Stone Romance (Stone Passion #2)

by A C Warneke

  “You have that spark,” he said, his voice soft with conviction as he stopped her in her tracks and took her hand in his. Holding her gaze, he quirked a smile when she rolled her eyes, “I’m serious; you have that spark but it has been buried; being here together is fate.”

  Her breath caught in her throat as his assessment, wishing for it to be true and knowing he was only saying what she wanted to hear. It didn’t matter; he made her want to experience life again and that was a miracle in and of itself. “I don’t know if I believe in fate; I think that sometimes we have to create our own fate.”

  He nodded his head in solemn agreement even as his eyes danced with laughter and in that moment she wanted to jump his bones. “Or maybe that is just Fate’s way of getting us to do what she wants us to do in the first place.”

  It was inappropriate and wrong in so many ways but it was a feeling that she welcomed. Instinctively she knew that he would be a wonderful lover and she wanted him more than her next breath. Ignoring the temptation, wondering where it even came from, Jenna’s lips split into a wide grin, “Then let’s just say screw fate and have sex, right here and now.”

  He stopped abruptly, a stain of color spreading over his cut cheekbones as his brown eyes bore into her. Licking her lips, she forced herself to meet his gaze and ignore the way her heart pounded furiously in her chest. “Oh, gosh, that’s not what I meant to say. It’s not that I don’t want to have sex with you because I do I just didn’t want to blurt it out like that because we barely know one another and it would be incredibly stupid to just jump into bed with each other and I’m babbling… make me stop babbling, Rhys, before I say anything else.”

  He looked over his shoulder at the interior of the building and frowned, an expression that seemed out of place on his handsome face. When he remained silent, she turned her head to see what held his attention but didn’t see anything out of place. It was the same opulent atrium that had overwhelmed her senses the first time she visited Melanie at her apartment all of those weeks ago. Granted, it was gorgeous, with the intricate stone work and soaring ceilings; it was like an enchanted castle out of long forgotten fairy tale but there was nothing out of place.

  The only other person there was a strange little man behind the counter who was watching them with an eager smile and she wondered if he had heard her blunder. What could she have been thinking, to proposition him like that? She really needed to work on her flirting skills.

  With a sigh, she pushed a strand of black hair out of her eyes and twisted her head around so she was looking out the door, to the real world where she didn’t make a fool out of herself in her first attempt at dating since Jeremy. It wasn’t that she was throwing out the possibility of sleeping with the man; it just wasn’t smart to just blurt it out like that. The hot rush of desire that had been coursing through her veins must have fried her brain because she never would have stumbled so badly. Plus, she would have waited until they had gone on a few dates.

  She shouldn’t even be thinking about Rhys in a sexual manner at all; he hadn’t even asked her out. Not that there had been a lot of opportunity to ask her out; they barely met and she was obsessing over something that probably meant nothing to him. Prettier girls than her undoubtedly threw themselves at him all of the time; he probably felt sorry for her and wasn’t sure how to reply.

  And the longer he remained silent, scowling at nothing in particular, the more foolish she felt. Instead of explaining her huge momentary lack of speech control, she found herself staring at the ground and muttering, “Unless you’re not interested….”

  “Sweetheart, I am very interested,” he rasped, his voice rough with emotion. His warm palms wrapped around her upper arms and she looked up and when she saw the desire flaming in his hot, brown eyes she had to remind herself to breathe. His eyes gleamed as he looked down at her. “You have no idea how very interested I am; but it would be a bad idea if we didn’t at least think about it.”

  “Why?” Oh, god; why couldn’t she just let it go? If he decided to take her up on her offer she’d have to explain that she didn’t mean it. Except there was that throbbing hum of desire that spiked in her belly at the thought of just giving in to madness and sleeping with him….

  “Your sister is… dating my brother,” he said in way of explanation, which was a weak excuse. At her frown, he smiled wryly, “Their relationship is complicated.”

  Jenna snorted at that, “Oh, please; they’re made for one another; the world simply disappears when the two of them look at one another. Theirs is possibly the least complicated relationship I’ve ever seen.”

  Rhys’s lips curled upwards into a sexy but humorless smile, “Appearances can be deceiving, sweetheart. There are things you don’t know….”

  “Just forget it,” she exhaled in frustration and humiliation. If he didn’t want her, he could have just told her instead of trying to spare her feelings with a ridiculous tale. She took a step to leave when she found herself surrounded by his arms, his body, staring into the chocolate depths of Rhys’s eyes.

  Her own eyes widened as he stared down at her with naked hunger, as his thumb brushed over her lower lip, lingering this time. Lightning cracked through the walls around her heart and her stomach dipped with excitement. He bent his head until his breath mingled with hers and she thought, she hoped, that he was going to kiss her. He didn’t.

  “If things were different,” he rumbled, his voice low and fervent as he held her so close. “If I wasn’t what I was and you weren’t Melanie’s sister I would have you back upstairs, naked and on your back and tied to my bed. I would torture you with pleasure until your body was weeping for release and then I would fuck you until your brain exploded in ecstasy. And then I would start over and do it all again.”

  The air rushed out of her as she exhaled, her body softening to accept what his eyes and voice were promising. Her tongue flicked out and touched his thumb, tasting the spicy clean flavor of him. His eyes slid closed for a moment as he let out an anguished groan. It was all the encouragement she needed, “Maybe just one night?”

  He opened his eyes and they glittered in the darkness, “One night would never be enough, Jenna. And if I have just a taste of you, I’d want it all.”

  She swallowed thickly, staring into the endless depths of his eyes and thinking that they were the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. The feelings that were swamping her were similar to how she felt when she drank too much wine only she hadn’t had any wine in months. Her head was spinning and she just wanted to kiss him and lose herself in sensation; she wanted to have sex with him, a virtual stranger, just to feel alive.

  Shaking her head, needing to break the spell he had unwittingly cast, she stepped out of his embrace. She laughed uneasily as she pushed her hair out of her face once more, “You’re right; of course you’re right; giving into this craziness would be so wrong.”

  “It wouldn’t be wrong,” he countered, confusing her. Holding his hand out towards her in silent entreaty, he smiled ruefully, “But it wouldn’t be wise, not yet.”

  She laughed in earnest now, slipping her hand into his and welcoming the jolt of electricity that reminded her that she hadn’t died almost seven years ago, that life did go on. “It’s alright, we don’t want to do anything we’ll regret….”

  “We wouldn’t regret it,” he grumbled, his lips quirking upwards in a dazzling smile, making him look like Loki, a mischievous god among mere men. Bringing her hand up to his lips, he kissed her knuckles once more in that courtly way of his and his eyes sparkled, “Just so you know, I fully intend on getting you into my bed.”

  She crinkled her nose as she chuckled softly, “Then I will look forward to that day.”

  “Night,” he corrected.

  “Night.” She laughed as he pushed open the door and they stepped out into the frigid Minnesota winter. The only drawback of a festival in winter was the fact that it took place in winter. Rhys wrapped his arms around her and the cold wasn’t so b
ad, even if her heart ached with what could have been.

  But life was frequently unfair and it could change so quickly between one heart beat and the next; she was just going to enjoy the moments she had with the charming Rhys Nosuntres.

  Chapter 2

  Rhys knew they had spent too much time in Nod’s presence when Jenna offered sex; her eyes widened in alarm at the words that came out of her mouth and he had to bite his lips to keep from accepting. The little sprite tended to have that kind of effect on humans: lowering their inhibitions and making them behave as if they were intoxicated on alcohol and aphrodisiacs. And foolishly, Rhys had wanted her offer to be genuine; had it been made in earnest he would have taken her upstairs and have her naked and in his bed in a heartbeat, though he probably would have saved the restraints for another time.

  His heart thudded dully in his chest as he held the exquisite, raven-haired beauty in his arms. Her delicate scent of night-blooming jasmine wrapped itself around him, the exotic scent more erotic than any of the more cloying perfumes favored by many women of his acquaintance. He hadn’t expected to like her so much, and on such short acquaintance. There was just something about her that he found vastly appealing and he had to get to know everything about her and he had to get her into his bed. If nothing else, he better understood Vaughn’s strong reaction to Jenna’s sister.

  At the time he had encouraged the infatuation, not knowing the drastic measure Vaughn would take to keep Melanie safe and not understanding the need to do so. He had enjoyed watching Vaughn behave like a fool even if a part of him had been a little envious of the strong attraction between Vaughn and Melanie. Knowing the impossible choice Melanie was going to have to make in a few days, he had ceased envying his brother. Until he met Jenna as a man.

  While Melanie might choose to accept Vaughn’s gift, Rhys knew that there was no chance in Hell that Jenna could; she had a young daughter who needed her mother. If she had been anyone else, he could have played his games with her and they both would have been sexually sated. But she was the type of girl who wanted forever, not a casual fling, no matter how sweetly she asked. Glancing down at the beautiful woman, he let out a sigh; for the first time in his very long life he wished he wasn’t what he was, that he wasn’t a gargoyle.

  He wished he could offer her forever and she would be able to accept it.

  Was this how Vaughn felt when he met Melanie? This instant connection that was as devastating as it was inexplicable? He was powerless to resist it even as he knew they couldn’t have anything more than a few stolen moments. And if Melanie accepted Vaughn’s gift in a few days, if she became a gargoyle, Jenna would despise him and with good reason: she would lose Melanie. And the thought of Jenna suffering made his chest ache. Why couldn’t she be a beautiful stranger, as Melanie had been to Vaughn?

  Rhys vividly recalled the first time he had seen Jenna. It was shortly after Melanie had moved into the closet that had been converted in a hurry when a pixie needed a place to stay. Humans – normal humans – avoided the castle because they grew increasingly ill from the amount of magic concentrated therein. Melanie, Jenna and Jenna’s daughter apparently had been the exceptions and it infuriated Armand, which Rhys always appreciated. As much as he loved his oldest brother, Rhys felt that Armand was too tightly wound for his own good. And having two gorgeous girls sunbathe nearly nude on the rooftop while he was in gargoyle form had been one of the most exciting things to have happened to him during the day in a very long time.

  He had been drawn to her immediately and it had been all he could do to remain standing when he wanted to claim her right then and there as a gargoyle. That would have terrified both of the girls, since Melanie had not yet been made aware of their true natures. And Armand would have taken a chisel to him had he done something so stupid. Hell, his older brother had almost taken a chisel to Vaughn just a few days before for a similar offense.

  It hadn’t helped matters that Jenna had run her slender hands all over his stone body; her touch had sent waves of sensation along his stone skin, deep into his rock hard belly. He hadn’t known a human’s touch during the day could be so damn arousing and he hadn’t wanted her to ever stop. But then, just moments later, she had spread her towel out and lay down on it in nothing more than a skimpy bikini.

  It was worth losing the feel of her hands when she had unhooked her top and then rolled over.

  Even in black and white and shades of gray she had been stunning and he had enjoyed watching her sunbathe beneath the winter sun, her firm, ripe breasts the perfect size for his human hand. They weren’t as full as Melanie’s but they had been flawless and he had wanted to consume her. Her body was sleekly muscled, slender and graceful; she had a dancer’s body.

  When Melanie had teasingly inferred that he wasn’t as handsome as Vaughn, he actually growled. It had not been a rational move on his part but his reactions towards her were not rational. He just knew that he had wanted her to like him before she had even met him.

  It had probably been a blessing that he had not been able to meet her before tonight; had he met her before he got to know Melanie he would not have been able to keep his hands to himself. He would have caused Jenna immeasurable pain because he wouldn’t have known her heartache, her close ties to her family, her devotion to her daughter. Now he knew how very difficult the choice was that Melanie was going to have to make, a choice that he wouldn’t ask Jenna to make until the time was right.

  As they walked along in companionable silence, his conflicting thoughts plaguing his mind, he couldn’t keep his eyes from Jenna. Her glossy black hair gently moved with the wind, sticking to her lips and driving him crazy with lustful thoughts. But her ears were starting to glow bright red from the frigid cold and he wanted to smack himself for dragging her out of the apartment before she could finish getting her winter gear on. “Are you cold?”

  “Hmm?” she looked up at him and he swallowed thickly as he was once again smacked by the beauty of her eyes. Nothing had prepared him for the blueness of those eyes; they reached into his soul and tugged at something he hadn’t known existed. Everything about her drew him in, completing something inside of him.

  “Are you cold?” he repeated the question, afraid that she hadn’t heard him because her ears were already frozen.

  She chuckled, reaching into her pocket and tugging a moment before she pulled out a thick hat. “I forgot I even had this with me; you’re very distracting, you know.”

  Taking the hat from her, he pulled it onto her head, cupping his hands around her ears to thaw them out. Her eyes widened and her lips parted as she stared up at him with those blue eyes of hers, “How come your hands are so warm?”

  “I run hot,” he said softly, the lust coursing through his body making the words rough. As her eyes darkened in sexual awareness, he had the nearly painful need to kiss her. But if he kissed her, he wouldn’t want to stop until she was tied up and screaming her release. He could see it so clearly, her delicate wrists wrapped in the finest silk, her long, slender limbs spread wide so she couldn’t hide any of her treasures from him. Slowly, lightly, he would drag his fingers over her skin, not leaving a single inch untouched. And then he would repeat the action with his tongue….

  With a wry chuckle, he stepped away from her, trying to adjust the thick erection that was aching with eager anticipation, trying not to be too obvious. “Whoa, I let my imagination get away from me for a moment.”

  “It must have been some moment,” she replied, her voice uneven.

  “It really was.” Sliding his hands down her arms, he took her hands in his and grinned, “Now, let’s catch up to the others and let them know that their nefarious plan almost succeeded but they forgot one thing.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “It’s too damn cold to properly seduce a beautiful woman,” he grinned, looking down at her and appreciating the lovely blush that colored her pink cheeks.

  Jenna felt like she should feel some guilt for flirting
with a gorgeous man but guilt was in surprisingly short supply. Rhys made her feel good; he reminded her that she was a woman and that she was desirable. She had forgotten how hot the glow of attraction could get, how it made her feel loose and languorous. And for one night she was going to bask in the splendor that was Rhys; she’d worry about the rest of it tomorrow.

  Leaning her head against his shoulder, she smiled to herself; maybe Melanie wasn’t completely insane for suggesting Rhys be her foray back into the dating world. There was something to be said for primal sexual attraction and even if it didn’t lead anywhere it was a hell of a rush. If Melanie suffered even a fraction of the desire swamping Jenna, it was no wonder why she had mind-blowing sex with Vaughn hours after meeting him.

  She chuckled, “Were you there when Melanie and Vaughn met?”

  “I was.” Humor laced his brief answer and when she tilted her head back, he was smiling down at her. He had a wonderful smile; it reached his eyes and lit up his entire face. “I do believe the two of them would have crawled through shards of broken glass to reach one another; it was quite remarkable.

  “Ah,” Rhys said, lifting his hand and waving at a trio up ahead. “And there are our wayward siblings and your adorable daughter,”

  Melanie wore a brilliant smile as she looked back and forth between Rhys and Jenna, noticing Rhys’s strategic arm placement and Jenna’s leaning. Vaughn held Ferris in his arms and he wore an indulgent smile, though there was a trace of sadness around his eyes. Despite the melancholy, Melanie and Vaughn made a striking couple, with him so golden and her so, well, so Melanie. “They’re beautiful together.”

  “Yes,” Rhys agreed readily but his tone at odds with his words. Tearing her eyes away from her insanely happy sister, she looked up at Rhys and saw the grave expression he wore as he gazed at Lenni and Vaughn. “She’ll always have his heart, no matter what happens.”