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

by Lisa Carlisle

  She threw her pepper spray in her purse and tossed her car keys to him. “Go out the front door and wait in my car—the blue Mini Cooper.”

  Danton caught the keys and said, “Thank you.”

  His gray wings were clearly too wide to fit through the doorway. Tracy watched in astonishment as the impressive wings retracted into his back, revealing muscular shoulder blades. She blinked twice. That couldn’t have just happened.

  Her gaze traveled to his buttocks and lingered there. She snapped her drooling mouth shut. “Wait. Throw this on.” She fumbled through the bar towels stashed beneath the bar to reach the larger ones. She threw him the biggest one she could find.

  He grinned and wrapped the white towel around himself. Then he strode out the door.

  Tracy stared at the door for a good ten seconds after he left. What the hell was she doing? She gave him her car keys? Maybe she was crazy after all. The gargoyle statue was where it had always been. She walked over to touch the stone, which was cool once again. Had she imagined the entire thing? It would make more sense than what she’d witnessed.

  The guys chattered as they returned from bringing out the trash and recycling bags. They must have had a cigarette, too, as it had taken them longer than necessary. Flipping a strand of her pink hair out of her eyes and closing her gaping mouth, she put on a neutral expression.

  “Did you scream?” Jimmy asked.

  “Yeah. Thanks for rushing to my aid.” She planted her hands on her hips, but resisted rolling her eyes.

  “Hey, we were in the middle of hauling boxes. Thought you just saw a cockroach or something.”

  “Pretty much.” She nodded to Brian’s unconscious body.

  “What the hell?” Ty exclaimed.

  “He’s my ex. Not a good guy. He came in here all drunk and tried to kiss me before he passed out.”

  “Fuck. What the hell are we going to do with him?” Jimmy asked. “Call the cops?”

  Tracy deliberated briefly. Brian shouldn’t have come tonight, but maybe getting his ass kicked taught him a lesson. If she called the cops, he’d be arrested for violating a restraining order. But, she’d have a lot of explaining to do. Picturing the blond statue come to life, that had almost crushed Brian, she wasn’t sure how she could manage that without getting herself recommended for a psychiatric evaluation.

  “Nah. I’ll call his roommate to come get him.” After grabbing her phone, she found the number and called. She repeated what she’d say in her head—short and to the point.

  When he answered, she blurted, “Listen, Brian came in here tonight all drunk and saying crazy stuff. Now he’s passed out at Vamps. Can you come get him?”

  After his roommate agreed, she restocked glasses on the shelves and tried to make sense of what had just happened. The only rational explanation was that somehow she’d hallucinated the entire scene of stone turning into flesh.

  But, her coworkers had come in and saw Brian unconscious on the floor. So, somehow he’d ended up there. What she’d witnessed might be real after all.

  When she was finished with her shift, she walked out of Vamps into the still-warm July night. A mouthwatering, shirtless man sat in her Mini Cooper, looking quite real. He barely fit in the passenger seat. His head almost touched the ceiling and his chest extended beyond the width of the seat.

  Splendid and real.

  Her heart raced. She didn’t know what to do with her hands, so she rubbed them along the red lacing on the sides of her dress. After glancing around the parking lot to make sure nobody else was around, she forced herself to walk at a steady pace and then climbed into the driver’s seat.

  Tracy stared at Danton. “I don’t get it. How are you here? But, the statue is still in the club.”

  “To keep humans from suspecting anything with our absence, we can leave a shell behind.”

  Damn, his voice was as sensual as the rest of him—a smooth baritone with a hint of a French accent.

  “How?” She drove away from the club, glancing in the rearview mirror to make sure none of her coworkers saw her leaving with a bare-chested blond god.

  Danton shrugged. “I just—will it.”

  What the hell? How was that possible? Nobody she knew could will anything like that.

  “Did I make you?” she asked him.

  He gave her a quizzical look.

  “I mean, like I subconsciously wished for you to come into my life or something?”

  His lips quirked into a smile. “No, I’ve been alive since before you were born.”

  She shook her head. What was she thinking—that she might have conjured him into being like she was a witch versed with magic or something?

  She inhaled and attempted to clear her head of ridiculous thoughts. His scent was unique, yet definitely male and alluring. Goodness, she shouldn’t smell him. It made her heady with need. Everything about him was designed to lure women in. She could picture him on the stage at Vamps. He didn’t even have to play an instrument or sing, and the women would go nuts trying to reach him.

  Focus. Focus. Yes, that was a good idea. She stared at the road ahead, trying to avoid glancing at his muscular quads peeking out from under the towel.

  “Where should I take you?” she asked.

  “I was hoping we could go someplace quiet and—talk.”

  “Talk?” She peered at him.

  “We always talk.” His sensuous lips curved into a charismatic smile. “Well, you talk and I listen. I enjoy doing so.”

  Countless memories of what she’d confided in him darted across her mind. Not just stupid crap about the bar, but personal things—extremely personal details about her life that she hadn’t shared with anyone.

  Not only had she revealed her worries about Andrew, but she’d told him about her problems with Brian. They’d started out small, but had escalated to hellish encounters before she’d ended it. She’d admitted her problems with anxiety and her hopes for the future.

  Oh shit.

  He knew so much about her. Too much.

  Her cheeks burned. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  He eyed her with a sincere expression. “I would never hurt you, Tracy. It goes against my entire being.”

  “No, it’s not that.” Although perhaps she should be nervous about being alone with a strange man—or whatever he was—she didn’t feel threatened by him. “What I told you is private.”

  He placed his hand over his heart. “Anything you revealed is between you and me. I won’t tell a soul.”

  “You know so much about me, but I don’t know anything about you.”

  “Does it unsettle you?”

  She pursed her lips. “Yes. That’s exactly it. I feel completely unsettled. Disarmed. A bit off-balance, maybe.”

  “Would it help if I answer some of your questions?”

  She nodded. “Immensely.”

  “Go ahead.”

  She searched her racing mind. So many questions tumbled through. “I don’t even know where to begin.”

  “Why don’t I start with one?” Danton leaned back in the passenger seat. “Do you want to know why I showed my true self to you?”

  Her initial response was to reply with a flippant remark about how he came to her rescue, but when she stole a peek at his handsome profile, it distracted her. How did someone so beautiful come from a form that many found grotesque? She scanned from his torso down to the white towel. What a fine physique, as perfect as if it were carved by a master sculptor with the finest tools.

  “Yes,” she said. She had to know more and wanted to hear everything he would tell her. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but let’s go to my place.”

  She should run in terror after what she’d seen him do, right? But, damn, a part of her wanted to move closer and touch him.

  Danton flashed a dazzling smile, which made her tingle all over.

  One question made it through the confusion in her mind—what the hell was she doing?

  Chapter 2
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  As Tracy prepared hot cocoa in her kitchen, she sought clarity. What the hell had really happened at Vamps?

  Danton sat in her living room, wearing nothing but a towel. As attracted as she was to him, her mind screamed out variations of the same question, how what she had seen could even be possible. Men did not transform from stone.

  Clearly, she couldn’t answer her own questions. The only one who could sat almost naked on her sofa.

  Get a grip. Take things one step at a time tonight.

  She glanced down at her black dress. The sexier she dressed and the more cleavage she exposed, the better the tips. She wasn’t tall and thin like some women who came to the club, but she stopped longing to be like them ages ago. Why not be happy with her assets? She displayed them proudly.

  But, the skin-tight outfit and chunky, laced-up boots was a bit over-the-top for her apartment. What should she change into? Something more comfortable? Jeans and a T-shirt or pajamas didn’t seem appropriate for the situation.

  Shrugging, she decided to stay in what she was wearing. Better to look hot. She removed the boots and tossed them into her bedroom. Then she added Irish cream to the hot cocoa, one of her favorite after-work comfort drinks, before returning to Danton.

  He was scanning her living room, part of a one-bedroom apartment that she’d decorated in a retro style with eclectic furniture she’d picked up at vintage flea markets. She was pleased she’d found the colorful Tiffany-style lamps that emitted a warm glow like candlelight. Much of what she earned at Vamps went to tuition and rent, which left little for splurges, but she had a keen eye for a stylish piece of furniture at a good price.

  When she caught his gaze, her pulse raced again. “I don’t know what to do about clothes for you. Nothing I own would fit you.”

  “That’s all right.” His eyes glimmered with heat as he scanned her from the head down. “I’m quite comfortable like this. Does my body bother you?”

  Hell no! Her insides burned as she forced herself not to stare at him again. He was like the sun, and if she stared too long…

  Snapping out of it before she ogled him, she asked, “What really happened at the club?”

  She handed him a mug and sat down on the couch at a safe distance. Safe for whom? She needed to get a handle on her desire.

  “I’m a gargoyle shifter. We are protectors of the human race. When you were attacked, I transformed into my human form to protect you from that animal.”

  He was right. Brian could behave like an animal. Having dark good looks and a bad boy appeal with loads of tattoos, he’d used all the right words to lure her in. But, she’d discovered his darker side.

  As if reading her mind, Danton asked, “He was your lover?”

  Brian had mentioned the sex, and for some reason, that made her blush in front of Danton.

  “Yes, but a long time ago.” She felt compelled to explain although he’d already heard bits she’d confided in the past. “He was sweet when we first started dating. But, when he drinks, he gets violent. He blacks out and swears it will never happen again. I wanted to believe him. Eventually, I saw the pattern and it was dangerous.” She left out the specifics on the damage he’d inflicted on her—body and soul.

  “He hurt you.” Danton inhaled deeply, nostrils flaring. “He’s the one you spoke of.” He strode to her front door in two giant steps.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To find him. And finish him.”

  “No, Danton, please.” Tracy ran to him and clung to one of his massive biceps.

  “I know what he did to you, Tracy. You told me how he struck you. Once he tried to strangle you. If I had known it was him, I would have destroyed him then.”

  “You can’t kill him!” Her heart thumped. She didn’t want Brian dead. If Danton was arrested for murder, could he even be contained in a cell? Either way, two lives could be destroyed. She couldn’t let that happen.

  “You scared him off earlier,” she added in a softer tone. “Please, come and sit down with me.”

  Hands clenched into fists and jaw squared, he appeared to struggle with the decision. When the tightness in his arm lessened, she led him back to the sofa. He sat and the tension lifted from his expression. She exhaled. She didn’t wish Brian dead or for Danton to be responsible for murder, especially on her behalf.

  “Your cocoa is going to get cold,” she said.

  He raised the mug and sipped. “This is delicious. It’s been ages since I had anything like this. Thank you.”

  Although questions arose wondering when, what, and how a gargoyle ate, it paled compared to some of the bigger mysteries about him.

  “Maybe you should tell me about you. I have so many questions burning in my brain. Besides, I won’t feel so…” she searched for the right word, “…exposed.”

  “Of course.” Danton leaned forward and put his mug down on her coffee table, which opened enough of the towel to reveal his upper thigh.

  Tracy tilted her head to see more.

  “What do you want to know?” Danton asked with a hint of amusement.

  She pulled her gaze up to his eyes and her cheeks burned. He’d caught her staring at his goods. What was wrong with her? How could she be so attracted to someone who wasn’t even human? Well, at least, not all the time.

  Closing her eyes to regain her focus, she took a deep breath and reopened them. “What are you, really?”

  “I’m a gargoyle.”

  “Yes, you’ve said that.” She shook her head as she sorted through her questions “But, aren’t gargoyles supposed to be perched on old European castles? How is it possible that you come to life from stone? Can you change at will?”

  Danton tapped his finger on his exposed thigh that revealed well-developed corded muscles. Was he avoiding her question?

  After a moment, he said, “No. I take on my human form when someone needs my assistance. When that happens, I have twenty-four hours before I return to stone.”

  “Only twenty-four hours?” Tracy repeated, her mouth dropping open.

  Why did this revelation bother her so when just an hour ago, she thought he was a statue?

  “Yes.” He gazed at her with sincerity in his green eyes. “And if you don’t mind, I’d like to spend it with you.”

  Why her? She nodded as if entranced.

  “I have tomorrow night off.” Technically, it was tonight, as it was already in the early hours of Sunday morning. Her eyes traveled from his beguiling face down his bronzed, sculpted torso. “But first, tell me more about you. And what you are.”

  “You must keep what I tell you to yourself. Our secrets are dangerous with the wrong human. I know I can trust you.”

  “Of course,” she said. But, why would she say that? What if he admitted he was a deranged serial killer who went on murder sprees?

  Then, he’d likely silence her, and she wouldn’t be able to tell anyone anything.

  No, she didn’t fear him, though. Somehow, she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. After all, he had saved her earlier. And she’d confided in him countless times, as if they’d already had a connection.

  “Some gargoyles prefer to stay in stone form by day and shift to fly at night,” Danton said. “Others spend more time in human form.”

  “But, that doesn’t make sense with what you told me. Why can they change at will while you can’t?”

  “What happened to me is complicated. But, what usually happens is they’ve bonded with a human.”

  “Bonded,” she repeated. “What does that mean?”

  “Gargoyles have a natural inclination to protect humans,” he said in a measured tone, as if he’d rehearsed his words before saying them aloud. “Sometimes one human in particular.” He fixed his gaze on her. “For me, that human is you.”

  “Me?” She put her hand on her chest as her mouth dropped open. “Why me? Is there some reason I need protection?”

  “Have you forgotten your friend on the bar floor already?”

  Tracy blush
ed and then lifted her chin stubbornly. “I can take care of him myself.”

  A smile twitched at the corner of his lips. “Oh yes, the miniature weapon you threatened to use on me.”

  “Mock me if you will.” She raised her chin. “You wouldn’t be smiling if I sprayed it at you.”

  “I’m sure I wouldn’t.” Danton drummed his fingers on the armrest. “Why do we connect with some people and not with others?”

  He caught her eyes again, which caused her to inhale sharply. God, he was brilliant to look at. Mesmerizing.

  “The more I’ve watched you and listened as you confided in me,” he continued, “the more captivated I became. Everything about you draws me in. You are the most sensual woman I’ve ever seen. The modern pink hair, the sexy black outfits, your voluptuous figure. I want to break from stone whenever I see men ogling you.”

  “Oh,” Tracy said. Up until now, she wasn’t aware that the gargoyle statue could even see, let alone lust for her. Sensual curiosity spread like a wildfire, from her core to all her nerves. How much longer could she resist acting on impulse?

  “You can be tough and independent, yet you have a gentle side,” he added. “The way you take care of people, especially your family. You speak so fondly of your brother.”

  She swallowed. This man—no, gargoyle—knew too much about her personal life. Not only did he know all her deepest secrets, his inquisitive gaze bore into her as if he could see into her soul. One part of her wanted to tell him to mind his own business and sod off. The other part was drawn closer. She felt herself leaning closer to him. Her body was winning the battle of attraction over reason.

  Why shouldn’t it? Their time together was limited and not to be wasted.

  “Do you have—feelings for me?” she asked.

  He nodded. “Deeply.”

  She considered it. It must be lust. She’d been a bartender for too long, and hit on more time than she could recall. “Sexual ones?”