by Sara York
The clouds opened and rain poured from the sky. Lightning traced a wicked path to the ground, striking dangerously close. Maybe God would smite him now and he wouldn’t be forced to torture himself by making Alexandria love another.
A truck rounded the corner before him, and slowed. He was ready to wave the traveller off when he saw Alexandria behind the wheel. Recognition showed on her face and lit her eyes.
Shit, I’m screwed.
“Get in.” She’d pulled to the side of the road and rolled down her window, letting in a torrent of water that soaked her shirt.
He couldn’t say no. He raced around the truck and pulled open the door. The temperature had dropped with the storm, chilling him to the bone. Alexandria turned the heater on before putting the truck into gear and taking off.
“What are you doing up here?” she asked.
“Running. It’s my day off and I wanted to get some exercise in.”
“How many miles so far?”
“Nine or so.” Lash cursed himself for getting into her truck. Her sweet scent made his brain fuzz. His tongue curled at the thought of tasting her again. But he couldn’t. They’d already had sex one too many times. Another mistake and God might just send Puriel to get him instead of Michael to warn him. Puriel wouldn’t play nice—no matter how much God had loved Lash before, he would bet the little dude would be allowed to inflict intense pain and suffering. No, this time Lash had to play nice, and be without blame in God’s eyes.
“You driving all the way back into town?” he asked.
“Yep, want me to drop you at the station?”
“Sure, you could come in for some lunch.” Why the hell had he just said that? He didn’t want her anywhere near him. How the heck could he keep his hands off her if he did stupid stuff like invite her to spend time with him?
“Yeah, I would love that.”
The rain picked up, slowing their progress back into town. Lash thought about asking her to pull over and let him walk the rest of the way home, but he couldn’t form the words to get her to stop the truck.
Just being near Alexandria made him want her. How had God thought Lash could ever help her to fall in love with another man? The desire to possess Alexandria as his own clawed its way up his belly, leaving him dissatisfied.
“You’re rather silent today.”
Lash laughed, not wanting to reveal his inner struggle to her. “Sorry, just a bit numb from running. I guess I’m not good company today. You may not want to spend too much time with me.”
“Don’t be silly. I love spending time with you.”
Heck, it was going to be almost impossible to turn her off him and on to another guy. It sucked that he had no clue who the guy was.
Alexandria pulled her truck into the fire station parking lot. Both of them ran for the cover of the front porch, getting soaked on the way. Alexandria fell into his arms, laughing as another round of thunder shook the ground. She looked up, her gaze full of love and caring.
Lash felt like crap. He would have to break her heart, but he doubted he had the strength to give her up.
The door to the fire station opened and Scott stepped out. He stared at Alexandria, dripping wet and sexy in her almost transparent clothes, and a spark of desire fired in the other man’s eyes. Lash’s stomach dropped and his heart stalled. Everything slowed to a standstill. Scott was the man God had chosen for Alexandria.
Lash expected to feel hatred towards the man, but he had none. Scott would make an excellent husband for Alexandria and a wonderful father, too. He actually liked Scott, and now he had to make his lover fall in love with the man. The irony of it sucked.
“Hey, Lash, you with us?” Scott asked.
“What? Oh, sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.”
“You up for pizza?” Alexandria asked, and her eyebrows rose as she brushed a hand down his arm. “You still want to eat lunch together?”
“Sure, as long as Scott joins us.” Damn, why had he asked Scott along with them? What had possessed him to include the guy? He shouldn’t want this interloper to spend time with Alexandria, but God’s command ruled his conscience. He had to obey the request to get Scott and the love of his heart to hook up and become a family.
“Um, okay. Scott, you want some pizza?”
“Sure, I would love that.” Scott’s face lit up as he grabbed on to Alexandria’s arm and escorted her into the fire station.
Lash followed behind the couple, way too aware of the desire coming off Scott and Alexandria’s response. Just last night he’d been buried deep inside her, knowing that he would never love another, and she was already showing interest in Scott.
Maybe he was over-exaggerating their connection. He should be pleased that they had some sort of chemistry—otherwise it would have made setting them up almost impossible. It would make it easier to leave his love in Scott’s care if he believed Scott would love her. His stomach turned and his head ached, but he would do everything in his power to get them together.
Lash gritted his teeth as Scott joked with Alexandria. They would make a cute couple, and their children would be beautiful. Lash’s heart ached and he felt sick. Scott would be wonderful for Alexandria.
Chapter Five
Alexandria couldn’t believe she’d let Lash sneak away. For some reason, Scott had been way more interesting than she’d remembered him to be. She’d known him for so long, but never before had she found him so appealing. Lash had sneaked out at some point, and she wondered if he’d been jealous. Not that he had anything to worry about.
After spending way too long talking to Scott she made her way home, striking out in her search for Lash. The sun set quickly, leaving the apartment building’s parking lot in total darkness. The manager really needed to fix the lights. Sometimes they worked, other times they didn’t, and the inconsistency drove her crazy.
She parked on the far side of the lot and jogged to her front door. A dark figure stepped out from behind a tree, spooking her. She screamed and jumped back.
“Alexandria, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Lash drew closer and she could make out his face. Relief filled her.
“Oh, dang. I’ve been looking for you. What happened after lunch? You took off.”
“I just had some stuff I had to do.”
“Come in.”
Lash shook his head, knowing exactly what would happen if he spent more time alone with her.
“Please. I promise I won’t bite.”
Lash allowed her to pull him into her apartment. He couldn’t help but return her kiss once she started in on him. This would be the last time.
She wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace before her fingers fluttered to his jeans, undoing the snap and pulling them off. He groaned, knowing he needed to say no but wanting her body next to his. She was made to love him. The more he thought about giving her up, the less he could let go.
She stripped off his clothes, then went for hers. Turning her down wasn’t an option, but he had to tell her the truth. Before she could sheath his dick with a condom, he held her at arm’s length and forced her to look at him.
“Alexandria, I have to tell you something.”
“You look serious.”
“I am serious. I need you to know this.”
She raked her teeth across her lower lip, and that almost undid him—his balls tightened against his body.
“Let me guess, you’re married or something like that.”
He shook his head. If only this had been as simple as him being married, but this was so much worse.
“I’m not who I said I was.”
Her brows drew together and she squinted. This girl was sharp and wouldn’t let anything slip through the cracks. He would have to tell her as much of the truth as he could, but Puriel’s punishment still loomed over him.
“I’m not who I seem to be. I’m different. This isn’t my bo—” Pain arced down his left leg and brought him to his knees.
“Lash, are you okay?”
“No. And I’m not La—” Another burst of pain wrenched through his back. Sweat popped out across his forehead.
“Lash, your nose is bleeding.” Alexandria raced away to the bathroom and came back with a washcloth.
He looked up into her eyes, knowing that this would be the end of their relationship. He would end their love affair tonight, one way or another. Then he would set her up with Scott, maybe even beg Cupid for some help. He stood and placed his hands on her shoulders again, fixing her with his most serious stare.
“Whatever you do, you must forgive your brother.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Please, promise me this. I need you to forgive your brother. Find a way to make your relationship right.”
She stood back, eyeing him suspiciously. “How do you know about my brother?”
Lash waved his hands and shook his head, “It doesn’t matter.”
“It matters to me.”
“Talk at the station. Your cousin works there.”
Alexandria sighed and shrugged her shoulders, “Fine, I’ll think about it.”
Lightning danced outside as thunder rolled through the sky. He heard the language of angels under the rumble of thunder. He’d accomplished his task. She would forgive her brother.
Lightning crashed outside and she jumped against him. Her curves melted against his skinny frame. The pain in his heart increased. The truth burned his soul.
With a burst of energy he shouted, “I’m not Lash, I’m Ra—” Lash’s body buckled and they both tumbled to the floor.
Alexandria hit her head, and pain shot through her body. For a moment, all was black. When she came to, she checked the lump forming on her head for blood. Her hand came away clean. Lash had curled into a ball on the floor, his body twitching as if someone were kicking him.
“Lash, what’s wrong? Do I need to call an ambulance?”
“No,” he ground out. “Don’t call anyone.”
After his body stopped twitching he opened his eyes, gazing directly at her, whispering, “I’m not Lash, I’m Ra—” Lash passed out, his eyes rolling up in his head.
Alexandria knew first aid from the training she’d received to work up in the mountains. In seconds, she had Lash laid out and his airways open. With her phone in hand, she started to dial for help but someone pounded on her front door. Maybe a neighbour had heard their distress and called for help.
After checking on Lash’s breathing one more time, Alexandria pulled on her robe and raced to the door, opening it. She couldn’t believe her eyes. “Rafe, what are you doing here?”
“Just came by to see if you—What was that noise?”
Lash moaned and his voice carried from the bedroom. Rafe pushed past her, ignoring her demands that he stop.
Rafe raced into her bedroom before she could stop him, a smile covering the lower half of his face. When he saw her glaring at him, he changed his expression.
“What happened to Lash?”
“You know him?”
“Yeah, he’s an old childhood friend. We’ve known each other forever.”
Alexandria had covered Lash’s privates with a towel, and now she was glad she had. “He passed out.”
“Hmm, you don’t say. Were you guys doing it when he went down?”
Alexandria’s entire body went hot. “That’s none of your business.”
“More of my business than you think.” Rafe pulled Lash to his feet, then ducked his shoulder under Lash’s waist and put him in a fireman’s hold.
She grabbed on to Rafe’s arm, trying to stop him, but he brushed off her hand. “What are you doing with him?”
“I’m going to take him home. Help him get back on his feet.”
“What if I want him to stay here?” Alexandria asked.
“Lash is a complicated sort of fellow. I’ll take care of him and, if he wants to come back here, he’ll be free to do so. But I can’t leave a buddy like him lying on the floor.”
Rafe marched out of the bedroom to the front door before Alexandria could follow. She called after Rafe, asking him to call when Lash woke up.
She threw her hands up in the air and screamed out in frustration. After catching her breath, she called her cousin. When Mac didn’t answer his phone she made up her mind to pay a little visit to him, and then Rafe. She would find out what he’d done with Lash. She needed to talk to Lash and sort out what he’d meant when he’d said he wasn’t who everyone thought he was.
Rafe pushed Lash to the back of the closet and secured the chain to the floor. “There—the golden chain should keep you locked down here. The gold is from the rivers of Heaven, so you can’t break the metal or escape. Don’t even try.”
“You bastard. What are you going to do to Alexandria?”
Rafe posed for Lash, showing off his devastatingly handsome physique. “What woman wouldn’t want to have a piece of this? I’ll make her happy. For a while, at least.”
“No, I demand you stop.”
Rafe threw back his head and let out a howl of laughter. “You demand. God Himself is punishing you, and yet you demand I stop. I don’t think you are in any position to demand anything from me.”
“Michael will stop you. He’ll be here any minute. Things have changed.”
“No, they haven’t, and no, he won’t. I’m not endangering little Alexandria with my plans. It’s fair to take you out of the picture by disabling you. I haven’t attacked you or tried to hurt our girl. It’s all good.”
Rafe slammed the closet door, glad he’d been able to trap Lash. It wasn’t every day a demon put one over on an angel. Heaven wouldn’t be singing his praises, but who gave a shit?
Now, what to do about Alexandria? She wouldn’t be able to resist his charms, and he could make Lash look like an idiot too. This day couldn’t get any better.
He left his apartment, surprised to see Alexandria pulling up in her old pickup truck. She seemed a little angry and slightly confused. A thrill shot through him. Using her doubt and insecurities to colour her impression of Lash would win him some points. The only downside was that he couldn’t take her upstairs for a little fun, since Lash occupied his bedroom closet.
Rafe ran down the stairs and pulled her into a tight hug. “Alexandria, what a surprise.”
She pushed against him. It was nothing like the way he’d imagined her cuddling up against him as he stroked her ego and her body.
“Where’s Lash?”
“Oh, that was so unfortunate and embarrassing for him. I dropped him by the fire house.”
“What? He’s not alone, is he? Only a few minutes ago he was passed out on my floor.”
Rafe tisked his tongue, trying to look the part of a concerned friend. “Yes, well, he came to and was devastated.”
“Devastated? Why?”
Rafe ducked his head and swiped at his face to keep from laughing. He did his best to look upset. “Well, you know he… Gosh, this is embarrassing.”
“Spill it.”
“He can’t perform.” Again, Rafe had to run his hand down his face, hiding the smile that threatened to erupt. Brilliant didn’t even begin to describe him. He’d slammed Lash without really even trying.
“Perform?” Alexandria’s eyebrows bunched together, then her face turned pink as she put her hands on her hips, her stance cocky. “He’s perfectly capable of performing. What’s really up?”
The slant of her eyes and the tilt of her chin meant she wasn’t buying his story. This bitch was a tough nut to crack. Why didn’t she believe him? Maybe he hadn’t been giving the little angel enough credit. Rafe had never scored with the women when he’d been in his old body. Usually he’d had to use deception to even get close to a woman. But with his new body getting women should be easy.
“Lash isn’t himself. He has issues. Really, the guy is disturbed. Not someone you should hang around with long term.”
She frowned. “He did say something about not being who everyone else thought he was.
”
“So that’s why he passed out.” Rafe wanted to smack his head. Why had he said that out loud?
“Excuse me? Why did he pass out?”
“Oh, nothing. Anyways, how about I take you out for a drink? Or dinner?”
Alexandria shook her head. “No, thanks.”
Rafe’s arms start to shake and his hands curled into a fist. How dare the bitch say no? She’d already turned away, totally ignoring him. Maybe some pain would help her learn respect. He could attack her, then rush in to save her. Or maybe he could pay someone to beat her up, then there would be no confusion about what had happened.
Mac’s truck pulled into the parking lot, ruining any plans Rafe had for Alexandria. Rafe ground his teeth together as Mac hugged his cousin. His plans of attacking her died as Mac and Alexandria walked together towards Mac’s apartment.
“Hey, Rafe, how’s it going?” Mac called over his shoulder.
“Good. You two going to hang out together tonight?” Rafe asked.
“We’re going to grab some food. Want to join us?” Mac had a protective arm around his cousin, giving Rafe no chance to manipulate her into going with him.
“No, thanks, I have some things to take care of.”
Rafe waited until Alexandria and Mac had entered the apartment before taking off towards Alexandria’s place. Eventually she would come home, and when she did he would strike.
Alexandria felt better after spending some time with Mac. Scott had stopped by, and they’d all enjoyed some pizza and beer. After eating, Scott had begged off, making some excuse about needing to head home. She’d been disappointed that he hadn’t stuck around longer.
Her cousin had pulled her to the couch, wrapped his arm around her shoulder and told her to spill it. They’d always been close, so she’d felt comfortable voicing her concerns about Lash. Mac had reassured her about the man, telling her that anything weird could be chalked up to nerves on his part.
A blast of freezing air hit Alexandria when she opened the door to her apartment. Had she left a window open? Dang, she’d been so out of her mind after Lash had passed out. She checked all the windows, finding the bathroom window wide open. One of them must have opened it to get Lash some fresh air.