“Among them, yes. I hunger for you, Tracy.”
She had heard every line and lewd remark imaginable. She usually brushed them off, unless they were so out of line she had to put a guy in his place. The sincerity in Danton’s tone, and the velvety smooth way he spoke left her tingling.
“Your touch has driven me to the edge,” he added. “Every time your fingers stroked me with a feather-light touch, I yearned to come to you as a man.”
Her lips parted, although she was at a loss for words. What could she say? She couldn’t even sort through her racing thoughts. There was too much to process and none of it made any sense, especially with that low burning heat simmering through her body.
Was this some twisted fantasy where a dream man walked into her life for twenty-four hours and then disappeared?
She finally found words. “Are you a man right now?” What a weird question to ask. He looked like one. But, after what she’d seen…
He leaned closer to her and took her hand, placing it on his cheek. It was warm. Enticing. He was flesh, not cold stone. The fire that shot through her indicated that this was real.
“Do I feel like a man to you?”
“Yes. Oh god, yes.” Her voice trailed off with a husky edge.
His eyes gleamed with a smoldering glint that darkened the green to a shade of the forest, which hinted of the untamed wilderness.
“The way you’re looking at me right now, you don’t know what’s it’s doing to me.”
Her hand acted on primal instinct as it moved down his perfectly sculpted cheek and onto his chiseled chest. She traced the indentations down his sculpted abs until she met the terrycloth at his waist. By the bulge tenting beneath the towel, she definitely had an inkling.
“I have a guess.” She arched a brow. “You’re harder than stone?”
His lips curved into a sensuous smile. “Exactly.”
Reason returned to her lust-addled mind. What was she doing? Statues didn’t just turn into men, let alone gloriously naked men.
When Danton placed his index finger on her lower lip and ran it from one side to the other, she trembled. His touch was exquisite. If he could affect her with just one finger…
“So soft,” he said. “How long I’ve wanted to kiss them.”
Danton leaned closer to her, setting all her senses aflame. Her heart rate escalated. When he moved within an inch from her mouth, she thought it stopped beating altogether.
The moment his lips touched hers, a moan of relief escaped her. She melted against him. He pulled her closer to him, and her body tingled with heat at every spot where they touched. His kiss was soft and tender, stoking her desire.
She wrapped her arms around his neck as their tongues entwined, exploring and savoring each other. He captured her mouth in a deeper kiss, full of hunger. When she pulled him back onto her as she leaned on the armrest, his massive body dwarfed hers.
“Tracy,” he murmured as he kissed her lips, her ears, and her neck. “I’ve wanted to touch you like this for far too long.”
His soft lips and tongue shot darts of pleasure through her, fueling the fire burning ever more brightly within. How could they once have been hard as stone? She couldn’t let this moment end, especially with their time together being so limited.
“Oh, don’t stop,” she begged.
Her words spurred him on as his tongue swirled around her cleavage. She arched her back to offer him more of her and he used the opportunity to reach around her back. He loosened the red laces and ties that held her dress together. The constricting bodice made it unnecessary to wear a bra, and her breasts spilled out.
“Merde,” he uttered under his breath. “You are even more beautiful than I fantasized.”
He’d fantasized about her even when in his stone form? That was mind-blowing. She didn’t want to think about that now, just feel more of him. She jutted her breasts out to encourage him to touch her. He cupped one, stroking the nipple between his thumb and forefinger. When he covered it with his warm mouth, she moaned. While he pleasured one breast with his expert tongue, he caressed the other.
Such pleasure engulfed her as she yielded to him. Danton’s slow, sensual exploration of her breasts made all her previous experiences with men fondling them seem like clumsy assaults.
“Yes, Danton.”
He moved his hands to her lower back where another set of laces twined down in an intricate pattern that covered her ass.
“Let me,” she said. “It’s complicated.”
She maneuvered out of his grasp and reached back to unravel the fastenings. His eyes took on a predatory gleam. The idea of being hunted by this man thrilled her all the more. She slinked out of the dress slowly, teasing him. The more skin she exposed, the hungrier his gaze. He leaned forward, reaching for her.
“Not yet,” she admonished with a saucy smile.
He rubbed his hand over his mouth as if trying for self-control. She slid the dress down to her ankles and removed it. The admiration in his gaze encouraged her to continue the slow striptease, which awoke a new side of her—a sensual side she didn’t know existed. She’d never experienced an attraction like this, so intimate and all-consuming.
How was that possible? They’d just met. Well, sort of.
She moved a finger under the delicate lace of her thong, sliding it down the same path as the dress. She fought the urge to hurry and shed her clothes. The slow seduction was exhilarating, and she didn’t want it to end too soon.
He inhaled sharply. “You are stunning.”
All that remained were her sheer black thigh-high stockings. She began to unroll one when he stopped her.
“Leave those on.” He put a hand up. “Please.” His voice had lowered to a sexy, gravelly tone.
“Yes,” she purred.
She crawled over to him languidly. With her gaze locked on his, she longed to hurry and touch him. Yet, she relished heightening the exquisite experience with the deliberate slowness.
Kneeling between his legs, she gave him a coy smile. She reached for the terrycloth towel and her hands trembled with anticipation. When she opened it, his cock sprang out, rock-hard and ready.
She swallowed at the pleasure it promised and, from its size, maybe a little pain. A bead of liquid escaped the tip, so she leaned forward and licked it away, kissing the swollen head. A feral groan escaped him, spurring her on. His aroma was clean and musky all at once, a masculine scent that sent more moisture between her thighs. She grasped the thick girth and licked it from tip to base and back up again.
“Mon Dieu.” His voice came out a rough rasp.
She wrapped her mouth around the head, flicking her tongue around it, while she worked his shaft with her hands. His impressive size meant she could only take so much. He wove his fingers through her hair, moaning in pleasure. She’d never enjoyed doing this more.
She moved her hands and mouth in concert, in a quickening rhythm until he stopped her.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been with a woman. And you feel amazing. But I’ll explode if you do that any longer.” He pulled her into an upright position and then scooped her into his arms. “I want to bring you pleasure and savor every moment.”
God, yes. She was on board for that.
He motioned toward a doorway. “Your bedroom?”
“Yes.”
An odd thought entered her mind—had she made the bed? It was one of the things her mother had instilled in her. She didn’t want him to think she was a slob. How could she have known a statue would spring to life at work tonight, driving her so insane with lust she’d bring him home?
Ah, screw it. She wasn’t about to climb out of his arms to go and check. And, she didn’t want to think about her mother in that moment.
No man had ever carried her to bed before, and she wasn’t going to stop this stone god come-to-life from doing so.
Her concern was for naught. Her bed was neatly made, but not for long. He lowered her onto the pale pink coverlet
of her fluffy down comforter. She pulled the covers aside hastily and slid back against the countless feather pillows.
Danton’s eyes raked over her from head to toe before he picked up one stocking-covered leg and kissed the bottom of her foot.
She giggled. “That tickles.”
He didn’t release her leg, instead kissing from her ankle up over her shin to above her knee, keeping his eyes locked on hers the whole time. When he reached the end of the lace seam at the top of the stocking, he held her gaze for a moment before closing his eyes to taste the flesh of her inner thighs.
She sank her head back into the softness of the pillow, moaning in appreciation. His lips were feather light, igniting a brush fire over her skin.
“Oh, Danton,” she murmured.
“Do you want something more from me?” he asked in a husky tone.
“I want everything from you,” she admitted.
Danton kissed, licked, and nibbled from one thigh to the other. She squirmed beneath him, wanting more. Needing more. With his lips, he caressed her skin as gentle as a breeze. But he explored her flesh more boldly with his tongue, not letting her escape. The scent of rising desire perfumed the air. When he finally reached her sex, she cried out with relief.
He assaulted all her senses with his commanding tongue and unleashed her desire. She ran one hand through the silky strands of his long warrior locks. Her frantic breathing and throaty moans seemed to stir him on, increasing the pressure. When he drove her to a point where she couldn’t stop, insane and on the edge with need, she clutched the cotton sheets.
She was so close, almost there. The muscles in her thighs stiffened. She clutched the sheet, panting hard. He increased the pressure and sent her crashing over the edge. She cried out as she detonated to atmospheric levels and then fell like floating confetti back to the earth.
“Oh, Danton.” She ran her fingers through his hair, directing him up toward her.
“I don’t want to stop,” he murmured.
The lightest caress of his tongue made her jolt.
“Not yet,” she begged. “Too sensitive.”
He moved up over her body and smiled, making his eyes crinkle. “I love how you respond to my touch.”
He rubbed his cock against her. She was so damn wet, still recovering from that brilliant orgasm, but the feel of him there shot a new bolt of desire through her core.
She wanted him. Needed him. Now.
After fumbling through her nightstand for a condom, she found one and tore it open. “Quick. We need to put this on.” Could he even get her pregnant or pass on STDs? She wasn’t about to stop to have a discussion about it, not when wanted him this badly. She rolled the first few inches of the condom out, sliding it over his tip.
“Oh, your hands feel good,” he said.
She continued rolling it down his shaft, struggling to ignore her arousal as she stretched it over his impressive girth. Then, she pulled him to her.
“Please. I can’t wait any longer.”
Danton eased into her, growling with a primal sound that excited her. She tightened at the thick penetration.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yes, I just need a moment.” She took a couple of deep breaths. If she tightened up, it would never happen. That was too tragic to even contemplate. When she felt more relaxed, she said, “I’m ready.”
She grabbed his waist to coax him in farther. This time he faced less resistance as he entered her, but she still moaned at the intense penetration. When he was finally in, she let out a soft sigh. Never had she felt someone like this. She thanked the gods it wasn’t her first time. A poor virgin wouldn’t know what she was getting herself into.
Thinking about Danton with another woman shot a possessive streak through her. She didn’t want him to be with anyone else but her. How was that possible? They’d technically just met.
And then what? He’d return to stone until his next act of bravery? No, she didn’t want that to happen. But, what could she do?
“You feel so good, Tracy. So wet and tight.”
He reached down and rubbed her clit. Oh shit, that felt too good. What was she thinking about? Who cared? The way he made her feel was better than any thought.
“Do you like this?”
Like it? She never wanted it to end. “Yes,” she murmured in a voice that sounded much huskier than her normal one.
Ah, right, that’s what she’d been thinking. It would end. He’d return to stone come tonight. He’d be hard and cool to the touch, not alive and warm as he was now. It seemed so cruel. So wrong. Especially since this felt so right.
He leaned down to kiss her, his long blond hair cascading around them both. The coil of desire spread through her as their tongues mingled. She tasted herself on him, a heady reminder of his talents. Renewed desire spread through her body. Such warmth and delicious tingles rippled through her, she couldn’t pinpoint where they started or ended.
The deeper he penetrated, the more he increased the pressure on her sensitive nub. The way he hammered deep inside her almost made her lose her damn mind. She grabbed him around his shoulder blades and bit into his shoulder to stifle a scream.
“Don’t hold back,” he cried.
Right, why would she? They only had this one night together, which was a sure argument for abandoning any inhibitions. She lifted her hips, rising to meet him with each thrust. The increasing friction made her quiver with desperation. She clasped him more tightly as they climbed to a feverish pitch. Feral sounds she’d never made escaped her as she clutched him, begging him not to stop. When she reached her peak, a strangled cry escaped her. She clung to him as she rode out wave after pleasurable wave.
“Too good,” he growled.
He pummeled into her so hard that she yelped. When he released, quaking deep inside her, he let out a savage growl. He dropped his head back, and the intensity on his face reminded her of something fierce and warrior-like.
His expression softened with admiration as he gazed at her. “You’re beautiful,” he said. “Exquisite.” He caressed her face.
Leaning forward, he rested his body on top of her. He had to be holding his full weight back or he would crush her. His quickened breath warmed her neck as their hearts pounded against one another.
When their breathing slowed down enough so they could talk, Tracy said, “That was phenomenal. There are no words.”
“I agree,” he said. He traced a pattern on the damp skin on her arm.
“How much time do we have left?” She glanced at her alarm clock, which indicated it was almost three a.m.
Danton rolled to his side and spooned her. “Not long enough.”
Chapter 3
Tracy awoke surrounded in warmth. Strong muscular arms enclosed her, and it took a moment to remember what had happened. Last night had seemed surreal. What she’d seen with a statue coming to life couldn’t have been real. But, he’d gone home with her.
It had felt like a dream—a decadent, sinful, mind-blowing sex dream.
Yet, she was awake. And in the arms of the man who now held her in a protective embrace.
Except, he wasn’t truly a man…
She’d slept with someone who wasn’t human. What the hell was wrong with her?
Her pulse quickened. Gargoyles existed. They could see and hear while in stone. They could shift into humans. The statue she spoke to many times in Vamps had turned into the man now in her bed.
When she pulled herself to a sitting position, the arm he had draped over her fell across her lap. His blond hair splayed across the pillow like a lion’s mane. She moved a strand of hair from his cheek. He appeared so peaceful at rest, so unlike the fury in his face when he’d shifted to confront Brian.
Her movement must have stirred him as his eyelids fluttered and then opened.
“Bon matin, mon ange.” His voice sounded husky with sleep.
She smiled. His warm greeting in that sensual accent reminded her that she had nothing
to fear from him. “Bon matin, Danton.”
He laughed. “Did I slip into French?”
She nodded.
“My native language. But you understood what I said?”
“Yes, you said ‘good morning, my angel.’ I took French in high school. Je parle un peu français.”
“Très bien.” He brushed a finger over her lower lip and let it drag down over her chin. “You pronounce it very well.”
Although her heart raced under his touch, she managed to respond. “Merci.”
His fingers continued down over her collarbone and down the front of her body, leaving a trail of heat as they traveled along her skin. He gently squeezed one of her breasts and then teased the nipple with his thumb and forefinger. It hardened in response to his dexterous touch.
“Do you have plans today?” he asked.
With Danton seizing command of all her attention with such decadent distraction, it was difficult to recall what she’d had planned. Oh yes, it was Sunday, her usual study day. She’d drink coffee and listen to music while she caught up on her schoolwork for the week, or got a head start for the week ahead. If she wasn’t swamped with papers or studying for a test, she’d head over to her parents for a Sunday dinner, and spend the evening playing a game with her brother, Andrew.
“Nothing I can’t reschedule.” If this was a one-time opportunity, everything else could wait.
“Can I convince you to spend the morning here with me?” He kissed her neck and then licked down around one nipple. He enclosed it in his warm mouth and she moaned with pleasure.
She scooted back against the pillows and he slid over her.
She sighed. “I could spend all day here with you.”
He planted a trail of kisses down her skin, circling her navel with his tongue. She squirmed and said, “That tickles.”
“I’d like to discover all your ticklish spots.” He kissed farther down, focusing on her inner thighs. “How about here?” He licked a smooth trail up to her most sensitive area, peering at her with those intense green eyes.
She caught her breath, unable to speak. Danton took his time, sending her into sensual delirium as he pushed her closer and then drew back. Each time left her writhing on the bed, a bit more frantic and desperate for release. When he finally relented and brought her to climax, she shot to an unprecedented level, exploding among the stars.
HEAT (a gargoyle shifter romance) (Underground Encounters Book 5) Page 3