The Gargoyle Gets His Girl

by Kristen Painter

  “That was really sweet of you.” Really, really sweet. Oh man, she was crazy about this guy.

  Nick laughed. “It was more about self-preservation. He got bitey.”

  “I’m sorry about that.” She frowned at her cat, who was now wolfing down food like it was his last meal. “Jasper, you’re a guest. Act like it.”

  Nick snickered. “You were a little bitey yourself last night.”

  She felt her face go red even as Nick laughed.

  He grabbed her and hugged her, kissing the side of her neck. “I like teasing you. You go the cutest shade of pink.”

  She punched him playfully. “Watch out, I might bite you again.”

  “Promises, promises.” He nibbled his way to the tip of her ear, making her melt. The points of her ears were very sensitive. “Mmm…lemon.”

  She sighed as she felt heat build in the lower half of her body. She pushed him away with a little laugh. It was that or end up back in bed, and they had a meeting with the sheriff. “Are you as sticky as I am?”

  “Yes. Pretty sure I’m going to have to run those sheets through an extra wash cycle.”

  “I can help.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Actually, I was hoping to surprise you with breakfast in bed, but the best I can do is coffee. Unless you want a PowerBar.”

  “I’ll take the coffee, but pass on the PowerBar, thanks. I like real food.”

  “So I’ve noticed.” He winked. “I’ll run to Mummy’s and pick up whatever you want. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

  Of course he was. He’d worked hard last night. They both had. She grinned. “I could eat. I’ll take a ham and cheese omelet with home fries and wheat toast.”

  “Good choice.” He grabbed his car keys. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Um, don’t you want to put a shirt on? And shoes?”

  He glanced down and laughed. “See what you do to me?” He headed for the bedroom. “Putting clothes on now.”

  He was back a minute later, still pulling on a T-shirt over his glorious abs. “Should I get cinnamon buns, too?”

  “I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I think I’ve had enough sugar for a day or two.”

  “How about just one? We could split it.”

  “Okay, I can swing that.”

  “All right. Back in a bit. Feel free to shower if you want. Or wait for me.” He shrugged in a sort of lopsided way that made her think he must have been doing the same thing since he was a little boy. Well, there was nothing little about him now. “Either way.”

  She nodded, imagining how amazing it would be to wake up to this guy every day. “I can wait. I need to call to make sure my employees can open up the shop this morning. We’re supposed to go see Sheriff Merrow so he can take our statements, remember?”

  Nick nodded. “In that case, you should probably shower. If you wait for me, it’s not going to be quick.”

  “You’re awful.”

  “That’s not what you said last night.” He ducked as she threw a kitchen towel at him. “Off to get breakfast.”

  As his truck engine revved up, she headed back to his bathroom to see what sort of supplies he had. She kind of hoped there wasn’t a bunch of women’s stuff lying around. She hated to think she was one of many who’d spent the night here.

  But her fears were unfounded. There wasn’t much in his bathroom besides shampoo and shaving cream. She grabbed her toiletries from her bag and headed into the shower with her hair twisted up on top of her head. The hot water felt divine, and it helped wake her up. She wrapped up with a big towel when she got out and padded back to the bedroom to dig through her stuff for something to wear.

  She pulled out a long cotton peasant skirt and a tank top. It was supposed to be hot today, no point in wearing more than necessary. As she got dressed, something plinked to the floor behind her. It was followed by a louder clomp a few seconds later.

  She turned to see Jasper sitting on Nick’s dresser, systematically cleaning it off, one item at a time. “Jasper, quit that.”

  He jumped down and swatted at one of the things he’d knocked off, flicking it across the rug. A glimmer of pearly white and a spark of blue caught her eye. “What have you got there, Jas?”

  She pinched the thing up and laid it flat in her palm.

  The air around her turned to ice. It was the shard of opal she’d thrown in the fountain. Knees about to buckle, she sat on the edge of the bed. There were two explanations for why Nick would have this. One, he’d seen it in the fountain and fished it out from sheer curiosity, which didn’t strike her as the most likely option, or two, he’d been there when she’d thrown it in.

  She squeezed her hand around the piece of gemstone, not caring as the jagged edge cut into her hand. The sharp, hard lines of the face of the brand new gargoyle statue came to the forefront of her mind.

  Her next thought was that Nick had yet to tell her what kind of shifter he was. In fact, every time she’d asked, he skillfully changed the conversation or made a joke or they’d been interrupted, but never once had he come close to answering.

  The front door opened and closed. “Breakfast has arrived,” Nick called out.

  Willa stood, anger and doubt and a pointed sense of betrayal pulsing through her. Breakfast could wait. Especially since her appetite was gone.

  Nick almost ran into Willa in the kitchen. He put the takeout bags on the counter and grinned. “I think the waitress likes me. She gave me an extra order of bacon and—”

  Anger flashed in Willa’s aqua eyes.

  He frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  “What kind of shifter are you?”

  That had come out of nowhere. “The kind who’s crazy about you.” He lifted a hand to touch her cheek.

  She grabbed his wrist, preventing him from making contact, and a piercing jab of power stabbed into him. She was angrier than he’d realized. She repeated herself. “What kind of shifter are you? Tell me now.”

  This wasn’t the sort of mad that could be kissed away. This also wasn’t the way he’d wanted to reveal his true nature to her, but he had no choice now, not with her demanding an answer while touching him. Warning bells went off in his head. This was what he’d worried about from the beginning, that she’d try to exert her control over him with her fae power. His guard went up. “Gargoyle.”

  The muscles in her jaw twitched. She released him. “I knew it. How long were you going to keep this lie up? Why didn’t you just tell me?”

  “What lie?” He didn’t usually go for playing dumb, but he was at an informational disadvantage and needed to suss out what she knew.

  She glowered at him. “That you’re the gargoyle at the fountain? The one who was there when I made my wish. You’ve known about this stalker the whole time, haven’t you?”

  “What makes you think I was there?”

  “This makes me think you were there.” She stuck her palm out. The piece of opal she’d thrown in as her offering sat on it, glinting at him.

  There was no point in denying it. “Willa, listen, I just had to be sure—”

  She sucked in a breath. “So you were there. That was you. That big gargoyle on the platform.”

  “It’s not what you think.”

  She tossed the opal onto the kitchen counter. It skittered to a stop against the backsplash. Her hands curled into fists as tears welled in her eyes. “Why didn’t you say something? I was talking to you, for crying out loud.”

  “Because I had to be sure you weren’t trying to…control me.”

  Her mouth came open. “I’m sorry, you had to be sure I wasn’t trying to control you? How exactly is that supposed to work?”

  He studied her for a moment, trying to read her expression, her eyes. Was there any chance she was playing him? What kind of lapidus fae didn’t know she had power over a gargoyle? “Do you really not know?”

  She stared at him. “No. Enlighten me.”

  He ran a hand over his head. “I know
what kind of fae you are.”

  “Yeah, we talked about that. What does that have to do with anything?”

  “You’re really not messing with me?”

  Her gaze narrowed. “No, and apparently you’re not going to tell me why you would think that, or why what kind of fae I am matters.”

  “It matters because your kind and my kind don’t mix.”

  “What? Fae and shifters?” She shook her head. “Now you’re just making crap up. Fae and shifters get along fine.”

  “Not fae and gargoyles. Ages ago, your kind held my kind in bondage.”

  Her mouth gaped open, and hurt filled her eyes, telling him instantly he’d gone about this the wrong way. “I don’t know anything about that, but I can’t believe you thought I was trying to…ensnare you in some way? How would I even do that?”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it—”

  “Of course you did or you wouldn’t have thought it. Or said it.” She backed away. “Why did you even sleep with me? Do you think I somehow compelled you to? Because you certainly seemed on board last night.”

  “No, I don’t think that. Please listen to me. Whatever your fae powers are, they contain the ability to control me. You’re a lapidus, aren’t you?”

  She froze. “You know I am. What does it matter?”

  “Because that’s who the fae used to enslave my people to fight their wars for them. The lapidus, those fae born with the power over metal and stone.”

  “I’ve never known anything about this. I don’t have the power to control you.” Her voice held the jagged edge of fear.

  That edge cut through him. He shook his head. “I can feel it when you touch me. The power in you resonates in me.”

  “I would never do anything to force you—”

  “You already have.”

  Fresh hurt darkened her eyes, and she looked away. Jasper wound around her feet as if he could sense the tension in her. “If this is where you tell me that you didn’t really want to sleep with me and you just did it because I forced you, I’m going to have a really difficult time believing that.”

  “I wasn’t talking about last night. I was talking about a minute ago when you grabbed my wrist and demanded I tell you what kind of shifter I am. I couldn’t have lied to you if I wanted to. Just like when you came to the fountain and made your wish, sealing it with stone. You must know the significance of that.”

  “You’re delusional, you know that?” She scooped Jasper up. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I know I have to go.”

  “Willa.”

  She left, stomping down the hall to the bedroom.

  He wanted to go after her, but she clearly wasn’t in a mood to talk anymore. He rubbed his face, still sticky in spots from the craziness of their dessert-fueled lovemaking. How was it possible that the woman he’d just been in bed with a few hours ago was now too angry to be in the same house with him?

  She came back, her go-bags over her shoulder, but she went past the kitchen and into the living room, then the sounds of Jasper’s carrier being opened and closed reached his ears.

  He stood in the doorway of the kitchen, watching her. “I can drive you to the sheriff station if you want.”

  She picked up the carrier and shot him a withering look. “I wouldn’t want to risk making you my mindless sex slave again on the way.”

  “Willa, please. Let me explain.”

  “I think you’ve explained plenty.”

  And then, without another word, she walked out his front door.

  The snick of it shutting echoed through the house, an empty, accusatory sound. Nick felt a moment of panic. He wasn’t good with people leaving him. He took a breath, closed his eyes and tried to deny that the ache in his belly had anything to do with how badly he’d handled the situation, but this was his fault. He should have spoken up. Told her who he was. Should have known her intentions were innocent.

  Should have put the opal somewhere else besides the top of his dresser.

  He growled in frustration. He’d let his head overrule his heart.

  Hopefully by the time he saw her at the sheriff’s office, she’d be cooled off enough that he’d be able to convince her to listen. He’d apologize and fix everything.

  Somehow.

  Willa couldn’t go back to her apartment, so she went to the only other place she could think of. The House Witch.

  Fortunately, she didn’t live far. And by now, she should be home.

  Pandora Williams answered the door in a bathrobe with her hair wrapped in a towel. “Hey, Willa, how are you? Did I know you were coming over?”

  “No, sorry, this is an imposition because I know you just got home, but I need a place to stay. My apartment got broken into last night and—”

  “What? Oh no!” Concern marred the pretty redhead’s otherwise happy face as she moved to the side to let Willa in. “Get in here. No wonder you have Jasper with you. Of course you can stay. You know my guest room is always open to you. You poor thing. Did they take much?”

  Willa stepped into the house. “Just my sense of security. I hope you had a good conference. Where’s Pumpkin?” Pandora had adopted one of Jasper’s littermates, an act that had further solidified the friendship between the two women.

  “The conference was good. Boring, but good. And her Royal Fatness is in the kitchen having a second breakfast. Let Jasper out.” Pandora shut the front door. “Maybe he’ll distract Pumpkin and get her to play. She could use the cardio. Speaking of, have you eaten? My first showing isn’t until eleven, so I have time to hang out and make us some breakfast while you tell me the whole sordid tale about this break-in.”

  “No, no breakfast yet.” Willa thought sadly of the one she could have been having with Nick if he’d just been honest about how he really was. With a sigh, she set Jasper free. He immediately took off for the kitchen. “That would be great.”

  Pumpkin was indeed in there, and still at her dish. The big orange tabby didn’t even glance at her brother when he walked in. Willa sat at the table, drank coffee and, while Pandora cooked, unloaded everything that had happened, including her fight with Nick.

  “Wow.” Pandora stared at the spatula in her hand. “Just…wow. But, really, that just sucks. I know Nick. I sold him his house. He seems like such a nice guy.”

  “He is,” Willa said softly. “Except for when he’s not being honest about who he is. And the part where he thinks I’m going to take away his free will and make him do my bidding. What exactly did he think I was going to have him do? It’s not like I’m at war with anyone.”

  “Apart from the stalker guy.” Pandora brought two plates of scrambled eggs to the table and sat.

  “Ugh, don’t remind me. What am I going to do about that?”

  Pandora doused her eggs with hot sauce. “What is he?”

  “Troll. You know anything about them?”

  “A little. I can check my mother’s library for more info, though.”

  Pandora’s mother, Corette, was an extremely talented witch. Pandora and her sisters weren’t slouches either—well, Pandora had never really found her niche with witchcraft. She’d ended up going into real estate, which she excelled at. Most people referred to her good-naturedly as the House Witch. She handled almost a hundred percent of the sales for Nocturne Falls’ supernatural community.

  “Thanks.” Willa poked at the eggs, wishing she had a mother with a library. “That’s one of the real downfalls of my decision to run away from home all those years ago. I never got the education my peers did. Everything I’ve learned has been through trial and error.”

  Pandora tipped her head. “I hope you’re not saying you’re dumb, because you’re one of the most talented, street-smart women I know.”

  “No, not dumb exactly, but I don’t have the book smarts about supernatural history the way others do. I don’t think Nick was lying about the fae once enslaving the gargoyle nation, but I didn’t know about it. Or that my power over stone meant I
could control a creature made of stone. I never put those two things together.”

  “And why would you? It’s not like this has come up before.”

  “Still.” Willa groaned into her coffee. “No wonder he thought I might be a threat.”

  “You’re not letting him off the hook that easily, are you? He kept information from you. He sat there, listening to you make that wish, and never identified himself. That’s kind of shady.”

  Willa sighed wistfully.

  “Uh oh,” Pandora said. “You like him.”

  Willa frowned at her friend. “I did sleep with him.”

  Pandora grinned. “I knew it. You have the sex glow. How was he? Phenomenal, I bet. I mean, that body, how could he not be? You know I wanted to introduce you two when I was selling him his house, but you kept telling me you were too busy to date.” Her brows lifted as her lips pursed. “Just think, you could have been tapping that all this time.”

  “You’re not helping.”

  “Sorry.” She sipped her coffee, smirking like Jasper after he’d charmed Willa into giving him extra treats.

  “Yes, I like him. Or I did. I don’t know what I think about him now. Other than I’m angry about this whole misunderstanding.”

  Pandora put her cup down. “Can I make a suggestion?”

  “Can I stop you?” Willa smiled, teasing.

  Pandora snorted. “You have to see him at the sheriff’s office, right? So why not at least hear him out? Especially if you really do like him. Give him the opportunity to explain himself, and then, if what he says sounds good, give him a chance to make things right.”

  “How do you mean, make things right?”

  “You know, a little groveling, a little probationary relationship time. Make him work to get back into your good graces.” She pursed her lips. “You let him off the hook too easily, and you set a bad precedent for the future.”

  “You’re assuming there is a future.”

  Pandora’s eyes took on a mischievous glint. “Jasper needs a daddy.”