I think my laughter surprised us both.
“I am so tired of searching. It will be a relief to let someone else take the reins for a while.”
He put down his glass and gave me a slow, side-of-the-mouth grin. “I didn’t expect someone like you to give up control so easily.”
“Someone like me?” I said challengingly.
He leaned forward with his forearms against his knees. I couldn’t help but wonder how much of his sculpted thighs would be showing if I didn’t use beach towels. I know, it’s weird, but what was I supposed to do with them now that I couldn’t go to the beach? Plus, I liked the bright colors, like the blue one he was wearing.
“An independent badass woman.” His smirk was playful and the look in his eyes returned my challenge.
“Good answer. Besides, if you really are my guardian and I can’t trust you, who could I ever trust?”
“Good answer,” he teased. “We all need to take a step back sometimes.”
The more he talked the more I found myself watching his mouth.
“I haven’t depended on anyone but myself in a long time.” I leaned forward then too as I listened to his heart beating faster and faster. “To be honest, there are a lot of things I haven’t done in a long time.”
He rose slowly and as he dropped his towel said, “Anything I can help with?”
If anyone else had made such a blatant overture, I probably would have laughed. But I wanted him. It’s not as if I meet a hot gargoyle with more cock than a naval warship every day.
Lightning cracked like a whip outside my window and just like that the lights went out.
Chapter 9
For a moment all I saw were his blue eyes glowing in the darkness. Then my night vision kicked in.
“I can see in the dark,” I said as I boldly looked him up and down.
His grin was wicked. “So can I.”
The burning sensation behind my eyes let me know they were glowing red. I smiled as I opened the front of my robe.
“Since you’re a gargoyle, I feel compelled to make a ‘hard’ joke of some kind,” I said, laughing.
He laughed as he crooked one long finger, beckoning me forward. In the blink of an eye I was on him, and pushed him back into the chair. I smiled as I slid out of my robe.
He watched me with a look of hunger in his eyes as I knelt at his feet and spread his legs wider. I thought of telling him that this was out of character for me, or making some other such excuse for my behavior. Then I remembered that I’m a grown woman and I don’t need an excuse for wanting to have sex with a man. Besides that, there were no physical consequences to worry about for me, not anymore. The undead cannot create life and cannot contract diseases. Not that I thought he had any.
I wrapped my fingers around his big cock, enjoying the look of pleasure on his face. While I stroked him gently I bent forward and started kissing my way up from his knee. By the time I kissed my way up his inner thigh he was hard enough to break concrete.
“Tris,” he pleaded. “I can’t take much of this.”
“What if I get off on hearing you beg for mercy?” I said playfully.
Whatever he was about to say turned into a moan instead when I wrapped my lips around the tip of his cock. My lips stretched wide as I took more of his shaft into my mouth. I moved up and down, sucking him harder. Every time I moved up I swirled my tongue around the tip.
“Oh, God, please … please,” he begged hoarsely.
I couldn’t resist his sexy plea. I moved slowly up his body, running my breasts over him from hips to chest before straddling his waist.
As I reached between our bodies and took him in my hand I said, “Damn, you’re hard.”
“I am a gargoyle,” he joked.
His laughter turned to a gasp as I began to slide down his length. Hugh put his hands on my waist and I began to roll my body against him, taking as much of him as possible.
I wanted to prolong the wonderful sensations spreading throughout my body, but like I said, it had been a long time for me. I kissed him deeply and when he opened his mouth to me I came. Hard. I felt the fire drain from my eyes, letting me know they had returned to their normal brown.
I moaned and whimpered incoherently and one of my fangs accidently pierced his lip. It was only a scratch, barely enough to draw blood.
“I’m sorry,” I panted.
“Don’t be. I liked it. Hold onto me.”
One minute I was looking into his piercing blue eyes, the next I was flat on my back on the living room floor.
“You’ve got moves,” I teased.
I could feel him smile against my lips as he kissed me. The taste of blood on his mouth was as intoxicating as the feel of his hard body, pressing me into the floor.
Wind howled through the chimney to my left as thunder galloped like a great horse across the sky. I ran my fingers through his dark, silken hair and moaned as he lowered his mouth to my breasts. His lips closed over one nipple and he bit down gently, causing me to hiss in response.
“Did it hurt?” he asked.
“Not even close,” I said provocatively.
He moved in a trail of kisses up my neck and I wrapped myself around him. The feel of soft stubble against my cheek let me know he hadn’t shaved today. I love facial hair, especially that day old scruffy look. It felt great against my skin.
His flesh seemed to burn against mine as he kissed me slowly. I arched my body against him, urging him to enter me again.
“How hard did you come?” he purred silkily.
“Hard.”
“Do you need some more?”
I felt the fire behind my eyes burn back to life as I said, “Give me what I need.”
Without further hesitation he thrust back into my aching pussy. He cradled my head in his hands while he kissed me. He touched me with a passion I had not expected, but had often longed for.
Hugh pulled back from me slightly and I noticed his fangs had grown. Before tonight I wasn’t aware that gargoyles had fangs when they weren’t transformed. I wondered if they were triggered by his arousal. Either way, it turned me on.
He moved slowly, in and out, and the world around me seemed to fall away. He moved faster and I screamed, digging my nails into the rug beneath me. His labored breathing against my ear sent a thrill through me. The way he was grinding against me put just the right amount of pressure on my clit. I tried to make it last longer this time, but I couldn’t wait, it just felt too damn good.
Orgasm rocked my body and I clung to him as I came. I felt my fangs lengthening, brushing against my bottom lip as I cried out with release.
I felt his lips against my ear. “Can I come inside you?” he whispered.
That was one of the hottest things I could ever remember being asked. It wasn’t what he said, it was the way he said it and the rough sexy sound of his voice.
“Yes. Come in me.”
I felt his muscles tense with release as he panted softly. We stayed this way for a moment, and his breath against my ear made me shiver with delight.
When he finally pulled back from me, the raw emotion in his eyes caught me by surprise. But it was only there for a moment and quickly replaced with a questioning smile.
I realized he was looking at my fangs.
Chapter 10
“Don’t worry, I won’t bite unless you ask me to.”
I stood up slowly and went to the fridge for another glass of blood. I’d never been turned on enough to make my fangs grow before. It kind of freaked me out. I didn’t want to scare him, though I doubted Hugh would be so easily shaken.
I jumped when I felt his big warm hand on my shoulder.
“The fangs don’t bother me,” he said gently. “I’ve got my own, remember?”
I breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, I still sigh and do many other normal things that are no longer necessary. They make me feel alive and help me hold onto some shred of my humanity.
“Good.”
“How lon
g did it take you go gain control, after you were turned?”
“Almost four years,” I said, putting a glass of blood in the microwave.
“You’ve only been really looking for the people who killed your mother for three years then?” As he spoke he brushed my long hair aside and caressed the back of my neck. I’ve always liked to be touched this way. The touch was not sexual, yet still intimate.
“Roughly.”
I turned to face him and brushed my fingertips over his chest, enjoying the feel of the fine hairs against my skin.
“Don’t beat yourself up too much. It took me three years to find the werewolf who killed my grandmother.”
“What did you do before? You said her death got you into being a paranormal P.I.”
I studied his face for a moment and tried to read the emotions I saw flickering behind his eyes.
“I was a cop. I’d only been at it for a few years.”
That surprised me a little. Most of the police officers I’d met were assholes. Most, not all. I know a few cops who are good and decent people. But they’re in the minority in this city. Hugh didn’t seem like the uptight power-hungry pricks I’d met at all.
“You didn’t trust the police to find her killer?” I asked.
“You know as well as I do, maybe better than I do, that cases involving paranormal minorities are not given priority. I mean, isn’t that how you stay in business? If this had been an ordinary woman killed by a werewolf, they would have called in the Hunters and taken care of business. But some of them knew my grandmother was a witch. They put her in the same category as vampires, werewolves, and any other creature of the night.”
“I’m sorry,” I said softly. “Why didn’t you contact the Hunters personally?”
There are lots of people who hunt werewolves and “monsters” in general, if you’re looking to hire. But the Hunters have been doing this for centuries and are sanctioned by the government. To be blunt, they don’t fucking play. They’re sort of like the werewolf police, but no one has to call them. Laws regarding lycanthropes are still kind of sketchy. More often than not, werewolves are simply executed if they commit a crime. Don’t even get me started on other were-creatures. No one is sure if they fall under werewolf laws or what.
“Because if the police couldn’t find him, I wanted to handle it myself. They did actually try though, and they couldn’t find him. Even if they had, I didn’t trust them for justice. That is, what I considered justice.”
Considering that if the police had found the werewolf, he would have certainly been killed, this made me wonder. I wanted to know, but hesitated to ask what Hugh’s idea of justice was.
“I knew I would end up doing things that as an officer of the law, wouldn’t feel right. But as a man avenging the woman who raised me, it would feel pretty damn good. So, I put the badge aside and did what I needed to do.”
I nodded. “I respect that.”
“Really? I was afraid you might think I’m crazy.”
“Ruthlessness is a quality I’ve always admired.” I pressed a kiss against his chest and took a step back to get my warm blood from the microwave. “I’m not sure what to say about tonight, with us.”
“I don’t expect you to profess your undying love,” he joked.
“Don’t you mean undead love?”
His laughter was a deep masculine sound that I really enjoyed.
“As soon as the storm passes, I should go home and make some notes on your case. I hope you won’t be offended if I’m not here when you wake up.”
“Not at all, but you don’t have a car and the cab service around here is kind of bleh.”
He laughed again at my description. It was true though. I couldn’t think of a better word to describe creepy wizard wannabees who smelled like garlic all the time. By the way, garlic has no effect on vampires. But I’m not going to be the one to tell people.
“I can fly, remember?” Hugh said.
“Ah. That must be fun.”
Thunder rumbled again and a flash of lightning lit my kitchen bright as day.
“What should we do in the meantime?” I asked.
“Why don’t we light a few candles and see if I can make those fangs come out again?”
Chapter 11
Hugh stayed with me until it was nearly dawn.
“I’m pretty sure that I can get a lead on the werewolves who jumped you at the club, at the very least,” he said, putting on his now dry pants.
“You think they have a connection to the rest of this?”
“It’s as good a place as any to start. I’ve got some werewolf contacts who might be willing to help. Since you don’t hunt werewolves I’m guessing they were hired to attack you. It’s possible the attack was motivated by revenge of some sort. You aren’t exactly a well-kept secret in the vampire community.”
I shrugged and propped against the doorframe of the laundry room. I was still naked and didn’t feel like bothering with clothes.
“You’re probably right. Any random vampire could have hired them.”
“True enough. Like I said, it’s a place to start.”
“And I haven’t gotten anywhere on my own. I also don’t have any werewolf contacts.”
“Let me see what I can do.” He pointed toward the living room. “Can I leave through the window in there?”
“Sure,” I said, laughing softly. “But why? I have a door.”
“I’d rather not sprout wings down on the ground. There’s more of a chance someone might see me.”
“You should probably hurry if you’re planning on using the cover of darkness. The sun will be up soon.”
He went to walk past me, then paused and pressed me back against the door. A soft growl escaped his lips as he kissed me one more time. Then, without a word, he went into the living room and out the window. I closed it behind him and smiled as I closed the blinds.
The power came back on just as I double checked to be sure the bedroom curtains were closed. I don’t take any chances when it comes to sunlight. I’ve got thick curtains as well as a thin veil of bed curtains.
I climbed into bed feeling better than I had since before I was turned. The sex was fantastic, but that wasn’t the only thing on my mind. It felt great to allow someone else to shoulder part of the burden I’d been carrying. It felt even better to know that while I was dead to the world, Hugh would be working on finding a lead on my mother’s killer.
I wake up at about 4 p.m. every day. That’s early for some vamps. I gave Hugh my number before he left last night and was surprised to see he’d already sent me a text.
“I’ll be there at dusk. Be ready to go out. Got an idea.”
If someone tells me to be ready to go out, they should be very specific what “out” means. When I opened the door for Hugh a few hours later, I was dressed in faux leather and armed to the teeth.
He was wearing faded jeans and black boots that matched his sweater. His long dark hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, revealing more of his handsome features.
His smile reached his eyes as he gestured toward the knife on my thigh. “Really? Who are we going to kill?”
“You said get ready to go. I’m a vampire hunter, this is ready for me. The fact that I hunt my own kind doesn’t exactly do me any favors. My heels are coated with silver and I have thin wooden stakes in my boots too.”
“We’re going to a coffee shop.”
I gave him a questioning look.
“My source told me that a lot of werewolves come through there. I thought we might stick around and look for familiar faces.”
“That’s your brilliant plan?”
“I never said it was brilliant, Ms. Dressed-to-kill. I said it was a place to start. I also brought along some of my research on guardians. I thought you might be interested. You know, since we are bound by blood magic and all.”
His sarcasm was more charming than offensive. Besides, I can be awfully sarcastic myself.
“Fine. I’ll los
e the knife, because it’s such an obvious weapon,” I said, unstrapping it from my thigh, “but I’m not changing.”
Chapter 12
The smell of rain was heavy on the cool evening breeze. It mingled well with the scent of his cologne.
“You smell good.”
“Thank you,” he said, smirk still firmly in place.
I followed him to an older model black SUV where he held my door open like a gentleman. I appreciated the gesture.
Between the seats was a large notebook inside a zippered case.
“Your notes on guardians?” I asked when he got behind the wheel.
“Yep. And some random information on gargoyles in general.”
“That’s a lot of notes.”
“I’ve got more at home.”
“Wow.”
“Are you telling me you wouldn’t make a lot of notes on information like this, if you suddenly turned into a gargoyle?”
I laughed. “You have a point. I already knew a lot about vampires. It’s not as if gargoyles are everywhere. So, what’s up with this coffee shop? I’ve never heard of werewolves being drawn to coffee.”
He snorted with laughter and I realized his smile was kind of endearing.
“Sorry. I just had visions of full-on wolfmen standing in line for a mocha-choka-bullshit caffeine fix.”
Then I busted out laughing too. “If my bloodline has to have a guardian, I’m glad mine has a sense of humor.”
“You’re right though, werewolves are not drawn to coffee. They are, however, notorious for their appetites. Werewolves have an insanely fast metabolism. Almost every wolf I’ve met knows the best restaurants and this place has the best pastries for miles.”
“According to your friend.”
“I wouldn’t call him a friend. But he isn’t an enemy and he is a werewolf. If he says other wolves frequent the place, I believe him. He didn’t know any of the werewolves I described, but he said a couple of them did sound familiar. Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell him what they smelled like. That probably would have triggered something.”
Taming the Vampire: Over 25 All New Paranormal Alpha Male Tales of Contemporary, Military, Shifters, Billionaires, Werewolves, Magic, Fae, Witches, Dragons, Demons & More Page 153
