Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
DUMONT
S weet moon, Eloise’s lips electrified me. Just that brief touch singed me with heat that almost left me trembling, and I pulled away dazed, enveloped in her intoxicating scent.
Eloise glanced up at me through hooded eyes. “ Maybe we should sit down?” She motioned to one of the cushioned chairs a couple of dozen feet away.
Yes , that would help with our height distance. It would also help me recover from that unexpected touch—so short, yet it almost unglued me. My soul felt like singing. I’d kissed the one. My mate. I could declare I’d found the one as I flew across the sky.
Focus . I needed to regain some sort of self-control.
We walked over to the seats in a daze and sat beside each other, leaning close. I reached my hand up to touch her cheek, and she pressed it against my palm. Her skin was so soft. I could trail my fingers over her smooth skin all night. And kiss her. After that brief taste, I hungered for more.
I bent down to her again, and her eyelids fluttered close. When I touched her lips once more, sparks ignited through my body. Incredible . I never thought a connection to another person could ever feel like this.
Her lips were so sweet. She tasted of the wine we’d had at dinner. I reached my arm behind her neck and tipped her head back so I could deepen the kiss. She released a small sigh and kissed me back with fervor.
Need pulsed through my body, igniting all my senses with heat. I’d never craved someone so badly before. Kissing her here under the night sky was even more incredible than flying. I never thought anything would eclipse that feeling.
She reached her arms around my back, pulling me closer to her. I wanted her. Desire coursed to my cock, leaving me achingly hard. As we kissed, I moved her onto her back on the seat cushions, remaining aware of how much larger I was than her. I kept my weight on my forearms to avoid crushing her.
I ran a hand down her cheek, stroking her jawline and then her smooth neck. Moving down to trace the curve of her body, my fingers trailed along the gentle fullness of her breast. I ached to touch more of her, taste her, bring her pleasure.
“ You’re so beautiful,” I murmured, breaking away just a sliver from her mouth. I moved my lips to her neck, kissing and suckling her satin skin. She was soft. So soft and silky…
“ Oh , Dumont .” Her voice was low and throaty. She ran her fingers through my hair.
I moved down to her collarbone, then tugged gently at the top of her shirt. More . I needed more of her. I had to mark every inch of her with my lips, brand her as mine.
Mine .
She was mine. She had to be. How could I ever let her walk away after knowing how right this felt?
She gasped and her body shuddered. “ Dumont .” Her voice quaked with fear.
“ What is it?” When I pulled my head up and glanced at her, she pointed into the sky.
Fuck . Was it trouble? I bolted upright. When I searched the sky, I saw the outline of Lyam flying in.
“ It’s only one of my sentries,” I assured her.
Not a threat. Still , I had to get my head in the game. What the hell was I doing letting my guard down on the rooftop like this? I couldn’t think with my cock. I had a duty here. A city to protect and most importantly, my mate. I should be vigilant and not let anything—or anyone—distract me.
ELOISE
In my room at the Vault that night, I tossed about. I couldn’t get comfortable, and it wasn’t due to the unease of what might be out there threatening me. It was something far more earthquaking. I’d kissed a gargoyle.
How strange it had been to kiss someone who wasn’t human, someone who was an entirely different species. The way he looked frightened me at first, but now I found him enthralling. The curved horns, the vast wings, the tail. The smooth gray skin and the changing gray hue of his irises. Utterly enticing.
Beyond his intriguing looks was the way he made me feel. No one had ever looked at me the way Dumont had. No one had ever sworn to protect me with such sincerity. No one promised to care for me and make me feel so—well— I’m not sure what it was. Admired ? No , that wasn’t right. Special ? No , that was too hokey sounding.
Cherished ?
No , that was jumping too far too fast. All we shared was a kiss—one magical, toe-curling kiss.
Yet , I’d never thought one small kiss could mean so much.
I flopped onto my belly. If I stayed here in bed like this all night just thinking and replaying that magical moment, I’d never get to sleep. But how could I get that moment we’d shared off my mind? I raised my fingers to my lips, remembering the hard press of his firm lips on mine, replaying how his large hand caressed my skin, splaying my hands wide like his wingspan. My skin tingled with heat as I envisioned how his touch affected me.
But then, the sentry had arrived, snapping us both out of that passionate embrace. What would have happened had he not interrupted us? Would we have taken things further right there on the rooftop, the stars and moon witnesses to our unexpected tryst?
I rewound to before the sentry’s arrival and pictured how hot it had been as Dumont ran his hands and lips down my body. As I did, I lowered my much smaller hand, tracing how I envisioned his movements. He’d reach down and caress my breasts, take each hardened peak in his warm mouth. Then he’d slide that massive hand over my torso, down my lower belly, and farther still, trailing his thick fingers in between my legs. I slid my hand lower and reached between, finding myself already so wet.
I imagined Dumont being here touching me, kissing me. I’d reach down and stroke him—that massive body, over that unimaginably perfect core, and all the way to his hard length. So freakin’ big. He’d groan in pleasure as my fingers traced his immense erection…
As I played out this fantasy, my fingers moved faster. I flipped onto my back to get greater access. Harder I stroked, my breath coming faster. As I got closer, my panting grew louder. Oh shit, just how acute were the gargoyles’ hearing? Could they hear me as I fantasized about Dumont ?
Could he?
I envisioned his gray face with the hard lines and determined eyes that seemed to turn gentle around me. Picturing him watch me touch myself pushed me to the edge, and I couldn’t stifle a moan.
I turned my face into the pillow, hoping no one heard me.
DUMONT
After I checked in with the sentries and ensured there were no active threats, I left the rooftop to see Eloise . After that kiss, I yearned to be closer, more now than ever. That simple touch of her lips on mine was so brief, and yet, it meant so much. She felt something for me too.
I both cursed Lyam’s arrival and was thankful for it. The fire between Eloise and me had grown so quickly that I couldn’t think of anything but her. Perhaps it was for the best that he’d interrupted us so we had a chance to regroup. I couldn’t get complacent with a potential demon threat, especially with the recent fires and battle with Calix still fresh in mind.
And now? I gulped. What happened now was a mystery to me. That might have been just a curious kiss for Eloise , but for me—it changed everything. I’d kissed my mate and was now certain that there was no one else for me. I didn’t want anyone else. She was the one.
When I walked down the hall, a sound stopped me. It was a woman’s voice. Coming from Eloise’s room. She was—moaning?
Oh no! I rushed over to her door. Was she in pain?
As I raised my hand to knock, a very different sounding moan emerged. It wasn’t pain, but pleasure.
Was Eloise …
I listened. Her breaths came fast. It sure as hell sounded that way. I remained there, frozen, my eyes fluttering closed as I listened to the sultry sounds coming from her room.
Who was she thinking about? Could she possibly be thinking about— me?
After that incredible kiss, it was possible. I yearned to knock on the door—but then would she know I’d been out there. Like a creep.
I came here to check on her, but now I couldn’t bring myself to leave.
Do it. You can’t stand out here like this!
Right .
But what if I carried through with what I came to do—simply knocked on the door to check on her? That wouldn’t be inappropriate, would it?
Stop thinking with your dick!
Fuck , my cock was achingly hard. Every vein in my body thrummed with rushing blood. No way would I be able to hide my excitement if she opened the door and saw me there with a massive erection. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. My head had never been as confused as it had since I met Eloise . Now nothing made sense. My body and mind constantly battled with my duty. And the ever-pressing desire hammered at me to pound on the door and beg Eloise to let me in.
No . Not like this. She’ll think you’re a monster. Again .
Hadn’t we gone so far from her thinking of me as a terrifying beast? She’d kissed me tonight. That meant she didn’t find me repulsive.
So I couldn’t ruin it. I couldn’t let this raging passion drive me to do something to push her away. The regrets would haunt me.
We needed time. To take things slow. Even if time wasn’t something I was sure we had.
Forcing myself to pull away from her door, I counted to ten—and then another twenty—before I mustered some semblance of control.
One small step followed by another, I made myself walk away from her room.
The next morning, I downed a coffee as I paced the rooftop and watched the sun come up, but that wasn’t the reason for my nervous twitching. What happened here with Eloise last night had thrummed through my veins, burning in my memories. Now I both counted the seconds and dreaded them as they drew me closer to seeing Eloise again. I’d never felt untethered like this.
When I finally brought myself to the dining area, Hugo and Anya were there. The four of us had arranged to have breakfast together. Funny how I’d never spent so much time with Hugo before on a social basis. I was a leader and he was under my command. But since Anya had arrived with Eloise , I had inserted myself more into their orbit so I could have a chance to spend some time with her.
I watched them as they chatted over a leisurely cup of tea. Although they were different species, they were finding a way to make it work. With the way they glanced at each other and took care of one another, it was clear they both wanted this relationship and were willing to work hard at it.
Did that mean Eloise and I? —
Of course not. Our situation was entirely different. Hugo didn’t have an entire city to protect and a team of sentries to lead.
A few decades later—or at least that’s how long it felt as I waited for her to arrive—she stepped into the room. The sight of her drew breath from my lungs. When her scent reached me, I inhaled deeply. All the anxiety that had built up during our absence from each other overnight dissipated, leaving me with a strange soothing feeling.
After she greeted her sister and Hugo , Eloise met my gaze. “ Good morning, Dumont .”
“ Good morning.” My voice sounded strangely light and distant, entirely not my own. I cleared my throat. “ Did you sleep well?”
She broke eye contact and averted her gaze, her cheeks turning a pale pink. “ Eventually .” She exhaled slowly. “ It took me a while to get to sleep, but once I did, I slept hard.”
Hard . That’s how I’d returned to my room, with an aching erection I had to take care of to remove some of the agonizing tension and prevent myself from going back to her.
When she brought her gaze back to mine, our eyes locked. My heart pounded faster. Could she sense what happened last night? How I’d gone back to my room and lay in bed thinking of her. How I stroked myself as I thought about her soft pink lips. How I ached to get closer to her now and take her straight to my bed and act out every slow detail of exploring her beautiful body, bringing her to pleasure time and time again.
I straightened. “ That’s good. It’s hard to sleep in a bed that’s not your own.” Shit , did I have to use the word hard again? My body warmed. Picturing her in bed did nothing to yank the image of her in mine. I had to focus on something else, anything else. “ Are you hungry?”
She smiled. “ I could eat.”
My gaze traveled to her lips again. Sweet moon, this was going to be an agonizing meal. How could I sit across from her and watch her eat and not be distracted by her tantalizing mouth?