Page 25 of Gargoyle Defender

“Is she one of the rogues you worked for?”

Tanner burst out laughing, and Ronen was completely lost as to why what he said was so funny.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Tanner was breathless from laughing as he wiped a finger under each eye. “I think I’m still a bit loopy from the healing followed by the round of raunchy sex. It’s a human thing. I’m not laughing at you.”

“Can you explain it to me later? I want to understand everything about you.”

Tanner’s features softened. “Of course. I feel the same about you.”

“Hey, Studly Pants!” Cassiel’s voice boomed on the other side of the door. “Meet me in the conference room. I’m not standing in the hallway all afternoon while you guys smooch and giggle.”

Ronen rolled his eyes. He wasn’t going to dignify her remark with an answer. He regarded Tanner, who was staring at him with round eyes.

“Ignore her. She’s cranky most of the time, but she’s a wonderful friend and a vicious fighter.”

Tanner arched his eyebrows. “I see. Good to know.”

Ronen couldn’t resist giving Tanner a quick but thorough kiss before rising from the bed. “Your clothes are probably still in the healing chamber, but I’ll throw something on and grab them for you.”

Tanner pointed to the opposite side of the room. “Is that the bathroom over there, or a closet?”

Ronen glanced over his shoulder. “That’s the bathroom.” Ronen jerked his chin to the right of the bed. “That’s the closet.”

“That’s cool that you guys have your own bathrooms in each room. Is there a shower and everything?”

Ronen pinched his eyebrows together as he finished buttoning up his jeans. “You don’t normally have a place to take a shower?”

It sounded as if it was very tough being a human. He didn’t think he could handle it.

“I do.” Tanner chuckled. “It’s just that we have to share. There’s one large bathroom per floor of my dorm that includes shower stalls. It’s not like I can roll out of bed in the morning and walk a few feet to get to the bathroom. This is a nice setup for a lair.”

“I don’t think it’s wise for us to share amenities. Gargoyles aren’t very patient with each other.” Ronen jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Cass being an excellent case in point.”

Tanner worried the edge of the comforter, biting his lower lip. “I hope I don’t annoy you. I tend to be very meticulous about things.”

Ronen dropped onto the bed next to his mate. “I can’t imagine ever being annoyed with you. But our impatience is mostly with each other. We’ve been created with an unusually intense drive to achieve. All we see is the end result, and we don’t like wasting time on mundane activities.”

Tanner inclined his head. “And you don’t view fooling around in the middle of the day as mundane?”

Ronen gasped. “Of course not! Nothing is more important than our bond, our sacred union. We battle evil to preserve that bond, to keep the balance of the universe.”

Tanner’s jaw went slack. “Wow. That’s heavy.”

Ronen smiled, cupping Tanner’s jaw to bring him in for another kiss. “Your taste.” He licked his lips. “I can’t get enough.”

Tanner wiggled. “If you want me somewhat coherent at that meeting, you’d better stop teasing me.”

“Sorry.” He winked. “I’ll behave for now.”

After leaving Tanner to take a quick shower, he made his way to the healing chamber to retrieve his clothing. When he passed the threshold, he was surprised to see that Ezekiel hadn’t left yet. Zeke glanced up, pausing his task of grinding a mixture of flowers and herbs with his mortar and pestle. Perched on an elaborately carved mahogany stool with a straight back, his dark skin gleamed in the low light. The rich scent of lavender and something more pungent filled the room.

“I was hoping to catch you.” Zeke’s voice was low. “Wanted to check on your mate’s progress.”

“He’s doing remarkably well,” Ronen replied, spotting Tanner’s clothing neatly folded on a side table. “The headaches and nausea are gone completely. He’s ravenous, though.”

Ezekiel nodded as he resumed grinding the herbal mixture. “That’s to be expected. His body is recovering from the demonic influence and the rise of the mating heat.” He set down his tools and fixed Ronen with a penetrating stare. “You consummated the bond?”

Heat crept up Ronen’s neck. “Yes.”