Stone Romance (Stone Passion #2)

by A C Warneke

  “Which is ridiculous because we barely know one another,” she let out a small, pitiful laugh. “And yet I feel as if you’re the piece of me that has been missing and I hadn’t even known it was gone until I found you.”

  “I understand,” he rasped thickly, his voice tight with passion. “It’s how I feel, too.”

  “I want this so much,” she admitted. “I want you and that terrifies me.”

  “We’ll make this work, Jenna,” he vowed fervently. “By the gods, we will make this work.”

  She smiled wistfully, knowing that promises only lasted until death took them away.

  Slowly, Rhys hung up the phone, unexpectedly moved by the whole experience of making love to a woman over the phone. Usually he preferred the physical aspect of fucking; the touch of skin, the slide of flesh, the smell of a woman’s desire, the sounds of heated words and whispered promises. But with Jenna….

  Shaking the disturbing thoughts from his head, he got dressed and left his bedroom with a broad grin on his face: the night was still young and there was a city bursting with life. Entering the living room he saw Armand was at the window looking out over the city, their domain, a faraway expression on his face, his green eyes distant. Strolling across the room, Rhys clapped his brother on the back, “Are you ready to head out?”

  Armand inhaled sharply and Rhys had the feeling the older man had barely been aware of anyone else’s presence, which was strange. Of the three of them, Armand was the most observant, the most watchful. He was also the most attractive, with a self-possession that rivaled the gods. “I’m ready.”

  “Should we even bother asking Vaughn?” Rhys asked, his eyes dancing.

  Armand scowled, the expression dark and irritated as he looked towards their brother’s door with a sneer, “They have already ‘retired’ for the night; I fear what we may be forced to witness should we knock on their door.”

  “It’s not like we haven’t seen plenty,” Rhys chuckled, grabbing his jacket as the two of them made their way through the apartment to the elevator. When Armand didn’t return the smile, Rhys laughed harder. “They tend to forget that we are on the roof with them when they are together.”

  Armand grunted, “Vaughn is a fool.”

  “A fool in love,” Rhys teased, pushing the down button. Leaning against the wall, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked back at the interior of the suite of rooms the three of them shared. Somewhere in the large area Vaughn and Melanie were lost in their own world and Rhys couldn’t be happier for his brother. Ignoring the miniscule stab of jealousy over the powerful relationship, he glanced at Armand, “And I can’t think of a better type of fool to be.”

  “Then you’re a fool, too,” Armand said wryly, though his lips curled into a slight smile, his green eyes bleak. It was hard to remember the Armand that had existed before Katrina and that whole fiasco. While Rhys loved his brother he wished Armand could let go of the past and be who he had once been. The twenty-first century was an exciting time to be alive and the women were… the women were intoxicating.

  Nearly forty-five minutes later they were sitting in one of their favorite jazz clubs, the air hazy blue with smoke, the atmosphere heavy with sensual music playing in the background. They were sitting in one of the booths, Armand with a girl on either arm and a perpetually bored expression on his refined face as he sipped his beer, barely aware of his lovers. Of course, the girls weren’t human; they were fairies, cold and eminently jaded, unlike gargoyles, who were hot-blooded and passionate.

  Fairies were always attracted to gargoyles since gargoyles were renowned for their generosity and inventiveness in the bedroom but few gargoyles ever responded unless they had once given up their nights and had their gift rejected. They were ethereally dazzling, with flawless skin and perfect features, but they made Rhys uneasy. They were calculating and manipulative and he had no desire to get involved with any of the beautiful creatures.

  He much preferred the hot-blooded human women who gave him come hither glances and seductive smiles. He enjoyed the game, the chase and the capture; the capitulation. Nothing could compare to the sweet surrender of a woman as he pushed his cock into the depths of a warm and willing body and felt the hot, wet flesh embracing him.

  The image of Jenna flashed into his head and his body responded instantly, going from semi hard to full on steel in a heartbeat. The rush of blood to his cock made him light headed for the briefest of moments; it was a heady feeling. Closing his eyes, he let the music move over him as he enjoyed the little fantasy of Jenna spread out naked before him, her sweetly sensitive breasts begging to be suckled.

  A slender hand wrapped around his hard-on and for a moment he thought Jenna had followed him to the club to finish what they began on the phone. Opening his eyes, he saw a stunning blond smiling at him, her full breasts straining against the material of her too-small top. Without thinking, he put his hand over hers to prevent her from stroking him, “Sorry, love; I’m not in the mood tonight.”

  The girl pushed out her plump, lower lip, bending forward until her breasts spilled over the top of her bra, the edge of her nipples clearly visible. With a quick appreciative glance at her assets he realized that he preferred Jenna’s smaller breasts; the two peach-sized mounds would fit perfectly in his hands. “Come on, Rhys; I want you to fuck me. It’s been ages since I’ve had you between my thighs….”

  “Sorry, Ames,” he apologized, truly repentant as he pried her hand off his hard cock. With a smile, he kissed her hand and put it snugly back into her lap, “Not tonight.”

  With a pout she stood up and flounced away. He shook his head and laughed to himself as he watched her go; she’d find someone else to take to her bed. Aimee rarely went home alone. Feeling his brother’s eyes on him, he looked up and saw the scowl marring Armand’s forehead. “What the hell is wrong with you, Rhys?”

  “What do you mean?” he asked, taking a sip of his beer, his eyes scanning the bar. With a wry chuckle, he realized that he had been hoping to see Jenna. It wasn’t going to happen; she was safely tucked away in bed, hopefully dreaming about him and the things he promised to do to her.

  “You never turn down a pretty girl,” Armand said accusingly, as if it were a crime to keep one’s dick in one’s pants for a change. It wasn’t like Armand fucked every girl who walked into his life; he was even more selective than Vaughn, who was a veritable saint compared to Rhys.

  Of course, it was a little strange that Rhys had sent Aimee away without a kiss but his heart just wasn’t in it. All he could picture was a pair of large blue eyes and a sad smile that made his heart trip over itself. And he realized that he wanted to see Jenna smile with no more sadness; he wanted to be the one who gave her that smile. With a shrug of his broad shoulders, Rhys admitted, “I’m not in the mood tonight.”

  Armand snorted, drinking deeply of his beer while keeping his eyes on Rhys. “Please; you’re always in the mood. Even when you’re not in the mood you’re in the mood. You are the most sexual being I know, Rhys; and that’s saying something considering some of the beings we know.”

  The two fairies on either side of Armand snickered, glancing over their shoulders at Rhys with interest in their eerie eyes. He didn’t know how Armand could stand their coldness; gargoyles weren’t meant to be with such cold creatures. Smiling at Armand’s exaggeration, he took another long pull of his beer and shook his head, “Then that makes tonight special.”

  Armand’s eyes narrowed as he studied his brother and his lips pressed together in a firm line, “I hope this has nothing to do with Melanie’s sister; you know that she is a disaster waiting to happen.”

  Rhys forced a laugh, “Jenna is a stunning girl.”

  “Fuck.” Armand slammed his beer down, the liquid splashing over the sides of the glass from the force. Pulling his arms free, he leaned forward, pressing his fists down on top of the table. “Don’t be an idiot; you know that Melanie is going to refuse Vaughn; do you honestly believe her sister wou
ld give up everything to be with you?”

  “Ouch,” Rhys laughed, rubbing his chest theatrically and refusing to let Armand see how close to the target he hit. Leaning back in the seat, a broad smile on his face, he smirked, “You’re awfully quick to jump to conclusions, Armand; perhaps you have hopes of claiming Jenna.”

  “No,” he said shortly, pushing himself away from the table and leaning back as far as he could in the booth. The two fairies quickly pounced, running their long, slender hands over Armand’s chest and shoulders. “No, my interest no longer lies with humans.”

  “Poor Armand,” Rhys chuckled, hiding the pity he felt for his older brother. Armand would kill him if he knew how sorry Rhys felt for him. All because Katrina didn’t love him enough to accept his gift all of those years ago; it didn’t matter that he hadn’t loved her. Armand’s foolish pride was really quite… remarkable. “Doomed to forever put his dick in ice.”

  The fairies hissed at him even as Armand’s lips quirked upwards in a reluctant smile, “At least fairies don’t make promises they don’t keep.”

  Rhys laughed. Even though it had been almost a month since Vaughn had given up his nights for Melanie, joining with her from dusk until dawn to remain human during the day, it felt weird to not have him there. And in a few days, if Melanie accepted his gift and completed the ritual, she would become a gargoyle and then there would be four of them, no longer just three. As much as he adored Melanie as a sister and as badly as he hoped she became Vaughn’s mate, he could not imagine how the dynamics would change when she became a part of their group. There was definitely going to be a period of adjustment but in the end it was going to be so cool to have a female gargoyle.

  Of course, the other option was her not accepting the gift and letting Vaughn turn to stone permanently until she died in sixty or seventy years. He glanced across the table at Armand, who had done precisely that. The years that Armand had spent encased in stone had changed the older man, made him more powerful and more guarded. He had always been fiercely protective of his brothers but he hadn’t been so angry until Katrina. And he hadn’t slept with fairies.

  “What are we going to do if Melanie accepts him?” he asked softly.

  Armand was silent for a long time, looking out over the bar, lost in thought. Finally, he slowly turned back and looked at Rhys, “I don’t know. I am more worried about Vaughn when she doesn’t accept him.”

  “Oh, ye of little faith,” Rhys ribbed, his heart thudding in his chest. If Melanie couldn’t accept Vaughn then Jenna…. He couldn’t think about that; he barely knew her even if she did occupy all of his thoughts. And he could feel her touch when he was stone.

  “It’s not a matter of faith, little brother,” Armand said with a bleak, knowing smile. “It’s a matter of reality. Melanie loves her family; she won’t be able to give them up so easily and Vaughn is a blind idiot if he thinks otherwise.”

  Rhys heaved a dramatic sigh, his eyes twinkling, “It’s going to suck being the only non-brooding brother. I’m going to have to find a girl and give up my nights just so I can brood with the two of you.”

  Armand’s green eyes narrowed dangerously as he glared at his younger brother. But then the moment was over and he cracked a half-smile, “Just so long as you don’t give up your nights for Melanie’s sister then we’re good.”

  Rhys simply smiled, unable to deny his desire to do exactly that. But Jenna had even more to give up than Melanie – a young daughter who had never even known her father. It would be insane to get involved with Jenna, no matter how sweet her kisses and how desperately he wanted to have her in his bed.

  It may be crazy to get involved but it also seemed inevitable.

  Chapter 4

  Because her parents figured it was easy enough to do her laundry at the main house, Jenna’s apartment lacked a washer and dryer. So once a week she hauled her laundry over to the house and while she washed her clothes, she frequently stayed, especially in the winter. Usually she’d have tea with her mom or have a soda with her dad but they weren’t back yet from their weekend getaway so it was just her and Ferris, her thoughts and their laundry.

  Despite her fears of the night before Jenna felt marvelous; she felt the spark of the old Jenna roaring back to life and she wanted to savor the intense feeling. Without Rhys it would have been years before she remembered who she once was, if she ever remembered; he was the catalyst that set the reaction into motion.

  Jeremy would love seeing the return of her former self; he had loved her spontaneity and slight recklessness. If she believed in Guardian Angels, or whatever, she would think that Jeremy brought Rhys into her life at exactly the right moment just to make her happy. Just to bring the joy and laughter back into her life.

  And her dreams last night had been… scorching. She had woken up with her sheets twisted around her body, with one of her hands on her breast and the other between her legs as the thoughts of Rhys filled her head.

  She just felt amazingly good, which really surprised her since she thought she’d be drowning in bucket-loads of guilt and self-recriminations. But she wasn’t. Maybe it was silly and irresponsible to consider a relationship of any kind with Rhys – he was too attractive and charismatic by half – she just knew that she wanted it more than anything she had wanted in a very, very long time. Even if she felt she didn’t deserve the happiness she craved it.

  Jenna glanced over to see what Ferris was drawing and shook her head in amused exasperation; her darling daughter was drawing another gargoyle. Ever since the weekend Ferris had spent with Melanie the girl had been begging for a gargoyle, saying that she would keep it company and take it out for walks and clean up after it, though she didn’t think there was a lot of clean up involved since they probably pooped rocks, and wouldn’t it be great to have a gargoyle.

  Ferris had a natural flair for drawing, which was not surprising considering Jenna’s own ability with a pencil or some paint, a hobby that had been put aside when Ferris was born. She’d have to dig out some of her art supplies and do a few sketches, see if she could capture that vitality that radiated from Rhys.

  Studying the art, she was able to clearly make out the three gargoyles that graced Melanie’s building. Crouching down next to Ferris, Jenna smiled, “Very nice, love.”

  “This one is Vaughn,” Ferris said, pointing to the lion gargoyle. “And this one is Rhys.” She continued, pointing at the monkey, the one that Jenna had admired so much all of those weeks ago. Pointing to the final gargoyle, a fierce griffin, Ferris continued, “And this is my favorite because he is so lonely and sad and I think he needs a puppy. Or a pony.”

  “And is his name Armand?” Jenna teased, loving how Ferris’s mind worked, the fantastical creatures she drew and the stories she came up with to explain them.

  “It is.” Ferris nodded her head and continued to draw, oblivious of the wide smile Jenna wore.

  “Are you going to draw Aunt Mellie or me as a gargoyle?” she asked.

  Ferris looked at her as if she was mad. Cocking her head to the side, she puckered her brow, “Why? You aren’t gargoyles.”

  “Mm-hmm,” Jenna murmured, biting her tongue to keep from laughing out loud. Of course, Melanie would understand what Ferris meant and would be able to think up a suitable reply. Unfortunately, Jenna was only human and could think of nothing. Standing up, she lightly tugged on Ferris’s braid, “As soon as I’ve finished the laundry what say you we get the ice cream out and watch a movie?”

  “Okay,” Ferris agreed, the slight frown the only indication that she was still a little bewildered by Jenna thinking she’d draw her and Melanie as gargoyles.

  The front door opened and slammed shut and Jenna looked at Ferris with a smile, “Do you think Uncle Jensen has decided to come home for Sunday dinner? Or do you think grandma and grandpa are home early from their vacation?”

  A blur of purple bolted past the archway and Jenna was puzzled; the only person she knew with that vibrant purple plaid jacket wa
s Melanie. But she was supposed to be spending the day with Vaughn, having sex with the gorgeous man and being deliriously happy. “Why do you think Melanie is here?”

  “Maybe she missed me,” Ferris said sincerely and Jenna realized she had asked the question out loud. “And wanted to have ice cream with us.”

  Jenna gave her daughter a loud kiss before she followed her sister up the stairs and down the hall to her bedroom. She heard Melanie slam the door shut and hurried her pace; her sister never slammed doors. When she arrived at the door, she pressed her ear against the wood and heard loud, gasping sobs coming from within and knew something was seriously wrong.

  What was it Rhys had told her the night before? Appearances can be deceiving? Jenna was going to rip Vaughn’s head off if he had done anything to hurt her sister; Melanie was the sweetest, most trusting female in the universe. She didn’t deserve to have her heart broken by some gorgeous bastard. Knocking on the door but not waiting for a response, Jenna turned the knob and pushed the door open, entering the room uninvited.

  Melanie was curled up on the bed, bawling her eyes out with her jacket and boots still on. Jenna’s heart tightened in her chest at the heartbreaking sound and without a second thought, she sat down on the edge of the bed and started rubbing Melanie’s back through the thick jacket, “Honey, what’s wrong? What happened?”

  It took a few minutes before Melanie could talk coherently enough for Jenna to understand her, and when she spoke, her words came out broken. “He said he didn’t expect to love me so much and he didn’t tell me sooner because he didn’t want to ruin our time together and he did what he did because he only wanted to protect me and now he’s leaving and I think I’m going to die. It hurts so much, Jenna and I think I’m going to die.”