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 make 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 of Brian arriving 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 soooo 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 its head—the horns sank back into the stone while light-blond hair sprouted to take their place, growing past broad shoulders. Within a few seconds, the grotesque stone creature she 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 before them stark naked.
“Oh my God!” she exclaimed, eyes widening.
“I know, babe. 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?
Brian grabbed her wrists and tried to kiss her before she found it.
“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. While Tracy’s gaze paused on his sculpted buttocks, the gargoyle 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.
Don’t miss what happens next.
Order HEAT today!
Acknowledgments
As always, I am so grateful to everyone who helps make each book possible. Huge thanks to my fellow authors, critique partners, editors, beta readers, ARC readers, Street Team, and you, the reader! Thank you for spending time with me in these worlds with characters I love.
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Lisa Carlisle loves stories with dark, brooding heroes and independent heroines. For much of her professional career, she’s written non-fiction — but she’s discovered writing romance is the most fun. Her romances have been named Top Picks at Night Owl Reviews and the Romance Reviews.
When she was younger, she worked in a variety of jobs, moving to various countries. She backpacked alone through Europe, and lived in Paris before returning to the U.S. She owned a bookstore for a few years as she loves to read. She’s now married to a fantastic man, and they have two kids, two cats, and too many fish.
Visit her website for more on books, trailers, playlists, and more:
Lisacarlislebooks.com
Sign up for her newsletter to hear about new releases, specials, and freebies:
http://www.lisacarlislebooks.com/subscribe/
Lisa loves to connect with readers. You can find her on:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Goodreads
Also by Lisa Carlisle
Underground Encounters Series
Smolder
A novella that starts the series
I’m a firefighter. He’s a vampire.
What happens when fire meets ice?
We all lead double lives in a way. Only the most trusted are allowed into our private space. When my reality and fantasy worlds collide one night, I end up in danger.
I never thought a gym crush could be deadly…
All I wanted was an escape from reality. Being a firefighter can be stressful and I unwind at an underground goth club. I can forget about being on call for danger, and just be Nike, a woman who likes to lose herself in music and dance. But when I spot the guy I fantasized about at the rock climbing gym, he discovers my secret.
Michel has a darker one and a connection to a world I never knew existed. My life is threatened and I have to choose whether to go with Michel. How do I find a way out of this nightmare that doesn’t end with me getting burned—or worse, sucked dry by a vampire?
Smolder is a novella that starts the Underground Encounters series, set in a club that attracts supernatural creatures. Step into Vamps and discover a thrilling new world of steamy paranormal romance featuring sexy shifters, thirsty vampires, wicked witches, and gorgeous gargoyles.
READ MORE!
Fire
A Night Owl Reviews Top Pick!
“I don’t want to spoil the story but let me say this… you NEED to go and read this, NOW!” ~ 5 Candles from Satin Sheets Romance.
Maya Winters, a firefighter, heads out on Halloween to dance at her favorite club. A man with haunting eyes watches her from the back of the club. He’s just her type–a dark, brooding bad boy. She feels their connection, but thinks it’s merely physical attraction.
Despite being the new owner, Tristan Stone avoids people in the underground goth club due to his curse. But when he spots a woman dancing alone surrounded by an unusual glow, he must discover who she is and what gives her the radiating power.
While they work together to understand their connection, passion ignites, leading to danger. And the heat could send their world up in flames.
Fire is book 2 in the Underground Encounters series, set in a club that attracts supernatural creatures. Step into Vamps, a thrilling new world of steamy paranormal romance featuring sexy shifters, thirsty vampires, wicked witches, and gorgeous gargoyles.
READ MORE!
Ignite
A Night Owl Reviews and The Romance Reads Top Pick!
We all have secrets.
Some so closely guarded for the safety of ourselves—and others…
Lily won’t consider a permanent relationship. When she meets the singer of a rock band at an underground nightclub, she’s disarmed by his sensual voice and mischievous good looks. After an icy introduction, Lily warms up to Nico’s charms.
He’s a computer geek by day, and rock star by night. How could she resist such a combination?
She can’t—but must keep an emotional distance. No one would understand her furry little secret. It could be dangerous. Especially during the full moon.
Yet, she might be the one in danger…
Ignite is the third installment in the Underground Encounters series, set in a club that attracts supernatural creatures. Step into Vamps, a thrilling new world of steamy paranormal romance featuring sexy shifters, thirsty vampires, wicked witches, and gorgeous gargoyles.
READ MORE!
When Darkness Whispers
The Romance Reviews Top Pick!
Some memories are better left forgotten...
Haunted by an unclear past, biolog
ically enhanced Marine, Eva Montreaux, can't be distracted from her mission. With American servicemen being brutally murdered on the island of Okinawa, it's more than priority. It's critical. But when her investigation brings her face to face with Marcos Delacruz, it triggers memories. Ones she lost. Memories that somehow include him.
Marcos Delacruz has tried to forget the woman who left him with nothing but empty promises. Even now, three years later, Eva doesn't seem to express any guilt over breaking his heart. In truth, she seems to barely recognize him. This deployment has been challenging enough with too many restless spirits haunting the island. But when his own investigation forces him to cross paths with her once more, Marcos discovers there may be a deeper truth.
With the number of murders climbing rapidly and the rising need to track the murderer across the tropical island, Eva struggles to reclaim what she lost. But the island holds darker elements--a serial killer. One that doesn't appear to be human.
Thrust into a world she can't escape, Eva must discover a way to stop a murderer from destroying anyone else's future, but how can she succeed if she can't even remember what role Marcos played in her past?
When Darkness Whispers is full of paranormal romantic suspense you won't want to put down! Go undercover with a supernatural team into a world of vampires, gargoyles, shifters, demons, and ghosts. If you like haunting mystery, spine-tingling suspense, and Japanese mythology, you'll love When Darkness Whispers!
"Wow If I could give this story more than 5 stars I would... Suspense, Mystery, and Thrills all in one book." ~ Book Nook Nuts
Read Now!
Tempted by the Gargoyle
Stone Sentries series
A Night Owl Reviews Top Pick!
Meet your perfect match this Saturday night—or your perfect match for the night.
The eclipse of the red Supermoon sends crowds into Boston for an evening hyped up for a night of passion, one not to be missed. Boston police officer Larissa Riley wants nothing to do with the media-driven event, but her friend convinces her they need to move past the bombings at the Boston Marathon, which still affects them both. They visit a new gothic-themed club where Larissa is disturbed by the attractive stranger eying her.
Roman, a gargoyle shifter and commander of the Stone Sentries, patrols from the rooftop of a club on the night of the eclipse. The Supermoon bodes danger and he puts all his sentries on watch. When a blast of dark magic soars past him, he searches for its origin and fixes on a brunette. Something about her is different, demanding all senses be on high alert. Is she dangerous? Or is she in danger?
Deciding a night with a hot stranger would be good for her, Larissa invites Roman back to her hotel, unaware he is surveilling her. The night takes a dark turn as secrets are uncovered and danger moves in. Her beloved city is under attack. Larissa must decide who to trust before all is lost, including the fate of her closest friend.
Read Now!
Knights of Stone: Mason
Highland Gargoyles 1
The Romance Reviews Top Pick!
Few have ever dared to cross the boundaries--until now...
With a quarter century of burning hatred between the inhabitants of the Isle of Stone, Kayla knows all too well it is forbidden to cross boundaries. But that doesn't keep her from being sorely tempted.
Drawn to discover the secrets beyond the tree witches' forest, Kayla is intrigued by the talk of unconventional rock concerts in gargoyle territory.
But when she risks everything to sneak away from the coven, she never expects to return night after night, not just for the music, but for one particular gargoyle who captured her heart with his guitar.
Nor did she expect that her attention had not gone unnoticed...
With plans to seduce the pixie-like female, Mason spent several nights keeping a watchful eye on his prize, unaware she's not just a passing visitor. But when he discovers she's a tree witch, an enemy to his entire kind, Mason knows that anything between them would be forbidden. No matter how strong the temptation...
But other elements command their attention.
Something much more dangerous haunts the wolf shifters of the isle....
With the magic veil thinning there will be blood... and the full moon is coming.
Knights of Stone: Mason is the first book in a shifter paranormal romance series with a Highland touch and a hard hit of rock romance. If you like hot men in kilts, dark paranormal thrills, and forbidden love, then you'll be hooked by the Highland Gargoyles Series!
Other books in the Highland Gargoyles series:
Knights of Stone: Mason
Knights of Stone: Lachlan
Knights of Stone: Bryce
Seth - a wolf shifter romance in the series
Knights of Stone: Calum
Chateau Seductions, a Paranormal Erotic Romance Series
Darkness Rising
Antoine Chevalier harbors a secret. Born a gargoyle shifter, he wants nothing more than to cultivate his art. His hard work pays off the night he completes his greatest sculpture. But the excitement of his accomplishment doesn’t last.
He’s drawn the eye of the wrong group—a clan of vampires. Antoine wakes into darkness, changed. Shattered. His dream of becoming a renowned sculptor is destroyed.
One question remains—how will he ever survive an eternity of darkness alone?
Darkness Rising is part 0.5 of the Chateau Seductions series by USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Carlisle. Readers have requested more on the dark and mysterious Antoine. In this short story, Antoine tells his tale, which continues in the series with Dark Velvet. Dark Velvet is written from Savannah’s perspective as a newcomer to an art colony who is intrigued by the proprietor.
Read Now!
Dark Velvet
Grad student Savannah Evans is thrilled to be accepted as a resident to a prestigious art colony. Where else would she be able to focus on her craft of writing poetry in a setting like that of the medieval-styled castle? The remote New England island is a respite from her hectic city life. When she meets her benefactor, a mysterious French sculptor, her expectations for carefree days writing near the ocean are distracted by unprofessional fantasies about her sponsor.
Antoine Chevalier built Les Beaux Arts on DeRoche Island to bring purpose back to an existence that has lost meaning. He’s wandered the earth for decades and finds solace in returning to art. When Savannah applies for a residency, something about her words touches him. After her arrival, a physical attraction grows between them, which he struggles against. She deserves more than someone of his kind.
Antoine proposes they become lovers during her stay. But the situation turns complicated when Savannah discovers his secret. She had suspicions about his identity, but finds the truth overwhelming. Consumed by her desire for Antoine and faced with a tough decision, she is blind to the danger that has arrived at DeRoche Island.
“Dark Velvet has a dark eroticism that makes you want to be Savannah. It is a book that is a good, quick and darkly thrilling read.” ~ Books and Beyond Fifty Shades
“…insanely hot chemistry between the female protagonist Savannah & vampire Antoine. Their intensity starts off right away and you’re not a chapter in before it takes off like a rocket!” ~ Paranormal Romance Junkies
Read Now!
Dark Muse
It takes time before Gina Meiro warms up to people and her shyness is often misunderstood. She hasn’t had to worry about meeting new people at a remote art colony until a new resident arrives—a rock guitarist more suited for a billboard. Her carefree days of painting at the medieval-styled castle on a remote New England island are shattered when she stumbles right into his welcome gathering.
After a falling out with his band, Dante Riani wants nothing more at Les Beaux Arts on DeRoche Island than solitude to work on new songs. When a shy young painter asks to paint him at sunset, he’s tempted by the opportunity to be alone with her.
Someone at the colony claims to know what Dante is and asks
for his help. Dante fears his plans are coming undone, especially as grows more drawn to Gina. Her scent and vulnerability are too difficult to resist. But he must stay away from her—she would never understand his secret.
While it is a story about struggle, it is also about love; and doing whatever needs to be done to be with the one you are attracted to. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Gina and Dante. This story has the perfect amount of witty banter, sex, and romance.”
~ 5* Review of Dark Muse from Books and Beyond Fifty Shades!
Read Now!
Dark Stranger
Wolf shifters come to Chateau seeking a missing pack member. During an altercation, Cameron Stevens, the manager of the art colony, is separated from the others. He ends up alone with Nadya, one of the female shifters.
Together, in the forests of DeRoche Island, they struggle against conflicting feelings. In addition to battling each other as well as their mistrust, they fight a powerful, inexplicable attraction to one another—one that leaves them irrevocably entwined.
They’re mates? Cameron can’t comprehend or accept such a thing is possible. They’re two different species and their worlds don’t mesh. He can’t fight the heated desire burning between them and her touch is impossible to resist. His heart and mind aren’t on the same page where she’s concerned. One thing is certain—Nadya is stamped on both.
***** FIVE STARS ***** – “I have read the first 2 books in this series and could not wait to get my hands on this one; and I was not disappointed. The thing I love most, is that while this is a story about paranormal creatures, you can still relate to the trial and tribulations that they go through. You can relate to how each character is feeling, even though you are nothing like them.”
Burn: A shifter and vampire rock star romance (Underground Encounters Book 4) Page 21
