Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
DUMONT
H olding Eloise in my arms, having her in my bed, scenting her feminine fragrance—it all felt so right. I wanted to stay here for days simply holding her, but I had a city to protect, and I had to check in with my team.
It took all my focus to pull away from her and sit up. When I kissed her shoulder, she stirred. I climbed out of bed, watching her as I dressed. With her blonde hair spilling over my pillow and her face so still, she appeared like a sleeping angel.
I must have woken her as her eyes fluttered open. She squinted at me from her beautiful green eyes. “ Dumont ?”
“ I need to go out for a bit. Go back to sleep, Eloise .”
She grabbed her glasses from the nightstand and put them on. “ Where are you going?”
“ Just doing what I usually do—checking with the team.” There was more to it than that. My sentries had been detecting the stench of demons throughout the city. That was worrisome. Yet , she didn’t need to know all that. I’d do whatever it took to protect her and wouldn’t frighten her with things beyond her control. I bent down and kissed her cheek. “ Don’t worry. I’ll be back as soon as I can. We’ll have dinner tonight. Just the two of us.”
Her lips twitched into a half smile. “ Like a date?”
“ A date indeed.” When I walked to the door, I paused and looked over my shoulder. She watched me, her lips parted and so delectable. A yearning to return to her rose, but I had responsibilities I couldn’t ignore. I took a deep inhale and opened the door.
“ See you soon.” My mate.
As I walked up to the rooftop, I tried to shake the urge to rush to her. I had to keep my head in the game. I was commander of a team. This distraction would not do.
After I checked in with my team, my thoughts returned to Eloise . What could I do to make our dinner date special tonight? More so than simply sharing a meal together. When I found a quiet moment, I asked Hugo .
“ I’m having a private dinner with Eloise tonight. What do humans like?”
“ Regarding food?” he replied. “ The same as us from what I’ve learned.”
“ No .” I ran a hand through my hair. “ How do I make it romantic?”
“ Ah ,” he replied in an understanding tone. “ Let’s see. You can’t go wrong with music. Candles . Make sure you smell nice. Say nice things. Compliment her.”
Music and candles, that was easy enough. I’d considered that the first time we had dinner before thinking it might be too much, too soon. Yes , I’d make sure I showered before this evening. Compliments , not a problem. There were countless things I admired about Eloise .
I planned it all out that day, then scoffed at myself. Was it wrong for a commander to spend time thinking how to woo a human he should be protecting?
Perhaps . But the more time I spent with her, the more I knew I couldn’t ever let her go. She was the only one for me. Could she ever feel a sliver of the same way for me?
As the sun began to set, Eloise met me at my apartment. She stood in the doorway like an angel, wearing an emerald-green dress that accentuated the lighter hue of her bright eyes. The report that I’d investigated earlier on demons detected in the suburbs drifted to the back of my mind, locked into a compartment for easy retrieval later. That wasn’t something I’d bring up to frighten her and ruin our night.
My heart beat faster as I gaped. “ You look beautiful.”
She smiled. “ Thank you.” Motioning to the outfit, she said, “ I’m glad it fits. It looked so great online, but you never know if that will be the case until you try it on.”
My gaze raked over her. The fabric flowed gracefully over her body, clinging just enough to her succulent curves. “ It looks as if it was made for you.” I brought my gaze back up to meet hers.
She smiled. “ And thank you for buying it for me. As well as several other outfits.”
I’d insisted on buying her whatever she needed while she stayed at the Vault . I wanted to ensure she had everything to make her comfortable. Plus , treating her felt good. I wanted to do more to see her smile. Seeing her joy as she wore her new outfits was possibly even more enjoyable for me.
“ I like seeing you in them,” I replied, unable to keep a shade of sensuality from my tone.
She cocked her head and added, “ You look quite handsome yourself.”
I chuckled. “ That’s not something a gargoyle hears often.” Yet , I had ensured I’d showered and smelled good for her, wearing a nice pair of black pants and an olive-green button-down shirt.
“ What can I say?” She rolled one shoulder and tipped her head toward it. “ I like what I see.”
“ Oh , me too.” I gazed at her, my beauty who’d given herself to me twice. Well , her body. I still yearned to win her heart. “ Come out onto the terrace.”
I led her through my apartment to the French doors that led outside. I pulled out a chair at the small wrought-iron table—the perfect spot for a romantic dinner, not that I’d done so with any women before.
Then again, Eloise wasn’t just any woman.
“ Have a seat.” I motioned for her. After she sat, I took the bottle of Beaujolais I’d already set out on the table along with two glasses. “ Would you like a glass of wine?”
“ Yes , please.” Her smile lingered. “ This is all so romantic.”
I exhaled. “ Good . Then my plan worked.” When I went to get the food, I realized my mistake. I wouldn’t let her stay out here alone. Even if there were wards on the building and sentries on watch to protect us, the idea of leaving her vulnerable to any possible danger stabbed me with unease. But I didn’t want to frighten her with my vigilance, so I tried to keep my voice nonchalant. “ Our dinner is staying warm inside. Come with me to choose what you’d like?”
“ Sure .” She stood and I exhaled. When we stepped into the kitchen, she inhaled. “ Mmm , it smells so good.”
I pulled the chicken cordon blue and a baguette out of the oven where it was staying warm. “ Don’t worry, I didn’t make this,” I teased. “ The baguette would be as hard as a gargoyle in stone.”
She laughed, such a musical sound that I wanted to hear more often. How odd it was that I’d only recently met this woman, but her happiness was already so important to me. I wasn’t just falling for her, I was tumbling, descending, crashing—as fast and hard as rock falling off a cliff to the ground.
“ I thought you liked to cook,” she said.
“ True ,” I admitted with a self-deprecating shrug. “ But I’m sure this is much better than what I could come up with.”
Dinner seemed to fly by, although we spent almost two hours on the terrace talking, lingering over glasses of wine. Afterward , we headed back into my apartment.
As soon as I closed the door, we turned and stared into each other’s eyes. Her breath came quicker, and her chest rose and fell with each one, while my heart jolted hard against my rib cage. The sensual tension that had been simmering between us all evening threatened to explode with ferocious heat.
One rapid breath. Then another. And then we came together.
Our bodies crashed as we dove for each other, kissing and grasping and craving and wanting.
I lifted her and carried her to the sofa, laying her across it as I covered her body with mine, careful not to crush her. As I kissed her, I traced down every curve of her body, desperate to touch and claim her once again. I slid my hand down along her bare leg, up under her dress and over her silky thighs.
“ Trust me, I want to,” she said, “but I’m still a little sore from last night.”
Wincing with shame, I said, “ I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“ Don’t be sorry.” She flashed a naughty smile. “ It was a good hurt.” She slid her hand down my torso. “ But we can do other things.” She moved my hand back between her legs. “ This feels good.”
As I touched her, she shivered and released the softest moans. I watched her face, transfixed, as I adjusted the pressure and pace, gauging her reaction. Her mouth fell open and her eyelids lowered. I continued to work her this way, and she ground against my hand.
Her expression tightened as she grew closer. She climaxed seconds later with a whimper and her body shuddered. Her sweet honey coated my fingers as she pulsed around me so tightly I had to pull them free. Her features softened with pure rapture, such a beautiful vision, one I’d commit to memory.
She opened her eyes and flashed me a naughty smile before she sat up and then slid down my body.
I held her upper arm. “ You don’t have to do that.”
“ I want to,” she insisted, working her way down.
She rolled down my clothing and licked the liquid at the tip of my cock. I sucked in a breath, turning as still and hard as my stone form. As she took me in her warm mouth, she ran her fingers down my shaft, tightening her grip and moving faster as she worked me ever closer. I ran my fingers through her hair and then reached down to touch her breasts.
“ Take this off,” I rumbled, tugging at her shirt. “ I want to touch you.”
She pulled away just long enough to remove her dress and unhook her lacy white bra, revealing her beautiful breasts. When she took me in her mouth again, I reached down to cup her breasts, tweaking the hard, delicate nipple between my fingers. I slid my hand farther down, trailing it between her legs, and found her even wetter. Her excitement shot me higher.
“ Can I come on you?” I asked.
“ Yes ,” she said in a breathless tone.
Seconds later, I pulled away from her mouth and aimed my shaft at her beautiful breasts. Hot jets spurted out of me, painting her chest. Marking her as mine.
After several mindless seconds, I dragged myself back to reality. “ I’ll get a towel.”
“ Okay .”
I wet a facecloth with warm water and then gently wiped the evidence of my desire from her creamy breasts. Once I cleaned her up, we climbed into my bed, legs entwined and wrapped in each other’s arms. What bliss. This was a feeling of contentment I’d never experienced. I never wanted this moment to end.
Dumont , one of my sentries interrupted my thoughts.
I snapped into focus. What is it?
We had a report from outside the city. A possible sighting.
Of what?
A pause followed. A phoenix.