Trill to Me Sweetly Paranormal love 1

by Charlie Richards

  Into the paranormal world: A man’s idea of good and bad can be put to the test at the most unexpected moments. Maelgwn, leader of a clutch of gargoyles in Durango, Colorado, only planned to be in Stone Ridge a few days to help a fellow gargoyle’s mate through laying their first egg. His plan to leave changes when he scents his mate in the hospital. He discovers his mate is Bobby Truman, a human who has no idea the paranormal world exists, even though a number of his friends are shifters. Maelgwn begins the arduous process of watching and waiting, searching for that perfect opportunity to make contact with his mate.

  Bobby Truman is tired of his boyfriend, Seth’s, abusive friends, especially when Seth doesn’t do anything about their antics. The broken nose, compliments of Seth’s buddy Grant, is the final straw. When he’s attacked by muggers and rescued by a mysterious stranger in the dark, Bobby hopes it’s the opportunity he needs to make a clean break from Seth. Even if it doesn’t work out with Maelgwn, maybe Bobby can keep his new love interest’s attention long enough to prove to Seth they are really done.

  Bobby thinks it’s odd that Maelgwn won’t come into the light, always meeting him after dark, but he’s nowhere near prepared for the truth when it finally comes out.

  Can Maelgwn convince Bobby that the things that go bump in the night aren’t always bad and to take his place at Maelgwn’s side in a paranormal world? Even when that means uprooting his life and moving?

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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Trill To Me Sweetly

  Copyright © 2013 Charlie Richards ISBN: 978-1-77111-450-9 Cover art by Scott Carpenter

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  Published by eXtasy Books Look for us online at: www.eXtasybooks.com

  Trill To Me Sweetly A Paranormal’s Love: Book One

  By

  Charlie Richards

  To all those that love gargoyle stories as much as I do…

  Chapter One

  Bobby was in too deep, and he knew it. Unfortunately, he wasn’t certain how to extricate himself from the mess his life had become. He thought about running away, but where would he go? His job was here. Bobby truly loved Colin City and didn’t want to leave.

  Plus, his friends were here. Not that Bobby wanted to involve any of them in his problems. The only one who might have been able to help was his ex-lover Lyle, but he didn’t talk to him anymore. The nice detective had been kidnapped and fallen in love with his male nurse after getting rescued. Didn’t that just beat all? Bobby was happy for him, sort of.

  Glancing at his watch, Bobby bit back a sigh. Great. If he didn’t hurry, he’d be late getting home, which meant Seth would be pissed. As if he wouldn’t already be mad when Forest showed up and told Seth all about Bobby meeting another man at the coffee shop. While Bobby had been talking to his friend, Cornelius, he’d seen Forest leave the pub across the street. It would be way too much to hope that Seth’s buddy hadn’t noticed Bobby. Really, who lounged on an outdoor patio in Colorado during the dead of winter? Yeah, that would be the thick necked goon.

  Bobby closed his laptop and shoved it into his bag. He downed the last of his coffee and stood. When he rubbed a hand over his face, Bobby only felt a twinge from his nose. At least the broken nose was almost healed. God, just the memory of Seth’s friend’s fist hitting his face was enough to make him cringe. Sure, Seth had a possessive streak a mile wide and always kept an eye on him, but at least Bobby didn’t have to worry about getting hit by the man.

  It was Seth’s asshole buddies that liked to smack him on the back too hard or punch him in the arm too hard—all under the guise of friendly scuffling. When Grant had hit him in the face, he’d claimed he’d been aiming for Bobby’s shoulder. Seth had punched him out anyway. Bobby wasn’t certain why that hadn’t made him feel any better. Maybe because it didn’t relieve the ache in his nose?

  Or it could be the feeling of helplessness Seth’s actions caused in Bobby. Seth had his friends keep an eye on Bobby while he was at work. And when Seth wasn’t at work, he was constantly dropping by Bobby’s home or dropping by Bobby’s work. Bobby never felt alone anymore, but he was still isolated.

  Bobby hated it and wanted out.

  He paused, a shiver working up his spine. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Bobby glanced behind him surreptitiously, then quickly returned his focus straight ahead and picked up his pace. Okay, so maybe he shouldn’t have stayed quite so late at the coffee shop.

  Someone was following him. Someone he didn’t recognize. In fact, two someones. Two someones who looked like muggers, with their dark hoodies and chains jangling from their jeans. Maybe it was stereotyping, but Bobby still debated his options—cut into an alleyway or start running. Both sucked.

  When he felt the hand drop on his shoulder, Bobby squealed and did both. He yanked away from whoever the hell had touched him and started sprinting down the alley on his left. Bobby just knew if he could make it to the end, he could turn left, then right, and make it to a main road with taxis.

  Sadly, at five foot seven he was short, which meant his legs were short, and the thugs caught up with him. A hand grabbed his sweatshirt, yanking him nearly off his feet. He gasped, losing his breath, but managed to regain his balance. That is, until whoever held him shoved him sideways into the wall.

  He almost dropped his laptop case and scrambled to hang onto it. Bobby had to wrap both arms around it to hold the old, heavy thing, causing him to scrape his knuckles on the building’s stone walls.

  “Now, why’d you have to go and run, dude?” one of his pursuers asked. “That only makes my buddy excited.”

  The other guy chortled, and it took everything in Bobby to turn around and face them. “Please, leave me alone,” he whispered, his gaze darting back and forth between the two men. He clutched his laptop case to his chest like a shield.

  “Awe, we ain’t gonna hurt ya,” said the first man again, obviously the duo’s speaker. “As long as you give us what we want,” he added in a sultry tone that sent a shiver down Bobby’s spine.

  “What-what do you want?” Bobby whispered, his gaze skittering between them.

  “Your laptop,” replied the first.

  It almost drowned out the second guy’s answer. “Your ass.”

  Bobby paled. “No,” he denied.

  “Awe, don’t be that way, baby,” the first guy said, leering. “We’ll make it good for you.”

  Bobby didn’t have anywhere to go when both guys moved in on him. He whimpered, cringing as the first guy’s bad, beer-soaked breath wafted across his face. Crying out in dismay, Bobby shifted sideways when the second guy grabbed his belt. It didn’t take a genius to realize what would come next.

  He started to shake his head, and his body trembled violently. The first guy’s fingers pinched his jaw and turned his head as he pressed his mou
th over Bobby’s and forced his tongue into his mouth.

  Before Bobby could figure out how to get out of this, an inhuman roar echoed through the alley. Both men jerked, the first lifting his head though he kept his hands on Bobby’s face. The second guy released his unbuckled belt and snarled, “What the fuck was that?”

  “No fucking idea,” the first man replied, his tone a cross between worried and angry, probably at the interruption.

  “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?”

  The question, spoken slowly, menacingly, in a deep gruff voice, actually vibrated Bobby’s balls. That could be the only reason Bobby could think of that would explain why his dick started perking up under these circumstances. At least asshole mugger number one released his jaw and both stepped away from him to face the interloper.

  Bobby knew he should take advantage of their distraction, so he sucked in a breath and sprinted toward the mouth of the alley. He didn’t make it two steps before thug number two grabbed him and slammed him against a wall. Pain shot through his head as it scraped against the rough stone.

  Another roar echoed through the alley. Instead of making his head ring, Bobby felt almost…well…reassured. He pressed a hand to his temple and felt the blood oozing from his skin. Instead of focusing on that, he couldn’t help but notice the way the man who cast the massive shadow and spoke in the deep sexy voice slammed the head of one of the muggers against the wall.

  He shouted a warning when he spotted the second man charge toward the shadow that signified his hero, a glimmer of moonlight glinting off the knife of a switchblade clutched in the attacker’s hand.

  The big shadow swept a long leg out and knocked the guy off his feet. The first mugger had regained his feet and charged. Bobby’s hero swung out an arm and nailed the guy with his cloak. It must have been made of a stiff material, because the thug bounced backward into the wall. This time, his head hit it with a resounding crack and he slumped on the ground.

  Bobby watched his helper’s silhouette rise to his full height as he backhanded the second charging mugger. Like his buddy, when the man went down, he didn’t get back up. Bobby’s jaw dropped when his savior finally stood still and he could take in the guy’s actual proportions. Sure, the shadows obscured quite a bit, but the man must have been at least seven feet tall, and his broad shoulders, holy shit!

  “Are you all right?” the guy queried.

  “Yeah,” Bobby whispered, unable to stop his gaze from sweeping over the heavily cloaked, shadowed figure. “Thank you.”

  “Your laptop,” the man said, kneeling on the ground and grasping a black, square object. “Here.”

  Instead of moving toward him, the man slid the bag across the concrete toward Bobby. His aim was true, and the bag stopped a foot in front him. “Thank you,” he said again, grabbing it and pulling it close.

  “You’re welcome,” came the guy’s deep voice. “You can go. I’ll call the police and deal with these thugs.”

  Bobby’s fists tightened on the handle, but he didn’t move from his spot. For some reason, he desperately wanted to see the face of his hero. He just knew it would be as sexy as his deep voice implied. Instead, he asked, “Is there something I can do to repay you for your kindness?”

  For a long moment, the man remained quiet. Bobby almost didn’t think he’d respond, but then the stranger said, “Have dinner with me.”

  He knew his brows lifted, and he couldn’t keep in his surprised gasp. He licked his lips and struggled to formulate an answer. Would it be cheating to accept a thank-you dinner from a guy who saved him from…well, probably a mugging and rape?

  Bobby decided Seth would probably see it that way. This was the perfect opportunity to move on. If this big man made his interest known, surely Seth would leave him alone, right?

  “Never mind,” the man said, refocusing Bobby’s attention. The man moved, his shadow turning, drawing away.

  “No, wait, please,” Bobby cried, heading toward him.

  “Stop.”

  Bobby obeyed the command in the other man’s tone and came to a standstill. “Please, wait,” Bobby pleaded. He didn’t know if the guy could see his expression, but he tried to implore with his look anyway. “I’ll have dinner with you, just…” he licked his lips and shook his head.

  “Just what?”

  “I-I’m currently seeing someone. I’ve been working up the courage to break up with him, but…I haven’t done it yet. I…” Shit, why is this so hard?“I don’t want you to think I’m a cheater,” Bobby blurted. “Because I’m not. I need a couple days to tell him it’s over.”

  “I see,” the guy replied quietly. “I can understand that. When did you have in mind?”

  Bobby swallowed hard, wracking his brain. Seth worked tonight and tomorrow. He could take the cowards way out and tell him over the phone. That’d be best, right? Faster, easier, safer…then Bobby could see his sexy-sounding savior in the next day or so. “How about Tuesday night? Does that work for you?”

  The guy looked to have tilted his head. Bobby heard him swallow. “I’ll force myself to wait, though it will be difficult.”

  Grinning, Bobby felt a wash of pleasure at the man’s admission. “Okay. Where?” He tried not to sound too eager, though he wasn’t certain how successful he was.

  “On the outskirts of town, on the corner of eighth and main is a park. Will you meet me there? I’ll have a picnic and a fire waiting.”

  Bobby thought it a bit cold for an outside meal, but he wouldn’t miss this chance for anything. “Okay,” he said slowly. “I can do that. What time?”

  “Seven o’clock. Is that too late for you?” the man asked.

  Smiling, Bobby shook his head. Excitement coursed through him at the prospect of his date. “That’s fine. I’ll be there.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  He couldn’t stop his grin. “Me, too,” he murmured. Bobby took one step away before turning back to the man. “What’s your name?”

  The shadow shifted, and Bobby imagined a smile curving the shadowed lips of his sexy date. “Maelgwn. I’ll see you night after next, Bobby.”

  Bobby watched Maelgwn slip down the alleyway, his big frame sliding silently into the night as he rolled the name around his lips. He thought it was sexy and exotic. As he started toward home, laptop case clutched close to his chest, it occurred to him that he didn’t actually remember telling Maelgwn his name.

  Chapter Two

  From the rooftop two houses down, Maelgwn watched Bobby unlock the outer door of his apartment complex and disappear inside. He stretched his wings and leaped, taking to the air. Catching a current, he floated to the roof of the building across from his mate’s home.

  Maelgwn spotted Bobby cross his kitchen and set his laptop case on the dining room table. His mate returned to the kitchen and pulled a beer from the fridge. He hadn’t even made it out of the room before his phone rang. He didn’t miss the way Bobby glared at his cell before picking it up and answering. After a roll of his eyes, Bobby took a swig of his beer and headed out of the kitchen and into the living room…and out of sight.

  Swallowing hard, Maelgwn grabbed the ledge with his hands, the cement cracking under the strength of his claws’ hold, to keep himself from leaping across the hundred yards separating him from Bobby. Maelgwn desperately wanted to crash through the doors and yank the offending machinery out of his mate’s hand. Biding his time, being patient in wooing his human mate, was killing him.

  He’d been watching Bobby for over a week and a half, trying to figure out how to get close to him. Finally, finally, Maelgwn had managed it. It sure wasn’t the way he’d wanted to, rescuing him from muggers, but he’d take any way to interact with Bobby that he could get, especially since the biggest issue was Maelgwn couldn’t really let Bobby see him. If Bobby knew he was a gargoyle—with wings, claws, stone by day and thick leather hide by night—his little human would go running for the hills.

  Heaving a sigh, Maelgwn accepte
d that his mate was in and alone for the night. He turned, spread his wings, and launched into the night sky. He really wanted a steak, and he knew just the place to get one.

  Maelgwn winged his way to the outskirts of Stone Ridge. The flight only took him a few minutes and he dropped into a small clearing behind a mother-in-law cottage several hundred yards away from a larger residence. He didn’t know who the humans were that lived in the big house, but he’d spent plenty of time with the men in the cottage.

  He knocked on the sliding door at the back of the house, well hidden in the trees. Gustav Hermance, Gus to his friends, appeared quickly, pulling the blinds aside to peer outside. The big rhino shifter grinned, showing off straight white teeth in his pale face. The bald Caucasian looked like a body builder, but as a shifter, his bulk was all natural.

  Gus slid the door open and beckoned him in out of the cold. Tucking his wings around him like a cloak, Maelgwn stepped into the decent-sized studio cottage. “Thanks,” he said, glancing down to make certain he wasn’t tracking mud or snow in on his clawed feet. A careful wipe on the mat assured him of his cleanliness.

  Looking around the room, he spotted Tible, Gus’s gargoyle mate, standing at the stove. Tible looked over his slender gray shoulder and smiled at him. “Welcome, Maelgwn. You want a steak?”

  “I’d love one, thanks,” he replied, moving around the small, round table to lean against the counter. “Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked, trying not to be embarrassed about the way his stomach growled at the smells of the cooking meat.

  Gus shook his head. “Naw. The potatoes are in the oven. The steaks are cooking on the burners.” He looked at Maelgwn and grinned. “Unless you wanna grab some veggies from the freezer,” he teased.

  Maelgwn snorted. “Yeah, right.”

  Gus laughed, and Tible snickered.

  As a massive, seven-foot-one-inch gargoyle, Maelgwn

  was primarily a meat eater. He didn’t mind a potato or two, but anything green really didn’t appeal. That’s not to say he wouldn’t eat it if a host put it in front of him, it just meant he wouldn’t willingly add it to a menu.