Stone Solitude (12 page)

A blush stained her cheeks a deeper gray as she ducked her head but not before he saw the smile on her lips. “You’re a good man, Roman.”

A sliver of guilt slid into his heart but he ignored it. Brushing a strand of silky hair from her face, he murmured, “We should probably go somewhere that we can talk in private.”

She blinked her eyes and then jumped, as if just realizing they were standing at the edge of the mostly empty parking lot. Granted, they were alone at the moment but that could change if one of the other students decided they needed something from their car. “Where do you want to go?”

Looking around the parking lot trying to buy some time, he thought about where he could take her. There weren’t a lot of options, considering he lived in a condemned building and he didn’t trust any of the other residents to behave themselves around someone as sweet and beautiful as Daisy. Inspiration struck but it was going to take a leap of faith on Daisy’s part. “Do you trust me?”

She smiled to hide her discomfort though it took her less time than he expected to say, “Yes.”

In bemused hope, he pulled his arms out of his sleeves and pushed the material off his shoulders. He watched as her eyes widened in alarm and appreciation as he spread his wings to their full ten foot glory. Her pulse fluttered madly along her throat as her pupils dilated, in arousal and in fear. Without giving her a chance to have second thoughts or even change her mind, he gathered her up in his arms and pushed off the ground, sending them soaring into the night sky.

With a squeal, she buried her face against his throat, her breath hot against his skin, her body trembling in his arms. One of the only good things to come from the curse was being able to fly at night. Before, he had been a man at night, without wings, and he only had the chance to fly during the day where he might be seen by the humans below. He and his brothers had rarely flown because of that, which was a pity since gargoyles loved to fly. In the years that he had lived in the city, he had never seen any of the gargoyles fly during the day. It was almost sad how little things had changed since he had been a true gargoyle.

The world fell away until they were soaring over the city, the lights twinkling below. Sweet Zeus it felt good to fly, even if Daisy clung to him like a frightened child.

The girl he held in his arms was definitely no child; she was an alluring woman with a body made to worship. Now that he had her in his arms, he never wanted to return her to her family, her life. He could fly as far as possible during the night and just before the sun rose he could find an isolated cabin to stash her in until the sun set once again. He’d fly for an eternity until she forgot the world she had come from, until all that she knew was him.

Daisy clung to him, pressing her lithe body all along his until his cock swelled and pushed back. Her gasp fed the dark beast within him and he wanted to push her further. If she sang to him at that moment, he would ravage her in the sky, virginity be damned. Despite his nearly desperate desire to fuck her while in flight he knew he couldn’t. When the spell broke, he’d lose his wings and they’d come tumbling back to the earth and be splattered across the ground. No, he wasn’t going to fuck her until they were on solid ground. However, that didn’t mean he couldn’t torture her with pleasure, bind her to him with desire so strong she no longer remembered his ugly face.

“Hold on, sweetling,” he crooned.

“I have no intention of ever letting go,” she cried out on a gasp, tightening her hold as he swooped down before soaring even higher.

With a wicked grin, he slid his tail down the back of her pants, amazed at how… good it felt. He hadn’t realized his tail could be so sensitive until he used it to tease Daisy’s sweet little pussy in the library all of those weeks ago. It hadn’t registered at the time because her hands had been on his cock and she had just driven him to delirium.

Her body stiffened at the unexpected touch and a low chuckle came from his belly. Brushing his lips against her ear, he whispered, “Relax.”

She expelled a nervous laugh as she squirmed against him, “We’re flying over the city and, if I’m not mistaken, your tail is in my pants.”

“You’re not mistaken,” he growled, sliding the tip of his tail along her damp panties to prove his point. His cock leapt at the sensation and he rocked his hips, rubbing the ravenous beast against her stomach. Nuzzling her neck, breathing in her sunshine and moonlight scent, he whispered, “I’m going to make you feel like you’re freefalling when you come so that when you scream it will wake the dead.”

Tilting his head back, he watched her face as he rubbed the tip of his tail over her clit. Her eyes were nearly black as her chest heaved with each panted breath. Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips and he wanted that tongue in his mouth. Wet heat dampened his tail and he pressed harder, watching her pulse flutter madly along her neck. Gods, he wanted to part her legs and thrust his cock into the swollen flesh of her pussy.

“Unfasten your pants and put your fingers against your pussy,” he growled.

“You won’t let go of me?” she asked, still clinging to him with one arm as her other hand shakily unsnapped the snap of her pants.

“Never,” he growled, the word seizing his throat because in that moment he realized he never wanted to let her go. Tightening his hold on her, keeping her safe, he held her eyes as she slid her hands into her panties. Her fingers brushed over his tail and he had to suck in a sharp breath as pleasure flashed along his tail and up his spine. “Just feel me as I tease you with my tail.”

Damn, he should have made her open her blouse again so he could see her beautiful breasts as he pleasured her mid-flight. But she was already so wet, so responsive, that there wasn’t time to change anything. Her silver eyes grew glassy as he rubbed against her swollen clit and he knew she was close. She was beautiful as she arched her body and chased after her pleasure, all the while holding his gaze and showing him her soul.

It would almost be worth fucking her mid-flight but then he wouldn’t have an eternity with her.

He didn’t have a future with her, but that wasn’t something he was going to think about as her hips rocked and she squeezed her eyes shut. Her thighs trembled as he increased the pressure against her clit. And then he folded his wings against his body and fell just as the first waves of her orgasm crashed over her. He was unable to tear his gaze from her pleasure-swamped face.

When the powerful orgasm finally broke, he extended his wings to their full spread and halted their downward spiral. As she clung so sweetly to him, panting from the orgasm that he had given her, he could almost forget the feelings of betrayal, almost forget the purpose of pursuing her. He could almost pretend that they had a future, a life time, to fuck, to fly, to love. Pressing his lips against her head, hugging her against his body, he stared out over the vast landscape and tried not to think at all.

With so little effort, she had him wrapped around her slender fingers and he knew that he was in danger of losing so much more than his only chance for freedom.

Strolling along the dark streets after the most amazing flight of her life, Daisy could barely contain the joy that was bubbling over within her. With her arm wrapped around Roman’s, she felt completely at ease, even when they walked in dark alleys that were barely lit and not altogether safe. The only dark cloud that hung over her was one teeny, tiny little thing. Softly, she asked, “Why don’t I see you during the day?”

“You have seen me during the day,” he answered simply

“No,” she disagreed, shaking her head and frowning since she knew for a fact that she had never seen him when the sun was up. His face was not one that was at all forgettable. “I searched a lot of buildings, Roman, and you weren’t in any of them. And if you were, it was cruel of you to keep yourself hidden from me.”

“Sweetling,” he murmured, a smile in his voice. “Had I known, I would have come after you and yelled at you for taking such a risk. But I couldn’t move.” When it was apparent she had no idea what he was talking about, he chuckled, “I’m a statue during the day, Daisy. I can’t move until the sun goes down.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “So, I only have you at night?”

“Yes.” He took a deep breath and she felt his body shudder, almost as if he was in pain. Squeezing his arm, she remained quiet as he gathered his thoughts. Clearing his throat, he rasped, “My brothers aren’t quite as limited because they can move about during the day, though they generally remain stationary on the tops of tall buildings or old castles.”

“Because they’re guardians?” she asked. At his grunt of amusement, she added, “The paper I was working on was about gargoyles. It’s believed they were used as protectors, to ward off evil spirits.”

His cough sounded more like laughter but he only said, “More or less.”

“I could have used your help on the paper, you know,” she teased, nudging him with her hip and wincing when she bounced off the stone muscle. “You could have given me some insight into what it’s like being a gargoyle.”

This time, it was definitely a laugh that rumbled from his belly, making Daisy smile. “And how would you have sourced me?”

“I’m not sure but I’m certain I would have thought of something,” she grinned. “When did I see you during the day?”

“Gods, you are persistent,” he said, the amusement in his voice removing the sting of his words. Touching the tip of her nose with his finger, he grinned, “You wouldn’t have recognized me.”

“I’m certain I would recognize you anywhere.”

“My form during the day is slightly different,” he explained, carefully choosing his words. “I’m much larger and my face is… less fucked up.”

“Your face is beautiful,” she said immediately. Heat rose in her cheeks because his face wasn’t beautiful and they both knew it. “I mean it’s beautiful to me because you’re beautiful.”

“Stop while you’re ahead, sweetheart,” he chuckled. After a moment, the levity left him and Daisy felt the seriousness of his next words. “You saw me when you were a child.”

“I don’t remember ever seeing a gargoyle when I was a child,” she countered, straining her brain trying to figure out when she might have seen him. There was a vague memory from her childhood but it was hazy and it made her gut clench when she tried to bring it into focus.

“It doesn’t matter,” he offered, obviously sensing her distress. “Just know that you brought me to life.”

Cocking her head to the side, she looked up at him. “Why don’t I remember?”

“You will,” he assured her. When she opened her mouth to ask him when, he placed a finger over her lips and chuckled, “Don’t worry about it, my little flower. It’ll come to you when you’re ready.”

“But….”

His laughter warmed her from the inside out and she couldn’t stop the smile that curved her lips if her life depended on it. But then he stopped and glanced at the sky, the laughter gone as quickly as it had come. “Shit, it’s almost dawn. I have just enough time to get you back to your car and find a place to hunker down for the day.”

“Come home with me,” she said, the last word coming out as a squeak as he hoisted her into his arms and took off. Automatically, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on for dear life even though she knew he held her and he wasn’t going to let her go.

Everything would have been fine except when they got to the parking lot, there was something very wrong. Flashing lights lit the area and a crowd of people were milling about as police officers talked into their walkie talkies. Roman landed in a darkened area between two buildings and gruffly whispered, “I can’t be seen.”

Nodding her head in understanding, she gave him a brief kiss on his cheek, “Where will you spend the day?”

“I’ll find a place.” Urgency colored his voice and she knew he was eager to get out of there before the sun rose, before he was noticed, but she was reluctant to part with him.

“When will I see you again?”

“Daisy, go,” he rasped, pushing towards the gathered by-standers.

She stumbled a step before she managed to stop but the rush of wind along her back let her know that he had flown off. Frustrated, she started walking towards her car, wondering what all of the fuss was about. It wasn’t until her mother pulled away from the crowd that she realized that the fuss was over her and she had screwed up. “Oh, shit.”

“Daisy!” her mom cried out, rushing across the distance, her arms outstretched. In the next moment, Daisy was in her mother’s arms and being hugged to within an inch of her life.

Patting her mom’s back, she asked, “What happened?”

Pulling back, Lexi framed Daisy’s face with her hands and simply drank in the sight of her daughter as she brokenly said, “One of your friends called the police when she realized your car was still in the parking lot and then someone found your bag about a half mile from here totally destroyed. Your classmate – Adrian? – said he saw you leave but he didn’t know where you were and you were gone and we didn’t know what to think.”

Guilt ate away at her as her mom cried but it was worse than that because she had given no thought to anyone else once Roman appeared. She hadn’t even realized she had dropped her bag. As her mom pulled her into another rib-crushing hug, Daisy awkwardly patted Lexi’s back, “I’m sorry.”

Over her mom’s shoulder, she saw her dad striding over, a grim expression on his face. Emotion burned in his silver eyes, anger, fear, relief. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around both his wife and his daughter, hugging them with nearly all of his strength. “Jesus, Daisy, you had us all worried.”

“I’m sorry,” she apologized again, looking for Roman in the shadows, hoping he managed to escape without anyone seeing him.

Without another word, her father ushered them into the SUV that was waiting for them before walking over and talking to one of the people who looked to be in charge of the search party. Her mom had climbed into the backseat as well and hadn’t stopped hugging Daisy, which only made her feel worse. “What happened, Daisy? Where did you go?”

Now that she was no longer soaring with Roman, exhaustion was creeping in along the edges and she had to stifle a yawn. “I was with my gargoyle.”

“And you didn’t think to call?” Lexi asked with reproof and concern in equal measure.

“There really wasn’t an opportunity,” she answered lamely, watching through the window as her father stalked back to the car, his grim expression even grimmer now that his daughter was back safe and sound. Dread filled her belly, making her feel hollow and uneasy because she hated disappointing her parents and she knew they were justified in their anger. But she couldn’t regret it because her time with Roman had been magical.

The driver’s side door opened and her dad slid into the car behind the wheel. Without a word, he started the engine and headed towards the exit of the parking lot. With a frown, Daisy watched her car slowly get further and further away. Clearing her throat, knowing she shouldn’t ask, she asked anyway, “What about my car?”

“Your brother will bring it back home,” her father ground out, fury overtaking the earlier concern. His hands tightened on the steering wheel until Daisy was sure the thing was going to break off in his grip. Wisely, she remained silent, basking in her mother’s love while her father worked through his anger until he was ready to talk.

It took nearly twenty minutes before he spoke, the words filled with guttural emotion. “We couldn’t scent you, Daisy. We had no idea where you were, if something had happened to you, and we couldn’t fucking scent you.”

Her dad never swore and hearing him say
fuck
made her ill. Swallowing over the knot in her throat, she said the only thing she could think, “I’m sorry.”

“The world is a dangerous place, Daisy,” her father continued. “You more than anyone should know that. God, Daisy, I thought I lost you all over.”

Tears filled her eyes because she recognized the emotion driving her father’s words, his fury, the pain that still lingered in his chest from ten years before. Her mother’s arms tightened around her and Daisy was grateful for it.

“What were you thinking?” he asked, glancing in the rear view mirror and meeting Daisy’s eyes. When he was experiencing strong emotions, he was unable to conceal his wolf like usual and his silver eyes were even sharper. The penetrating gleam reminded her of everything she lost ten years ago, not just her best friend.

“I wasn’t thinking,” she said softly. Before her father could say anything else, she continued in a broken voice, “I wasn’t thinking because for the first time in ten years I felt like I belonged somewhere.”

She felt her mother stiffen and saw her father’s jaw clench but she couldn’t stop the words from coming, words that had been bubbling up inside of her but had remained unspoken because she hadn’t known them. “I’m a wolf who can’t shift, dad. When Roxie shifted, something inside of me sort of… despaired of never being able to shift. It’s why I wanted to move into the dorms. It’s why I took summer classes.”

“Daisy,” her mother breathed.

Turning her head, she looked at her beautiful mother and shook her head, offering a sad smile, “But I’m also a Siren yet I’m not allowed to sing. With Roman, I can be just me and it’s enough.”

“We love you, Daisy,” her father growled from the front seat, his silver eyes flashing.

“I know,” she said quickly, knowing how very much her parents loved her, how much she loved them. “But that almost makes it worse because you’re both so amazing and my friends are so amazing and yet I’m struggling to find a place where I fit because all of you can shift and I can’t.”

“It doesn’t matter if you never shift,” her mom said passionately, giving Daisy a little shake for emphasis. “You’re our daughter and you are wonderful just the way you are.”

Daisy let out a little laugh between her tears, “But I still feel the pressure to shift.”

Clearing his throat, her father said, “I can’t ground you but I want you to stay close to home until fall semester starts. When you go out, I want you to take Dominic or one of your cousins with you.”

“Dad!” she protested, bemused by his over-protectiveness.

“You had half the city looking for you, Daisy,” he reminded her, exaggerating perhaps a bit. “You nearly gave me a heart attack and you terrified your mother. We just want to know you’re safe.”

She was grateful they were unaware of her activities the previous couple of weeks. If they knew she was exploring condemned buildings in her search for Roman they would probably send her to the moon until she was forty. “I know.”

“And don’t worry about shifting, sweetheart,” her dad said. “It’ll happen when it happens and if it doesn’t it’ll be okay. You’re a member of the pack and that will never change.”