LUCAN HAD BEEN FIGHTING the urge to kiss Elise all afternoon. Her feminine scent did strange things to him, making him turn primal with a desperate need to claim her. It was insane for him to respond all caveman like that, but there was something powerful between them that he couldn’t ignore.

When she made this first move, it rendered him powerless. He’d been drawn to her but had fought it for all the right reasons—well, they’d seemed right in his head. But now with her reaching up to kiss him, nothing else seemed to matter except for her. Her lips. Her mouth. Her irresistible soft skin just waiting to be touched.

Hell, he didn’t want to fight it anymore. He wanted her, she wanted him. It was as simple as that.

He bent down and closed the remaining space. When his lips touched hers, it jolted him with electricity. For a second, neither moved. He was entranced by her lips. Then something sparked between them, igniting passion raw and untamed. They practically devoured each other. Her mouth tasted sweet, with a hint of the wine they’d had with dinner.

As he ran his hands down her sides, she grasped at his back, pulling him toward her. They fell onto the bed and he did his best to keep from crushing her with his weight. She was so small beneath him, almost fragile. Humans often were.

What he’d said to her about wishing he’d met her instead of Veronique was true. It would’ve changed his entire life, not only for him, but for his brothers as well. But, she was right—he wouldn’t have a daughter. And although he didn’t really know her, erasing her existence was too harsh a concept. He was a father and that connection alone was one he didn’t want to sever.

Lucan couldn’t change the past, but he had the present with Elise. And although their time might vanish in the harsh light of reality, they had this one moment.

He peppered her face with kisses and moved to her neck, running his hand over her soft throat and farther down. She let out a soft moan as he traveled lower. The scent of her arousal stirred his beast. When he reached in between her breasts, she ran her fingers through the back of his hair.

“Oh, Lucan.” Her voice came out soft and breathy.

His breath came out just as ragged and his heart pumped fiercely. Blood drummed through him, surging to his cock. He yearned to fuck her, but had to touch and taste her first.

She trailed her fingers over his shoulder blades down his back. He ran his hand back over one breast, caressing its fullness in his hand, and then he moved back up to her mouth, driven by the desire to kiss her again.

“We shouldn’t,” she said, but didn’t move her hands.

He paused and pulled himself onto his forearms to glance at her. “You don’t want to?” Damn it, he should have known this was too good to be true.

“I do.” Her breasts heaved against his chest. “But, not here.”

Shit, had he missed something? She invited him here and made the first move. He fought for clarity in his lust-addled mind.

“What if she comes back?” she clarified.

His muscles tightened. “Ah, right.” He could suggest they get another room. But, how would she take that? Before he opened his mouth and said the wrong thing, he had to consider if that was the right thing.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to lead you on,” she said. “I want this. But, we have to be responsible...”

A sound of the door opening caught his attention. Elise gasped.

He pulled himself from on top of her, but it was too late. The door opened. Fuck!

The glaring backdrop of the hallway highlighted Marguerite like she was a surprised pixie.

She stopped mid-step and her mouth fell open. “Aunt Elise?”

He’d righted himself on the hotel rug and Elise climbed up from off the bed.

“It’s not what it looks like,” she said.

Hmm, to him it was exactly what it looked like, but he kept his mouth shut.

“So, you weren’t just hooking up with my father?” She cast out the accusation with spite.

Elise blinked a few times and ran her fingers over her disheveled hair. “Marguerite, come inside and we’ll talk about it.”

“Ugh, no way. Like I want to hear all the gross, sordid details.” Marguerite waved her hand with a disgusted look on her face. “How could you? After what my mom had said about him?”

Elise took a deep breath. “What your mother said is only one side of the story. You know that.”

Marguerite flashed them both a hateful stare, moving from him back to Elise. “I guess you want to be a real good listener to his side. Sorry to have interrupted,” she added with all the contempt she could muster. She turned back into the hall and slammed the door behind her.

Elise dropped her head into her hands. “Oh how dreadful, how humiliating. I am the worst.”

Lucan adjusted his shirt as he ran after her. He opened the door. “Marguerite, come back. We’ve been looking for you all day.”

“In between sucking each other’s faces off?” She headed into the stairwell.

He chased her down the stairs. “It’s dark. You can’t go out there alone. You’re too young.”

“What do you know about me besides my age?” she shouted. “Nothing.”

He caught up to her in the lobby, but restrained himself from grabbing her. Causing a scene here in the hotel wouldn’t help things. Instead, he slowed his pace to remain a few spaces back.

Once they exited the revolving doors, she said, “Don’t follow me.”

“I damn well won’t let you wander alone out here all night.”

She planted her hands on her hips. “Don’t think you can suddenly act like my father after being absent my entire life.”

Elise caught up to them. “Marguerite. Will you just give us a moment to explain?”

She turned and walked away. They followed her onto a side street, trying to get her to talk.

“I don’t want to talk,” she said.

She leaped over an iron railing and into a flower garden in front of an old yellow Colonial. Then she shifted to stone form, shredding her clothing in the process. She perched in between Shasta daisies like a gargoyle statue that was part of the garden design.

Damn! Although he was a gargoyle shifter, seeing his daughter suddenly shift to stone form rendered him speechless.

Elise tapped his arm. “When she gets like this, she won’t talk. Let’s give her space.”

He turned to her. “Are you kidding me? After we’ve been searching for her?”

Elise sighed. “Well, now we know she’s safe. There’s no reasoning with her right now. She’s too stubborn.”

Like her mother. Lucan didn’t say it, though. No point in kicking up that sour topic.

He glanced at the stone statue that was his daughter and communicated to her, You can shut out your coven, but that won’t work with me. I’ll give you space. But I’m your father and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.

She didn’t reply, didn’t move, but he knew he’d connected to her and she’d heard the message.

“Fine,” he told Elise. After they walked away from his stubborn daughter, he lowered his voice. “I’ll get one of my brothers to pick up her clothes.”

“Why not you?” she asked.

“I’m staying out here. No way will I leave my daughter out here unprotected.”

***

TWO HOURS AFTER MARGUERITE had run out, Elise lay staring at the ceiling in her hotel room. Lucan’s vow to stay out with her, to protect her, had jolted another inch open on the already ajar door to her heart. What could she do about him?

With both Lucan and Marguerite gone, Elise had plenty of time to circle through the mistakes that left her there alone.

Did she regret kissing Lucan? Yes and no. She never wanted someone the way she yearned for him, and perhaps it was because it was so risqué, but still, she’d never forget the feel of his lips on hers. Or the way his caress affected her. A whisper of his touch scorched her like a heated kiss. She ran her fingers over her lips and trailed them down her body the way he had.

If they hadn’t been interrupted, how would he have continued? Just as gentle in some ways and rough in others. Yes, that’s how she envisioned it. That same gentle exploration when they first kissed, evolving into uncontrollable passionate need.

She trailed her fingers down her body, imagining it was Lucan. If she hadn’t been so consumed by lust, the night might have ended differently rather than her alone in a cold bed.

Did she regret not planning better so Marguerite wouldn’t have walked in on them? Absolutely. What was she? A foolish teenager so wrapped up in the situation that she lost all common sense? No, she was well into her twenties. She should have known better and considered that Marguerite could walk in at any time. The heat of the situation had clouded her sensibility.

Elise snatched her hand off her body. Marguerite was right. Elise shouldn’t have been kissing Marguerite’s father. After what Veronique had said, he was a womanizer. So, whatever would happen between them would be short-term. Was it worth hurting Marguerite over a fling?

The answer was clear. No.

There was only one sensible thing to do to remedy her error. When he would come to the hotel in the morning, she would apologize for leading him on and tell him it had been a mistake.

In the shower the next morning, she remembered how he’d touched her. With the hot water streaming down her naked body, she envisioned him doing so here. She caressed her breast, picturing his large hand. She trailed her fingers down her torso...

No. That fantasy would undermine her resolve. After picking up the shampoo bottle, she vigorously washed her hair. She had to keep a physical distance from him and avoid looking at the situation even more.

After she pulled herself together and descended to the lobby. Lucan was standing there with his back toward her as he stared out the window. He wore all black as usual, his dark hair fell loose around his shoulders. Wow, he was striking. Once again, she was aware of the female attention he garnered just by existing. Women turned back over their shoulders to give him a longer appraisal. Elise shot eye daggers at them, but they didn’t pay any notice to her. Why would they when they had a magnificent man to ogle? She was just plain and easily overlooked, the way she always had been.

Except she never felt that way around Lucan. He made her feel wanted, admired, valued. Perhaps, it was one of his lines and he knew exactly what to say to each woman he’d seduced, but she’d have sworn what was between them was genuine.

He’d said he wished he met her instead of Veronique. Her and not her beautiful, dazzling, talented older sister.

Elise groaned. Because he had picked Veronique and nothing would ever change that.

Take a deep breath. Center yourself. You need to control your emotions today and not have a repeat of yesterday.

Remember, it was a mistake.

She inhaled and then exhaled counting to three before she walked toward him. He turned before she reached him as if somehow sensing she approached.

“Elise.” He said her name with a bit of breathlessness.

The unexpected tone jolted her sense of gravity, leaving her on unsteady footing. He fixed his warm gaze on her, that same intense look that disarmed her, but this time she caught a hint of admiration. She sucked in a breath. Why was he doing this? Didn’t he know how difficult it was to be around him? No way could she get through her rehearsed speech with him looking at her like that with his unwavering stare.

She averted her eyes to keep from losing her resolve. “Good morning, Lucan. I hope you had a good rest.”

“I chose a garden a few houses down from where Marguerite rested and stayed there. My brothers stayed at each end of the street to stay on watch as well.”

Elise blinked. This was so strange. No matter that she’d seen Marguerite in stone form, she doubted she’d ever get used to how gargoyles shifted to and from different forms.

“Will you take me to her?”

“She shifted back to human form about half an hour ago and is walking through town.”

Elise’s shoulders sagged. “So, she wasn’t headed this way?” She was hoping Marguerite would come back ready to talk. But, that likely wouldn’t happen for some time.

“Not yet.” He added, “Like you said, we should give her space. What happened last night probably didn’t help matters.”

She pursed her lips. “About that.” She brought her hands together and entwined her fingers. After she dropped them to her sides, she said, “That was a mistake. We shouldn’t have done that.”

After he didn’t say anything for three long heartbeats, she dragged her gaze to his.

He eyed her with an unreadable expression. “Right. Consider it forgotten.”

Her muscles clenched. She suppressed a forlorn sigh. Forgotten? How could he forget it so easily? She never would.

Wait, why was she getting upset by getting what she wanted? He agreed to what she asked.

Then why did it feel like she’d shredded her heart?