me. I just didn’t want to spoil the moment before, so I figured I’d ask later, but-“
“No, I’ve got condoms, we’re cool,” he grinned.
“What, you don’t like wearing them?”
Jason shrugged. “I’ll wear a condom. No big. I was just thinkin’ I’ve got a clean bill of health from the clinic sitting on my dresser there. But I’m cool, they’re right over in-“
She stopped his hand as it reached for his nightstand. His eyes came back to hers to find a naughty gleam. “Tubes are tied,” she said.
“You sure?” he asked.
“Well, I was under sedation at the time.”
“No, I mean… okay,” he smiled broadly before the two fell into kissing again.
Amber put off removing his gym shorts until he had her in nothing but her panties, wanting to get some sort of parity going before the moment came. Touch alone told her that he wouldn’t disappoint, but more and more she noticed how well they synched as they played. She loved his attitude, his easy manner, and his patience.
He knew how to take it slow. He also knew when to get naughty. The hand that slipped up under her breast to gently knead and stroke her while he hooked his other thumb under her panties proved that.
Such a good catch, she thought approvingly, except…
“I don’t want a long-distance relationship, Jason,” she said in his ear.
He slowed. Her panties didn’t come off. “Wait, is this a one-night booty call?”
“No! No, it’s not that either. Did you think it was?”
“Well, I’ll take what I can get, but it’s not what I want.”
“I live in LA, Jason,” she told him. “I busted my ass to get out of Washington. I need the sun.”
“Is this something we need to work out now?”
“What if it is?” she grinned, plainly not meaning it.
“Fuck it, I can transfer,” he grunted as he tugged her panties free.
Amber sighed at the feeling of his hands all over her hips, welcoming him to go on playing as long as he wanted. Her appreciation grew more vocal as she felt his gentle fingers move between her legs to explore the wet flesh there. He stroked her lips and tenderly probed, drawing out both moans and more welcoming warmth.
Ready to stop fooling around now, Amber pushed him over onto his back and grabbed for his shorts. They came off easily enough, treating her to her first sight of him fully naked. She smiled with approval as she straddled him. “Oops. Look who wound up on top.”
“I can handle that.”
“Sure you can,” Amber said, and then gasped as his hands firmly guided her hips into place. She reached between them to guide his shaft, wanting to tease herself for only a moment more before claiming him.
She’d never felt so beautiful. Other guys had flattered her before, wanting to get where Jason now was, but Amber knew Jason was much more genuine than that. He felt so good within her and looked at her with such affection. Amber lay down on top of him, wanting to feel as much of her partner as possible as he began to move to their mutual pleasure.