Stone Lover Read online

  “Are you ready?” he rasped in his rough voice. The first time she heard him speak as a gargoyle, when she wasn’t suffering the after-shocks of nearly splattering on the sidewalk, tendrils of flames licked her body and she nearly came on the spot; the coarse timbre simply made her melt; Vaughn simply made her melt.

  Instead of answering in words, she wrapped her arms around his thick, marble neck and kissed him as she lead him to her bed. His lips were hard and his mouth enormous; her head could have fit in the large orifice. She ran her tongue along the sharp teeth before touching the tip of his stone tongue. He could devour her whole and yet, he kissed her tenderly and it was not unlike kissing a heated rock. She smiled at the thought even as he followed her down onto the bed, settling his hard, heavy body between her legs, supporting his weight on his forearms.

  “Are you sure about this?” he rasped, his warm breath moving over her lips.

  “Yes,” she breathed, staring up at his beautiful face, even as it slowly began to alter into the man she loved. The tip of his stone erection nudged against the outer lips of her vulva and she forced her body to remain relaxed, not knowing if the spell would work if he wasn’t in her the moment the sun went down. Her heart was thumping madly in her chest and her stomach clenched in anticipation; she was making love to a gargoyle. What if he didn’t change in time and tried to breach her with his baseball bat-sized cock? What if he tore her open, ripped her apart at the seams?

  “Breathe,” he rasped, his voice slightly less gravelly than just a moment before.

  “I am breathing,” she said, sucking in a lungful of air and then smiling slightly at him as she remembered: this was Vaughn; he wouldn’t hurt her. “I am breathing.”

  His lips curled into a smile and his teeth shortened before her eyes, as his mouth shrank and his broad nose narrowed. Color leeched back into his stony, gray face until it was warm flesh once again. Golden hair sprouted from his head, falling around his face to his shoulders and making her heart skip a beat as she admired his sheer, masculine splendor. Between her thighs, his boulder hewed hips narrowed and her legs weren’t so painfully spread apart. And as the last bits of his gargoyle features fell away, he drove his cock into her, arching her back off the bed as she came instantly.

  His soft chuckle brought her back and she smiled sheepishly up at him, “Wow; I didn’t expect that.”

  “The spell has begun.”

  Earlier, he had explained how it would work, letting her know that normal bodily functions would be suspended while they were connected. It had something to do with the spell and the magic that was binding them together. They would neither need to eat nor drink nor use the bathroom. She had blushed at the time but was happy to know she wouldn’t have to hold it in if she really had to go.

  He had also told her that she would be able to sleep if she grew tired, that the spell would work as long as they were joined. She had told him that there was no way she was going to be missing a moment of their joining, she was going to be with him all of the way. His wicked smile, which promised such exquisite pleasure, curved his lips, “I plan on exhausting you; you’ll need to sleep with the number of times I’m going to make you come.”

  He wasn’t going to come until the very end, the moment that the spell was complete. Luckily, it was part of the magic that kept his orgasm at bay while the ritual was in progress. She almost felt bad for him until he assured her the final orgasm was going to be pretty spectacular, though how he knew this when he had never cast the spell before she didn’t know.

  She ran her thumbs over his sculpted cheekbones, following the movement of her hands over his skin. With a smile, she met his gaze, “You are so beautiful, Vaughn.”

  “As a man or a gargoyle?” he asked, bending his head and nuzzling her neck, sending sparks of pleasure to shoot along her nerves. His big palm cupped her breast and he brushed his thumb over her taut nipple. Her womb contracted in response, squeezing around his cock making him hiss in pleasure.

  “Oh, as both,” she gasped, feeling the stirrings of another orgasm deep within her body. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest as her breathing became labored; Vaughn filled all of her senses and still she wanted more. With her fingers digging into his shoulders, she thrust her pelvis upwards as he pushed into her. He plunged deeply within her, tapping into the well of aching desire already building and she stiffened, crying out.

  Every muscle in her body went limp and she lay boneless beneath him as he continued his shallow thrusts, keeping her body primed. Her musk mingled with his and she just wanted to rub her body all over him, to mark him in some way like he had marked her.

  “I want to consume you, Melanie,” he rumbled against her throat a few minutes later, running his tongue along her vein and sending bolts of lightning along her skin until she was shivering in need. Reaching her ear, he sucked the lobe into the heated depths of his mouth and gently bit down, making her inhale sharply. “I want to take you into my body and keep you forever.”

  “Yes,” she agreed, bending her knees and feeling him glide even deeper into her. He was giving everything up to be human with her; holy crap that was a lot of pressure. If she hadn’t been desperately in love with him, she would have told him not to do it. But she had to be honest with herself that she was so glad he was doing it; she wanted to share him with her family. She just hoped his brothers, especially Armand, would be as accepting. Smiling up at him, she let her fingers play with the golden silk of his hair. “This works out pretty well, you know.”

  “How’s that?” he thrust slowly into her, just a gently rocking of his hips against hers.

  “My family is getting together this weekend and I wanted to invite you,” she explained, watching her hands move over his magnificent chest. His flesh was so hot beneath her palms, the muscles so solid; how she loved touching him. Meeting his gaze with a sparkle in her eyes, she teased, “It would have been nearly impossible if you were a gargoyle.”

  His smile held a trace of sadness, which she didn’t understand. Was he regretting giving up his gargoyle form? Oh, god, she should have taken more time to consider all of the ramifications of asking this of him. Another month wouldn’t have been that long to consider something so very important; she was so selfish!

  They had their whole lives together, why did she rush into this without giving him the time to really consider what he was doing, what they were doing. She would have been content to have him at night….

  “What is going through that beautiful head of yours, Melanie?” he asked, a smile in his voice. “I can see the gears spinning wildly out of control.”

  Catching her lower lip between her teeth, she gazed up at him, worried, “Are you sure that this is what you want?”

  “Of course it is,” he answered without hesitation, swiveling his hips to bring her back to the present. “I never want you to think that I don’t want this.”

  “But, there was no time to consider all of the possibilities,” she protested, even as her eyes rolled back into her head when he nudged something deep inside of her. A low moan came from the back of her throat and she almost lost track of the conversation.

  “I considered them,” he assured her, his voice thick. Framing her face between his hands, he stared at her until she opened her eyes and met his gaze. Fire and determination burned deep within the golden orbs. “There is nothing – nothing – I want more than to be a part of you and for you to be a part of me.”

  “But, we’ve known each other for such a short time,” she offered feebly.

  He smiled, “We’ve known each other forever.”

  She grinned at such a ridiculous statement, even if it felt true in her heart. “I thought girls were supposed to be the mushy, romantic ones.”

  “Girls and gargoyles,” he teased, ending the conversation and doubts with a kiss. He slid his tongue along her lower lip before dipping it into her mouth, rubbing against her tongue. The familiar taste of spice and Vaughn filled her mouth, her head, her body.
She would never get enough of him; he could kiss her when she was gray and old with one foot in the grave and it would be just as good as the first time.

  No, it would be better because they would have had a lifetime of love behind the kiss; a lifetime of love and laughter and memories. She knew that there would be tears as well; one cannot get through life without some heartache but with Vaughn by her side, they would make it through. Their love was only going to strengthen and their life together was going to be one of passion and joy, where the good times far outweighed the bad.

  “I love you,” she whispered, breaking the kiss as thoughts of their future swirled in her head. Reaching around him, she hugged him closer, her eyes misting with tears of absolute joy. He was giving up his life as a gargoyle to be with her and he wanted to do it! It amazed her that he was willing to give up so much to be with her. It was almost too much, too overwhelming; what did she do to deserve such an incredible gift?

  “I love you, too,” he whispered, kissing her softly on the cheek, her nose, her lips once more. “Now, no more doubts; let me make love to you.”

  She nodded her head, too overcome to speak out loud. He sat back on his heels, bringing her body with him until she was straddling his lap. Inhaling sharply, she felt him throughout her groin, the muscles of her thighs tight and trembling against his. Holding her in place, he lowered his body until just the first couple of inches of his cock were in her. Then he pulled her down as he oscillated his hips forward, pushing deeper and deeper into the depths of her body.

  Sweat slicked her body, his body, as he controlled their movements. Never taking his eyes from her face, he leaned back to see more of her, still holding her around the waist. Her breasts bounced heavily as he flexed his hips, shafting her with strength and skillfulness.

  “Life your hair up,” he growled, his hungry, golden eyes moving ravenously over her body, lingering on her flushed breasts, her swollen lips, where they were joined. She looked down, where chocolate brown hair met golden blond, where his cock was slick with her juices as it penetrated her body. It was so erotic, so beautiful she was lost, panting heavily in a haze of lust. “Your hair, Melanie.”

  With a seductive pout, she gathered up her dark, glossy hair, raising her arms up and thrusting her breasts out towards him. Groaning, he curved his body forward, taking a blushing nipple into his hot mouth and drawing hard upon it, making her moan. His golden hair danced over her skin in a sensuous caress as he suckled first one breast and then the other.

  He lost the control of only moments before, his hips jerking erratically even as his thrusts grew more powerful, and the uneven rhythm pushed her once more over the edge. With a gasp, she threw her head back and let the pleasure roll through her as it exploded outwards from where they were joined. Her body arched, grinding her pelvis against his, as her fingers twisted in her hair, yanking it until the pain mixed with the pleasure and she cried out. It was glorious.

  “My god, you’re magnificent,” Vaughn breathed, awe filling his voice and making her feel like a goddess. Her sultry smile was a bit shy when she tipped her head back and met his gaze. Unable to stop himself, he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to him as he captured her lips in another scorching kiss.

  After several hours of sex and countless orgasms, Melanie was exhausted and sprawled across Vaughn’s glorious chest, idly playing with the light dusting of gold hair on his chest. His cock was still buried deep within her but his thrusts were slow, barely moving at all, no longer the energetic mating that had so far dominated the ritual. Instead, he was gently massaging her back, smoothing his hands over her vertebrae, her ribs, her shoulder blades. Every inch of her skin felt like it had been inundated with pleasure and a satisfying ache pulsed between her thighs. She knew that if it weren’t for the spell, she would have been very sore from the constant orgasms and shafting. As it was, she was just a bit tender; it was a wonderful feeling, one she relished.

  “Sleep now,” he whispered, carefully running his fingers through her damp hair, gently massaging her scalp. She loved how his strong fingers moved through her hair, how they felt against her head, her body. Hell, she loved everything about him.

  “I don’t want to,” she grumbled, ruining her protest with a wide yawn.

  Chuckling, he kissed the top of her head, “Let me just hold you in my arms as you sleep; in a few hours I will wake you for the climax.”

  She smiled against his chest even as her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Still she fought the inevitable, enjoying the calm of just being in Vaughn’s strong arms. “I don’t want to miss a moment of this.”

  “You won’t miss anything,” he promised, still steadily rocking his hips. Kissing the shell of her ear, he crooned, “Imagine how nice it will be to wake up to me making love with you.”

  “Mmm,” she purred, her eyes giving up the battle to remain open. Still, she fought to stay awake. “That does sound nice.”

  “When you wake up, we’ll have the whole day to play.”

  “Won’t you be tired?” she asked softly, her words slurring slightly at the end.

  “No,” he shook his head, still moving his hands over her slender back. “I won’t be tired at all.”

  * * * * *

  Vaughn watched as Melanie struggled to keep her eyes open before finally surrendering to much-needed sleep. Running his hands over the smooth skin of her back, breathing in her warm vanilla, feminine scent, he had to smile: she embraced sleep as she did everything else, by throwing her whole being into it. Her body was sprawled across his, her legs entwined with his, her arms flung around him, her hair a wild mass of silk sticking to her body and to his, her lush breasts pressed against his chest.

  Her snug sheath squeezed his cock, sending wave after wave of exquisite pleasure down his shaft and into his balls. If it weren’t for the binding spell, she would have pulled him under a dozen times already. Her passion complimented his and holding her while she slept was… it was like coming home. Little puffs of breath caressed his neck as she breathed and he would have been content to remain that way forever, just holding her in his arms.

  As much as it pained him to admit, he was glad that Peter, that bastard, had been Melanie’s boyfriend for so many years without demanding more from her. If the idiot had been anyone else, he would have known what a treasure Melanie was and never would have been able to let her go. If that had been the case, then Vaughn would never have met her, he would never have known someone so wonderful and that was something that was not even worth thinking about. Melanie was his; she had always been his.

  No matter what happened in the end.

  He was going to be spending so much time with her over the next month that she was either going to grow sick unto death of him or love him desperately enough to bind herself to him completely. He shuddered to think what was going to happen if it was the former; how would he gather up the pieces of his soul if she hated him?

  Armand had been livid about Vaughn giving up his nights for her, making his anger known by scowling even more than usual and storming around the apartment before dawn this morning. Well, as much as Armand stormed. Even as he seethed, his older brother told him what to expect from the ritual so that there would be no surprises. But, Armand kept muttering that it was going to end badly, that Vaughn was going to end up with a broken heart.

  Where Armand predicted crashing and burning, Rhys only saw the soaring through the clouds and supported Vaughn’s decision whole-heartedly. His younger brother had always been a seize-the-day kind of guy, even if he had never felt this all-consuming devotion for another person. But in the end, his support made the jump easier to make.

  Though it nearly slayed Vaughn to think about it, if Melanie decided to not accept his gift, he knew that his brothers – both of them – would be there to pick up his shattered spirit. And he loved her; if she decided he was asking too much, then he would be content to know that her life was full of love and laughter, even if he wasn’t in it. She would have h
is heart and his protection no matter what she chose.

  Watching her as she slept, a small, satisfied smile curving her lips, Vaughn hoped she would complete the ritual and accept his gift; she was so very, very precious to him. He would give up anything to be with her, to keep her safe, even if it was just for a month. He knew the price and he was willing to pay it.

  * * * * *

  Melanie slowly came awake from the most delicious dream; she was in Vaughn’s arms and he was thoroughly making love to her. His familiar spicy scent filled her nostrils and she wanted to sink back into the depths of her dream. But something was tickling her nose and it was distracting her. Absently, she swatted her hand and her fingers got tangled in something soft and silky.

  With a frown, her eyes popped open to see her hand twisted in Vaughn’s golden hair. Turning her head up, she blinked and saw Vaughn smiling down at her as he drew his finger along her cheek. “Good morning, sleeping beauty.”

  Memories of the night before, of why he was in her bed, of why his cock was still in her, flooded her and her body flushed in arousal. Vaughn was right: waking up to him making love to her was nice. Very nice. Sometime during her nap he switched their position so she was once more on her back and he was on top. Still gently moving within her, he was holding his body over hers so she was able to admire the bulge of his biceps, the swelling of his pectorals, the ridges of his abdomen. For the second time, she allowed herself the pleasure of watching their bodies where they were joined, the way his cock glistened as it slid out and then back in.

  With a sigh, she dreamily ran her fingers over the warm flesh of his chest, along his shoulders, into the soft gold of his hair. “Good morning; how long was I asleep?”

  “Only a little while,” he answered, flexing his hips with a little more vigor as she came more fully awake. “It’s almost dawn.”

  Her mouth fell open in shock, as she turned her head and looked out the window to the gray light of pre-dawn. “I can’t believe you let me sleep so long.”