Raw desire exploded through her, igniting her with a brutal, demanding need that threatened to consume her. She was falling under his spell, powerless to stop it. When he shifted his focus to lick and suck at her sensitive clit, she abandoned herself completely. Dropping her head back to the tile wall, water coursing over both their bodies, she squeezed her eyes shut, blinded by a smoky haze. As the intensity increased, she braced her hands on the wall, the overpowering urges rising ever higher as she pressed herself against his face.
Her excitement soared as he increased the pressure. This was the most deliberate and delicious torture—the way he could command control of her body and senses. Her moans increased to desperate cries. The stirrings of her orgasm rose with such quick force, it crashed over her in a volatile wave with an intensity unlike any she’d ever experienced. Lights exploded behind her eyes; blinding colors that clashed against each other and then swam together and faded. When the quakes waned, she was left devoid of any rational thought, just like she’d needed.
“Damn, you taste good,” he said, sliding up to plant a kiss on her lips. “I want to do it again, but I want to fuck you so badly.”
Tasting her essence on his lips made her tingle below again. “Then fuck me,” she said, with a seductive glance to match the bold declaration. With one foot still on the side of the bathtub, she planted her hands on the tile, ready for him.
“Shit. Condom.” He glanced outside the shower, where he must have left them.
“I’m on birth control.” She’d never felt more grateful for the long-term measure she’d begun with her ex. “And I’m clean.”
“You don’t have to worry about human diseases with me. So you’re okay like this?”
“Oh, yes.”
Towering above her, he widened his stance and bent to rub his cock in the right area, teasing at her entrance. She gripped around his neck, bracing for the penetration. He slid the head into her, her wetness easing the way. Then he pushed farther in and, as he did so, cupped her ass and lifted her other leg.
She felt weightless as he drove into her, pressing her against the tile as he filled her. From this angle, he stretched her to the brink of pain, but pleasure overcame it. Whether the steam surrounding them was from their heated bodies or the hot water, she didn’t know. The hot, wet heat flowed around them, caressing her with a sensual sheen.
He buried his face against her neck and bit her gently. More than a carnal act, it seemed as if he were marking her, or staking a claim. Warm shivers of delight rippled through her, settling in her core.
Her thoughts melted away as his thrusts deepened. Her quickened breaths turned into soft yelps as he drilled into her without any resistance. Within moments, the stirring of another orgasm ignited, brewing stronger with the increased friction. She wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to his shoulders, unsure if she could take it. Each time he drove into her, pounding her against the wall, she thought she’d splinter from the intensity. Yet she held on, unwilling to give him up, careening with him into the void. And then she reached the pinnacle, exploding like a brilliant supernova lighting the sky.
“Yes, just like that,” Roman said. “Come all over me.”
His moan tickled her neck. His thrusts turned more urgent, making her cry out with the exquisite invasion of her greedy sex.
“I want you,” he said. “Say you’re mine.”
She barely took in the words, too focused on the intense penetration.
“Say it,” he commanded.
No question this time, but a demand, one that eliciting a strange rush of excitement through her. In reality, the two of them didn’t exactly fit into the normal human world, but they might fit each other in their perfect match.
“Yes,” she cried and meant it. “Yours.”
She came undone as she climaxed again, clamping even tighter around him. He drove into her with three mighty thrusts, dropped his head back and groaned, releasing deep inside her. The expression on his face was ethereal, leaving her mesmerized.
He met her eyes and kissed her lips. “That’s right,” he whispered.
They recovered their breaths with their bodies pressed against each other before Roman said, “You’re still wet.”
She raised one brow as she glanced at him. “I should hope so after all those orgasms.”
With a laugh, he said, “I meant from the shower.” He found a fluffy peach towel and dried her off. Damn, it felt good to relinquish some of her control and let him take care of her. It wasn’t like losing a part of herself, the way she’d felt in her past relationships. Letting him into her highly fortified psyche, she had no reservations. She knew he’d never hurt her.
When he toweled her shoulders and upper back with a gentle touch, she basked in the soothing sensations. It was in such contrast to how hard he’d taken her earlier, yet both appealed to her in different ways. His movements were not about seeking sensual pleasure, which made it even more intimate on some level. Relationships required trust and intimacy, and they’d taken the first terrifying steps. She sensed they might be able to make it work, even though her mind still fought to analyze how.
She formulated the question that returned to the forefront of her mind. “We only met tonight. How can you be sure I’m the one?”
His movements slowed as he reached her breasts, circling each one with exquisite care. “Few things in this world are certain, Larissa. But when a gargoyle finds the one, there is no doubt.” He continued down her torso.
“And you don’t have doubts?”
He kissed the area above her mound. “None.” His movements become ever so gentle as he moved to her inner thighs, toweling as gently as if she were a treasure. Moving down her legs, he focused on her calves. “Do you?”
She searched her mind. Surely she’d have a ton. He wasn’t even human, after all. After what she’d discovered about herself and her fiery fingers earlier, she wasn’t entirely sure she was herself. She found questions about many things, but when it came to him, her feelings were clear.
“No.”
He flashed a brilliant smile. “Good.” He finished toweling off her feet. Dropping the towel, he reached between her legs, stroking her. “I’ll leave this wet. I like it that way.”
Roman led her to the bed, licking her before he took her again, more gently at first. As their movements quickened, exciting them both, he put her legs over his shoulders. It was so intense at this angle, she could barely take it, and cried out with each thrust.
He rolled onto his back and pulled her on top of him. “Take it how you want it.”
She didn’t think she had any energy left, but as she circled up and down, the fierce demand for more gave her a renewed burst. Wanting more, needing more of him, she ground down, squeezing intense pleasure from the friction of their bodies. She shattered quickly this time, collapsing on top of him. While her walls still pulsed around him, he grabbed her hips and thrust his release into her.
For several minutes, neither spoke as they caught their breath. She glanced out the window to see the sunlight creeping in through a crack between the curtains.
“You should try to sleep,” he said in a gentle tone.
In the morning, she’d deal with reality—seeing Janie, trying to answer a shitload of “what the fuck happened” questions about beings she didn’t quite understand herself, and coming to grips with what she was discovering about herself. Janie had been right; she needed to talk to her family. Only now she couldn’t tell Janie she’d been right. Would she have that chance tomorrow? Or the next day?
She’d have to give countless statements to her superiors. At least she wasn’t the only person who’d witnessed the battle. Officials would put out statements, the media would sate their bloodlust for juicy news for many months to come, and the conspiracy theorists would get their rocks off with speculation.
Wait a minute—had events like this happened in the past? Supernatural attacks that had been covered up with a logical reason—with
a deranged madman or group?
Now she sounded like a conspiracy theorist.
Larissa pulled the blackout curtain shut, closing out the outside world for a few more hours. Roman had left her thoroughly sated. She was too exhausted, too numb from all that had happened, to do anything else but sleep.
She crawled back into her bed, and Roman spooned her, wrapping her in his embrace.
“Sleep,” he repeated in a soothing tone.
Within moments, she was drifting off. So unlike the usual fight with racing thoughts in her mind.
Just before she slipped into sleep, Roman whispered something that provided the comfort she needed.
“I’ll watch over you, Larissa.”
Want more from Larissa and Roman? I’d love to hear from you. Contact me through my website or Facebook.
Sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss when it is released, as well as any other new releases, specials, or free reads. www.lisacarlislebooks.com
In the meantime, you might want to try some other books featuring gargoyle shifters. I’m a bit obsessed writing about them. You should see my study. ;)
Chateau Seductions, a paranormal romance series set at an art colony, begins with when Antoine first meets Savannah in Darkness Rising. The romance continues with Savannah’s story in Dark Velvet. Gina, a shy painter, meets a rock guitarist, Dante, in Dark Muse. Nadya, a wolf shifter searching for her pack mate, finds another kind of mate when she meets Cameron in Dark Stranger.
Watch a series trailer or learn more about the series, which was given Five Stars by Books and Beyond Fifty Shades, at www.lisacarlislebooks.com.
I’ve also included the first chapter of Knights of Stone: Mason, book 1 in the Highland Gargoyles series. Read on to meet five rebellious gargoyle brothers who live on a Scottish isle shared by tree witches and wolf shifters! It was named a Staff Pick by All Romance.
Lisa
A Note from the Author
This story is dedicated to the people of Boston, a city I love. I was so moved by all the good deeds and bravery that took place after the senseless violence at the Boston Marathon.
If you’re interested in learning more, read The Long Mile Home or Boston Strong.
Here’s a shout out to the team! It takes a lot of time and effort to move from the strange, random ideas to my head to a complete story. Thank you to all the people who are part of this publishing journey, including my critique partners, editors, cover artists, ARC readers, street team, author friends, and readers.
Thank you to my good friend, a police sergeant, for answering my many questions.
And thank you to my family for their support and patience while I’m in another world, working on my stories.
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Lisa Carlisle loves stories with dark, brooding heroes and independent heroines. For much of her professional career, she’s written non-fiction — but she’s discovered writing romance is the most fun. Her romances have been named Top Picks at Night Owl Reviews and All Romance Ebooks.
When she was younger, she worked in a variety of jobs, moving to various countries. She backpacked alone through Europe, and lived in Paris before returning to the U.S. She owned a bookstore for a few years as she loves to read. She’s now married to a fantastic man, and they have two kids, two cats, and too many fish.
Visit her website for more on books, trailers, playlists, and more:
Lisacarlislebooks.com
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Also by Lisa Carlisle
Darkness Rising
Antoine Chevalier harbors a secret. Born a gargoyle shifter, he wants nothing more than to cultivate his art. His hard work pays off the night he completes his greatest sculpture. But the excitement of his accomplishment doesn’t last.
He’s drawn the eye of the wrong group—a clan of vampires. Antoine wakes into darkness, changed. Shattered. His dream of becoming a renowned sculptor is destroyed.
One question remains—how will he ever survive an eternity of darkness alone?
Darkness Rising is part 0.5 of the Chateau Seductions series by USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Carlisle. Readers have requested more on the dark and mysterious Antoine. In this short story, Antoine tells his tale, which continues in the series with Dark Velvet. Dark Velvet is written from Savannah’s perspective as a newcomer to an art colony who is intrigued by the proprietor.
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Dark Velvet
Grad student Savannah Evans is thrilled to be accepted as a resident to a prestigious art colony. Where else would she be able to focus on her craft of writing poetry in a setting like that of the medieval-styled castle? The remote New England island is a respite from her hectic city life. When she meets her benefactor, a mysterious French sculptor, her expectations for carefree days writing near the ocean are distracted by unprofessional fantasies about her sponsor.
Antoine Chevalier built Les Beaux Arts on DeRoche Island to bring purpose back to an existence that has lost meaning. He’s wandered the earth for decades and finds solace in returning to art. When Savannah applies for a residency, something about her words touches him. After her arrival, a physical attraction grows between them, which he struggles against. She deserves more than someone of his kind.
Antoine proposes they become lovers during her stay. But the situation turns complicated when Savannah discovers his secret. She had suspicions about his identity, but finds the truth overwhelming. Consumed by her desire for Antoine and faced with a tough decision, she is blind to the danger that has arrived at DeRoche Island.
“Dark Velvet has a dark eroticism that makes you want to be Savannah. It is a book that is a good, quick and darkly thrilling read.” ~ Books and Beyond Fifty Shades
“…insanely hot chemistry between the female protagonist Savannah & vampire Antoine. Their intensity starts off right away and you’re not a chapter in before it takes off like a rocket!” ~ Paranormal Romance Junkies
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Dark Muse
It takes time before Gina Meiro warms up to people and her shyness is often misunderstood. She hasn’t had to worry about meeting new people at a remote art colony until a new resident arrives—a rock guitarist more suited for a billboard. Her carefree days of painting at the medieval-styled castle on a remote New England island are shattered when she stumbles right into his welcome gathering.
After a falling out with his band, Dante Riani wants nothing more at Les Beaux Arts on DeRoche Island than solitude to work on new songs. When a shy young painter asks to paint him at sunset, he’s tempted by the opportunity to be alone with her.
Someone at the colony claims to know what Dante is and asks for his help. Dante fears his plans are coming undone, especially as grows more drawn to Gina. Her scent and vulnerability are too difficult to resist. But he must stay away from her—she would never understand his secret.
While it is a story about struggle, it is also about love; and doing whatever needs to be done to be with the one you are attracted to. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Gina and Dante. This story has the perfect amount of witty banter, sex, and romance.”
~ 5* Review of Dark Muse from Books and Beyond Fifty Shades!
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Dark Stranger
Wolf shifters come to Chateau seeking a missing pack member. During an altercation, Cameron Stevens, the manager of the art colony, is separated from the others. He ends up alone with Nadya, one of the female shifters.
Together, in the forests of DeRoche Island, they struggle against conflicting f
eelings. In addition to battling each other as well as their mistrust, they fight a powerful, inexplicable attraction to one another—one that leaves them irrevocably entwined.
They’re mates? Cameron can’t comprehend or accept such a thing is possible. They’re two different species and their worlds don’t mesh. He can’t fight the heated desire burning between them and her touch is impossible to resist. His heart and mind aren’t on the same page where she’s concerned. One thing is certain—Nadya is stamped on both.
***** FIVE STARS ***** – “I have read the first 2 books in this series and could not wait to get my hands on this one; and I was not disappointed. The thing I love most, is that while this is a story about paranormal creatures, you can still relate to the trial and tribulations that they go through. You can relate to how each character is feeling, even though you are nothing like them.”
~ Books and Beyond Fifty Shades
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Knights of Stone: Mason
Highland Gargoyles series, book 1
Gargoyles, tree witches, and wolf shifters have divided the Isle of Stone after a great battle twenty-five years ago. When Kayla, a tree witch, hears about the unconventional rock concerts in the gargoyle’s territory, she sneaks from her coven and into their territory to see for herself. Night after night, she returns to see one in particular shift into human form and play guitar at these unconventional shows.
For several nights, Mason has kept watch for the pixie-like female. He plans to seduce her, thinking she’s a visitor from another island. When he discovers she’s one of the tree witches, he retreats, attempting to keep his distance. The temptation is strong, but forbidden.
Tempted by the Gargoyle (a gargoyle shifter romance): Boston Stone Sentries Page 14