Stone Solitude (5 page)

Daisy could feel the heat in her cheeks as she glanced away and shrugged, “The archives were occupied and I didn’t want to interrupt his research.”

Ashley chuckled as she turned back to her project. “Are you going to get your paper done if you refuse to work in the same room as another person?”

How could Daisy explain her reasons for running when she wasn’t quite certain what they were to begin with? He had simply called her his little flower, probably because of her name, and she had overreacted. Damn it. Now she wasn’t sure if she was ever going to see him again and that would be unfortunate. Huffing out a laugh, she said, “You’re right. I’m being ridiculous.”

Standing up, Daisy decided she was going to go back to the library and spend some more time with the fascinating man. And hopefully get some work done on her research paper. She stopped with her hand on the door when Ashely laughed. “I suppose you’re just going to leave me even though you just got here.”

“Sorry,” Daisy said with a sheepish smile. Going back and giving her aunt a hug, she asked, “Unless you need some help?”

“Honestly, everything is good to go,” Ashley admitted. “I’m just being anal because I want
Skin
to continue being all the rage for years to come.”

“You know it will be.”

Unfortunately, by the time Daisy returned to the library, her mysterious Roman was gone. The disappointment she had felt surprised her and it took her a few minutes to get down and dirty with the ancient books. Luckily, her subject matter was fascinating and she got lost in the world of gargoyles.

A few days later, Roman stood in front of the mirror, studying his reflection with a snarling grimace. Even after ten years, he was still grotesque. No, he was even more grotesque since he no longer retained any of the elegance of his gargoyle face. Curling his thick lip, he glared at the sharp teeth that filled his too wide mouth and emphasized the jutting chin beneath. His once handsome nose was smashed against his face, making him look like an inbred pug, the nostrils wide and garish. He had the brow ridge of a cave man and the ears of a fucking bat and he was hideous, a far cry from his human form or even his gargoyle form.

Pushing his shoulders back, he examined his torso, the corrugated muscles that defined his abs. His shoulders were broad and corded with muscles that continued down his thick arms to hands that were becoming less claw-like than when he had first wakened. A heavy penis swung between his hard thighs, the appendage an intimidating beast in its own right. His legs were long and well-formed and had been highly prized when he had been alive. His feet were less claw-like than his hands, almost normal looking. If it weren’t for the stone gray color, his body could almost pass for human.

As long as no one noticed the heavy wings on his back or the tail that hung from the end of his spine.

Maybe he could seduce the girl in the darkness so she’d never have to see his face. But then he wouldn’t be able to see
her
face and that would be a damn shame because he wanted to see her silver eyes burn with pleasure. He wanted to see her skin flush as he brought her to orgasm, over and over. He wanted to see her nipples after he sucked them to diamond hard points. Her delicate hand would smooth over his cock as she learned what made his breath hitch in his throat, what made him moan. Her lips would part and he would take her mouth and then he would take her pussy.

As fantasies of Daisy filled his head, his unruly cock swelled and he cursed. The fucking thing was starving for attention but nothing brought it satisfaction, gods knew he had tried. He hadn’t felt a thing seven years ago when the succubus used all of her wiles to get him off and he had felt even less when he tried using his own hand. He was very much afraid only the gentle caress of little Daisy Tremain was going to satisfy him.

Hard and aching, he reached between his thighs and stroked his stone erection. A bolt of surprised pleasure ratcheted up his spine and hope swelled in his breast as he continued stroking his cock. But as the image of fucking Daisy faded so did his pleasure.

With a roar of frustration, he slammed his fist against the mirror, shattering the glass into a million pieces. Ignoring the mess, he stormed across the small, dingy room and flung himself onto the filthy bed. Gods, he hated living in squalor. Once he was a gargoyle again, a
true
gargoyle, he was going to take his place by his brothers’ sides and live a life of luxury. Staring at the ceiling, trying not to cringe at the black mold or the water stains, he tried to imagine his brothers’ expressions when he came back into their lives.

They’d be flabbergasted, of course, for their memories of him had been erased, thanks to the bitch who had condemned him to this hellish existence. Once he broke the curse, their memories would be returned and when they saw him, they would welcome him back like the long lost brother he was. Gods, he missed his pod brothers, Remus, Marcus and Alexandro.

A wry smile curved his lips because the only reason the bitch had been able to succeed in her schemes was because his pod had been unlike any other pod that had come before or after. All of the other groups had been trios, always three gargoyles per pod, no more and no less. Until Roman, who was Remus’s twin in their mother’s third pregnancy.

It was this aberration that brought him into the world and it was this aberration that doomed him.

He had been born in Rome during its golden age, where ideas and legislation were discussed in the public baths and the human body was celebrated, where athleticism and intelligence were equally valued. The entertainment could rival any of the spectacles of the present, from the gladiators to the dramas to the intrigues of everyday life. It could be bloody and brutal and perfectly sublime.

He and his brothers had been worshiped as lesser gods and they rewarded their devotees with health and indescribable pleasure. The prettiest maidens were offered as concubines to the brothers, concubines who worshipped the stone gargoyles during the day and pleasured the warm men during the nights. Food and wine had flowed freely and it was a heady time to be young and alive.

It was at one of the Bacchanals that he met
her
, the woman who would be his downfall. She had been a striking beauty with burnished copper skin, midnight black hair and midnight black eyes, eyes that had sparkled only for him. At the time, he hadn’t realized she had singled him out because he was the extra one, the expendable one….

The room disappeared as she sashayed towards him, her black eyes promising all kinds of pleasure, her lush body ensuring it would be unforgettable. “Hello.”

He gave her his most charming smile and blurted, “You’re beautiful.”

He cringed at his gawkiness but she simply smiled her glorious smile. “I do so love a man who praises my beauty.”

“I love a beautiful woman.” Again he wanted to slam his hand over his mouth. Where the hell was this callowness coming from? He was young but he wasn’t
that
young and he had seduced any number of beautiful women. There was no excuse for his odd behavior and yet he seemed unable to help himself.

“You were born for me,” she purred, running her nails along his chest, scoring his skin and making him hiss in pained pleasure. He could only stare at her as she brought her hand up to her full lips and licked his blood from her fingers. “Yes, you are perfect.”

In his arrogance, he had assumed she meant he was perfect for her. Grabbing her hips, he thrust his hardened cock against her stomach. “Come back to my quarters and I will pleasure you all night long.”

“I want more than a night.”

“I’ll give you everything.”

Her lips curved into a pleased smile as she lightly ran her fingers over his lips, “Yes, I’m sure you will. Tomorrow night is the new moon, yes?” At his eager nod, she whispered, “I will welcome you into my body as soon as the sun sets and you will be mine.”

With that heated promise, she vanished, leaving him hard and aching, four thin lines of blood dripping down his chest.

“Who was that, brother mine?” Remus asked, throwing an arm around Roman’s shoulders as he took a long swig from the wine skin. The two brothers looked exactly alike, from their heavy blond hair and their sapphire blue eyes to their strong, masculine facial features that were the envy of mortal men. They were the embodiment of virility with their carved jaws and carved noses over their sensuous lips that were always curved upwards in amusement. It wasn’t just their faces that were the same but their bodies as well, from their broad shoulders to their muscled chests and trim waists to their well-formed legs and heavy cocks….

A frown pulled at Roman’s face as his brain cleared a little from the fog he hadn’t even realized was there. He found he had a difficult time remembering what she looked like, only that she had been exotically beautiful. Shaking his head, he flashed his brother a smile, “I’m not sure.”

Remus laughed as he dragged Roman towards a bevy of beauties, their eyes dancing with lust and excitement. “Shall we partake of the gifts these lovely virgins offer?”

Roman doubted any of the girls were virgins but that was all part of the game. The courtesans were trained to be anything you wanted them to be and tonight his brother wanted virgins. The girls would bleed when they were penetrated and the thought of drawing blood brought out a savage lust in Roman, one he had not experienced before. With a fierce growl, he said, “I want complete domination tonight.”

“Ah, then you want Leda,” Remus grinned, holding his hand out for the lady in question. “She is exquisitely well-versed in the arts of submissive pleasure.”

A woman with dark hair plaited in elaborate braids stepped forward with a coy smile on her red lips and a sultry sway to her feminine hips. He watched as the mask of virginity descended and the coy smile trembled and her eyes widened in apprehension. Even though he knew it was an act, the woman’s maidenly reserve pleased him and he wanted to fuck her until she no longer knew her name, only his. In a breathy voice, she murmured, “What do you wish of me, sir?”

A dark excitement swept over him as he grabbed her hand and abruptly jerked her against his hard body. At her squeak of alarm, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her even closer. Thrusting his heavy cock against her stomach, he growled, “Come.”

That night he had been an animal, rejoicing in dark pleasure as she howled her release over and over and over. When the sun rose, she had been boneless and spent, a sated smile on her lush and swollen lips.

A knock at the door pulled him out of his memories and he scowled, bellowing out a rough, “Enter.”

It sometimes bothered him how well he was able to remember everything so long after the fact when he hadn’t been able to remember much of anything at the time. Had he had his full wits about him, he would have been able to withstand the bitch’s enchantment. Instead he had been stuck as a statue for two thousand years, absorbing the changing world as he remained forever the same.

The door creaked open on rusty hinges and his… companion entered, carrying some food he scavenged from somewhere, Roman was sure he didn’t want to know from where. The little rat-like creature stared at him with wide, watery eyes as he put the half-eaten burgers and just-past-fresh salad on the table next to the bed. The cunning Wayfarer demon pretended to cower and simper but Roman wasn’t fooled. Wayfarer demons were intelligent and sneaky and could be very belligerent but they wore a mask of timid weakness to fool their victims if they were caught. With their frail bodies and large, watery eyes, it was hard to believe the rat-like creatures were key players in the underground.

Shortly after Roman had woken up, the diminutive demon had found himself on the wrong side of an altercation and against his better judgment, Roman had saved the cretin. The little bastard was surprisingly loyal though, especially for a Wayfarer demon, and he had made it possible for Roman to live in total anonymity.

Bowing his too large head, the demon asked, “Do you desire anything else tonight?”

Roman rolled his eyes as he sat up, maneuvering his massive body on the bed so he could reach the so-called food. “No, Xerec. I wish to remain alone.”

“Shall I spy on your pet again?” Xerec asked, cocking his head to the side and looking like a much too inquisitive rat. “I could give her a little drop of belladonna to make her amorous should you wish to visit her tonight. Once she sleeps, you can have your way with her….”

Grinding his stone molars together, Roman bit out, “You’re not going to poison her so I can try to seduce her in her sleep.”

Xerec gave him a pitying glance, his eyes drifting over Roman’s deformed face. With a moue of mock sorrow, he glanced at the shattered mirror and then nodded his head, “As you wish. Perhaps you might consider a draught that will make her see you as you used to be?”

Gods, that was tempting! Refusing to let the little fucker see his weakness, Roman shook his head
no
with decisiveness, “No, Xerec. She must come to me as I am or the curse will not be broken.”

“Which is most unfortunate” he murmured for the thousandth time.

Roman glared at him and for the thousandth time agreed, “Yes, it is.”

“I can blind her,” Xerec offered. At Roman’s glare, the little demon held up his clawed hands and took a step back, “Temporarily, of course! Just long enough to let you fuck her.”

Roman really needed to break the curse because he needed a better class of friends. The Wayfarer demon already knew too much and who knew how long his loyalty might last. It was unfortunate that Xerec had been his only companion for these last few years and Roman hadn’t always watched his tongue, sharing too much of his life with the demon. But after two thousand years of silence, it had been bliss to finally talk with someone else.

Heaving another sigh, Roman said, “I just want to think tonight, Xerec. I need to figure out what to do next.”

“So I should continue keeping the males away from your pet.”