HEAT (a gargoyle shifter romance) (Underground Encounters Book 5)

by Lisa Carlisle

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Epilogue

  HEAT

  Underground Encounters 5

  Lisa Carlisle

  LisaCarlisleBooks.com

  Contents

  HEAT

  Other Books by Lisa Carlisle

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Epilogue

  BLAZE

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Excerpt from Knights of Stone: Mason

  HEAT

  Copyright 2018 Lisa Carlisle

  Originally published as Gargoyle’s Embrace in 2013

  Cover by Willsin Rowe

  The right of Lisa Carlisle to be identified as author of this Work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from the publisher. You must not circulate this book in any format.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please do so through your retailer’s “lend” function. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the author at lisacarlislebooks@gmail.com.

  All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.

  Find out more about the author and upcoming books online at lisacarlislebooks.com, facebook.com/lisacarlisleauthor, or @lisacbooks.

  Created with Vellum

  HEAT

  Fifth in the Underground Encounters series.

  A gargoyle statue that’s more than stone…

  Tracy can’t explain why she’s drawn to a mysterious statue in the Goth club where she bartends. Stranger still, she’s been confiding her innermost secrets to it, as if it were an old friend.

  But, when her ex shows up one night, drunk and aggressive, the solid stone statue turns to living, breathing, and scorchingly sexy flesh…

  Gargoyle shifter Danton transforms to human form to protect Tracy, the woman he has yearned for. Now, he only has twenty-four hours before a curse returns him to stone.

  How could he convince a woman who didn’t know he existed to spend those precious hours with him?

  Other Books by Lisa Carlisle

  Underground Encounters series

  Steamy paranormal romances set in a underground goth club that attracts vampires, witches, shifters, and gargoyles.

  Smolder

  Fire

  Ignite

  Burn

  Heat

  Chateau Seductions

  An art colony on a remote New England island lures creative types—and supernatural characters. Steamy paranormal romances.

  Darkness Rising

  Dark Velvet

  Dark Muse

  Dark Stranger

  Dark Pursuit

  Underground Encounters series

  Gargoyle shifters, wolf shifters, and tree witches have divided the Isle of Stone after a great battle 25 years ago. One risk changes it all…

  Knights of Stone: Mason

  Knights of Stone: Lachlan

  Knights of Stone: Bryce

  Seth: a wolf shifter romance in the series

  Knights of Stone: Calum

  Knights of Stone: Gavin (coming soon)

  Stone Sentries

  Meet your perfect match the night of the super moon — or your perfect match for the night. A cop teams up with a gargoyle shifter when demons attack Boston.

  Tempted by the Gargoyle

  Enticed by the Gargoyle (coming soon)

  Captivated by the Gargoyle (coming soon)

  Night Eagle Operations

  A paranormal romantic suspense novel

  When Darkness Whispers

  Vampire Blood Courtesans

  A multiple author shared world series.

  Pursued: Mia

  Berkano Vampire Collection

  A multiple author shared World Series.

  Immortal Resistance (Division 3)

  Visit LisaCarlisleBooks.com to learn more!

  Don’t miss any new releases, giveaways, specials, or freebies! Join the VIP list and download a free read today!

  www.lisacarlislebooks.com

  Chapter 1

  Tracy brushed her fingers over the smooth stone of the gargoyle statue after she entered the club. “Ready for another wild night?”

  How ridiculous she sounded speaking to a statue. If anyone saw her, they’d think she was stone-cold crazy.

  She ran her hands down over her dress to smooth out any wrinkles. As if any would dare to appear. The dress was skin-tight, one of her sexy work outfits. She had to wear something fitting for the underground club.

  “I’m stuck with the late shift tonight,” she added. “At least I’ll have you here later to keep me company.”

  Saturday nights were the busiest at Vamps, where she bartended. While she prepped for a thirsty crowd, she spoke to the gargoyle. Why she gravitated to this one, although there were others perched in the club, she had no clue. Something about it compelled her, drawing her in like they had some sort of connection.

  Which was insane.

  She should probably stop talking to it, but, if it wasn’t hurting anyone? She shrugged.

  “It was kind of a tough morning,” she said. “My mom told me about a call from one of Andrew’s teachers. He’s still struggling at school. It sucks. I wish there was something I could do to help him.” She’d mentioned her concerns about her younger brother several times.

  “Anyway, I was kind of anxious when I went to yoga,” she continued. “Luckily, this is my day to go. After getting up early to finish a paper and working the past two nights here, I was already wound up. Hearing about Andrew cranked it up a notch. And, you know what can happen when I can’t manage my anxiety.” She shivered as a nervous laugh escaped her. “An ugly scene.”

  The sound of an opening door indicated someone was entering, probably staff. “Talk to you later,” she whispered.

  During the first couple hours of her shift, the club was quiet. Only a few regulars entered soon after it opened, and nursed their drinks at the bar. She chatted them up, but as the crowd grew, so did the number of drink requests. Soon, her nightly workout kicked in as she darted up and down the bar taking orders and making drinks for the thirsty crew, especially those who had worked up a sweat on the dance floor. The DJ kept them moving with an eclectic mix of music, including new wave, goth rock, and metal remixes that kept people moving.

  A guy motioned her over to where he sat at the bar.

  “Love your hair,” he shouted over the music, projecting spittle. Then he leaned across the bar and touched a strand. The scent of beer wafting from his breath was pronounced even though she was surrounded by alcohol.

  She stepped back and gave him a pointed look. Her pink hair was often a topic of conversation, but it was not an invitation to be touched. “You can love it just as well from where you’re sitting.”<
br />
  “I love a hot girl with some attitude.” He laughed. “They’re usually feisty in bed, too.” With a bold glance that lingered on her cleavage, he left no doubt of what he was envisioning. “I’d like to find out.”

  She arched a brow. “Not going to happen.”

  When she walked away from him to tend to other customers, he left the bar. Good. She typically could evade drunken guys propositioning her, but there had been a few occasions where the bouncers had to intervene.

  Shit. Was there a guy out there who wasn’t a total leech or an abusive control-freak like her ex? After Brian, she was all set with relationships. But, she was only in her early twenties, and too young to declare herself celibate. Sure, she’d had a few hookups after they’d broken up, but it didn’t do much for her.

  It had been a while, though, and she was feeling the itch. Was there a balance between an impersonal one night stand and a relationship that sucked your soul like some damn incubus? Maybe a lover. A generous, caring one. An added bonus would be someone she could enjoy spending time with, rather than trying to pacify from some perceived injustice.

  Perhaps she should add these requests to her online dating profile. Not that it was active anymore. She’d given up after a half-dozen lackluster attempts there. What appeared to be a good match on paper, never panned out when she met them in person. Algorithms and checkboxes were one thing, but a spark with someone was something else.

  Did anyone understand that mysterious connection that made people click? It was almost like—magic.

  The crowd continued to dwindle beyond last call. After the DJ announced the last song as Valerie Broussard’s A Little Wicked, and then turned the lights off, they started to head out. Plastic cups were scattered in every dark corner and under the other perched gargoyles. The scent of sweat and spilled beer permeated the club. But, the music had stopped, and the club was emptying out.

  After the other two bartenders helped clean up, cashed out, and left, she stayed to make sure they were all set for the next shift, as it was her turn. The bar backs took out the trash and the bottles for recycling, and she was alone once again.

  Tracy walked over to the crouched gargoyle at the end of the bar and placed her hand on the smooth area between its two horns. “Damn, that was a busy night,” she said. “But, I took in some great tips. One of the downsides of college is those damn tuition bills”

  She ran her down the back of its head and over its hunched back where its two wings connected. She took a deep breath to decompress and rested her hand on the gargoyle’s shoulder. Tomorrow morning, she’d sleep in, and not talk to a soul until well after noon. She’d spend much of the day studying.

  “Trace.”

  Was it one of the guys out back?

  No, they knew better than to call her Trace.

  “It’s Tracy,” she said, turning to face the intruder.

  And stared into the face of her ex. His black hair was mussed up and looked like it could use a wash. Actually, so could the rest of him. His jeans were stained.

  “You look hot. I love you in this dress.” He reached for her with one of his tattooed arms.

  She recoiled. No way would she let him touch her. “What are you doing here, Brian?” The muscles in her body tensed as she gauged the distance between her and the pepper spray behind the bar.

  She felt a tiny movement under her hand.

  No, she had to be losing her mind. As if stone could move.

  She kept her hand on the stone like a security blanket, almost gripping it now that Brian had appeared.

  “I came to see what you were doing tonight. Thought maybe we could hang out?” The way he slurred the words indicated he’d already had one too many, a bad sign.

  “Definitely not. The restraining order should have made that clear.”

  “Babe, I was in a rough place and I took it out on you. Let’s put the past behind us and try again.”

  The cold stone felt warmer beneath her hand. How strange. Was she so heated from the tension that her palm could warm cool stone?

  “No, Brian. I’ve given you too many chances and each time it ended worse than the time before.”

  “Babe.” He approached her. “I would never hurt you again.”

  “Don’t come any closer.” She moved away from the gargoyle to get to her purse behind the bar.

  “Trace, you’re so dramatic.” He moved behind the bar.

  Tracy was distracted by the gargoyle statue behind him. It was changing color, from gray stone to what appeared to be—flesh.

  “Come on, we were good together. Don’t you miss the sex?”

  The stone wings of the gargoyle statue unfurled into enormous sleek, gray ones. The gargoyle reshaped itself, rising from a crouched position to stand on two legs to a full height well over six feet.

  And the horns receded into the head, as golden hair sprouted to take their place, growing well below impressively broad shoulders. Within a few seconds, the once grotesque stone creature she’d found lovable, had transformed into a breathtaking male with flawless bronze skin, long, blond hair and the magnificent physique of a Viking warrior—one who stood there stark naked.

  “Oh my God!” she exclaimed, eyes widening.

  “I know, babe,” Brian said. “The sex was awesome.”

  Ignoring Brian, she fumbled for her purse to search for the damn spray. Who the hell should she even direct it at now, with two threats facing her?

  Shit, her fingers tingled, a bad sign. If she didn’t get herself in check, a panic attack could follow—and at the worst possible time.

  Brian grabbed her wrists and tried to kiss her before she found it. Adrenaline powered through her with the force of a tsunami.

  “Get off me!” She attempted to knee him in his testicles, but he deflected the blow by turning his body to the side.

  Enormous wings surrounded Brian and a second later he was lifted off the ground.

  Brian exclaimed, “What the―” but was cut off as he was thrown over the bar onto the empty dance floor.

  He scrambled to his feet on unsteady legs. The gargoyle stepped over to him in a few massive strides. It raised one of his sinewy legs and kicked Brian in the gut. Brian groaned and clutched his stomach. The gargoyle lifted a foot over Brian’s head.

  Tracy screamed while Brian shielded his face with his forearm to brace against the gargoyle stomping on his head.

  She tried a gentler tone. “Please don’t. You’ll kill him.”

  The gargoyle paused and put his foot down, but then bent to pinch Brian’s neck, which made him pass out.

  The sweetness in her voice departed as she exclaimed, “What in fuck’s name is going on?”

  The gargoyle turned to face her, anger flashing from brilliant green eyes. The look softened with warmth as he gazed at her.

  “Don’t be afraid of me, Tracy.”

  He spoke in a husky French accent that set her pulse afire, despite her natural reaction to retreat.

  “How the hell do you know my name?” She backed away.

  Was she drugged? Hallucinating? She only drank water while she worked and kept her bottle behind the bar. She’d heard too many horror stories of what could happen if you left your drink unattended for a moment. Had someone managed to slip a tasteless drug into her water?

  “It’s me, Tracy. The statue. The gargoyle.”

  “I must be drugged.” She put her hands on her temples and closed her eyes in an attempt to clear her mind. When she reopened them, her eyes traveled from his chest down to discover he was well-endowed.

  She imagined a naked man with an impressive package? She had to be drugged. Drugged and horny.

  “I know it sounds crazy,” he said. “But I’m alive. Flesh and blood, just like you.” Then he added, “For now.”

  Tracy assessed her brain functions. She didn’t feel like she was under the influence of something. Her senses weren’t clouded in some haze and she wasn’t hallucinating things morphing and reshaping themsel
ves. The only indication something was off was that she’d just witnessed a gargoyle statue transform into a god of a man who threw her ex across the bar. If he was actually there and not some illusion, it meant she was alone with a muscular, naked stranger. She fumbled in her purse and raised her pepper spray.

  “Stay away from me!”

  “What is that?” He tilted his head.

  “You’ll find out the hard way if you come any closer.”

  “A weapon.” The curiosity in his expression turned to amusement. He raised his hand. “I’m clearly unarmed. I’m not here to hurt you. My name is Danton.”

  “How did you come out of the stone?” She kept the pepper spray directed at his face.

  “I didn’t. I am the stone. I’m a gargoyle.”

  She glanced to where the gargoyle statue had stood. It was still there the way it always had been.

  “Bull-fucking shit, pretty boy.” She nodded to the statue. “Then what the hell is that?”

  “My shell.”

  “Your what?”

  “Listen to me, please.” He held out his hands palm up. “I am a gargoyle shifter—man and stone in one. My role is to protect humans, like you. Especially you.”

  Especially her? What was his problem?

  “Ha ha ha!” Tracy spat. “I’ve seen some crazy-ass shit working here. And some real out-there characters. Despite all the insane things I’ve seen, I have never seen a human come from stone. You’d have to be on some serious drugs to see that.”

  “You are not drugged.” He raised his hand palm-forward. “Can we go somewhere and I’ll explain?”

  Her curiosity was piqued. Something about the statue had compelled her to talk to it, reveal her innermost secrets. The man standing before her had to be the most captivating one she’d ever laid her eyes on. While she sought to understand what he was exactly, sordid images distracted her.

  His head jerked up, and he glanced to the back entrance. “Someone’s coming.”

  She pushed the sensual images out of her mind. “You’ve got to get out of here,” she said. “If they see a naked guy in here, they’ll…I don’t know…attack you or call the cops. Either way, it isn’t good.” Having to explain how a stone gargoyle statue transformed into a human and knocked out her ex wouldn’t go down well. They’d lock her up thinking she was bat-shit crazy. “For either of us,” she added.