Not Her Gargoyle: Shifter Romance (Not This Series Book 4)

by Annie Nicholas

  Norm’s scowl deepened. “Is that how you got the girl? That’s despicable, even for you, Nick.”

  Nick snarled at his brother. “She knows what I am. She even helped me steal the charm.” He explained how he and Ruby had obtained the charm from the witch.

  His brothers were all nodding by the end. “Nice move, using her to distract the warding spells,” Norm admitted.

  “Exactly.” Nick sighed. “Ruby is in trouble though. She’s behind on her rent and her landlord is willing to make a deal.”

  “Let me guess,” said Armand. “He wants her to have sex with him.”

  “That’s sick,” said Neil. His other two brothers made agreeing noises. Forcing sexual favors was not tolerated among their kind. Females were to be cherished, not used.

  Nick folded his arms and glared at the vampire. “Why are you even involved in this conversation?” He stepped closer. “Why are you helping my brothers?”

  “My roof.” He shrugged. “You all want to remain in New Port?”

  He nodded.

  “And if you stay then your brothers will?”

  “Uh, maybe. If we can find them a home.” Nick exchanged a questioning look with Norm. His older brother nodded toward the vampire as if telling him to pay attention.

  “They have one.” He gestured to the lighthouse that they were perched on.

  “Why would you let them move in?”

  “Because you annoy the dragons.”

  “That’s it?”

  “It’s the simple things in life that make it worth living.” Armand smiled, exposing his long, sharp fangs. “You were telling us about your sex life. Please continue.”

  “I wasn’t—” He blinked. Whatever. The vampire didn’t have a role in this scam. “I have a plan, but I need your help, Norm.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  The wine was cheap and it tasted good. To her. Not too dry with a hint of cherry. She drained the glass she had filled for Nick and set it next to her empty one. He had taken off so quickly. To run an errand. She’d had other boyfriends who had gone on errands, which turned out to be other girls. Ruby didn’t like secrets. She filled both glasses again and toasted nothing.

  Someone knocked on her door.

  She froze, heart in throat. What if it was Seymour looking for his payment? She set the wine glasses down and pulled out a long knife. “Who is it?” She shouted from the kitchen. The window was still open and she could flee down the fire escape.

  “It’s Trixie.”

  Ruby lowered the knife and hung her head. She breathed. Shit, she’d forgotten her little sister was supposed to visit tonight. “Where’s your key?”

  “I gave it back to you,” she shouted through the door. “Open the goddamned door, Ruby.”

  She wove across the living room and opened the apartment door. Her gorgeous, pink haired vampire sister glared at her across the threshold. “Look at you, all glowing with your undead power.” She giggled.

  “Are you drunk?” Trixie pushed past her and scanned the apartment, her gaze falling upon the empty bottle of wine next to the full cups.

  Viktor slid into the apartment with his usual undead grace. He bowed and kissed Ruby’s hand. “A pleasure as always.”

  She allowed the ancient vampire into her home. He was here for her protection after all. Trixie had no conscious desire to hurt her, but vampire predatory instincts were difficult to control when newly made. Viktor kept assuring them that it wouldn’t take long before Trixie could visit alone.

  Ruby sauntered to the couch and held up one of the glasses. “Drink, anyone?”

  Viktor took a sip, made a face, and passed it to Trixie. “It is too sweet.” He settled on the floor, rested his back against the couch and turned on the television.

  Trixie sighed and crawled onto the couch behind him, facing Ruby. She clinked her glass. “Why are we drinking on a weeknight?”

  Ruby’s list of reasons was so long, but she wouldn’t burden Trixie with her problems. If Ruby and Viktor had anything in common it was keeping her little sister safe and happy. “To—to—whatever happened today.” She clinked her glass against Trixie’s again and took a huge swallow.

  Trixie gave her a slow blink then elbowed Viktor in the back of the head.

  “Ow.” He rubbed the spot.

  “Babe, can Ruby and I have a minute alone?”

  “The whole point of my presence is so that you are not alone with your sister. It takes just one little slip.” He snapped his fingers in front of her face. “Then she’s dead.”

  “You could sit on the fire escape and watch us through the window.” Trixie glared daggers at her boyfriend.

  “You are jesting.”

  “I jest you not.” Trixie jerked her head toward the window. “I just freaking fed.”

  Viktor sighed, eyeing them.

  Ruby stared into the depths of her jar of wine. Every time they visited was a reminder of how alone she was. The way Viktor doted on her sister and protected her made Ruby a little envious. Fine, a lot envious. Not that she was attracted to the controlling vampire. Trixie had been the only one to care about her and now Ruby had to share. For a moment, she’d had thought Nick might have some feelings for her. Just when she thought they could play tonsil hockey, he’d flown out of the apartment on an errand. She sniffed and wiped an unshed tear from her eye, hoping the vampires hadn’t noticed. She darted a quick look in their direction. No luck.

  Both Trixie and Viktor stared in silence. Her sister nudged him and he sprang to his feet, bolting from the apartment onto the fire escape with no further complaints. He closed the window, watching them from the other side.

  Trixie spun around and pinned her with a glare. “What’s wrong?” she hissed urgently.

  Ruby gave her a reassuring grin. Or tried to. Her bottom lip quivered a little. “Nothing.” She took another large swallow. “It’s not bad for five bucks a bottle.”

  Her little sister leaned forward, her gaze held a predatory edge. She’d seen that look once before when Trixie had tried to take a bite out of her.

  Ruby sat up straighter, the haze of the wine fading. “Trix?”

  “Answer my question before Viktor changes his mind and returns or I will embarrass both of you by making you spill your beans in front of him.”

  She would do it. Ruby had no doubt. If she had remembered that Trixie was going to visit tonight, she never would have opened that bottle of wine. Showing Trixie the tiniest bit of weakness was like a shark smelling blood in the water. Her little sister had pounced. Ruby set her jar on the coffee table a little too hard and a splash of red wine stained the back of her hand. “Fine.” Fire burned in her gut. “I miss you. You happy now?” It wasn’t a lie.

  Trixie visibly swallowed and wove their fingers together. “I miss you too.” She glanced at Viktor over her shoulder. “Maybe…maybe you can move in with us.”

  Ruby threw back her head in a laugh, picturing Viktor’s reaction at the prospect. “I’ve seen your place.” She wiped the tears from her eyes, this time from mirth. “Where would I sleep? In the closet? And you guys don’t even have a kitchen.” She pulled her hand away and fixed her hair.

  Trixie gave her a weak smile.

  “Don’t worry about me.” Ruby cupped her cheek in her hand. “I was having a pity party for one when you arrived. I’m fine, really. I even have a new roommate.” Who had ditched her like a sack of dirty laundry.

  “Really?” Her eyes went wide. “Who?”

  The window slid open and Viktor stuck his head through. “Can I return now?” He wore the expression of a man losing his patience.

  Ruby waved him inside and relaxed into the couch, relieved that the change of subject had worked. “Do you remember the gargoyle?” Of course, her sister would. It was a rhetorical question since Nick was the reason why Trixie was a vampire in the first place.

  Viktor returned to his spot on the floor. “Nick? What about him?”

  Trixie quirked an eyebrow. “Nick
, the gargoyle, is your roommate?” She exchanged a look with Viktor. “Is that safe?”

  Viktor shrugged. “I do not know much about them.”

  Ruby pressed her lips together and folded her arms. “Nick is a sweetheart. He’s a really nice guy. He’s been here a couple nights already and hasn’t expected anything in return.”

  “Ruby, there are lots of nice guys out there.”

  “Not for me. Apparently, I’m intimidating.” That’s what her last date had told her. Too strong, too outspoken, too confident, too much of everything. She’d never be a fucking wilting flower. Inside, she was a raging inferno of passion and she hadn’t met her match.

  “Look, maybe Viktor and I can move back here instead.”

  Viktor paled. For a vampire, that was quite an accomplishment.

  “No.” She deadpanned and finished off her jar of wine. “No, I want to work this through.” She was about to lose her apartment, her job, and her self-respect. Ruby didn’t want any witnesses. “I have a pair of big girl panties in my drawers somewhere.”

  Trixie grunted. “You only wear thongs.” She handed Ruby her unfinished jar of wine while Viktor plugged his ears with his fingers.

  Ruby winked at him. “Or maybe I should go commando.”

  The scent of vampire filled the apartment Nick shared with Ruby. He closed the window behind him and crept into the living room. Nothing moved except Ruby’s chest as she breathed in her sleep. He sniffed the couch and recognized the hint of Trixie. Ruby’s sister must have paid her a visit.

  Nick stood over Ruby and watched her sleep. The empty bottle of wine sat on the coffee table. They must have drunk it together.

  Ruby rolled onto her side and blinked her eyes open. “Nick?”

  He folded his wings tight against his back before crouching next to her so they could be eye to eye. “The one and only. Looks like you had a party without me.”

  She scowled. “You took off. How was your errand?” She placed an angry emphasis on that last word.

  “It went well.”

  She swung her legs over the edge of the couch and sat up. Her hair stuck up on one side of her head. “What’s her name?” The sound of her voice could only be described as demonic.

  Nick leaned in closer, curious. “Who?”

  “There’s only one reason a guy takes off in the middle of the night. Another woman.” She poked him in the chest. “You kissed me. You jerk, you kissed me. The least you can do is not lead me on.”

  Gripping her wrist, he pulled her into his arms. “I went to look for my brothers.” He smoothed her crazy hair from her face as she blinked.

  Confusion faded from her gaze. “The ones from the news?”

  He nodded. “I have an idea on how to take care of rent and teach your landlord a lesson.”

  She curled her arms around his neck. “Are they going to help?”

  “Yes, and I’ll need to speak with Ms. O’Leary downstairs.” He grinned at her surprised expression. “We’ll pay her rent too.” Ruby had told him about the little old lady with the dog.

  Ruby cupped his face and pressed a tender kiss to his mouth.

  He pressed against her, hands circling her waist and head bent to claim her mouth. Lips warm and soft, sure and confident, he moved his mouth over hers. His fingers tangled in her hair, keeping her within his control.

  She couldn’t seem to catch her breath. Panting, she stroked the outside of his fly, tracing his hard cock.

  He hissed and pressed her hands over her head. “Don’t.” She’d been drinking and he didn’t want her compromised their first time. He wanted her to remember every second.

  “Okay.” Breathless. She gave him a slow blink. “Don’t you like me?”

  He growled deep within his chest and released her wrists. Before he could utter a protest, she pressed against him, pulling his face toward hers. Their lips clashed.

  He tangled his fingers in her hair, yanking her closer until she molded to his body. She felt like silk as he consumed her mouth. So giving and fierce. Possessive. He groaned. A claiming.

  She grazed her teeth over his bottom lip.

  “Stop, stop, stop. I’m not really made of stone, Ruby.”

  “But you’re hard as one.” She stroked her hands over his chest.

  Why had she drunk so much wine? Why did he care?

  “You’re too good for me, Nick.” She slurred her words.

  A cold bucket of water couldn’t have knocked the sexy out of him as fast. That was it. He lifted her in his arms and carried her to her room. “Nothing is too good for you.” He pulled back the blankets, tucked her in. “This isn’t happening tonight, baby. I promise to jump your bones tomorrow night.”

  She didn’t release her hold on his neck. “Stay.”

  He sighed, regret heavy in his chest. “Not tonight. We only have a few hours before we have to go to work.” He kissed her forehead. “Get some rest, Ruby. You’ll need it.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  The next morning, Ruby strode out of her bedroom in that sexy as hell waitress outfit. She stopped mid-step, a stunned expression on her face. “What are you doing?”

  Nick gazed down at his apron clad body then back at her. “Making breakfast?” He turned his attention back to the scrambled eggs before they burned.

  “Where did the food come from?”

  “Ms. O’Leary gave it to me.”

  Ruby gasped. “Were you wearing the charm while talking to her?”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Of course, I didn’t want to give her a stroke.” Nick should have been offended but he wasn’t. He saw her point. A gargoyle showing up on her door front would have scared their neighbor.

  “You shouldn’t have taken her food. She has a hard time making ends meet too.”

  “It’s just eggs.” He would do some grocery shopping once they had some cash and pay back Ms. O’Leary. They’d be saving her rent this month as well if his plan worked.

  The click of Ruby’s heels grew louder as she entered the kitchen. She slid her hand over his spine, giving him a shiver. “Eggs sound great,” she whispered.

  He tossed her a quick look over his shoulder at the hint of a quiver in her voice. “Are you too hung over to eat?” The smell of eggs might be making her queasy.

  “No, it’s not that.” She gave him a shy smile, resting her forehead against his upper arm. He’d never seen that expression on her face before. “None of my boyfriends have ever cooked for me.” She ran her hand along his arm and back again.

  Boyfriend? He’d been elevated in status from roommate. Nick grinned at her bent head and kissed the top of it. “They must have been all jerks.” He shrugged. “I like cooking. I’ll cook for you all the time.”

  She wound her arms around his waist and hugged him tight.

  “Careful, I don’t want to dirty your uniform.” He glanced over his shoulder. “We need to discuss the plan.”

  “What plan?” Her focus was on the frying pan.

  “The get-Seymour-to-pay-rent plan.” She’d been intoxicated when they had discussed it.

  “Oh, sure.” She pulled her gaze from the food, her stomach audibly growling. “What are we doing?”

  “It’s a modified Fiddle Game.”

  “I’ve never heard of it.”

  He wasn’t surprised. It was more complicated than the average con. “All I need you to do is distract Seymour in front of the liquor store around six PM.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Yep. The less you know the better.” In case his plan didn’t work, she could plead deniability.

  Her cell phone rang and she retreated to her purse to answer. “Hello?” She watched him as he plated her meal and set it on the breakfast bar. Her eyes grew wider as she listened to whoever was on the other end of the conversation. “What should I wear?”

  That caught his attention. What was going on? He crossed his arms and waited for her to close the line before asking, “Who was that?”

  “My new boss.
He wants me to train at his other location today.” She glanced down at her waitress uniform and looked back up at him with a grin. “I can wear normal clothes again.” Her eyes twinkled. Something he had rarely seen since his arrival.

  “You’re happy.”

  She sauntered over and took a bite of her breakfast. “Yes, yes I am.” She glanced at the eggs on the plate. “Where are yours?”

  “I already ate.” He’d lied. There had only been enough eggs for one omelet and since he’d moved in, he hadn’t seen Ruby eat much. He’d manage until lunch and maybe buy something with his tip money. “Do you think this will change the time you will be home?” Nick had made plans for his brother’s help and hadn’t any way to reach Norm.

  She shook her head. “I’ll be home. My new boss doesn’t seem the type to make me train for twelve hours straight on my first day.” She winked. “Even if he tries, I’ll make him change his mind.”

  “I had better go. I don’t want to be late on my second day.” He kissed her cheek before returning to his bedroom and slipping the charm over his head. Last night—or rather early this morning—he had gone through his clothes and set aside those that fit. Once dressed, he returned to find the kitchen empty as well as Ruby’s plate.

  “Do you need to go over the plan one more time before I go?” he called out.

  Ruby’s bedroom door opened and she stormed out wearing only a bra and panties. “I need to distract Seymour in front of the liquor store around six PM. You look flushed. Does that charm have any side effects?”

  He forgot how to breathe. Creamy skin and lush curves his only focus.

  She snapped her fingers. “Earth to Nick.”

  The next thing he knew, he had her pressed into the wall, hands pinned above her head, his face buried against her throat.

  “Nick…” Winded, she ran her foot along his calf, spreading her legs. “Is this where we forget we have jobs?”

  He groaned. “Maybe.” Nick released her hands and brushed his knuckles over the hard nub poking through her lacy bra.

  She growled. “We made a deal. We’re going to try to be normal people.” She cupped his hard package and her voice held an edge of hunger.