Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
ELOISE
A nticipation turned to disappointment. Dumont wasn’t able to join me that night. He’d sent a note and invited me to stay in his apartment, which I accepted, but it was strange to be here without him. I wandered around his place, remembering the details of the last time I’d been here with him. At least I had time to recover from the soreness. What I hadn’t expected was how much I’d wanted to be with him again.
I’d hoped he’d come back during the night, but no luck. When I awoke, the massive bed remained empty beside me.
I joined Anya and Hugo in their apartment for breakfast and sipped a hot café au lait while enjoying the sunny view from one of the picture windows. Was Dumont still out there somewhere? I could ask Hugo , but perhaps I was being too impatient. After all, Dumont had already sent me a note.
Hugo carried over two baskets—one with warm French bread and another with jams.
Anya brought a tray of various cheeses. “ Try the Camembert ,” she suggested. “ It’s delicious.”
I smeared the creamy cheese, my mouth watering as it softened on the warm bread. When I took a bite, I moaned.
“ You’re right. So good.” After I took another sip of my milky coffee, I asked, “ Are you going back to the library today?”
“ Yes .”
Eager to learn more about magic and not wanting to mope around here, wondering and worrying about Dumont , I asked, “ Can I go with you?”
“ Of course.”
“ I promise to stay out of your way.”
“ You’re not in my way,” she dismissed with an easygoing wave.
After breakfast, I returned to my room to get my stuff. A sudden knock startled me. I cracked the door open to see Dumont .
He stared down at me, concern gleaming in his bright eyes. “ I’m sorry I couldn’t get back last night.”
“ Don’t be. I understand.” Although I tried to keep the disappointment from my voice, I wasn’t sure I’d sold it. “ Is everything okay?”
“ Fine .” He averted eye contact. “ Nothing to worry about.”
Something about his tone rang as forced. Was he keeping something from me?
“ Are you sure, Dumont ?”
He faced me again and flashed a smile.
“ I detected your scent recently in my room. I hope you were comfortable there.”
His sense of smell was acute. Yet he seemed to be avoiding my question. Perhaps for good reason. After all, I’m sure he couldn’t tell me everything he did as a commander. I raised a shoulder in a small shrug.
“ I was. But it wasn’t as enjoyable without you.”
His eyes gleamed. “ I’ll be back as soon as I can, Eloise . That , I promise you.” He took my hand and kissed it. “ Please feel free to make yourself at home in my place. I like knowing that you’re there—and safe.”
Yes , I liked being there but couldn’t stay cooped up waiting.
“ I’m going back to the library today with Anya . She showed me some of my grandmother’s belongings, and I’d love to learn more about her. After all, she was my grandmother and I know nothing about her.”
Dumont studied me for a few seconds before he gave me a solemn nod.
“ I understand.”
“ And I practiced spells—which worked!” I said, beaming with pride.
He grinned at me. “ I have no doubt.” Then he placed a hand on his heart and tipped forward. “ I’ll ensure you get there safely.”
“ Thank you, Dumont .”
“ Eloise ?”
“ Yes ?” I cocked my head.
“ When you come back, will you stay in my room again tonight? I’ll do my best to return as soon as possible.”
Another night with this protective gargoyle. My lips twitched into a smile.
“ Yes .”
The hours flew by during Anya’s shift. I spent a majority of it in the library, going through Adelaide’s papers and reading the pages I could understand in English and French in the family grimoire. The book itself was fascinating. Magic appeared to float from the pages in wispy ink.
My grandmother had so many supplies to perform her magic in her hidden space. To get closer to her—and tap into this side of myself with witch blood— I practiced connecting to my energy inside, the way Anya had shown me she was learning to do yesterday. The more I tried, the quicker and easier it was to perform basic spells, such as for protection. When I’d first read words on the page, nothing happened, and I felt foolish. But when I put my intentions behind the words, feeling them, I had more success.
Intrigued by the descriptions of the elements and their associated powers, I spent time studying more about each and how to connect with them.
When Anya joined me later, I exclaimed, “ I did it!”
“ Did what?” She furrowed her brows.
“ Magic using the grimoire.” I raised my hand and spread my fingers, aiming my focus at the book. Then I repeated the words I’d memorized to turn the pages without me touching them.
Anya cocked her head. “ Did you do that?”
“ I did.” I beamed. Then I rolled one shoulder. “ I know it’s not much, but I think it’s cool.”
“ Oh , it is,” she agreed. “ With the number of books I read, I should learn that trick. Teach me?”
“ Sure .” I showed her. “ Here’s another one I worked on, which is was kind of cool.” I filled a glass with water and put it on the table. “ I found I have more success with magic involving water. Have you noticed anything like that?”
“ No ,” she replied. “ But that makes sense. It’s one of the elements.”
“ That’s what I was thinking.” I’d been reading about how some witches have an affinity for one. “ Okay , here we go.” Tapping into my energy, I repeated a spell, which not only knocked the glass over, but allowed me to direct the course of how the water flowed. I’d repeated it so many times that I was able to have it move across the floor in a serpentine pattern.
“ Wow !” She clapped her hands together. “ That’s tremendous. You’ve been quite the busy bee.”
“ Or baby witch.” I shrugged. “ Might as well do something productive with my time.” It was better than sitting around contemplating the return of demons or worrying about Dumont’s safety out there among them.
When I returned to the Vault , Dumont still hadn’t arrived. I ate in his apartment that night to give Anya some time alone with Hugo . Dumont had plenty of food in his fridge, having stocked up on options for me. That was sweet. I ate pasta with a creamy sauce and had a glass of sauvignon blanc.
I crawled into his enormous bed alone once more and curled up under the fluffy black comforter. The sheets smelled like him—an enticing, masculine musk. I inhaled it deeply.
I must have fallen asleep as I was caught in a nightmare—demons, gargoyles, and fire in the sky. A hand shook my shoulder, waking me, and I blinked my eyes open. A massive figure with curved horns reaching to the ceiling bent over me. I let out a shaky gasp and ripped the sheet off me so I could run.
“ It’s just me, Eloise ,” Dumont said in a gentle tone.
“ Oh .” I abandoned my escape effort as I sorted between dream and reality. My breath came hard. His silhouette came into clearer focus as my eyes adjusted to the darkness. He looked human aside from the horns—well, an incredibly massive human.
“ I’m sorry I frightened you.” He stood and stepped away.
That was the last thing I’d wanted. I’d been waiting for him here, wanting to be near him again.
“ No , it was me. I had a nightmare.”
“ About ?”
My lips parted before I mashed them shut. I didn’t want to talk about frightening images my mind conjured up.
“ Just a silly dream. It didn’t mean anything.” I reached for him. “ Don’t go. I’ve been waiting for you to return.”
He paused before walking closer to the bed. Without his shirt on, his muscular torso and cut abs were on full display. My gaze raked over his contours of his body.
“ Are you hiding your wings and tail from me?”
“ Not exactly hiding. I retracted them,” he said. “ Sometimes it’s necessary to better blend as a human.”
I nodded. “ Dumont ?”
“ Yes ?”
“ You don’t need to hide any part of yourself from me.”
He stared at me with vulnerability in his eyes, which now appeared silvery-gray.
“ I don’t want to frighten you with my appearance.”
“ You don’t,” I said and touched his broad chest. “ Nothing about you terrifies me. You’re the bravest, most loyal being I know.” With a sly smile, I added, “ And the sexiest.”
He let out a low chortle. “ Now I know you’re pulling my tail.”
“ I’m not. But I would like to see it. And touch it.” I skimmed my hand back up the side of his body and over his arms. “ All of you, as you really are.”
He pinned a questioning gaze on me. “ Are you sure?”
I gulped. Although the anxiety from the nightmare drifted away, my body remained in a state of hyperawareness, which seemed to amplify my attraction. I stared into his warm eyes.
“ Absolutely .”
Dumont stood slowly and walked a half-dozen feet away from the bed.
“ Don’t be afraid,” he said in a gentle tone. Then his enormous gray wings unfurled from behind his back. His tail emerged from behind him, reaching around to settle on the floor.
“ Amazing ,” I whispered. I climbed out of bed wearing only a pair of white silky sleep shorts and a matching tank and walked over to him.
He remained statue-still as I approached, yet his lips parted and he tracked me with his eyes. Less than a foot away, I stopped before him and stared up. I raised my hand beside his arm, gesturing toward his massive gray wing. It appeared tough, almost stonelike. Curious , I asked, “ Can I ?”
He nodded.
I reached up and brushed my fingertips over the tips of his wing. Although I expected it to feel hard, maybe close to stone, it was more pliant. Then I brought my hands back to his broad chest, running them over the muscles.
“ You’re unbelievably hard.”
He grunted. “ You’re telling me.”
My gaze shifted down between his legs, where his shaft was unmistakably erect, and heat rose to my cheeks. Although I hadn’t meant it in that context, his arousal stirred mine.
“ I feel so tiny standing next to you. Can we go sit on the bed?”
“ Of course.”
I walked over, with my awareness higher, and the touch of the hardwood felt cool beneath the soles of my bare feet. Once I climbed onto his huge bed, I turned, waiting for him. He glanced down at me. “ Come .” I curled my finger toward me.
He slid over me, bending me back, and his wingspan stretched behind him from one edge of the bed to the other. Every aspect of him fascinated me. I glanced up at him and reached to touch his horns. A low moan rumbled out of him, seeming to originate deep within his chest.
“ I like that.” Desire darkened his eyes. He gave me a small, sensual smile and then took my hand and raised it back near his horns.
I stroked his horns, gauging how it turned him on. That itself was an aphrodisiac that encouraged me to continue exploring his body—the carved muscles, the chiseled abs, and farther down to his unbelievably impressive erection, covered with just the thin layer of fabric with his pants. He let out a low, pleasurable groan, one that sent tingles between my legs. It still amazed me that he had even fit inside me, but oh god, it had felt good. Incredible . I wanted him again.
“ Take these off.” I tugged at the top of his pants.
He pulled away from me and stood, keeping his intense eyes on me as he stripped off the pants, leaving him naked before me with a massive erection, his wings spread and tail curled down near his legs.
I sucked in a breath. Moving to the edge of the bed, I kneeled before him. His shaft stood proud in front of me. I reached out and stroked it again, then lowered my hands to brush his testicles.
“ Eloise ,” he muttered in raspy tone.
When I leaned forward and licked at the salty liquid that beaded at the tip, he released a guttural moan. His cock was huge, but I wanted it. I wanted to bring him pleasure as he’d done for me over and over again.
I took the massive head into my mouth and swirled my tongue around it. He hissed in pleasure and ran his fingers through my hair. I stretched my lips to glide as much of his length in as possible and used my hand to grasp the lower half. As I worked him up and down, I began to move in concert, need pooling between my legs.
“ I want you.” His voice was low and edged with desire as he pulled me up. His nostrils flared, as if he could scent my arousal. He ran his hands over my body, kissing me as he grasped at my clothing.
“ Yes .” I whimpered, already aching to have him inside me again.
Dumont removed my tiny pajama set and tossed it to the floor. He leaned me back onto the bed and covered my body with his as he kissed me, delving his tongue in deep. Sliding down my body, he teased one nipple with his tongue while he caressed my other breast with his large hand. After he alternated, he ran his hands and tongue down my body, eliciting a needy moan from me.
He continued down, trailing his fingers between my legs as he blew hot breath over my sex. My body arched instinctively as I desperately craved more.
When he slid a thick finger between my folds, he groaned. “ You’re so wet.”
I released a breathless sigh. “ I want you, Dumont .”
He lowered his head between my legs, his nostrils flaring. He moaned. “ Need to taste you again.” Then he ran his tongue down my slit, and I shuddered with agonizing relief.
Soon , he had me captivated under his spell and seized all control of my body. What he could do with his mouth and hands was pure magic.
Something slid against my thigh, moving up along it. It didn’t feel like his hand.
I gasped and lifted my head. “ What’s that?”
He moved his mouth an inch away from me, and I instantly regretted asking the question.
“ Just my tail,” he murmured. As he trailed it up higher, he asked, “ Is that okay?”
Okay ? I wasn’t sure. It felt strange as hell but not unpleasant. A part of me was intrigued. Once I let go of the notion that it was odd, I relaxed. I wanted him, all of him.
“ Yesss .” Then I dropped my head back as he continued to explore, my need rising with each expert swipe of his tongue. He worked me with his mouth and fingers and now tail, which glided higher, teasing me as it trailed between my legs, through my wet slit, and lower still. Then he moved the tip back between my cheeks, amplifying this strange sensuality.
“ Oh …” I uttered, just above a whisper. It felt weird—but good.
He distracted me with his talented tongue once more, driving me higher and higher. Pushing me faster and faster. I didn’t want him to stop. The pressure rose so high I didn’t think I could take it. Strange squeals escaped me as I held on to a frantic edge, completely under his control. I hovered there, my breaths coming heavy as the tide moved in, and then I crashed with a shaky cry, splintering into thousands of shards.
Dumont pulled away slowly, letting me recover from that epic climax as he sheathed himself with a mega-sized condom. He rose over me and slipped the tip of his cock inside.
“ You’re magnificent. Everything I want, my sweet one.” He slid in as I continued to pulse around him.
As he edged in, allowing me to adjust, he growled. “ You taste so good. I’m already addicted to you.” He drove in another inch.
I moaned as I held onto him and let out rasping breaths until he had pushed inside me as far as he could go. He pulled out partway and thrust in hard, and I yelped.
“ Stay with me,” he rumbled with a guttural groan.
“ Yes ,” I cried out. I loved this side of him, so controlling in the bedroom when he’d been so gentle and attentive at other times. I loved that too. Damn , he was incredible. The perfect man for me—or gargoyle—whatever. He treated me so well, like a queen. I didn’t realize how much I’d craved that until he showed me what it was like.
He rocked in and out of me, covering my face and neck with kisses.
“ Mine ,” he murmured against the space between my neck and shoulder and then bit it gently.
It was a strange thing for him to say and for me to agree to considering how temporary our time was together, but I didn’t care about anything making sense. It must have simply come out in the heat of passion.
And as he pounded inside me more, no coherent thoughts could even exist in my head. He turned me on to all fours and drove in, drawing out a sharp gasp or moan each time he invaded me.
He cradled my breasts, fondling them, and then moved down to slip his fingers between my legs. Holy shit, this felt so good. I rocked back against him with each hard thrust as the sensations rose higher and higher. Heated tingles spread beneath my skin, lighting every inch of me with heightened awareness.
He grasped my hair and pulled my head back an inch as he moved closer to my ear and growled. “ And I’m yours.”
“ Dumont !” I cried out and then splintered around him.
“ Yes ,” he hissed. And then he thrust harder and harder and exploded deep inside me before resting his head against my shoulder blade. “ You have all of me.”