His kiss almost made her forget her question, leaving her heady with want. Clearing her mind, she said, “You mentioned they were cursed like you, and I forgot about it with everything I’ve been learning.” With a saucy smile, she added, “And some sensual distraction.” She clucked her tongue. “So, they’re gargoyles, like you? And they’re also trapped in stone?”
“Yes. Well, they’re free right now, enjoying their short time for freedom with a flight. They also shifted when Brian bothered you, yet you were distracted by me. I communicated that I had it under control. They left the club before they were spotted.”
He ended his explanation with soft kisses on her neck that turned her to jelly. Despite her many questions, she bent her neck to offer him easier access. He was fascinating. And, the way he pleasured her was turning her insatiable—a wanton woman consumed with her desire for him. She moaned in pleasure, wanting him to take her there on the beach, onlookers be damned. Her panties grew moist as need coiled deep in her core. How could she be ready for him again all so soon?
Families were around. Kids.
Get a hold of yourself.
She fought to regain some sense before she tore off his shirt. The more he told her, the more she wondered. “We have to stop.” She pulled away reluctantly. “We can’t do this here.”
Danton’s eyes had darkened. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I can’t wait to touch you. To taste you again. Give us one more chance to be together before I change back.”
The warmth of his breath on her earlobe made her skin tingle. And his words only exacerbated her need for him. If it was dark and nobody was around, she’d pull him down right now.
“Yes,” she purred. He was distracting her again with sensual pleasure, but she still had her questions about his brothers. “But, I didn’t hear you say anything to them, and I didn’t see them move.”
“We can communicate without words.”
Her eyes widened. “Telepathically?”
He nodded. “Right. And they also left their shells in the club. You didn’t see them shift, as your focus was on Brian and me.”
Ah, that made sense.
Danton asked, “Are you hungry? I could use something to eat.”
She damned well felt hungry, too, but not for food. Not after he’d kissed her and left her body buzzing for more. She forced sensual fantasies aside and scanned the waterfront for some place they could eat.
“Yes,” she said. “Seafood?”
Minutes later, they sat at a family-owned restaurant near the ocean.
“This place serves the best seafood,” she said. “The lobster and clam chowder are unreal.”
They sampled a variety of seafood dishes and cold beers from a local brewery. Seagulls crept nearby, ready to swoop in to steal a fallen French fry or fried clam. Danton had her captivated as he told her about the places he’d been, mostly in Europe and North America. He was so cultured, and unlike any guy she’d ever dated. Most were screwed up in one way or another. She’d started to see a pattern, and it was partially her fault. She gravitated towards guys that needed help in some way. Why did she always think she could save them?
It never worked. And it often led to resentment.
But, Danton didn’t fit that type. Although she wasn’t quite sure how to react to this unfamiliar scenario, she found it somewhat comforting. Who wouldn’t like feeling protected and cared for?
How long had he been there at Vamps, locked in stone? One night in particular stood out. “Were you there during the night of the fire?”
Over a year ago, an explosion had rocked the club. It had been closed for months while it was renovated.
“Yes,” Danton replied.
Her former boss, Michel, had helped out employees with their sudden loss of wages. When he sold the club, he gave a generous amount to staff. She used the funds and time to do something she’d been considering for some time—going to school. She enrolled into a local university and studied to become a special education teacher.
Danton knew this. She’d told him all about it while she thought he was a mere statue. She’d also revealed one of the things she’d felt ashamed about. When she was younger, she’d wished she was an only child. Her parents had spent so much time with Andrew’s needs that she’d felt neglected. She feared they’d loved him more. It wasn’t until she was older that she understood. He didn’t interact in the world in the same way she did, and sometimes needed someone to help him navigate it. As she’d confided in Danton, she worked through her shame and fear, and it had led her to decide to become a teacher. During the time the club was being renovated, she’d lost her confidante. Once she’d started working at Vamps again, she’d greeted the statue like it was an old friend.
“Some of Michel’s enemies hunted him down.” Danton rested against the chair back, beer glass in hand. His body appeared as relaxed as if he was discussing the weather, save for the intensity in his emerald gaze. “My brothers and I communicated to each other silently, deciding on how to take action without revealing ourselves and causing more chaos.”
Tracy leaned forward. “What did you do?”
“We shifted from stone using magic to keep us from being seen doing so. My brothers searched for anyone in trouble while I searched for you.”
“You did? Why?”
His eyes were full of warmth and earnest. “You know why, Tracy.”
Having someone care about her so deeply was something she wasn’t used to. She swallowed before replying. “Did you find me?”
“Yes. You were outside the club talking to a police officer.”
“I had to give a statement.”
“After seeing you were safe, I joined my brothers. They saw Michel jump into a car driven by a female. They intervened to stop Michel’s enemies from following them. Once I joined them and these enemies knew they were outnumbered by gargoyles, they fled. I followed you home that night to make sure you were safe.”
Thoughts and questions churned in her mind like a tornado had been generated in her brain. Everything she thought she knew about the world—about the place where she’d worked for so long—had been challenged and reformed in a few minutes.
This gargoyle had watched over her all that time to make sure she was safe. This same splendid man who could make her body sing.
And if she was truthful with herself—was slowly helping to mend her heart.
“The following year while they rebuilt the club, my brothers and I returned to Paris,” Danton added. “Back to what we called tourist duty, as most of the calls that woke us from our stone slumber were pickpockets targeting tourists. Although I was across the ocean, I thought about you often. I fought the urge to find some other way to return to you.” He laughed. “Trust me, I’d contemplated becoming a surprise statue in your garden just so I could see you come and go.”
She placed her hand on her chest where a wild, bereft sensation had taken hold. “Danton. I wish I knew about you sooner.”
“Me, too.” His eyes flickered with sorrow, but he brushed it aside on an audible exhale. “Once I knew the club was reopening, I told Michel I wanted to return to Vamps. He no longer owned the club, but made the arrangements. I returned, and my brothers followed two months later.”
Had he returned—for her? She closed her eyes, picturing his story. But, what about his brothers? “Why did they return, as well?”
A boyish grin spread across his face. “If you’re going to watch from stone, it might as well be someplace exciting. We’ve spent countless days watching over locals and tourists in France. We were ready for a change. The club has a unique ambiance. The energy of the crowd is palpable, reaching us even in stone.” In a softer tone, just above a whisper, he said, “And for me, it has something else. You.”
Her heart somersaulted. “I don’t know what to say.” She struggled to process everything. The more she tried, the more questions popped up. How could she have been blind to someone’s attention for so long?
; An odd sound escaped her. Well, she had thought he was a statue.
“How do you communicate, or move, or do anything when you’re in stone?”
“The witch who cursed us may have been skilled with magic, but gargoyles have magical abilities as well. Those who have made the bond become more powerful. Many have aided us in navigating the gargoyle and human worlds. They can transform us to our human form for short periods.”
“Whoa,” Tracy dropped her forehead into her hands. “So, if you took the bond with someone—like me, for instance—you’d become more powerful? You’d be able to use gargoyle magic to help your brothers become human?”
“Yes,” he said in a solemn tone.
The guilt returned, weighing heavy on her as she contemplated what she’d just heard. She could offer her body to him for the day, but could she promise her heart and soul for a lifetime? Her pulse rate sped up. She shook the guilt away and asked, “What about Vamps’s new owner, Tristan Stone? Does he know what you are?”
“I don’t know exactly what Michel told him. But, he knows we are more than stone. And that we are sacred.”
“Crazy,” Tracy whispered.
Her heart sprinted. She focused on her beer glass while contemplating what he’d revealed. So much was happening and far too quickly. Just when she’d seemed to come to grips with one revelation, another presented itself to her.
“If you were free from this curse, what would you want out of life, Danton?”
“What any gargoyle wants. A purpose.”
She could understand that. Once she realized she didn’t want to tend bar forever and wanted to help people, she’d taken the step by starting school. But, what would that mean for a gargoyle? He wouldn’t follow a traditional career path like she was.
“Like what?”
“We watch over humans,” he replied. “But, to find our true mate—the one we can bond with, only then will we ever truly feel complete.”
“That sounds quite powerful,” she replied, not sure what to make of it. “Do you think you ever will?” It might have been a stupid question and an intrusive one, but since he’d mentioned the oath earlier, her curiosity was piqued.
He swallowed. “I already have, Tracy. It’s you.”
A fine sheen of perspiration coated her skin. Was it from the summer sun blaring down on them? No, it couldn’t be since they had an umbrella providing shade. God, she was so hot she could tear off all her clothes and jump into the ocean to cool off.
How could he know she was the one for him? How does anyone know for sure who the right person is? She’d made an epic number of mistakes with men and always seemed to pick the ones who’d heap more pain on her than pleasure. Maybe going for the bad guys was a bad idea.
And now, the weight of three gargoyle shifters’ fates seemed to fall on her shoulders. Since they were made of stone, it was a damn heavy load.
Her breathing escalated and her fingers tingled. No, not here. Not now.
“Tracy, are you all right?”
She tried to focus on his face, but his features turned blurry. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. She slowed her breathing to calm her overworking systems.
“Tracy?”
She raised her hand. “Hold on.”
Using meditation techniques to calm herself, she breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth. She counted in her head to focus on something else, anything else. Yoga and meditation had helped with her anxiety in the past.
It wasn’t helping. The breathing techniques were no use. A panic attack had begun, and she knew she only had moments before it was in full effect. Oh God, she couldn’t have one in front of him. Not if it was like the ones she’d experienced in the past. She would feel utterly helpless as the despair consumed her. Her body systems would pump at such higher levels that she’d fear she was about to die.
Not here. Not now.
It’s too late to stop it. Get out NOW!
“I’m sorry, Danton. I have to go.”
She stood up, scraping her chair across the pavement in a shrieking announcement to draw all eyes on her. That made it a hundred times worse. With all those people staring at her, the flight instinct escalated.
Her ribs clamped more tightly over her lungs, crushing them like an inner corset that would suffocate her. She pushed her way through the chairs to get away from everyone.
“Tracy!”
He was right behind her, but she couldn’t look back.
She raised her hand. “I have to go.”
“What’s wrong?”
Tears stabbed her eyes like unwelcome splints. No, she wouldn’t break down and cry. Not in front of everyone, and not in front of him.
“This is all too intense for me. I need to be alone.”
He followed her. “Let me help you.”
“No, don’t,” she begged. “It will only make it worse.”
She glanced at him and caught the worry in his eyes. If she wasn’t on the fringe of a full-blown panic attack, she’d rush over to him to soothe him and tell him it was going to be okay.
But, it wasn’t. She had to get away from him, pronto.
“I’m sorry.” Her voice was full of regret.
She ran down the sidewalk. A voice in the back of her mind told her she’d regret this, but she couldn’t listen to it. Despite the urge, she refused to look back.
Chapter 5
Danton
He’d scared her off.
Danton watched as Tracy ran from him until she was nothing but a speck of pink in the distance. Then, she disappeared from view. His chest tightened.
Where had he gone wrong? Was it something he had said? Regret smothered him.
His instincts urged him to follow her and ensure she was all right, but he’d heard her words. They stung like hornets as he repeated them in his head—it will only make it worse.
She’d had problems with anxiety and panic attacks. They’d terrified her. She’d said it felt like she was dying. What could he do to relieve that agony?
He couldn’t bother her as she’d made her wishes clear. Still, he had to ensure that she was safe before he returned to stone. He’d remain at a distance, watching over her from afar, the way it had been until last night.
Then what?
Could he return to Vamps after she’d rejected him? Now that she knew he watched over her from stone, would he be a source of distress in her life, no better than her ex?
He walked onto the sand, seeking answers in the endless flow of the ocean. He needed to consider his next step. Remaining in Vamps might be agony for them both. Perhaps he should find a spot like this near the ocean. He’d live out his cursed days quietly, staring out over the sea. The ocean air and spray from splashing waves would cool him under hot summer days like this one.
Yet, come winter, the blustery setting would turn harsh. The chances of his freedom would be more limited. Few dared to walk along the frigid shoreline once the temperature dropped. And he doubted many of those brave souls walking their dogs were criminals who would attack those passing by. He’d have no reason to shift from stone to help anyone.
It was time to head back to Vamps and talk to his brothers. It might be time for them to move on to another location. Maybe one of them would be luckier in love and have a chance to break the curse.
He’d lost his chance at happiness and freedom. After baring himself to her, he’d scared her off.
It was over.
Tracy
After the panic attack ended, Tracy sat on a quiet stretch, on the beach away from people, and gazed out to the ocean. The scent of the sea swept around her. She listened to the lulling sound of the waves and the song of the sea birds as she counted deep inhales in through her nose, and out through her mouth.
When she felt capable of moving again, she returned to the restaurant. Danton was gone, of course, not that she’d expected him to stick around waiting. He wasn’t on the beach either. She returned to her apartment, but was too drained to be productive an
d couldn’t even think about studying. Overcome by exhaustion, she crawled into bed at seven that evening, and drifted in and out of a fitful sleep.
When she woke, she tossed and turned, replaying events of the day. She checked the clock repeatedly. At what time would Danton switch back? Vamps had closed at one a.m. the previous night, and it had taken some time to get all the stragglers out. Between cashing out and cleaning up, a good part of an hour could pass. He’d probably shifted to save her around two a.m.
She glanced at the clock. It was almost four, which meant he was back in stone form. She turned the clock in the opposite direction and wrapped her comforter around her. It was a poor substitute for Danton’s strong arms.
Had she made a mistake in running away? They could have returned to her apartment after dinner and spent the rest of their time in her bed.
No, she couldn’t think that way. Everything had happened too quickly. It was merely a fling, nothing serious. Hot sex. Nothing more.
Despite his claim that she was the one.
How could he know that for sure? It was crazy. They’d only technically had a two-sided conversation last night. Before that, it was her rambling on about her life, and him listening. That wasn’t the basis for a lifelong oath.
It was rotten timing to have a panic attack at the restaurant, for sure, but they occurred during times of stress. How many times had she had one while she’d been dating Brian? More than she’d cared to count. She’d dealt with it through yoga and meditation after their breakup when she’d decided to focus on herself than trying to save him yet again. And, she’d taken self-defense classes, vowing he’d never lay a hand on her again.
But, so much had happened since Danton had revealed himself to her, and she needed some time and distance to understand it.
Too late for regrets. Danton was gone. She had to move on.
The next afternoon, her doorbell rang. Who could it be? She wasn’t expecting anyone.
For a brief moment, her pulse raced. What if it was Danton?
No. He had to be a statue back at Vamps. No point in getting her hopes up over nothing.
HEAT (a gargoyle shifter romance) (Underground Encounters Book 5) Page 6