“So, he’s just a random guy you scoped out?” I asked. The politeness was fading from me. It was disappearing from her too. So. Bland Simone wasn’t quite as oblivious as she played. “The fact that he’s a friend of mine and someone I used to date makes no difference?”

“You make it sound like I’m trying to get you back for something. I don’t even know you. I’m just here on vacation. Getting guys is part of our life—and you don’t have any territorial control like them.” She nodded toward the vampires, who had very well-defined hunting grounds. “Unless,” she added smugly, “you’ve got some kind of arrangement with Jerome.”

I certainly didn’t. In fact, my boss had made it extremely clear that he didn’t care about what happened to Seth.

“No, but I’d think you’d do it as a courtesy when you’re visiting someone else’s city. It’s the nice thing to do.” My smile returned, filled with ice this time. “And it ensures that your visit stays nice too.” Maybe using her favorite adjective would drive home my message.

Simone stiffened, attention totally on me now. “What is this, some kind of warning that you’ll come after me if I don’t back off?”

I shrugged and finished my drink. “Just friendly advice.”

She stood up and slung her purse over her shoulder with such force that it nearly hit Carter in the head. Apparently, he wasn’t on the radar anymore. Well, at least for now. “I’m not going to stay and listen to thinly veiled threats. Especially ones over inconsequential men. If I want him, I’ll get him.”

“You’ll be missed,” I muttered as she stalked away.

“Oh,” said Hugh brightly. “There is nothing I like better than when succubi fight. Puts Dynasty to shame. You could have cleaned the floor with Tawny, but Simone might give you a match.”

“Hardly,” I said. “And she’ll have about as much luck with Seth as Carter.”

Carter raised an eyebrow, apparently not agreeing with my statement.

“She’s really hitting on Seth?” asked Cody.

“Yup. In a shy, starry-eyed fan girl kind of way.”

“Isn’t that how you won him over way back when?” asked Peter.

I shot him a glare. “It’s irrelevant. It won’t work.”

“Then why worry?” asked Hugh slyly.

“Because an ounce of prevention—oh, never mind,” I groaned. “I need another drink.”

Hugh and the vampires were clearly amused by all this and weren’t particularly concerned. I think they too believed Seth would prove immovable; they just liked the idea of me making another succubus irate. The sad part was that I’d probably just encouraged Simone to try even harder.

Two drinks later, I decided to head home. I was sufficiently angry that I didn’t fear the siren song’s comfort. Before leaving, I informed Cody about his impending date. Unsurprisingly, he freaked out.

“What? I…I can’t. What will I say? What will I do?”

“Frankly, my dear…” began Hugh in an undertone.

“You’ll be fine,” I said. “Just stop stressing and be yourself.”

“Sounds like a double date,” said Peter. “I can get more black hair dye.”

“No,” I warned. “Do not even think about it.” I could still see faint streaks that hadn’t entirely washed out from Cody’s blond mane. “Just dress like you are now. I’ll meet you at the club.”

I started to turn, and then a thought came to me. “Carter, can I talk to you?”

His lips twitched slightly. If that was his sign of surprise, I couldn’t say. “Anything for you, Daughter of Lilith.”

He followed me outside the bar, where we stood amid all the Pioneer Square partygoers. Once clear of the building’s non-smoking interior, he promptly lit a cigarette.

“If you’re jealous of my relationship with Simone,” he said, “I can assure you, we’re just friends.”

“Oh, be quiet. You know that’s not what this is about. Look, she was lying, right? About Seth being a coincidence?”

Carter took a long drag before answering. Angels could tell when others were lying. “Yep. But she seemed pretty sincere in the last comment about going after him regardless.”

I grimaced. “Why? Why would she target Seth? Is it some kind of way to assert dominance over the local succubus?”

“Not sure. The ways of succubi—and all women—are a mystery to me.”

“Jerome originally thought she’d come to spy. He had Roman follow her, but nothing came of it. She never reported in or anything. He pulled Roman from her—” I paused, suddenly turning over the events and analyzing them in a way I hadn’t considered before. “But it wasn’t until I told him Simone was hitting on Seth. It seemed like that was the moment Jerome pulled Roman. He seemed pretty adamant about leaving her alone.”

“Did he now?” Carter inhaled on the cigarette again, but I could see thoughts churning behind his eyes.

“What?” I asked.

“Just a musing,” he said. A half-truth, typical of angels. “Did Jerome do anything else after that?”

“Yeah, he put Roman on me.”

This elicited surprise. “Why?”

Apparently, Jerome and Carter hadn’t been hanging out recently. I gave Carter the rundown on my latest bizarre situation.

“That is weird,” he admitted.

“Do you know what it could be?”

“Any number of things.” He spoke flippantly, but I knew I’d piqued his curiosity—maybe even his concern.

I sighed. “I wish people would stop saying that. No one’s really helping.”

“I’ll help you,” he said, dropping the cigarette and stamping it out. “I’ll follow Simone.”

That was not at all what I had expected. “Why would you do that? Are you going to stop her from making the moves on Seth?”

This earned his amusement. “You know I can’t interfere with that kind of thing. But I am curious about Simone’s activities.”

An uneasy feeling bubbled within me, one that had troubled me since I’d first met Seth, and Carter had begun taking an active role in my life. “Why? Why do you care so much about Seth? You’ve always been curious about what he does—and how we interact.”

“I’m interested in the creative process of a great artist. It’s fun to watch.”

“Another half-truth.” Like always, he answered the question without really answering it. I was astonished at the desperation in my voice when I spoke next. “I’m serious. Why, Carter? How does Seth—and me being with Seth—concern you?”

He chucked me on the chin. “You’ve got better things to do than worry about the goings-on of a curious angel. Besides, wouldn’t you feel better if someone was reporting back to you on Simone?”

“Well, yeah,” I admitted. “But—”

“Then it’s settled. You’re welcome.”

He turned quickly away and disappeared into a crowd of partiers. I knew better than to go after him because he’d probably literally disappear once no one was paying attention. I sighed yet again.

Fucking angels.

Chapter 8

Knowing Carter was on the job with Simone made me feel mildly better, but there was something about him that always unnerved me when it came to Seth—and, well, my love life in general. He was too interested. I’d gotten used to an angel hanging out with my friends, but sometimes I wondered if I was being lulled into some kind of trick. Heaven had its own agenda, just as we did, and their motives were often harder to figure out.

I had a morning shift the next day. It passed by easily until Doug delivered some bad news to me about ten minutes before I was going to leave.

“Can’t go with you tonight, Kincaid.”

I looked up from my spreadsheet in disbelief. “What?”

He shrugged, hovering near the door to my office. He’d had the same shift as me today, and I had a feeling he was telling me at the end to save himself from hours of anger. Kind of like how people who get fired are told at the end of the day on Friday.

“There’s this girl I met…and I can’t really turn down the chance to go out with her. Oh, man. She’s smokin’. She’s got this body that—”