“How was work?” he asked.
She’d picked up a position at a witch-owned women’s health center. It wasn’t far from the school for witches that Marguerite attended. She was away for the weekend field trip to New Orleans with her class, which was why Lucan thought it would be a perfect night.
The night that they’d seal their bond taking the gargoyle oath.
“Oh, fine.” She kicked off her shoes. “I’m glad to be home, though.”
“Me, too.” He stepped behind her and rubbed her shoulders. She loved when he worked out the kinks at the end of the day. “I have a bath drawn for you. Why don’t you go and relax?”
She kissed him. “You’re so good to me. Merci.”
After she left to go take a bath, he poured a couple of glasses of champagne and brought one in to her.
When he entered, Elise appeared radiant. All the candles he’d lit around the bathroom bathed her skin in a warm, soft glow. He longed to lean over and touch her.
She took the glass and thanked him. “There’s plenty of room in here for you to join me.” She flashed him a seductive look over the top of her glass.
He laughed. For a shifter of his size, it was hardly enough space, especially with another person in there. “An alluring invitation, but you’ll definitely have more room without me in there. I’ll wait for you in the bedroom.”
“All right.”
“You know, I’ve been thinking about something lately.”
She arched her brow. “A good thing or a bad one?”
“Good. Well, it turned out that way.”
“What is it?”
“Remember how I’d said I wished it was you I’d met thirteen years ago, instead of Veronique?”
Elise moaned. “Do we have to bring her up? She’s out of our lives for good.”
Veronique was now stripped of her powers and imprisoned for her unethical use of magic. Sure, she was still alive and not dead as he’d fantasized, but her incarceration did have some poetic justice in the end.
“Sorry. It’s part of my point, though.”
“Go ahead.” She peered at him as if awaiting terrible news.
“I take that back.” When Elise frowned, he quickly added, “Because the way it worked out, I ended up with you and Marguerite in my life, so I couldn’t be luckier.”
Her eyes widened. “Even after the curse?”
“I’d go back to stone and do it again if it brought me back to the two of you. My family. My world.”
Her lips twitched and then broadened into a luminous smile. “Oh, Lucan.”
“Take your time relaxing.” He turned to walk out of the bathroom, but paused and glanced over his shoulder. “We have all night.”
Sensual thoughts of the night ahead swam through his mind as he lit more candles in the bedroom and tossed red and white rose petals on the bed. Perhaps it was bordering on overzealous romance, but tonight was important and he wanted to make it unforgettable for them both. He removed all his clothing except for a pair of black lounge pants.
When Elise came out of the bathroom in a fluffy white towel, he sucked in a breath. She was the one. Each day his certainty of it grew. It now seared his soul like a brand.
Her cheeks were flushed and eyes bright with a hint of anticipation. All the muscles in his body were coiled tight with need—a need to join with her and claim her.
He strode over to her and cupped her cheeks. “Ma belle.”
After widening his stance so he could bend lower to reach her, he lowered his mouth to hers. Her lips parted and he tasted her with slow exploration. The champagne was the perfect complement to her sweet mouth. He removed the towel from her body.
“Beautiful,” he repeated in English and ran his fingers over the satiny soft skin on her shoulder.
She rewarded him with a slow, sensual appraisal and smiled. “You’re not bad yourself—in any form. But, I like this one the most.”
He carried her to the bed and gently lowered her to it. She stared up at him, naked with that inquisitive heat in her eyes. It took all of his resistance not to climb right on top of her and sink his aching cock into her tight wet flesh. This was a moment to savor, and he wouldn’t rush it.
Lucan took one of her legs and kissed the bottom of her foot.
She let out a surprised gasp. “That tickles.”
He moved his mouth to kiss her ankle. “How about this?”
She smiled. “Not so much.”
“And this?” He moved higher along her calf.
He continued that way to kiss and worship every inch of her body. By the time he’d made it to her sex, she was writhing in need.
“Oh Lucan, you always get me this way,” she murmured.
“Like what?”
“This hot, needy mess,” she cried. “Desperate for you.”
“Just as I am for you,” he declared. “I can’t ever get enough.”
He played her with his hands and mouth, giving her what she craved. After she climaxed, she reached for him and stroked his cock. He groaned at her delicious touch working him higher. When she covered the head with her mouth, a guttural sound escaped him. It felt too good. Too exciting. He’d explode if she kept that up.
“Lie back,” he directed. “I need to fuck you now.”
She complied, eying him with the look of desire that could level him. “Yes, now,” she agreed.
He stroked her sex. “You’re so wet, so ready for me.”
He slid inside her as slow as he could to savor the sensation. She was so tight. So hot. She held on, welcoming him in. Once he was fully inside her, he pumped his hips. Damn, she felt so good. He yearned to thrust harder and faster until they exploded into oblivion.
But he had to slow things down. He wanted to take the oath while they were joined this way—physically connected before they completed their promises with vows.
He caressed her face, the soft skin he always yearned to touch and kiss. Following suit with his lips, he peppered her cheeks with soft kisses and moved back to her lips. He pulled his head back and stared into her warm eyes, finding all the love and promise there that could ever be.
This was it, the moment where he would seal their commitment.
He swallowed and said, “I, Lucan, take an oath to bind with you, Elise. I promise to love you and protect you all of my days, with all my abilities as a gargoyle and man.”
Magic rose in silver wisps from their joined bodies and circled around them. Elise’s gaze followed the wisps as they floated and wrapped around their bodies. It jolted him with a surge of heat that flowed through his body and down into his already stiff member. He moved with a shallow thrust inside her to alleviate some of the ache to pump harder.
She moaned and pulled her gaze back to him. “I feel the magic binding us.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “Our connection will grow stronger with time.”
She took a deep breath and exhaled. “I, Elise, promise to love you and care for you, Lucan, all of my days, with all my abilities as a witch and woman.”
With the oath taken, the magic rose and swirled around them. Its energy danced along his skin and penetrated within, sealing every capillary with their promise. The vibrancy of their connection pounded throughout him. Before he resumed thrusting within her, driven by the force to claim his mate as his, he cupped her face and kissed her.
“I love you, Elise,” he murmured.
She smiled at him with glistening eyes. “And I love you. In whatever form, human, gargoyle, or stone, I’ll always love you, Lucan.”
Her words jolted him with their sincerity and promise. For the first time in his life, his universe seemed complete.
Lucan captured her mouth and claimed her with a kiss. He rocked back into her, eager to complete the bond. When he pulled his lips away, he whispered to her what his soul had been whispering to him all along. “My mate.”
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading Lucan and Elise’s story! I hope you enjoyed it. I’d greatly apprec
iate if you could leave a review.
INFLAME is part of the Underground Encounters series, featuring supernatural characters at an underground goth club. Danton’s story is in HEAT and Mattias’s is coming soon!
If you’re interested in learning more about my other paranormal and military romances and BAD Alpha Dad books from other authors, read on!
Lisa
BAD Alpha Dads
Bestselling and Award Winning Paranormal Romance authors are bringing you the baddest of the bad ALPHA dads. Keyword bad. So sexy, you’ll want to teach them to be good. These shifter dads need all the help they can get, and we want to give it to them. Check out our website www.BadAlphaDads.com for the release schedule and more about our fabulous authors.
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.
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Also by Lisa Carlisle
UNDERGROUND ENCOUNTERS
Smolder
Fire
Ignite
Burn
Blaze
Heat
Combust
Inflame
Stone Sentries (Boston)
Tempted by the Gargoyle
Enticed by the Gargoyle
Captivated by the Gargoyle
Highland Gargoyles
Knights of Stone: Mason
Knights of Stone: Lachlan
Knights of Stone: Bryce
Seth
Knights of Stone: Calum
Stone Cursed
Knights of Stone: Gavin (coming soon)
Chateau Seductions
Darkness Rising
Dark Velvet
Dark Muse
Dark Stranger
Dark Pursuit
For the full list, visit www.lisacarlislebooks.com
Tempted by the Gargoyle
MEET YOUR PERFECT MATCH this Saturday night—or your perfect match for the night.
The eclipse of the red Supermoon sends crowds into Boston for an evening hyped up for a night of passion, one not to be missed. Boston police officer Larissa Riley wants nothing to do with the media-driven event, but her friend convinces her they need to move past the bombings at the Boston Marathon, which still affects them both. They visit a new gothic-themed club where Larissa is disturbed by the attractive stranger eying her.
Roman, a gargoyle shifter and commander of the Stone Sentries, patrols from the rooftop of a club on the night of the eclipse. The Supermoon bodes danger and he puts all his sentries on watch. When a blast of dark magic soars past him, he searches for its origin and fixes on a brunette. Something about her is different, demanding all senses be on high alert. Is she dangerous? Or is she in danger?
Deciding a night with a hot stranger would be good for her, Larissa invites Roman back to her hotel, unaware he is surveilling her. The night takes a dark turn as secrets are uncovered and danger moves in. Her beloved city is under attack. Larissa must decide who to trust before all is lost, including the fate of her closest friend.
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
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.
Kayla and Mason attempt to meet in secret, but other elements on the isle command their attention. A magical cloak created by the three clans on the island is thinning, leading to repercussions for all the clans. Kayla and Mason are caught in the middle of it all, and their actions may change the fate for all.
“I love a paranormal book that has multiple beings, in this book there are Gargoyles, witches and wolf shifters. The plot has twists and turns taking you through such a unique and mysterious world... Great story, great characters...... Very unique!”
~ Up All Night, Read All Day Book Reviews
“It is a new way of telling Romeo and Juliet. You cannot be with them because of something their ancestors did, and the kids saying I do not care about that, I want to be with them regardless. A lesson many of us need to learn. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting something a little different from their normal.”
~ 5* from Books and Beyond Fifty Shades
Excerpt from Knights of Stone: Mason
THE CROWD PUSHED KAYLA closer to the stage as the last trails of fiery sunset faded. They knew what happened once darkness fell. She recovered her footing and focused again on the five life-sized stone gargoyles perched on pedestals on the perimeter of the stage. The space between them was set with instruments—guitars, a drum set, mic stands, and massive amplifiers, while a bonfire in a pit behind them cast the statues in a warm glow.
A stagehand with tartan draped over one shoulder climbed onto the stage and walked to the closest statue. He fastened the kilt over its shoulder and around its waist with a thick belt, covering the statue’s massive thighs. Kayla flushed, picturing why the coverings were necessary once the transformation began. The kilt had become a key detail in her fantasies about
the guitarist, since it was the only clothing he wore. The stagehand continued dressing each statue with the same brilliant blue tartan worn by the gargoyle clan.
The last vestige of sunlight disappeared from the sky, and night draped the stage like a closing curtain. The statues loomed, dark silhouettes barely discernible by the crescent moon with the backdrop of the craggy cliffs and the rugged peaks of waves in the Atlantic Ocean behind them. The murmur of voices was replaced by silence. Waiting...
Five torches blazed on the stage all at once, lit by an unseen force. The audience erupted in cheers as the dancing lights from the flickering fire basked the statues. The flames lowered, casting the gargoyles in an eerie, almost reverent glow.
Movement. So slight, Kayla wondered if it was simply a play of light and shadows in her anticipation for the change. She fixed her gaze on the statue in front of her, the one she’d gravitated to each time she had sneaked out to see the show. Its massive gray form stood straight on two legs built for sturdiness. Its chest jutted out proudly. Gray wings with detailed feathers etched in the stone arched from a point below its shoulder blades. Eyes cast straight ahead on a face that appeared to be a mixture of canine and lion. Its right hand twitched, so slightly she would have missed it if she hadn’t stared so intently. Then a clawed foot inched forward.
Murmurs of astonishment burst from the crowd as the transformation began. Their cries of fervor grew louder as the monstrous statues transformed into taller, slimmer figures with the bronzed skin of warriors who battled under the midday sun. The tartan fabric fell over their thighs as they stood erect, covering their nudity.
Kayla barely blinked, mesmerized as always, as the statue before her stood to full height, taking on the form of a human male, but with beautiful raven wings. Hair just as black snaked rebelliously past his chin. The stony eyes flickered with animation, turning to a mossy green. His deep gaze seared the audience, seeming to burn anything in the path. When he found Kayla, he stopped. His expression was unreadable, but the intensity in his unblinking eyes made her swallow. She froze under the scrutiny as if hypnotized, unable to break eye contact. Her stomach lurched, heart pounded, and every muscle in her body tightened, fueled with blood now scorching through her veins. His penetrating appraisal affected her so. When his eyes took on a smoldering glint, her skin tingled and a red-hot awareness grew between her thighs.
INFLAME: (a gargoyle shifter and witch romance) (Underground Encounters Book 8) Page 13