by Nina Bangs
“Wouldn’t give me much time for other things, would it?” Like covering her body with his and driving into her again, and—Stop it. Seemed like his mind wasn’t the only thing he couldn’t control tonight. “I specialize. I rid the earth of the ones who’re too evil to exist but are fated to live long, healthy lives.”
She frowned. “What about redemption? The person you kill might regret his evil actions sometime in his future, but you take that chance away from him.”
Edge thought about the guy about to dump poison into the reservoir. “Yeah, well tell that to the thousands of people who end up dead while he’s deciding he’s sorry.”
She didn’t seem to have an answer for that. Surprising. He’d thought she’d spout the official line of leaving things up to some supreme being.
Time to change the subject. The conversation was getting too deep, too uncomfortable. “So what’s your story? Ganymede doesn’t think you’re an angel.”
She sighed. “Ganymede is wrong.”
“How long have you been an angel?”
She hesitated. “I don’t know. Looks like we have something in common. Time doesn’t have much meaning in heaven. And no big events have happened to mark my existence. I just…am.”
Sounded boring to Edge. “What does the Supreme Being look like?” Better find out now, because he’d never meet Him in person.
Again that hesitation. “I don’t know.”
He turned his head to stare at her. She looked away.
“Have any of the angels seen Him?” Or Her, or It. A different gender or form for the Supreme Being wouldn’t bother him.
“No.” It was almost a whisper. “Archangel Ted passes on His messages.”
Something was weird here. They’d never even seen Him? Then he thought about the Big Boss. Maybe not so weird. “You said you got to choose your own name. Why’d you choose Passion?”
She smiled. “Sometimes I’m not as accepting of my job as you are. I have a streak of defiance that’s gotten me in trouble a few times. Anyway, sensuality is frowned on at home. So when I chose a name, I picked one that was ambiguous enough that they couldn’t deny my request. After all, passion can mean a strong drive for something, like a passion for doing good. But whenever anyone says my name, they think of the sexual meaning. Archangel Ted hates it.”
While he tried to come to terms with her vision of heaven, she asked another question. “Have you ever seen the Big Boss?”
“No. He keeps a low profile too. I’ve met his emissary, though. Funny guy that rides around in an ice-cream truck.” Edge thought about the Big Boss. “Whoever the Big Boss is, he’s not the devil.”
From her little start beside him, he figured that’s exactly what she’d been thinking. “Sure, all the cosmic troublemakers live up to their names, but the Boss holds us in check. When I was first created, I’d wipe out a village with hundreds of people just to eliminate the one evil guy I was after. The Big Boss put a stop to that.”
“So now you only kill one at a time.” Her voice was flat.
“Yeah.” He wasn’t making a great impression. But that’s what he’d wanted, wasn’t it?”
“We need to get some sleep.” She turned her back to him.
What was she thinking? Did she condemn him? Probably. Did she blame the Big Boss? Most likely. Did it matter? He closed his eyes as he turned on his side facing away from her. Yes.
Passion woke slowly, dragging herself unwillingly from the grip of a surprisingly carnal dream. Archangel Ted couldn’t blame her for what she did in her sleep, so she’d allowed herself to enjoy every second of it. She’d never experienced anything even close to erotic at home, but amazingly, she’d known exactly what to do with the tawny-haired god—oops, sorry, Ted—with the tawny-haired, beautiful male animal in her dream.
Reluctantly, she released the dream. As awareness crept over her, she realized something was wrong.
Passion enjoyed room when she slept. She usually woke spread-eagled across her bed. This time was no different. Only one problem. This time her arm and leg seemed to be draped over something. What?
She opened her eyes. Uh–oh. Her arm lay across Edge’s chest, her palm resting over one male nipple. Passion could feel it pressing into her palm. She’d flung her leg over his…Oh, crap. She hastily moved her leg back to her side of the bed, but not before she experienced her first feel ever of male sexual organs. Well, at least her toes had. They’d been resting against his long, hard…She could feel heat rising up her neck and crawling over her face. She’d aroused him with her toes. Could it get any worse? Could it get any better?
No, no, that hadn’t been her thought. She was pure of mind and body. Who’re you kidding? Pure of mind? Give me a break.
Okay, so she had her fantasies. She might not have interacted on the mortal plane, but she knew human thoughts. Men might not think about sex every seven seconds, but they thought about it a lot.
One good thing, the sheet had hidden her leg.
He turned his head to stare at her. “Bed hog.” But his eyes were hot and hungry.
Embarrassed, she looked past him to where Hope sat up in bed with a laptop open in front of her. She’d turned on her lamp. Ganymede still slept. Passion strained to see what was on the screen. Facebook? “Where’d you get that?” Archangel Ted didn’t approve of the social networks.
“Hmm?” Hope glanced at her but looked right back at the screen. “Sparkle brought it this morning when she delivered the clothes.”
“What clothes?” Then she saw them draped over the backs of the two chairs. “Never mind.” Passion didn’t like the idea of someone coming into the room and leaving without her knowing it. But at least her face had cooled off enough for her to chance a look at Edge again. “I’ll release you.”
“Don’t have to.” He held up his cuff-free wrist.
Passion glanced at Hope. “Oh, thanks, Hope.”
“It wasn’t me. He was free when I woke up.” She never took her eyes from the screen. “I registered as Angel Hope. I said that I could help people find happiness. Do you think I’ll get any friends?”
Edge laughed. “Oh, you’ll get friends.”
“How did you free yourself?” Passion tried to free herself from the siren call of all that bare male flesh just a few inches away from her fingers. Heaven wasn’t big on the senses. She needed to load up on her experiences before she went home. Right now she was hoping for tactile overload.
“If you want to keep a nonhuman as your bed prisoner, sweetheart, you really need to know what his powers are.” Edge’s smile mocked her. “You didn’t hide the key. So when I wanted to get out of bed to stretch my legs, I just called the key to me and it came.”
Wait. Her toes had been resting on bare…“Did you put on any clothes before you got out of bed?”
He looked puzzled. “Why should I? You and Hope were asleep.”
“No, I wasn’t.” Hope sounded distracted. “Wow, I have a friend request already. Do you think I should ask him if he’s evil? Because if he is, I can help him.”
“No, don’t ask him anything.” Passion stared at Hope until the other angel looked at her.
“What?”
“He got out of bed naked and walked across the room naked. Didn’t you think that was newsworthy?”
Hope shrugged. “I didn’t look at him with lust, so what’s the big deal?”
Didn’t look at him with lust? How could she not? All that bare beautiful skin, all those rippling muscles, all that sexual temptation walking across the room. How could she freaking not?
Passion turned her gaze back to Edge. He returned her stare. Now that she’d calmed down enough to examine her response, she realized something.
She was in deep trouble. Hope’s reaction had been the perfect angel’s response. Passion’s response was all volatile human reaction. This was not good.
She tore her gaze from his. “What will you and Ganymede do today?”
“Ganymede will stay with Spark
le. Neither of us should be alone until we track down whoever is doing this.” Edge picked up his watch from beside the mattress. “Almost noon. Who’d know in this tomb.” He started to climb out of bed. “I need to get dressed.”
She thought about ripping the sheet from the mattress and offering it to him, but then changed her mind. Something sly and wicked suggested that she needed that sheet because it was chilly here in the dungeon.
She swallowed hard as he scooped up the clothes he’d flung on the floor last night and stood with his back to her. Oh. My. God. From broad shoulders down to tight butt and hard thighs, he was a living, breathing fantasy. Passion might never leave her cubicle again if she could just tape pictures of him like this all over it. Turn around, turn around.
She knew her face was flushed and her eyes wide. Hope had the same view facing her…And she didn’t even look! The other angel was too busy staring at her laptop. Passion couldn’t conceive of anyone being that…good. Okay, try dead. Someone just needed to bury her. Passion looked enough for both of them.
He slid jeans over his lean hips and didn’t bother with anything else. Passion was in the middle of licking suddenly dry lips when he turned around.
Edge paused in fastening his jeans to study her. Then he smiled, a slow sensual lifting of his sexy lips. “No naked angels in heaven?”
“No naked cosmic troublemakers in this room.” Lord, how would she survive another night knowing what slept beside her? Okay, she’d think positively. Maybe their search today would turn up the culprit.
His expression said he knew exactly what she thought of naked cosmic troublemakers. “I’ll be next door in Dacian’s shower. If you hear shouts of ‘Kill Ganymede,’ come running.” He strode from the dungeon.
Passion got out of bed and shrugged into her robe. She raked her fingers through her hair. She could hear the shower running through the wall. Don’t think about it. “What about breakfast?” Hot, sexy male served on a warm croissant and lathered with melted butter. “Don’t you think it’s time to shut down the laptop?” Good, she couldn’t think of anything sensual about that.
“I ordered room service.” Hope looked up briefly. “I registered on Twitter too. This is a lot more fun than soothing troubled souls.”
“What would Archangel Ted say?” Not that Passion cared.
“He’s not here.” Hope was once again lost to the magic of Twitter.
“How easily we’re corrupted.” Her mutter didn’t reach Hope.
Before she could think of anything else to say, someone knocked on the door. She stuffed her feet in her slippers and went to the door. “Who is it?” She’d learned caution. No more flinging the door open to just anyone.
“Jack the Ripper with your breakfast, madam.” Holgarth’s sarcasm leaked under the door and poisoned the air.
But if he had breakfast, she’d put up with him for a few minutes. She opened the door.
Even this early in the day, he wore his whole wizard outfit complete with tall conical hat. He waved the man pushing the serving cart into the room and followed him inside. He closed the door with a wave of his hand. Show-off.
Passion went over to peek under the lids once the man had left.
“I apologize, madam, but we ran out of eye of newt. We tried to substitute vampire’s blood, but alas, Dacian refused to hold still.” Holgarth walked over to see what Hope was so engrossed in. “Ah, Facebook. I believe the gentleman who has requested your friendship is a demon. I hope you’re open-minded. Demons can be quite entertaining.”
With a frightened squeak, Hope slammed the laptop shut.
Passion sighed. “I don’t remember a side order of annoying wizard with my pancakes.”
“Have no fear, I won’t be staying. I simply came to collect Edge. I’ll be his guardian for the day.”
As if on cue, Edge returned. He must’ve taken a side trip back to his room for fresh clothes because he was dressed in jeans, boots, and black T–shirt. He oozed sensual promise. He paused when he saw Holgarth. “Don’t tell me.”
Holgarth raised one haughty brow. “Then I most certainly won’t.”
Edge made a disgusted sound. “Be prepared to go where I go, wizard.” He strode toward the door.
Holgarth sighed dramatically. “It’s not enough that I give my life’s blood to my job each day, but now I’ve been ordered to babysit Death.”
“Don’t you want to eat before you go?” Passion forced her gaze to stay on Edge’s face.
His smile was all about sexual temptation. “Oh, definitely, but I don’t think what I want is on the hotel’s menu.” Then Edge followed Holgarth out the door.
Passion turned from the door and wondered what was happening to her. Somewhere during the last twenty-four hours she’d lost her focus. Then she remembered. “Did you report in to Archangel Ted last night?”
Hope was tentatively opening the laptop again. She looked up at Passion from wide eyes. “I forgot.”
“Yes, well, if you don’t do it soon, he’ll just—” Passion got no further, as suddenly the temperature dropped and power vibrated all around her. “Too late.”
A male voice filled their minds. “It has come to the Supreme Being’s attention, Hope, that you calmed the mind of an irredeemable one last night.”
“Irredeemable?” Hope’s voice was a horrified squeak.
“How the heck did he know?” Passion wondered who the snitch was in the castle.
“You do not think like an angel, Passion. An angel accepts that the Supreme Being knows all. Humans are the ones who are suspicious, who lack trust and always suspect a ‘snitch.’” Archangel Ted sounded sadly regretful.
Passion didn’t believe he was regretful at all. He’d never liked her.
“The Supreme Being does not want you to interfere with the cosmic troublemakers again. They are beyond redemption.”
There was a pause, and Passion could picture Ted ticking off his list of complaints for the day. “Do you have anything to report, Hope?”
Hope looked at Passion. Passion shrugged.
“Umm, no, Archangel Ted. But Passion and I will spend the day looking for souls to help. I’m sure there are many of them.”
Try many, many, many of them. And Passion didn’t have a clue where to start. Somehow it had been easier in heaven. It was like the difference between telemarketing and standing behind a counter. If things got tough on the phone, you could just hang up. But when you were behind the counter, the customer could jump over it and chase you through the store. Besides, she’d never had to deal with any hardcore sinners before. Add to that her pesky emotions that kept getting in the way, and you had a recipe for disaster.
“Very well. But I want a list of all the sinners you find, their sins, and your plans to help them find the light. By tomorrow. And even though I don’t want you to interfere in their fights, I do want you to keep an eye on the cosmic troublemakers. If they become too violent, I’ll send down the avenging angels.” The room returned to its normal temperature. He was gone.
Okay, this called for food. Passion piled pancakes, eggs, and sausage on her plate, poured herself a cup of coffee, and sat down on one of the chairs. “We won’t be able to do all that by tomorrow, you know.” She set her coffee cup on the coffee table.
Passion closed her eyes in bliss as she savored the spicy flavor of the sausage. She mourned that she’d be going back to a world of eternal dullness. Be honest, everything is bland in heaven. Ted had explained that the Supreme Being believed if anything in heaven was more than bland, it would distract the angels from their jobs. Look at humans; they were slaves to their senses. The Supreme Being was probably right.
“Of course we will. Archangel Ted understands our capabilities.” Hope set the laptop on the bed, fixed her own plate, and brought it back to the bed where she immersed herself once again in the world of Facebook.
If Hope thought that, then she didn’t understand the situation. “We can eliminate Ganymede, Edge, and Sparkle. We don’t
have to worry about Bain either.”
Hope looked up. “Why?”
“He’s a demon.”
“Demon?” Hope dropped her toast.
“Irredeemable.”
Hope finally gave Passion her complete attention. Evidently, it took a demon to tip the scales against Facebook. “How do you know all this? And is there anything else you haven’t told me?”
Passion studied her pancakes. She sort of felt guilty, but things had been happening so quickly she hadn’t had time to fill Hope in completely. “Umm, Dacian is a vampire.” She hurried on. “But he can still be redeemed.”
Hope carefully placed the laptop on the floor next to her mattress and got up. “I’m getting dressed. We have a full day ahead of us.”
“I think Ted said something about a plan. Do you have one? Because I sure don’t.” They couldn’t just start knocking on doors and asking whoever answered if they were evil. “Maybe we can start by waking up the irredeemable cat. I got the feeling he didn’t want to miss breakfast.”
Hope had no chance to answer because someone knocked on the door. Passion went to the door and did her who’s–there thing. She hoped there wasn’t another smartass on the other side.
“It’s Sparkle. I brought Mede’s snacks and some things so we can get started on your transformation.”
Transformation? Did that sound a little demonic? Fascinated, Passion opened the door.
Sparkle swept into the dungeon. She carried a small bag and was dragging a rolling suitcase behind her. Passion closed the door as Sparkle lifted the suitcase onto the table with the restraints. That seemed ominous. Then she walked over to where Ganymede still slept, oblivious to everything going on around him.
Sparkle pulled a large cup from the bag, removed the top, and calmly poured its contents onto the head of the sleeping cat.
Ganymede came off the bed in what had to be a four-foot vertical leap. Impressive. His outraged yowl made Passion’s head throb.
“Now that you’ve had your drink, you can chow down on the rest of your snacks.” Sparkle dropped the bag onto the bed and started to turn away. “Oh, and the store is still a wreck. I think you promised to clean up the mess. I can’t open again until you do.”
