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But that was in the past. Graham had sworn off women after what happened with Julia, and frankly, I didn’t blame him. I, on the other hand, still had my fun—although the encounters had gotten less and less “fun” recently.
That was why I’d been so disappointed when Sybil, our go-to witch for wards and barriers, had gotten hitched. We’d been compatible in and out of bed, and she didn’t care about my money. But she was happily mated to her naga now.
Seriously,everyonehad found someone except me. Well, and Graham, but he didn’t count since he wasn’t looking.
I glanced over at Lillian as she made her way back to her seat. She had fresh lipstick on, haphazardly applied so that it was a little bit messy, and my brain immediately went there, imagining her smearing it all over my dick.
She waved down the bartender, asked for some tap water, and paid her tab. She gulped down her H2O before turning to me.
“I was thinking…um, uh… I know you just got here, but did you want to go somewhere else?”
I grinned. She was trying to pick me up, and by her awkwardness, she didn’t do that often. My body screamed an enthusiastic yes, but I’d only had two whiskies, which were nowhere near enough for me to ignore the fact that she was way ahead of me in the drinks department, and it would be irresponsible of me to accept.
At times like this, I really hated myself for having a conscience. Part of me wanted to take her home and fuck her until she was hoarse from screaming my name. But another part was worried she’d wake up in my bed in the morning and be horrified. I was a gargoyle, after all.
So I said, “I’d love to. But I don’t want you to regret anything in the morning. Can I have your number? I’d like to take you out this weekend on a proper date.”
I couldn’t help but notice the bartender scrubbing the perfectly clean counter near us with his towel, pretending not to be listening to our conversation. He was looking out for her. She must be a regular, and I’d be able to find her here again. Maybe next time, she wouldn’t be three sheets to the wind.
Lillian grinned for a second before the smile disappeared from her face and she shook her head. “I’m leaving soon, so there’s no point.”
Leaving? Where? I glanced over at the bartender, but he looked surprised too. I guess she hadn’t told him.
“How about I give you my number and you can call me when—”
“No. It’s—” She put out a hand to steady herself. “Thank you. But…” She shook her head sadly. “Have a nice night.” Then she turned and headed out of the bar.
Fuck. I considered running after her and taking her up on her offer after all. I’d only just met her, but it felt like someone very important was walking out of my life. What the hell was up with that?
I finished the rest of my drink and was about to order another when the bartender let out a low growl. It wasn’t directed at me. I followed his gaze to see a human man following Lillian out the door.
Shit. I knew trouble when I saw it.
Underneath her enticing feminine scent was the faint smell of cat. It was very weak though, and I couldn’t pinpoint what kind exactly. Maybe something small, like a bobcat. Despite the fact that she looked very much like someone who could take care of herself in a jam, the guardian part of me screamed to follow them.
I exchanged a look with the bartender, slapped a bill on the counter, and walked out after the human.
I found the ass trying to chat up my little cat half a block down the street. She was giving him very clear signs that she wasn’t interested that he was completely ignoring. I followed them silently, watching their interaction.
As they passed a parking lot, the man’s demeanor changed. He reached for Lillian, grabbing her and trying to pull her roughly toward a car.
“What the fuck!” Lillian tried to shove him away. “Get off me, you jerk!”
One of the cars honked, its headlights flashing for a second, and the jerkwad pulled her toward it.
Suddenly, there was a flash of silvery claws, and the idiot howled in pain as Lillian swatted at his head. Yep, definitely a cat of some kind. Thin lines of blood appeared on the cretin’s cheek, and he let go. Lillian stumbled a few steps away.
“You bitch!” Instead of getting the message and backing off, the man grabbed her hair and pulled her again toward the car.
I waited for Lillian to shift, but for some reason she didn’t. She did scream, though, and the sound was more than my protective urges could take. Unable to stand back anymore, I snarled and stepped out of the shadows.
I considered letting my glamour drop and showing this asshole what I really was. It would make things so much easier. The human would probably shit himself at the first sight of me and run back to his friends. But that would expose who and what I was to Lillian as well. I’d rather her keep thinking I was a nobody.
“Let her go.”
As the idiot sized me up, his eyes flickered to some movement behind me. His buddies from the bar. Realizing he wasn’t alone, he got brave.
“What’s it to you,monster?” He clearly could tell I wasn’t human despite my glamour and he said the word like it was an insult.
