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“What do you do?” It was a Thursday, and given that most people worked Monday to Friday, I assumed it was work stress.
He hesitated for a second, and I wondered if I’d accidentally asked a spy or an assassin his job. That would be a hoot. After a moment, he said, “I work security.”
“Well, duh,” I said, smacking my forehead, which I immediately regretted because it made the world start to spin. “With a body like that, of course you do. I bet you make a great security guard.”
He looked amused, like he didn’t realize he was the size of a Mack truck. “I guess I do.” He grinned, and the smile zinged straight to my tummy, stirring up the butterflies there.
Something inside me urged me to rub myself all over him like a cat. Strange. I’d never had that urge before.
Maybe I’d had too much to drink, and downed that last gin and tonic way too fast. Maybe it was time to go home before I did something stupid to embarrass myself, like hump his leg or something. I really wanted to. His huge, muscular leg was one hundred percent hump worthy.
Ugh! Of all the times for my more animalistic side to come out, it chose now!
Maybe I just needed a bathroom break and some water to sober up. I excused myself, asking him to hold my seat, and slid off my stool.
The world spun around me, and big hands reached out to steady me. I looked up and was caught in his gray-green eyes again.
“You okay?”
My face flushed. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
I gave him my best smile and sashayed over to the ladies’ room, desperately trying not to face plant.
Chapter 2
Gunnar
IwatchedasLilliandisappeared down the corridor toward the ladies’ room, her dark, silky hair swinging behind her. Her form-fitting faded black jeans hugged her luscious ass, and her boots made the sexiestclack clack clackon the floor as she walked.
She didn’t recognize me. Good. Let her believe I was just a simple security guard, not one of the co-owners of Redrock Protective Services.
The moment women found out who I was, they instantly got that look in their eyes, like they could smell the money. Which was hilarious to me, because for most of my existence, I’d been just a gargoyle, not worth considering for anything more than a little bit of fun by the witches and other magical folk who knew what I was. Definitely not mate or marriage material.
My brothers and I had run Redrock together for years, but it wasn’t until our gig covering Desmon’s wedding that we became a household name. At first, I loved the attention. But with the good came the bad, and if I could go back in time and vote against taking that job, I would. Even though I’d been the one who’d insisted we take it to begin with.
It wasn’t like we needed the money. We’d already made more than enough over the centuries to live well for the rest of our lives. We’d only started Redrock so we’d have something to do, really. As gargoyles, we had strong urges to guard and protect. It was a good fit.
The bartender noticed me staring after her and shot me a look.
Whatever. She was the one who’d eyed me like a piece of meat first. I didn’t mind. I’d rather she be after me for my body than my money, especially when she smelled that good. Just one whiff of her and my cock was as hard as the stone I’d been carved from and raring to go.
And that was before I even got a good look at her. She was of East Asian descent with pale, flawless skin and dark eyes framed by inky lashes and ringed with messy liner. The remnants of her brown liner clung to the edges of her lips, though most of it had rubbed off at the center.
She was wearing a black leather jacket, left open in front to reveal a skin-tight dark green camisole underneath. She had multiple piercings in her ears and two matching rows of small, silver hoop earrings. Her nails were painted the same dark green as her top.
Overall, the look was edgy but put together…and right up my alley. I wanted her in my bed yesterday.
I ordered another drink and took a swig when it came, this time actually tasting the whiskey instead of chugging it.
I hadn’t come here to pick up chicks. I’d only left the Howling Wolf because everyone else at my table was happily mated and making eyes at each other, and I felt very much out of place. Grayson and Griff, my brothers, both had amazing women by their sides. Even Eamon the demon, our honorary brother, had found someone worthy of him.
Usually, Graham was with us, which meant I wasn’t the only unmated one at the table. But today, he was off guarding some diplomat’s kid while the family was in town, so it was just me and the rest of the love squad. In the past, I hadn’t minded the public displays of affection, but recently, it was starting to remind me that I was all alone.
It wasn’t that I couldn’t find a woman for some fun. There were plenty of women who wanted to warm my bed. The problem was, I wasn’t sure if any of them actually liked me forme.
Graham straight-up wasn’t interested in a mate—he’d had a bad experience in the past with a woman—and I pretended that I felt the same, but it was all a front. The truth was, I was very envious of what my brothers had.
I hid that envy behind the mask of a player. All the Redrock brothers had had our share of fun when we were first released from the magical bonds that held us to the evil wizard and his castle. Many witches and succubae had been happy to add a gargoyle to the notches on their bedposts.
