Etched In Stone

by Susan Hayes

  She let her head fall to his shoulder, her fingers stroking the back of his neck as he rode out his orgasm and then went still.

  “Better than any dream I’ve ever had,” he murmured.

  “For me, too. The next time I dream of you I’m going to wake up and reach for the real thing instead.”

  Stone chuckled. “Anytime, sweetling. I’m glad you’re finally coming to accept the fact that I’ll be there whenever you reach for me. I’m not going anywhere.”

  She raised her head to smile at him. “I’m starting to hope that’s true. Acceptance might take a little longer.”

  “You take as long as you need. I’m immortal, remember?”

  Stone carried his beautiful lover to the bed, holding her with one arm while he threw back the covers. Once she was settled in the center of the matress, he crawled in beside her and pulled the blankets over them both. She snuggled up to him so tightly there was no space between their bodies, and he knew it wouldn’t be long before he needed to be inside her again. Now his human side was dominant, his needs and desires were riding him hard. Food. Drink. Sex. He wanted to indulge in them all over and over again.

  “If you don’t sleep, won’t you be bored lying her with me all night?” she asked.

  “Never. Besides, I have no intention of letting you sleep yet. I want to watch you come apart in my arms a few more times, first.”

  “And then what? You’ll watch me as I snore and drool in my sleep?”

  Stone shook his head. “Then I will guard my lady as she slumbers. It’s my duty, and my honor, to do so.”

  “Well, if you change your mind, there’s a television in the living room and my computer is in my office, the room right across the hall. There have probably been a few hundred thousand cat gifs uploaded to the web since the last time you were online. You need to catch up.”

  He tweaked the tip of her nose between his fingertips. “I’d rather be here, with you. I’ve been alone so long that lying here with you will be far more satisfying than anything else I could be doing. Unless of course, it’s making love to you. That is the most satisfying thing I have ever done.”

  “You’re too good to be true, Stone.”

  “Hardly. I’m a magical construct with limited experience living in modern times. I’m going to need your help to adjust. I’ve been a spectator for so long I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be part of the world.”

  “Well, it’s nice to know there’s something I can help you with. Maybe we can come up with a surname for you, too. You’re going to need one, along with some proper identification and other documents. I know some folks who can help with that. You won’t be the first new arrival to Magic who needed such things.”

  “An identity. Money. I am going to need help creating a life for myself. And I think you should choose a surname for me. My first master gave me the name of Stone. He was a practical man and I don’t think he gave it much thought. I believe you can do better with my surname.”

  She flashed a wicked grin and chuckled. “What about McHottie? Or maybe Mr. Stone Studmuffin?”

  He laughed at her suggestions. “I’m flattered, but do you really want to introduce me to your family as Stone Studmuffin?”

  She winced. “Right. Good point. Dad would go for the swords the moment he heard your name.”

  Stone leaned in to kiss her before making his request. “I’d like it if you named me something related to you. Not your surname, but something with meaning for you. You’re the first one to concern yourself with the details of my life, or even if I was comfortable or not. I’d like for my name to remind me of you.”

  “In that case, what do you think of Carver?” she asked. “What if you went by Stone Carver? That’s my career, after all, and it’s the reason we met.”

  The moment she said it, Stone knew it was the right name. “That’s perfect. From this day forward, I’ll be Stone Carver. Thank you.”

  “I think I should be thanking you. No one’s trusted me to name so much as a puppy before, and now I’ve given you a last name. If you change your mind, I won’t be offended. About any of this.”

  There it was again. Stone heard her offering him yet another chance to walk away and knew the time had come to make something clear to his little rescuer. “Stop that, Adina. I don’t know what inconsiderate louts you’ve been dating or why they were stupid enough to walk out of your life, but I’m not like them. I don’t need your permission to change my mind because that’s not going to happen. I’ve been alive for centuries and I have never felt this kind of connection to anyone. I’m not going anywhere, remember? You don’t have to believe that, yet. But don’t keep trying to tell me it’s alright to leave.”

  “My mother says it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. I don’t expect guys to stay with me, so they don’t. She’s always after me to stop doing it, but she’s the one who told me that’s what would always happen.”

  He held her close and rolled over so that he was on his back with her lying on top of him. He tangled his hands in the silken fall of her hair and gazed into her eyes. “Your mother told you no man would stay with you? What woman would say that to her own daughter?”

  Adina shrugged. “One gifted with clairvoyance and a very persistent daughter who wanted to know the name of her true love. Mom always warned my brother and me that knowing the future was a double-edged blade. When I pushed, she told me that my true love would be the rocks and stones I sculpted. That’s why I know you won’t stay with me. You’re not my true love. I don’t have one.”

  He frowned at her. “I see several flaws in your logic, sweetling. First, you dreamed of me, and I dreamed of you. That wasn’t random chance. We were brought together for a reason. Secondly, even if I am not your true love, I’m bound to you for the rest of your life. I’m your protector and that’s all there is to it.”

  “But she’s never wrong,” Adina argued.

  “Maybe she isn’t, but I do know a few things about destiny and predicting the future. My masters were once a family of very powerful magicians, after all. I believe our futures can be changed. Sometimes it takes a tremendous amount of effort, sometimes it’s the smallest choice that can alter our destiny. I also happen to know that even the most gifted seer can misinterpret what they see. That’s one of the reasons why prophecies are so irritatingly vague.”

  “My mother is going to love you. She is always complaining that no one understands the limitations of her gift.”

  “And yet you’ve accepted her prophecy that you will never find your true love without question?” he asked.

  “I—But that’s—it’s not the same thing,” she stammered.

  “I’m not saying you’re wrong. I’m only suggesting that you might want to open yourself up to other possibilities.” He lifted his head and brushed a tender kiss to her lips.

  “You’re very smart, you know that? I’m starting to see why some of your masters found you irritating.”

  “I’ve had centuries to watch and learn a great many things about human nature. It’s an advantage I’m quite happy to use when necessary.”

  Adina muttered something he couldn’t quite make out about cocky older men as she slid down his body far enough to vanish beneath the blankets. Seconds later she was kissing her way across his chest, and Stone chose not to interrupt her with any further comments.

  She teased him with light touches, feather-soft caresses and the delicate waft of her breath fanning across his skin. Stone had to fist his hands into the sheet beneath him to stop himself from taking control. His cock was as hard as his namesake and his need for her blazed hotter with every touch of her lips. When she traced her tongue around his nipple, he couldn’t hold back his groan of pleasure, and when she did it again, he gripped the bedsheet hard enough he heard the fabric tear. Damn. He’d have to replace those…and the garments he’d torn off her earlier.

  Adina’s only reaction to the damage was to laugh softly and redouble her efforts. Soon she was kissing her way dow
n his stomach, exploring every ridge of his abs with her lips and tongue. By the time she reached his navel, Stone was hanging onto the last, shredded tatters of his control. When her mouth reached the head of his cock, he nearly came on the spot. If being trapped in stone had been hell, then surely being here with Adina was as close as a creature like him might ever come to heaven.

  She knelt between his legs and wrapped her fingers around the base of his shaft. Her calloused hands felt as good as he’d imagined. Better. He could feel every rough edge against the sensitive skin of his cock, a perfect contrast to the soft heat of her mouth as she took him deeper.

  “God in heaven, you’re going to break me if you keep that up.”

  A low hum of amusement was her only reply. The vibrations coursed through him, making his balls tighten and his cock twitch. She circled the crown of his cock with her tongue and his hips lifted off the bed in response. Every bob of her head and pump of her fist pushed him closer to his breaking point, and soon Stone found himself thrusting into her mouth with primal urgency.

  That was the moment she released him and scrambled out from underneath the covers. Her hair was in disarray, her lips swollen, and her eyes were gleaming with laughter as she reappeared. “I think I have you at a disadvantage right now, old man.”

  “Witch!” he growled playfully before lunging after her. She was laughing as pinned her to the bed and covered her with his body.

  “Nuh-uh. My cousin Anneke is the witch, not me. You’ll meet her soon. She’s the one I’m going to ask to help free you.”

  He bent his head down to kiss her as he settled himself into the cradle of her thighs. “I hope she can do it, but even if she is successful, I have no intention of leaving you, sweetling.”

  “I hope not, but I want the choice to be yours.”

  “Either way, I know where I belong, right here with you.” He groaned the last syllable as he slid into her slick heat and buried himself to the hilt. Her inner walls pulsed around his cock and he knew that no matter what happened, this was where he’d always want to be.

  Chapter Five

  Adina had intended to call her cousin first thing the next morning and ask for her help, but somehow that didn’t happen. Instead, she and Stone had spent a decadent day making love, talking, and introducing Stone to some of the wonders of the modern world he’d never had a chance to experience. She’d cooked some of her favorite foods for him to try, showed him her smartphone, and played video games. They’d watched movies, cuddled, and spent so much time in the shower they’d run out of hot water, twice.

  The next day she contacted Anneke and asked her to come by in the afternoon. All she’d told her cousin was that she needed a favor undoing a powerful spell. She hadn’t been ready to share Stone with the world, yet, and once Anneke knew about him, it would only be a matter of time before everyone in town heard the news. Anneke had many good qualities, but her natural enthusiasm and tendency to babble meant she found it almost impossible not to share happy news. Adina’s vagueness had only bought her a few more hours, but that was time she’d been happy to have.

  And any minute now, their hiatus from reality would be coming to an end.

  “When did you say your cousin was arriving?” Stone asked, careful not to move from his pose.

  They were in her studio, hiding from the heat of the day. A minor spell kept the temperature comfortable all year round without the need for heat or air conditioning, which made it a haven on hot summer days. She’d given Stone a tour, describing her current projects and what each piece would eventually be. When they’d reached the large piece of marble that would eventually be her centaur statue, she’d been struck with the idea to use Stone as her model. It also gave her an opportunity to get him to make his shirt vanish so she could enjoy looking at his gorgeous and well-muscled form. Stone was currently sitting on a stool while she sketched him from various angles.

  “I’m not sure Anneke actually owns a watch, so the family has learned not to expect her at a certain time. It’s best to remain vague. We tend to tell her to show up in the morning if we want her to arrive by the afternoon, and we tell her to come in the afternoon if we want her over for dinner. Since it’ll be dinner time soon, I’d say she’ll be here any time now.”

  Stone snorted with laughter. “The more I learn about your family, the more interesting they sound. Anything else I should be aware of before her arrival?”

  She pondered that question for a minute. “You know the expression that some people march to their own drummer? Well, Anneke dances to her own personal orchestra. She’s the kindest soul I’ve ever met and a very talented witch, but there are times I wonder if she lives in the same world as the rest of us.”

  He quirked a dark brow at her. “And this is the woman you’re trusting to undo the spells that bind me?”

  “When it comes to magic, she’s exceptional. Her mother and my mother are sisters, and she got a unique version of the family talent. She can’t see the future, she sees magic instead. We think it’s because her father is part vampire and part witch. It’s a potent combination, especially as she got his ability to cast spells, too.”

  Stone stared at her. “Vampires? There really are vampires?”

  “I think I mentioned that the first day we met,” she said with a smirk.

  “Vampires. Next thing you’ll be telling me there are mermaids in the town fountain…if this place even has a fountain.”

  “Don’t be silly. Mermaids couldn’t possibly live in a fountain, there’s nowhere near enough space for them there.”

  “Wait, are you telling me there are mermaids?”

  Before she could answer, Stone’s head snapped up. “We have company. You can tell me about the mermaids another time.”

  “I don’t hear anything. Are you sure?” she asked, unable to hear anything that would indicate there was someone coming.

  “I’m sure. A car. Small. Coming up the driveway.” He paused. “They’ve stopped and a car door just slammed shut.”

  “That is impressive and a little bit freaky, Stone. I can’t hear a thing.”

  “I have enhanced senses. I was created to be a glorified guard dog, remember?” He grinned at her and rose from the stool. He stretched, rolled his shoulders, and then held out his hand to her. “Shall we go meet your cousin? She’s headed this way.”

  “You’re not a dog, Stone. Don’t put yourself down that way,” she told him as she took his hand.

  “I’ll stop if you do, sweetling.”

  Warmth bloomed in her heart at his words and she looked up to find him staring down at her, his granite-gray eyes full of sincerity. “I’ll try.”

  “Do. Or do not. There is no try.”

  “You did not just quote Yoda at me, did you?” she asked as they headed for the door.

  “Movies were one of the ways I passed the time. At least, they were when I could get access to a computer or television. Star Wars was one of my favorites.”

  She laughed. “A centuries-old creature of magic who likes science-fiction. You’re a conundrum, my friend.”

  The door to the studio flew open and Anneke launched herself through it with her usual breathless enthusiasm. Her blonde hair was streaked with turquoise and green highlights that clashed with the orange and yellow polka-dotted dress she was wearing and there was a crown of brightly colored wildflowers sitting askew atop her head. “Yoohoo! Adina? You in here? Of course you’re in here, you’re always here. Hey, hi! How are you—whoa! Who’s the big guy?”

  “Hi, Anneke. This is Stone, and he’s why I called you. Stone, this is my cousin, Anneke Sokol.” Adina did the introductions and then reached out to nudge her cousin, who was staring at Stone in amazement.

  “What did you do, Adina? Wish one of your sculptures to life? Damn, he looks like he should be carved from marble and on display somewhere. That isn’t what you did, is it? Because if that’s it, then there’s no way I’m putting him back. That would be a crime!”

  St
one chuckled. “She didn’t wish me into existence, no. But you’re not far off with the rest of it.”

  “So what’s the problem? A curse? I’m good with curses. Enchantments, too. I’ve been working on a line of love potions to sell online, but somehow I don’t think that’s why you called me.” Anneke’s eyes dropped to Stone and Adina’s still-joined hands as she smiled knowingly.

  “Stone’s enchanted. We want to know if there’s any way to break him free of the spell without harm,” Adina explained while doing her best to ignore the blush heating her cheeks.

  “Enchanted, huh? What kind of spell is it? What does it do? Are we talking something minor like random outbursts of song or something more serious? Which one of the locals did this to him, anyway?”

  Stone tapped the mark on his chest. “I have been bound to a single family as their protector since the Middle Ages. The family line died out recently and I was sold. Adina bought me thinking I was something…else. Now I’m bound to her.”

  “Whoa. Seriously? Is that Adina’s name on your chest? Damn! And after all this time and you’re still hot as hell and look like you’re in your late twenties. That’s some serious spellcraft.”

  “My masters were powerful magic users at one time. I was created to serve them.” Stone looked at Anneke. “Can you help me?”

  Anneke’s lips twisted into a wry expression. “I honestly don’t know. But I’ll try. You say you were created? Not summoned, but created from nothing, poof, tada, you’re alive?”

  “I don’t remember coming into existence, but that is what my first master told me, yes. He conjured me. He had the statue created by a master artisan and then did something to it. I gather it took several rituals and a great deal of preparation.”