“They kept the kilts tonight,” Kayla shouted over the noise in the club.
“Keeping it traditional,” Raina replied.
“What else would they wear?” Arielle asked.
“Sometimes they go for the whole rock star look—leather trousers, tight black jeans—or even—gasp—they put on a shirt.”
Arielle laughed, joining in with the women. They made her feel welcome, something she appreciated as she’d often felt like the odd peg in her family. Kayla was right, they were all so different, even species-wise, yet she felt more companionship at that moment than she had with her sisters, her flesh and blood.
“Welcome!” Calum announced, drawing her attention to the stage. “I recognize some faces out there tonight. Good to have you back. For those who don’t know us, we’re the Knights of Stone. I’m Calum and these ugly blokes up here with me are my big brothers.” Calum sauntered over to Gavin and peered down on him. “Or should I say little brothers?”
The audience laughed. Although the gargoyles towered over the human men in the audience, Calum ribbed Gavin over Calum’s extra couple of inches.
Gavin nudged him in the ribs and smirked. “You should stick to singing, rather than comedy.”
“That I can do,” Calum replied.
Calum shrieked into the microphone and the others launched into a song unlike any Arielle had ever heard. It was loud, throbbing, fast, and unforgiving. Bryce pounded on the drums and then Lachlan, Gavin, and Mason joined in with their guitars. Each one appeared a bit different, and she didn’t know enough about human instruments to differentiate them.
Remembering what the others had said about Gavin, she pulled her gaze to him. He’d step up to the edge of the stage while he played his guitar, drawing closer to the female hands grabbing up at him; letting them get oh-so-close before he backed off. Then he’d return, edging ever so close again. Tempting and teasing, like a sexual act—building up the female attention, and then pulling back, only to work them up into a bigger frenzy.
As Calum sang, he bounded around on stage, like an uncontrollable force of energy. She couldn’t tear her gaze from him as he prowled on stage—a captivating mix of powerful masculinity and sinewy grace. By the screams of women in the crowd, Arielle doubted she was the only one captured by his exuberant presence. She began to sway, driven by some innate rhythm that responded to the music.
Calum’s voice was clearly his instrument. From battle cries to deep, low croons. With each song, his words entranced her. Her inhibitions dropped, and she lost herself among the excited bodies moving in the crowd. She’d never experienced something as raw and guttural as the electrifying performance, with all that potent, male sexuality. No wonder Kayla had crossed barriers to watch the band play.
Calum searched for Arielle several times over the set. And each time their gazes met, the heat grew higher. Her skin tingled, and moisture pooled between her legs. His voice, his stare, his promise—all called to her on some primitive level. Despite the number of people in the room with them, it was just the two of them. He was singing to her. Only her. Branding her with his voice.
She had no idea what to expect when she’d come to the show tonight, but after that performance, she doubted she’d ever look at the world the same way.
Although this was one of the smaller clubs they’d played in, it was one Calum would never forget. He didn’t care how many people were in the crowd that night. All that mattered was that Arielle was among them.
Mason had written a love song for Kayla called Conquered, which Calum and Gavin mercilessly ribbed him about.
“What are we, mate—some 80s-rock band with the quintessential power ballad?” Gavin had teased.
“How sappy can you get, bro?” Calum had added.
Mason had taken it all in stride. “You don’t get it. And probably never will.”
They’d continued to tease Mason every time they’d practice the song, although they’d come up with the music to go with his lyrics.
That is, until they’d discovered how the lassies had responded the first time they’d played it live.
A ballad about conquering obstacles to love was a hit. The women practically swooned and peppered the brothers with questions after the show. Who did you write it for? Do you have a girlfriend? They’d been all over it.
And Gavin and Calum had made sure they were all over them later that night.
But while Calum sang tonight, it was just for Arielle. When he sang Conquered, he knew it. He sought her out in the crowd, no longer merely to make sure she was safe. He wanted to be with her. As he sang the lyrics of love conquering all that was forbidden, he finally got it. No wonder he’d had it stuck in his head lately. As he crooned the romantic lyrics, he communicated what he’d never be able to say to Arielle outright. Searching beyond all the lassies in the front rows who vied for his attention, he found the woman with silvery-blonde hair a few rows back. The one who swayed in a way that enraptured him. That captured his heart.
He caught her stare, and was struck by it—such unique eyes for an unforgettable woman. He sang for her, only her.
She could be his perfect match. She was brave, beautiful, adventurous, and playful. He was so damn attracted to her, he could barely keep his hands—or lips—off her.
Time to snap out of the longing. If he had only had limited time left with her, he wasn’t going to waste another minute dwelling on how it would soon end. The heated look in her eyes conveyed that she wanted him—the violet had turned dark and smoky with desire. Despite what she’d said on the isle about not complicating their relationship, her heated gaze indicated she was as on edge as he was. He had to take a chance and take action…as long as he could keep a handle on his emotions, and not complicate matters, like she feared.
It was daft to allow himself to grow so attached to someone who could only be a fleeting part in his life. He couldn’t allow himself to be haunted by the ghost of her. He had to go back to the way he was before he met Arielle—unattached and unworried. Living for the moment. Enjoying the rewards that his role as a rock singer brought—lots of female attention.
If all they had was a moment, he’d make it a damn unforgettable memory for them both before they moved on.
Yet, a voice in the back of his mind warned that he couldn’t go back. He wouldn’t be the same.
He ignored that voice and solidified his resolve with the iconic cry in one of their most popular songs—one describing a great clash with enemies of the gargoyles centuries ago. He bounced around on stage while his brothers increased the tempo, their instruments reminiscent of a battle march. The increased speed was orgasmic—fueling the band into a heated frenzy, as well as the audience. The perfect way to leave them. Calum bet many of the blokes in the crowd would go home happy with their girlfriends tonight.
The Knights of Stone ended with one of their crowd favorites—the Hunt. His brothers played the driving beat while Calum sang lyrics of a predator on the hunt. Whenever they played this song, Calum would focus on the lassies with an intense look, conveying his intent to those he’d like to capture. When she’d return the look through half-lidded eyes and lips parted, he’d known he’d cornered his prey, and was ready for the capture.
Tonight, he’d use his tactic on the willowy blonde who had flown into his life.
But when he caught Arielle’s gaze, something shifted within him. He swallowed, shuffling from one foot to the other. This exchange was nothing like those other occasions when he was convinced of his inevitable victory.
For the first time, he wondered if he was the one who’d been caught.
Chapter 9
Arielle didn’t know what had happened during the show. But, when he sang, she couldn’t tear her eyes off him. The other women snickered, saying they were drowning in sexual tension, but she ignored them. It was friendly ribbing, and what they pointed out was true. The way he sang was so sensual it reached her in an unfamiliar place deep inside.
She was so moved
by the experience. The music was one thing. Unlike any of the music she’d heard, which was more primitive and folksy, it didn’t have the raw electrifying power like this. No wonder he lived for this rush. She wasn’t even on stage and felt the exhilaration zip through her.
Although she’d seen the protective side of Calum, he was a different person on the stage. Utterly charismatic. He commanded the audience with his stage presence. Raw sexuality.
“He appears so carefree right now.” She almost had to shout for Raina to hear her.
“Because he’s on stage,” Raina said. “That’s their time to be free. They come alive out there.”
After he said goodnight to the audience, Raina said, “Come on, let’s grab a table.”
Arielle found a seat and searched for Calum. He’d left the stage.
She found him making his way through the crowd. He stood a head above most of the people there. Many women reached for him, vying for his attention, but he politely responded and continued.
Toward Arielle.
He sucked up all the oxygen around her in the process. Her heart hammered, like Bryce had pounded on his drums. Calum flashed a wicked smile as he placed a pint on the table, grabbed an empty chair, and pulled it near hers. He sat so close that their thighs met. The touch scorched her skin, leaving her tingling. He looped his arm around her shoulder and she could scarcely breathe. What the heck was happening to her?
He locked his gaze on hers. She couldn’t pull away. Couldn’t think.
“Enjoy the show?” he asked. His voice oozed with sensuality. He spoke so low only she could hear over the din in the club.
He asked her a question. She searched for words through her addled brain. All her prior reservations about not complicating their relationship vanished, swallowed by her overpowering need to connect with him on a physical level.
“It was—brilliant.” Her voice sounded breathy, unlike her normal tone. “I’ve never experienced anything like that.”
She pulled her eyes away and glanced around the table. Everyone had joined them at the table, except for Gavin. They’d pulled up chairs near their lovers. The tension around them had shifted. An underlying heat pervaded the space, as if each couple wanted to be alone.
You and Calum are not a couple.
Arielle scanned the club, taking deep breaths and trying to regain control of her heated body. Every part of her had responded to Calum on stage, and now that he sat touching her, it left her scrambled.
Gavin’s tall frame stood out. He was at the bar with a trio of women around him, clearly lapping up the attention. A disturbing thought entered Arielle’s mind. If she hadn’t been here tonight, would Calum be with him, enjoying himself the same way?
Of course, he would be. He was unattached, like Gavin. And with the many female eyes casting glances at the gargoyle brothers at the table, he would be a hot commodity tonight.
Pangs of jealousy tore through her.
The unfamiliar reaction shocked her. She’d never been jealous of other women before. Then again, she’d never felt so much for a male before while other females pranced in the background hoping to be noticed.
“I’m glad you liked it,” Calum said.
She drew her eyes back to his, which was a mistake. The feral hunger in them was intense. She couldn’t deny how her body responded.
“You were magnificent up there. And a different person onstage,” she said. “Wild. Carefree… Intense.”
“Part stage persona,” he replied, “and part stress relief.”
“How?”
“It’s my time. I forget everything else. The problems, the responsibilities. I unleash out there. And connecting with the audience, it’s unreal.”
“I’m glad I came,” she said.
“I’ve never been happier to see someone out here,” he replied. The intensity in his gaze made dragonflies zigzag inside.
Calum squeezed her thigh under the table and she melted.
“Let’s get some air,” he whispered into her ear, sending a new wave of shivers rippling through her body. “I want to be alone with you.”
She swallowed. “Aye.”
He stood. “We’re heading out for a breather.”
The response was a mix of knowing looks and smiles.
Arielle tried not to blush. She was sure her lust was as apparent as a flashing beacon since the air around them seemed to pulse with sensual energy.
Calum took her by the arm and led her outside. The fresh night air was a welcome break from the stuffy confines of the club—and her addled brain.
“What about the instruments?” She turned back over her shoulder.
“That’s taken care of. We’ve hired transportation to move them from one show to the next. We have another set on the island so we can practice.”
“Oh.” This side of Calum was foreign to her. He’d been so caught up in the protective role of taking care of her, that this part of his life was a mystery.
Calum claimed her mouth in a searing kiss, silencing that thought, and drowning out everything else. He backed her against the wall on the side of the pub, and pinned her wrists up against the brick. All the raw intensity from their heated connection exploded, powering the kiss. So hot and passionate, she could barely breathe.
No kiss had ever been like this, rendering her completely weightless under its spell. His scent was as enticing as ever, potent with masculinity.
He pressed his body against hers. Bare chest against her covered breasts, his muscles as hard and unrelenting as the brick behind her. He devoured her with his kiss, assuming control over all her senses. His shaft rubbed against her. She reached down, hesitant at first, but then she stroked his hard length. She wasn’t a virgin, but would hardly consider herself experienced. A low groan vibrated from his throat, indicating she’d touched him the right way. He pulled his mouth from hers and trailed it along her neck, licking and sucking it in a way that made her gasp. His hands roamed over her body, claiming each inch of her as he caressed her breasts, her sides, her hips. A trickle of heat flared between her legs.
“Fuck, Arielle,” he murmured against her neck. “I want you so much, it hurts.”
She agreed. Hanging on this raw edge of desire was too much to take. “Then take me.”
He moaned as he lowered his head over one of her breasts, mouthing over the fabric of her dress.
Take it off, she silently pleaded. Didn’t he know how much she needed him?
When he finally pulled the fabric away, claiming her nipple with his mouth, she whimpered. He worked his fingers under her dress, trailing them over her inner thighs. Her vision turned hazy as she glanced at the stars, desperately on edge for more. She’d never ached for someone the way she did for Calum.
When he finally reached between her legs, she gasped. “Yes, Calum. Please.”
He responded with a feral growl, slipping a digit inside her, before moving his mouth to her other breast. Half-naked and exposed under the moonlight, she didn’t care. As he pleased her, exploring with his mouth and fingers, the only thing she desired was to continue what they’d started. Drowning in these heavenly sensations would be a welcome way to die.
He increased the pressure, seizing control of her body so it inflamed like a quick-rising fever. Her body bowed to the overwhelming tremors building within until they crested. She cried out as she shattered, falling into waves of pleasure.
Drugged by a haze of lust, she squinted in confusion when he pulled away and stood with a grim look. “What is it?”
“There are people coming.”
Pulling herself together was an effort. The loud cavorting of an approaching crowd made her hustle.
“Let’s go someplace else.” As soon as possible.
He jutted out his jaw. “Although it kills me to say this, we should get back to the isle.”
“What?” That was far too long to wait.
“Shite, I’m as hard as if I were in stone. Ready to explode.” He stroked her cheek. �
�But it’s safer there for you.”
She sighed. He was right. The two nights that she’d been in the Highlands so far, she’d faced threats. Being half-naked and distracted by passion would not be wise.
“All right.” She searched around. “Let’s find someplace private to shift.”
Once in pegasus form, she flew with Calum back to the Isle of Stone, yet her equine body still tingled with yearning. The starry night twinkled, as if highlighting her anticipation, reflecting her desperate need for more of Calum’s touch. And what about him? At least, she had a delicious taste of the ecstasy when she’d climaxed. Calum’s expression was unreadable, although he’d admitted to being just as desperate to continue.
The miles stretched on endlessly as they flew over majestic, shadowy peaks and shimmering lochs. When they finally reached the ocean, her fantasies intensified. Heady with need, she couldn’t return to the isle soon enough to be with him.
At last, they passed through the magical barrier that shielded the island—the one that gave her a sense of greater safety. As soon as her hooves touched the soft sand along the coast, she shifted to human form. Calum stepped up to her, eyes filled with a feral hunger. Her pulse raced. He took her in his arms and kissed her, not bothering to retract his black feathered wings. When he lowered her to the sand, they surrounded him, making him appear even larger than his already impressive size. He spread them wide, covering them both like a canopy.
Emerald streaks of light shined out from behind his wings, casting him with an enchanting aura. Fascinating. How different from when she first spotted the Northern Lights, fearing what they were.
He reached behind her neck and removed the pendant. “I want to smell the real you. I love your scent.”
When he kissed her again, he ran his hands over her body.
He pulled down the top of her dress, exposing one of her breasts. “I can’t wait another minute longer.”
When he flicked her nipple in his warm mouth, she moaned.
Knights of Stone: Calum: A gargoyle and pegasus shifter paranormal romance (Highland Gargoyles Book 5) Page 8
