Stone Lover Read online

  She yawned again, rubbing her nose against his chest and making herself comfortable. “I don’t know, it’s just a feeling.”

  “I think you’re just tired,” he murmured, staring up at the ceiling, his mind racing with terrible thoughts. He couldn’t lose her; he wouldn’t. He would do anything to anything to keep her safe, including….

  She laughed softly, tightening her hold on him in a hug. “It’s okay, you know; I don’t mind falling in love with you no matter what you are. I just hope no one will be trying to erase my memory again.”

  “How… how did you escape this morning?” he swallowed against the blockade in his throat at her simple confession; she was falling in love with him; how could he do anything less than keep her safe from all harm?

  “Wrong girl,” she mumbled, her body relaxing further and he knew she was almost asleep. “I couldn’t sleep and so Armand seduced Vanessa into submission.”

  “I see,” he said softly, his muscles flexing as he considered Armand’s fury; it almost made him smile except Melanie was in over her head and she didn’t even know it.

  “Don’t go,” she said, a hint of panic in her voice.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” he assured her. “But I have to leave before the sun rises so if I don’t see you before I go, know that I will return.”

  She smiled at that, falling asleep in his arms while he lay awake, wondering how the hell his life just got so complicated. And why he didn’t care that she knew he wasn’t human.

  * * * * *

  Feeling wonderful and chilly, Melanie snuggled deeper into her covers and realized she was alone. Opening her eyes, she saw… her gargoyle. He was walking across the small room towards the door; his big, stone body was heavily muscled and he was remarkably graceful for a marble statue, his movements fluid and elegant instead of lumbering and awkward; he was exquisite. He even had a tail. “What are you doing here?”

  He turned and she almost laughed at the panicked expression he wore. “Shh, you’re dreaming. Go back to sleep.”

  “Oh,” she grinned lazily. Of course she was dreaming; gargoyles didn’t walk and talk and sound oddly like Vaughn. “Okay. Goodnight, Vaughn; love you.”

  Seven

  Jenna walked through the door of Melanie’s apartment and dropped the small bag she had packed and peeled off her winter coat. Stomping the snow from her boots, she glared at her sister, “It’s freezing outside, Lenni; why the hell did you call me up and insist I rush over and bring my bikini?”

  “You’ll see.” She said, smiling at her sister and pulling her into a fierce hug. They were definitely sisters but there were noticeable differences between them. Where Melanie’s hair was long and brown, Jenna was short and midnight black; where Melanie was curvy, Jenna was delicately slender, even after having had a baby. The only thing that was exactly alike was their blue eyes, but on Jenna they just looked so much more exotic.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” Melanie beamed, dragging Jenna further into the room, excitement emanating off her in waves. “Did you have any trouble finding the place?”

  Jenna’s brows drew together as shook her head no. “It was surprisingly easy. This building is really unique, isn’t it?”

  Melanie grinned, “It is; don’t you love it?”

  “I’m surprised I hadn’t noticed it before; especially with it so close to the candy store,” Jenna returned. “But why would you want to live in this little room when you could be living back home with me and Ferris?” Jenna shook her head and laughed, “Never mind – you don’t have to answer that. This place is great.”

  “You haven’t even seen the best part.” Melanie paused a moment and considered that, “Well, one of the best parts.”

  Jenna glanced around the room and wrinkled her nose, “While it is gorgeous, I am pretty sure I’ve seen everything; there isn’t a whole lot to see.”

  “Trust me,” Melanie said, waving her hand through the air to get her sister to hurry up. “Now, get changed and we’ll talk on the roof.”

  “Are you freaking nuts?” Jenna’s voice rose in disbelief. “It’s cold as hell out there.”

  “Just trust me, Jenna; please.” Melanie winked, taking Jenna’s hand and twirling around like they used to do when they were younger. “I have so much to tell you.”

  When they stopped spinning and Jenna was able to catch her breath after laughing, she looked around at her surroundings, impressed with them in spite of its size. “I do like your apartment.”

  “Really?” Melanie’s entire face lit up at the simple compliment. “I’m so glad; Vanessa wasn’t very impressed.”

  “What’s not to like?” Jenna asked, looking at the stone walls. “Other than being really small, it’s like living in a castle, isn’t it?”

  “Exactly!” Melanie knew her sister would get it.

  “Ferris will be begging me to let her spend the weekend with you,” Jenna said with a small smile. “She was so torn when I told her I was coming here while she was at her grandparents’ house.”

  Melanie knew Jenna was referring to Ferris’s father’s parents, since Jenna and Ferris still lived at home. Travis and Fiona Mitchell loved Jenna as if she were their daughter-in-law in truth. And they spoiled Ferris mercilessly, loving her all the more because she was a part of their beloved son, who had been killed a week before their wedding. Jeremy had been coming home from work when a group of kids who had had too much to drink or took too many drugs crashed into his car. Out of the wreck, Jenna’s fiancé had been the only who didn’t survive; he hadn’t even known about Ferris.

  Melanie was in awe of Jenna’s strength, not knowing if she’d be able to survive such devastation and remain so strong. And she was such an incredible mother to Ferris; Melanie was in awe of her sister.

  “Oh, there will be plenty of opportunities for her to hang out with her favorite aunt,” Melanie grinned, grabbing Jenna’s bag and steering her towards the bathroom, not dwelling on the tragedy in Jenna’s past, not wanting to make Jenna cry. “Now, get changed and I’ll show you my absolute, most favorite part of all.”

  Jenna groaned but did as Melanie instructed. It wasn’t long before she was standing before the mirror in her red bikini; her skin was so pale she resembled a ghost. Otherwise, she looked pretty good, not at all like a mother of an almost six-year-old whirlwind. Of course, she thought her sister was insane; it was freezing outside.

  But who was more insane, the person suggesting the insanity or the person following?

  Opening the door, she stepped out just as Melanie was adjusting the bottoms of her pale peach bikini. Jenna was always jealous of Mel’s hourglass figure; all of the boys in high school had pined for her and if Melanie hadn’t had her head so far up in the clouds, she would have realized it. Even so, high school had been a blast, and some of the adventures they had….

  Sometimes, she missed being young and reckless and daring, with no responsibilities or sorrow. Of course, she wouldn’t give up Ferris for the world….

  “Wow, you look amazing,” Melanie’s compliment interrupted Jenna’s ruminations. A large beach towel was thrust into her hands and Melanie smiled, “Ready?”

  “No,” Jenna grimaced, following her sister out the door. Melanie led her through a labyrinth, which seemed to be somebody else’s apartment, though they had never gone through any numbered doors. As they passed through a gallery of artwork, masterpieces really, Jenna’s unease grew. “Um, Lenni, do you think it’s wise to be, um, trespassing?”

  “It’s okay,” Melanie assured her. “I’m pretty sure Vaughn was going to talk to Armand and get his blessing. If not, well, I guess I will be investing in a ladder to climb up there from my balcony.”

  “But you hate heights.” Jenna squeezed her eyes shut, “Who the heck are Vaughn and Armand? Why have I never heard of them?”

  Melanie actually had the good grace to blush. Glancing over her shoulder, she offered Jenna a sheepish grin, “Like I said, I have lots to tell you.”
<
br />   “I talked to you less than four days ago,” Jenna chided. “How much could possibly change in such a short time?”

  “Everything.” Melanie’s smile was bright enough to light a city. She opened the door and a blast of warm air washed over them. Stepping out onto the roof, she held out her hands, “See? I told you that you wouldn’t need a jacket.”

  Cautiously, Jenna followed her sister, dumb struck that it was almost tropical in temperature. Stepping out further, she could still see the snow on the surrounding buildings, see it falling through the air, but it didn’t touch the roof they stood upon. It was… “Amazing.”

  “And yet, it’s not the best part,” Melanie grinned, grabbing Jenna’s hand and pulling her further out onto the roof. “Look.”

  The breath caught in Jenna’s throat as she saw what it was her sister had been alluding to: three gargoyles. The griffin appeared to be fiercely scowling, the monkey seemed to be laughing and the lion had a smug, self-satisfied grin, which seemed like it would be difficult to accomplish considering the number of teeth in his mouth.

  While Melanie gravitated towards the lion, Jenna was captivated by the monkey. He just seemed to have a certain joi de vie about him, something that made her want to smile. Reaching out, she ran her hand along the smooth marble of his broad nose, surprised by the warmth. “They’re beautiful.”

  “My thoughts exactly,” Melanie said, running her hands over the lion’s face, almost like a lover caressing her mate. It was a disturbing image and yet it didn’t bother Jenna nearly as much as she thought it should. “Aren’t they exquisite? And look at how… endowed they are; whoever carved them must have loved…. Well….”

  Jenna tilted her head to the side and saw what Melanie was talking about; even in its flaccid state, the monkey had a huge, er, man part. “Is this why you’re glowing, Lenni?”

  “No!” Melanie’s cheeks burst into flames as she jerked her hands away from the lion and put them behind her back. Facing Jenna, she shook her head, “Actually, I… met someone, Jenna, and he’s….” Her smile became dreamy and radiant, her joyous expression broadcasting her feelings to the world. “He’s amazing.”

  Jenna laid out her towel and sat down, patting the ground next to her for Melanie to do the same, “Tell me about him; when did you meet? What’s his name?”

  After Melanie was situated, lying back and staring up at the winter sky, at the snowflakes that fell around them but never on them, she smiled, “It all started on New Year’s.”

  “What happened on New Year’s?” Jenna asked after a moment when Melanie didn’t continue. She was a little disappointed that she hadn’t gone out with the girls to welcome in the New Year but she had no regrets. She loved her life as it was and even though she still missed Jeremy, it wasn’t as painful as it once was. He wouldn’t want her to stop living because he was no longer there to share her life with. She would leave Ferris with her parents and join Melanie and the girls the next time they went out; she was still young and there was a lot of life left in her.

  Melanie turned her head and looked at her sister, her smile brilliant and her eyes sparkling. “I met someone.”

  “You said that already. Tell me what happened.”

  Catching her lower lip between her teeth, did little to quell her excitement. “The attraction was, well it was intense and undeniable. We shared a dance and at midnight, he screwed my brains out in the bathroom.”

  “Melanie Annette Jacobs!” Jenna’s horrified voice cut through Melanie’s reverie. “You had sex with a stranger? What in the hell is wrong with you?”

  Melanie rolled her eyes, “It was insane and then he was there and then things just sort of happened. Besides, he didn’t feel like and stranger; he felt like… . God, I don’t know.”

  “Don’t be daft, Lenni; having sex with someone – anyone – in a bar isn’t like you,” Jenna scowled, floored by her sister’s recklessness. Melanie may have been a little quirky but she had never been stupid. “What were you thinking?”

  “We didn’t even use a condom, Jen,” Melanie taunted, thinking it was probably not a wise thing to do, especially since she knew the dangers of having unprotected sex. Especially with a stranger. But Jenna didn’t understand; Vaughn wasn’t a stranger. He was… what? Her soul mate? Fuck, even soul mates could be carriers of the plague.

  Jenna clapped a hand over her breast, “Stop; you’re going to give me a heart attack.”

  “At least now I know what I was missing,” Melanie huffed out. “Sex with Peter was always so damn dull and mechanical. But sex with Vaughn is… mind blowing. Every time we do it, it is even better than the time before.”

  “Vaughn… he’s the guy you met?” At Melanie’s nod, Jenna’s narrowed her eyes as she looked at her sister. “Who is he?”

  Melanie’s luminous smile was back, “His name is Vaughn Nosuntres, and he has opened my eyes to a whole new world.”

  “Who is he?” Jenna asked again, frustrated with her sister’s dreamy account of events, an account that left out fairly important things, like pretty much everything. “What does he do for a living? Where does he live? Are you going to introduce him to the family? Melanie, what are you thinking?!”

  Melanie’s brows pulled together in contemplation; she didn’t actually know all that much about Vaughn. He was an incredible lover, he shared an unusually strong bond with his brothers and he wasn’t exactly human, though she had not yet determined what he was. “He’s one of the brothers who live in the apartment we just went through; he’s kind and generous and he makes me feel as if I am a goddess.”

  Jenna swallowed back the alarm that was trying to strangle her; how did Melanie get into such a mess? “Did you see priceless works of art lining his walls; how can he afford to live in such luxury? Is he… does he sell drugs?”

  Melanie looked at her sister for a long moment before she burst out laughing, “No, he’s not a drug dealer. He’s simply… Vaughn.”

  “Where was he when you went through his apartment, Lenni?”

  “I’m sure he’s at work.” After a moment, she reluctantly admitted, “I just don’t know where.”

  “Melanie, you can’t build a lasting relationship based on nothing more than… sex,” Jenna lectured, throwing her arm over her eyes as she clenched her jaw. Her sister had always been a bit dreamy but this was ridiculous.

  “It was some pretty incredible sex,” Melanie teased, trying to ease the tension between her and her sister. Her fingers went to the charm between her breasts. Forcing her voice to remain light, she shrugged, “I don’t know how to explain it, Jenna. It’s just… it’s just Vaughn feels… right.”

  “You’re an idiot,” she said with a sigh. Jenna turned her head and glanced at her sister, “If you’re not careful, you’re going to get hurt.”

  “There’s no point in scolding me, Jen.” Squirming her hips to find a comfortable position on the hard ground, she tilted her head back to let the sun reach her throat. “Even if I could go back and change what happened that night I wouldn’t; we have a connection.”

  “Oh, God,” Jenna groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. “Spare me from this insanity. A connection? What does that even mean? So he’s good in the sack; that just means he’s had a lot of practice.”

  “Perhaps,” Melanie conceded, rolling onto her stomach and unhooking the bikini top to prevent lines. Turning her head so she could face her sister, pulling the hair off her bare back, she sighed, “I like the way I feel when he’s near.”

  “And how’s that?” Jena grimaced. “Brainless?”

  “No,” Melanie shook her head slightly. “It feels as if I… glow inside; he makes me feel safe, protected. Cherished. And I want you to meet him; I want the family to meet him; but at the same time, I kind of want to keep him to myself for a few more days.”

  “Melanie….” Jenna’s voice was low in warning but she knew her sister wasn’t listening. Unable to talk any sense into her sister, she followed Melanie’s lead, rolling over
and unclasping the bikini top. “Ah, Jesus, Lenni; I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  Sensing her sister’s reluctant capitulation, Melanie closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of the winter sun. After a few minutes of silent contemplation, her lips curled upwards in a mischievous smile as she opened her eyes and waggled her eyebrows, making Jenna laugh in spite of herself. “He has two brothers, Jen; they’re not totally ugly.”

  A soft growl split the air and Melanie jumped. Lifting her head, she looked at the monkey statue, narrowing her eyes with distrust. Ever since dreaming that Vaughn was standing in the middle of her room, as a gargoyle, her suspicion that there was more to the trio of statues grew.

  Sitting up, she crossed her arms over her breasts, strangely reluctant to expose her naked flesh to two of the gargoyles. “Why are you scowling at me? I wasn’t even talking about you.”

  Jenna giggled helplessly at her sister’s oddness, the serious of the previous few minutes left fading away as they enjoyed the unnatural warmth. It was impossible to stay mad at Melanie; she was simply Melanie. “You and your imagination, Lenni; I’m surprised you haven’t conjured up a flock of faeries to entertain us today.”

  With a last look at the monkey – hadn’t he always been scowling? – she sighed and laid down on her back, forcing herself to let her arms fall to the side and not cover her breasts. “I guess you’re right. It’s strange, though.”

  “What’s strange?” Jenna asked when Melanie’s voice trailed off. Turning her head to the side, she saw Melanie’s head was turned to the side and she was looking at the lion.

  “It’s like they move,” Melanie’s face twisted at the inadequacy of her words. Turning back to face Jenna, she frowned, “But whenever I see them, they’re where they’re supposed to be.”

  “That is strange, Lenni,” Jenna said in a solemn voice, though laughter lurked beneath her words. “It’s more likely your memory is just faulty.”