As Tracy prepared hot cocoa in her kitchen, she sought clarity. What the hell had really happened at Vamps?

Danton sat in her living room, wearing nothing but a towel. As attracted as she was to him, her mind screamed out variations of the same question, how what she had seen could even be possible. Men did not transform from stone.

Clearly, she couldn’t answer her own questions. The only one who could sat almost naked on her sofa.

Get a grip. Take things one step at a time tonight.

She glanced down at her black dress. The sexier she dressed and the more cleavage she exposed, the better the tips. She wasn’t tall and thin like some women who came to the club, but she stopped longing to be like them ages ago. Why not be happy with her assets? She displayed them proudly.

But, the skin-tight outfit and chunky, laced-up boots was a bit over-the-top for her apartment. What should she change into? Something more comfortable? Jeans and a T-shirt or pajamas didn’t seem appropriate for the situation.

Shrugging, she decided to stay in what she was wearing. Better to look hot. She removed the boots and tossed them into her bedroom. Then she added Irish cream to the hot cocoa, one of her favorite after-work comfort drinks, before returning to Danton.

He was scanning her living room, part of a one-bedroom apartment that she’d decorated in a retro style with eclectic furniture she’d picked up at vintage flea markets. She was pleased she’d found the colorful Tiffany-style lamps that emitted a warm glow like candlelight. Much of what she earned at Vamps went to tuition and rent, which left little for splurges, but she had a keen eye for a stylish piece of furniture at a good price.

When she caught his gaze, her pulse raced again. “I don’t know what to do about clothes for you. Nothing I own would fit you.”

“That’s all right.” His eyes glimmered with heat as he scanned her from the head down. “I’m quite comfortable like this. Does my body bother you?”

Hell no! Her insides burned as she forced herself not to stare at him again. He was like the sun, and if she stared too long…

Snapping out of it before she ogled him, she asked, “What really happened at the club?”

She handed him a mug and sat down on the couch at a safe distance. Safe for whom? She needed to get a handle on her desire.

“I’m a gargoyle shifter. We are protectors of the human race. When you were attacked, I transformed into my human form to protect you from that animal.”

He was right. Brian could behave like an animal. Having dark good looks and a bad boy appeal with loads of tattoos, he’d used all the right words to lure her in. But, she’d discovered his darker side.

As if reading her mind, Danton asked, “He was your lover?”

Brian had mentioned the sex, and for some reason, that made her blush in front of Danton.

“Yes, but a long time ago.” She felt compelled to explain although he’d already heard bits she’d confided in the past. “He was sweet when we first started dating. But, when he drinks, he gets violent. He blacks out and swears it will never happen again. I wanted to believe him. Eventually, I saw the pattern and it was dangerous.” She left out the specifics on the damage he’d inflicted on her—body and soul.

“He hurt you.” Danton inhaled deeply, nostrils flaring. “He’s the one you spoke of.” He strode to her front door in two giant steps.

“Where are you going?”

“To find him. And finish him.”

“No, Danton, please.” Tracy ran to him and clung to one of his massive biceps.

“I know what he did to you, Tracy. You told me how he struck you. Once he tried to strangle you. If I had known it was him, I would have destroyed him then.”

“You can’t kill him!” Her heart thumped. She didn’t want Brian dead. If Danton was arrested for murder, could he even be contained in a cell? Either way, two lives could be destroyed. She couldn’t let that happen.

“You scared him off earlier,” she added in a softer tone. “Please, come and sit down with me.”

Hands clenched into fists and jaw squared, he appeared to struggle with the decision. When the tightness in his arm lessened, she led him back to the sofa. He sat and the tension lifted from his expression. She exhaled. She didn’t wish Brian dead or for Danton to be responsible for murder, especially on her behalf.

“Your cocoa is going to get cold,” she said.

He raised the mug and sipped. “This is delicious. It’s been ages since I had anything like this. Thank you.”

Although questions arose wondering when, what, and how a gargoyle ate, it paled compared to some of the bigger mysteries about him.

“Maybe you should tell me about you. I have so many questions burning in my brain. Besides, I won’t feel so...” she searched for the right word, “...exposed.”

“Of course.” Danton leaned forward and put his mug down on her coffee table, which opened enough of the towel to reveal his upper thigh.

Tracy tilted her head to see more.

“What do you want to know?” Danton asked with a hint of amusement.

She pulled her gaze up to his eyes and her cheeks burned. He’d caught her staring at his goods. What was wrong with her? How could she be so attracted to someone who wasn’t even human? Well, at least, not all the time.

Closing her eyes to regain her focus, she took a deep breath and reopened them. “What are you, really?”

“I’m a gargoyle.”

“Yes, you’ve said that.” She shook her head as she sorted through her questions “But, aren’t gargoyles supposed to be perched on old European castles? How is it possible that you come to life from stone? Can you change at will?”

Danton tapped his finger on his exposed thigh that revealed well-developed corded muscles. Was he avoiding her question?

After a moment, he said, “No. I take on my human form when someone needs my assistance. When that happens, I have twenty-four hours before I return to stone.”

“Only twenty-four hours?” Tracy repeated, her mouth dropping open.

Why did this revelation bother her so when just an hour ago, she thought he was a statue?

“Yes.” He gazed at her with sincerity in his green eyes. “And if you don’t mind, I’d like to spend it with you.”

Why her? She nodded as if entranced.

“I have tomorrow night off.” Technically, it was tonight, as it was already in the early hours of Sunday morning. Her eyes traveled from his beguiling face down his bronzed, sculpted torso. “But first, tell me more about you. And what you are.”

“You must keep what I tell you to yourself. Our secrets are dangerous with the wrong human. I know I can trust you.”

“Of course,” she said. But, why would she say that? What if he admitted he was a deranged serial killer who went on murder sprees?

Then, he’d likely silence her, and she wouldn’t be able to tell anyone anything.

No, she didn’t fear him, though. Somehow, she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. After all, he had saved her earlier. And she’d confided in him countless times, as if they’d already had a connection.

“Some gargoyles prefer to stay in stone form by day and shift to fly at night,” Danton said. “Others spend more time in human form.”

“But, that doesn’t make sense with what you told me. Why can they change at will while you can’t?”

“What happened to me is complicated. But, what usually happens is they’ve bonded with a human.”

“Bonded,” she repeated. “What does that mean?”

“Gargoyles have a natural inclination to protect humans,” he said in a measured tone, as if he’d rehearsed his words before saying them aloud. “Sometimes one human in particular.” He fixed his gaze on her. “For me, that human is you.”

“Me?” She put her hand on her chest as her mouth dropped open. “Why me? Is there some reason I need protection?”

“Have you forgotten your friend on the bar floor already?”

Tracy blushed and then lifted her chin stubbornly. “I can take care of him myself.”

A smile twitched at the corner of his lips. “Oh yes, the miniature weapon you threatened to use on me.”

“Mock me if you will.” She raised her chin. “You wouldn’t be smiling if I sprayed it at you.”

“I’m sure I wouldn’t.” Danton drummed his fingers on the armrest. “Why do we connect with some people and not with others?”

He caught her eyes again, which caused her to inhale sharply. God, he was brilliant to look at. Mesmerizing.

“The more I’ve watched you and listened as you confided in me,” he continued, “the more captivated I became. Everything about you draws me in. You are the most sensual woman I’ve ever seen. The modern pink hair, the sexy black outfits, your voluptuous figure. I want to break from stone whenever I see men ogling you.”

“Oh,” Tracy said. Up until now, she wasn’t aware that the gargoyle statue could even see, let alone lust for her. Sensual curiosity spread like a wildfire, from her core to all her nerves. How much longer could she resist acting on impulse?

“You can be tough and independent, yet you have a gentle side,” he added. “The way you take care of people, especially your family. You speak so fondly of your brother.”

She swallowed. This man—no, gargoyle—knew too much about her personal life. Not only did he know all her deepest secrets, his inquisitive gaze bore into her as if he could see into her soul. One part of her wanted to tell him to mind his own business and sod off. The other part was drawn closer. She felt herself leaning closer to him. Her body was winning the battle of attraction over reason.

Why shouldn’t it? Their time together was limited and not to be wasted.

“Do you have—feelings for me?” she asked.

He nodded. “Deeply.”

She considered it. It must be lust. She’d been a bartender for too long, and hit on more time than she could recall. “Sexual ones?”

“Among them, yes. I hunger for you, Tracy.”

She had heard every line and lewd remark imaginable. She usually brushed them off, unless they were so out of line she had to put a guy in his place. The sincerity in Danton’s tone, and the velvety smooth way he spoke left her tingling.

“Your touch has driven me to the edge,” he added. “Every time your fingers stroked me with a feather-light touch, I yearned to come to you as a man.”

Her lips parted, although she was at a loss for words. What could she say? She couldn’t even sort through her racing thoughts. There was too much to process and none of it made any sense, especially with that low burning heat simmering through her body.

Was this some twisted fantasy where a dream man walked into her life for twenty-four hours and then disappeared?

She finally found words. “Are you a man right now?” What a weird question to ask. He looked like one. But, after what she’d seen…

He leaned closer to her and took her hand, placing it on his cheek. It was warm. Enticing. He was flesh, not cold stone. The fire that shot through her indicated that this was real.

“Do I feel like a man to you?”

“Yes. Oh god, yes.” Her voice trailed off with a husky edge.

His eyes gleamed with a smoldering glint that darkened the green to a shade of the forest, which hinted of the untamed wilderness.

“The way you’re looking at me right now, you don’t know what’s it’s doing to me.”

Her hand acted on primal instinct as it moved down his perfectly sculpted cheek and onto his chiseled chest. She traced the indentations down his sculpted abs until she met the terrycloth at his waist. By the bulge tenting beneath the towel, she definitely had an inkling.

“I have a guess.” She arched a brow. “You’re harder than stone?”

His lips curved into a sensuous smile. “Exactly.”

Reason returned to her lust-addled mind. What was she doing? Statues didn’t just turn into men, let alone gloriously naked men.

When Danton placed his index finger on her lower lip and ran it from one side to the other, she trembled. His touch was exquisite. If he could affect her with just one finger…

“So soft,” he said. “How long I’ve wanted to kiss them.”

Danton leaned closer to her, setting all her senses aflame. Her heart rate escalated. When he moved within an inch from her mouth, she thought it stopped beating altogether.

The moment his lips touched hers, a moan of relief escaped her. She melted against him. He pulled her closer to him, and her body tingled with heat at every spot where they touched. His kiss was soft and tender, stoking her desire.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as their tongues entwined, exploring and savoring each other. He captured her mouth in a deeper kiss, full of hunger. When she pulled him back onto her as she leaned on the armrest, his massive body dwarfed hers.

“Tracy,” he murmured as he kissed her lips, her ears, and her neck. “I’ve wanted to touch you like this for far too long.”

His soft lips and tongue shot darts of pleasure through her, fueling the fire burning ever more brightly within. How could they once have been hard as stone? She couldn’t let this moment end, especially with their time together being so limited.

“Oh, don’t stop,” she begged.

Her words spurred him on as his tongue swirled around her cleavage. She arched her back to offer him more of her and he used the opportunity to reach around her back. He loosened the red laces and ties that held her dress together. The constricting bodice made it unnecessary to wear a bra, and her breasts spilled out.

“Merde,” he uttered under his breath. “You are even more beautiful than I fantasized.”

He’d fantasized about her even when in his stone form? That was mind-blowing. She didn’t want to think about that now, just feel more of him. She jutted her breasts out to encourage him to touch her. He cupped one, stroking the nipple between his thumb and forefinger. When he covered it with his warm mouth, she moaned. While he pleasured one breast with his expert tongue, he caressed the other.

Such pleasure engulfed her as she yielded to him. Danton’s slow, sensual exploration of her breasts made all her previous experiences with men fondling them seem like clumsy assaults.

“Yes, Danton.”

He moved his hands to her lower back where another set of laces twined down in an intricate pattern that covered her ass.

“Let me,” she said. “It’s complicated.”

She maneuvered out of his grasp and reached back to unravel the fastenings. His eyes took on a predatory gleam. The idea of being hunted by this man thrilled her all the more. She slinked out of the dress slowly, teasing him. The more skin she exposed, the hungrier his gaze. He leaned forward, reaching for her.

“Not yet,” she admonished with a saucy smile.

He rubbed his hand over his mouth as if trying for self-control. She slid the dress down to her ankles and removed it. The admiration in his gaze encouraged her to continue the slow striptease, which awoke a new side of her—a sensual side she didn’t know existed. She’d never experienced an attraction like this, so intimate and all-consuming.

How was that possible? They’d just met. Well, sort of.

She moved a finger under the delicate lace of her thong, sliding it down the same path as the dress. She fought the urge to hurry and shed her clothes. The slow seduction was exhilarating, and she didn’t want it to end too soon.

He inhaled sharply. “You are stunning.”

All that remained were her sheer black thigh-high stockings. She began to unroll one when he stopped her.

“Leave those on.” He put a hand up. “Please.” His voice had lowered to a sexy, gravelly tone.

“Yes,” she purred.

She crawled over to him languidly. With her gaze locked on his, she longed to hurry and touch him. Yet, she relished heightening the exquisite experience with the deliberate slowness.

Kneeling between his legs, she gave him a coy smile. She reached for the terrycloth towel and her hands trembled with anticipation. When she opened it, his cock sprang out, rock-hard and ready.

She swallowed at the pleasure it promised and, from its size, maybe a little pain. A bead of liquid escaped the tip, so she leaned forward and licked it away, kissing the swollen head. A feral groan escaped him, spurring her on. His aroma was clean and musky all at once, a masculine scent that sent more moisture between her thighs. She grasped the thick girth and licked it from tip to base and back up again.

“Mon Dieu.” His voice came out a rough rasp.

She wrapped her mouth around the head, flicking her tongue around it, while she worked his shaft with her hands. His impressive size meant she could only take so much. He wove his fingers through her hair, moaning in pleasure. She’d never enjoyed doing this more.

She moved her hands and mouth in concert, in a quickening rhythm until he stopped her.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been with a woman. And you feel amazing. But I’ll explode if you do that any longer.” He pulled her into an upright position and then scooped her into his arms. “I want to bring you pleasure and savor every moment.”

God, yes. She was on board for that.

He motioned toward a doorway. “Your bedroom?”

“Yes.”

An odd thought entered her mind—had she made the bed? It was one of the things her mother had instilled in her. She didn’t want him to think she was a slob. How could she have known a statue would spring to life at work tonight, driving her so insane with lust she’d bring him home?

Ah, screw it. She wasn’t about to climb out of his arms to go and check. And, she didn’t want to think about her mother in that moment.

No man had ever carried her to bed before, and she wasn’t going to stop this stone god come-to-life from doing so.

Her concern was for naught. Her bed was neatly made, but not for long. He lowered her onto the pale pink coverlet of her fluffy down comforter. She pulled the covers aside hastily and slid back against the countless feather pillows.

Danton’s eyes raked over her from head to toe before he picked up one stocking-covered leg and kissed the bottom of her foot.

She giggled. “That tickles.”

He didn’t release her leg, instead kissing from her ankle up over her shin to above her knee, keeping his eyes locked on hers the whole time. When he reached the end of the lace seam at the top of the stocking, he held her gaze for a moment before closing his eyes to taste the flesh of her inner thighs.

She sank her head back into the softness of the pillow, moaning in appreciation. His lips were feather light, igniting a brush fire over her skin.

“Oh, Danton,” she murmured.

“Do you want something more from me?” he asked in a husky tone.

“I want everything from you,” she admitted.

Danton kissed, licked, and nibbled from one thigh to the other. She squirmed beneath him, wanting more. Needing more. With his lips, he caressed her skin as gentle as a breeze. But he explored her flesh more boldly with his tongue, not letting her escape. The scent of rising desire perfumed the air. When he finally reached her sex, she cried out with relief.

He assaulted all her senses with his commanding tongue and unleashed her desire. She ran one hand through the silky strands of his long warrior locks. Her frantic breathing and throaty moans seemed to stir him on, increasing the pressure. When he drove her to a point where she couldn’t stop, insane and on the edge with need, she clutched the cotton sheets.

She was so close, almost there. The muscles in her thighs stiffened. She clutched the sheet, panting hard. He increased the pressure and sent her crashing over the edge. She cried out as she detonated to atmospheric levels and then fell like floating confetti back to the earth.

“Oh, Danton.” She ran her fingers through his hair, directing him up toward her.

“I don’t want to stop,” he murmured.

The lightest caress of his tongue made her jolt.

“Not yet,” she begged. “Too sensitive.”

He moved up over her body and smiled, making his eyes crinkle. “I love how you respond to my touch.”

He rubbed his cock against her. She was so damn wet, still recovering from that brilliant orgasm, but the feel of him there shot a new bolt of desire through her core.

She wanted him. Needed him. Now.

After fumbling through her nightstand for a condom, she found one and tore it open. “Quick. We need to put this on.” Could he even get her pregnant or pass on STDs? She wasn’t about to stop to have a discussion about it, not when wanted him this badly. She rolled the first few inches of the condom out, sliding it over his tip.

“Oh, your hands feel good,” he said.

She continued rolling it down his shaft, struggling to ignore her arousal as she stretched it over his impressive girth. Then, she pulled him to her.

“Please. I can’t wait any longer.”

Danton eased into her, growling with a primal sound that excited her. She tightened at the thick penetration.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“Yes, I just need a moment.” She took a couple of deep breaths. If she tightened up, it would never happen. That was too tragic to even contemplate. When she felt more relaxed, she said, “I’m ready.”

She grabbed his waist to coax him in farther. This time he faced less resistance as he entered her, but she still moaned at the intense penetration. When he was finally in, she let out a soft sigh. Never had she felt someone like this. She thanked the gods it wasn’t her first time. A poor virgin wouldn’t know what she was getting herself into.

Thinking about Danton with another woman shot a possessive streak through her. She didn’t want him to be with anyone else but her. How was that possible? They’d technically just met.

And then what? He’d return to stone until his next act of bravery? No, she didn’t want that to happen. But, what could she do?

“You feel so good, Tracy. So wet and tight.”

He reached down and rubbed her clit. Oh shit, that felt too good. What was she thinking about? Who cared? The way he made her feel was better than any thought.

“Do you like this?”

Like it? She never wanted it to end. “Yes,” she murmured in a voice that sounded much huskier than her normal one.

Ah, right, that’s what she’d been thinking. It would end. He’d return to stone come tonight. He’d be hard and cool to the touch, not alive and warm as he was now. It seemed so cruel. So wrong. Especially since this felt so right.

He leaned down to kiss her, his long blond hair cascading around them both. The coil of desire spread through her as their tongues mingled. She tasted herself on him, a heady reminder of his talents. Renewed desire spread through her body. Such warmth and delicious tingles rippled through her, she couldn’t pinpoint where they started or ended.

The deeper he penetrated, the more he increased the pressure on her sensitive nub. The way he hammered deep inside her almost made her lose her damn mind. She grabbed him around his shoulder blades and bit into his shoulder to stifle a scream.

“Don’t hold back,” he cried.

Right, why would she? They only had this one night together, which was a sure argument for abandoning any inhibitions. She lifted her hips, rising to meet him with each thrust. The increasing friction made her quiver with desperation. She clasped him more tightly as they climbed to a feverish pitch. Feral sounds she’d never made escaped her as she clutched him, begging him not to stop. When she reached her peak, a strangled cry escaped her. She clung to him as she rode out wave after pleasurable wave.

“Too good,” he growled.

He pummeled into her so hard that she yelped. When he released, quaking deep inside her, he let out a savage growl. He dropped his head back, and the intensity on his face reminded her of something fierce and warrior-like.

His expression softened with admiration as he gazed at her. “You’re beautiful,” he said. “Exquisite.” He caressed her face.

Leaning forward, he rested his body on top of her. He had to be holding his full weight back or he would crush her. His quickened breath warmed her neck as their hearts pounded against one another.

When their breathing slowed down enough so they could talk, Tracy said, “That was phenomenal. There are no words.”

“I agree,” he said. He traced a pattern on the damp skin on her arm.

“How much time do we have left?” She glanced at her alarm clock, which indicated it was almost three a.m.

Danton rolled to his side and spooned her. “Not long enough.”