Sticks and Stones Page 5

  As her trembling subsided, he pressed gentle kisses against her inner thigh, hands supporting her hips. She let out a long breath, her eyes heavy as he once more rose up onto the bed to hover over her. His wings had emerged, and now gently fanned the air around them. “You are more than I ever hoped for.”

  She smiled languidly up at him and wrapped both ankles around his backside, urging him toward her. He adjusted himself until the head of his cock probed her opening then slowly settled into her, his heated length creating another wave of pleasure. He lay on top of her, and she nuzzled the crook of his neck. His skin felt like fine leather, smooth and hard, yet pliable and warm, and his scent filled her with urges beyond the desire for sex. As if she needed to consume every part of him. Playfully, she set her teeth against his stone-hard muscle.

  He inhaled sharply, his cock seeming to swell within her. He likes that. Fingers digging into his back, she bit down. His wings snapped out, and he froze, a low growl rolling through him.

  She eased up on the bite. “Sorry.”

  He pulled back, the ridges of his shaft stroking her inner walls and thrust forward again. “More.”

  Then someone called her name from the hallway.

  7

  “Angie?” Mae’s voice grew louder. “Where are you?”

  Sten pulled away from his Hondassa and faced the door, tail swishing with agitation. This was the most inopportune moment to interrupt, and not just because his body ached to relieve himself within Angie’s warm and willing depths.

  Angie had just claimed him.

  It’d never occurred to him that she might have the dassa. But her bite had left no doubt in his mind as the mating bond spread through his system, connecting him to her at a molecular level. His need to strengthen that bond by sharing his own dassa was overpowering. It took every ounce of willpower to disengage, his thoughts muddy with lust. Part of him knew he needed to hide, but another, more primal part of him wanted to pound this interloper into the dust.

  Instead, he froze in place, hardening his skin to mimic stone as Mae appeared in the doorway. “Did you know your statue’s gone—Oh!”

  Angie bolted from the bed. “Mae!” She sounded breathy and sexy as hell. “What are you doing here?”

  The other woman half lifted a cleaning bucket, eyes locked on Sten. Her focus drifted downward to his very obvious erection. “Is that… Is that your gargoyle?”

  Angie snatched some clothing from the floor. “He’s… um…” She tripped over a pant leg as she tried to step into it, almost landing on her face. His muscles tensed with the instinct to protect her, to catch her if she fell. But she managed to get her jeans up around her waist and hurried to his side while pulling a shirt over her head.

  “I…” she stammered again, then with a resigned sigh said, “Mae, I’d like you to meet Sten. Sten, say hello to my best friend, Mae.”

  Mae’s gaze remained transfixed on his cock. He hadn’t entered the duramna, only a shielded state that hardened his skin to imitate stone. But the shift had captured his erection, and it wouldn’t dissipate until he shifted back to his fully mobile state.

  Stepping in front of him, Angie wrapped the quilt around his waist. She looked into his eyes. “Cat’s out of the bag, Sten. You can’t hide now. Say hello.”

  Resignation settled over him and he looked toward Mae. “I recognize her.”

  “Then you know she’s my friend.”

  Mae took a backward step through the doorway. “I should… come back later.”

  Sten surged forward, one hand wrapping around Mae’s arm. “Wait.”

  Mae’s eyes widened, and she shrieked.

  Angie put a hand on Sten’s arm. “Hey, slow down.”

  “She cannot leave,” Sten said. “What if she tells the authorities?”

  “She’s not telling anyone.” Angie turned back to her friend. “Right?”

  Sten waited until Mae nodded before releasing her arm.

  Angie took the bucket from her friend’s trembling hand. “And you can’t leave yet. Not until we talk. A lot has happened, as you can see. Let’s all go downstairs.” Her small hand slid into Sten’s, sending a wave of possessiveness through him. His need to share his dassa with her was making it hard to think, despite the presence of the other female.

  Leading him past Mae, Angie paused to say conspiratorially, “He’s harmless, I promise. Probably just grumpy from low blood sugar.”

  Mae nodded, gaze still wide.

  In the kitchen, he moved toward a cupboard, hunger driving him toward the delicious minerals of the brightly colored dishes she’d served him yesterday.

  “Leave my dishes alone.” Angie smacked his hand, ignoring his scowl. “Go sit.” She pointed toward the table in the breakfast nook. “I’ll have food for you in a minute.”

  The chair creaked loudly as Sten sat, stiffly holding the edge of the quilt to his waist. Mae headed for another cupboard and poured a generous amount of tawny liquor into a glass. After taking a large swallow, she poured another glass and set it beside the stove for Angie. She glanced toward a glowering Sten. “Does he drink?”

  Angie shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. Ask him.”

  Sten answered before Mae responded. “I have a fondness for wine.”

  Mae raised a brow in question toward Angie. “Have any wine?”

  “Sorry, no. Just give him some tequila.”

  Mae poured him a glass and set it on the table in front of Sten. “I know I always joked he was your boyfriend, but this is crazy.”

  “I am no longer a boy. I am a man,” Sten said.

  “I think we’ve established that.” Mae dropped her gaze to the quilt around his waist.

  While nakedness didn’t usually disturb him after so many years on this planet, he could sense it had an effect on this Earthian, and he was thankful for the covering. “Then what is a boyfriend?”

  “A romantic partner.” Mae quirked an eyebrow at her friend over her glass. Angie’s skin had turned a deep pink.

  Sten nodded in satisfaction and picked up the glass Mae’d given him. “I believe that is the correct term, then.” He downed the tequila. His stomach was a pit of emptiness, and he considered taking a bite of the glass.

  “No nutritional value in glass, Sten.” Angie reminded him. She offered him an obscenely small pink sausage. “Eat this while I warm up the rest.”

  Mae wrinkled her nose. “You’re feeding him hot dogs? Really?”

  Angie flushed. “I stopped at the gas station on the walk home. It’s not like they carry prime beef.”

  “What are hot dogs?” Sten asked, taking the link. “I have always avoided eating pets.”

  Mae’s face paled. Angie just laughed. “As you should.”

  Sten took a tentative bite. It was soft and very salty, but had calories, and right now, he needed as many as he could get. He shoved the entire thing in his mouth. He should’ve sought food before letting himself be distracted by Angie’s alluring scent. Now he was half-crazed with hunger in addition to her dassa’s effects. Watching Angie cut up several more links and mix them into a dish of baked beans, he said, “I do not understand why Earthians consume such large amounts of sodium.”

  Mae gave Angie a withering look. “I can’t believe you’re feeding him those.” Heading to the fridge, she pulled out a stick of butter and the carton of eggs. “These were laid fresh today.”

  His stomach growled loudly. “I have enjoyed eggs many times. We have them on my planet as well. They are a nutritious source of protein and calcium.”

  “Planet?” Mae gaped.

  Angie took the eggs. “Go sit and I’ll try to explain.”

  While his Hondassa talked, Sten ate another cold hot dog. Mae listened with wide-eyed attention as Angie explained how Sten had crashed on Earth and had been guarding the family for generations. She didn’t mention her ancestry, however, for which he was grateful. Angie’s blood-line was best left a secret.

  As he finished the last bites of th
e food Angie gave him, Mae finished her tequila and leaned back in her chair, looking Sten over appreciatively. “So, you’re her guardian come-to-life alien statue and now you’re serving her in more ways than just as a bodyguard.” She rubbed both eyes with her fists and shook her head. “Okay, I guess that explains everything. How are you going to explain this to Mrs. Hendricks when she asks about the missing statue? Or do you plan to go back to statue form now that Angie’s no longer in trouble?”

  Sten fastened his gaze on Angie. There was no going back to the way things had been, especially now that she’d claimed him. But unlike Graj in the early days, he didn’t have a perception filter device to disguise himself as a human. “It would be best if we left this place. My commanding officer, Zaek, has a cabin in the mountains. We will stay with him until we acquire a home of our own—”

  “Wait a minute. Just hold on there.” Angie put her hands on her hips. “This is my home and I’m not going anywhere.”

  Mae chuckled. “This girl has roots growing out of the soles of her feet. She’s got a college degree but is now working as a waitress in in the middle of nowhere. There’s no ripping her off this piece of dirt.”

  Angie crossed her arms and frowned at her friend. “My home is not a piece of dirt.”

  Mae sighed. “You know what I mean.”

  Sten knew Angie was attached to this house. He actually liked that about her and enjoyed watching her make things grow. But he wanted to work by her side and build a home together; it would be impossible to do that if they remained among Earthians. “I cannot go back to being a statue now that we are mated.”

  Angie’s face went pale. “Mated? Who said we were mated?”

  He frowned and touched his shoulder where she’d claimed him earlier, although his rapid healing had easily covered up the mark left by her blunt teeth. “You did.”

  Shaking her head, Angie retrieved the bottle of tequila and poured herself a hefty splash. “Mae called you my boyfriend, not husband. Different things, Sten.”

  Mae stood up and pushed her chair in. “I’m going to take this turn in the convo as my cue to go home.”

  Sten shifted his gaze to Mae. “You will not tell anyone of me.”

  “Mum’s the word, I promise.” Mae stuck a hand in her pocket and fished out her keys, then paused to catch Angie’s full attention. “You going to be okay?”

  “Yes, thank you.” Angie threw back the contents of her glass in a single gulp. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Mae raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips, but nodded. Then she met Sten’s gaze and said, “It’s your job to keep her safe. Even from yourself. Remember that. Anything happens to her and I’m calling in a wrecking ball to level your ass. Got it?”

  He nodded, which seemed to satisfy her. Once the front door shut, Sten moved his chair closer to Angie. “We need to discuss leaving. Remaining among Earthians is dangerous, especially now that you are my Hondassa—”

  She twisted sharply to face him. “You said you would not give me the venom or whatever without my consent.”

  He felt his blood cool as he realized she didn’t know what she’d done. “You bit me. A primitive way of claiming one’s mate, but still…”

  She let out a shaky breath. “I thought only males had the dassa.”

  “Females are just as capable of choosing mates as males. The bond is strongest when both mates share dassa. I will give you mine now if you’d like.”

  She held one palm out as if to stop him. “Hold on.”

  His chest felt empty as he realized what her reaction meant. “You do not wish to bond with me.”

  “I only just met you.” She poured herself another shot then dropped her head into her hands. “I don’t know what I’m feeling.”

  He cleared his throat. The fire of her dassa was burning through his blood, demanding reciprocation. Yet she knew little about him or his species, regardless of her heritage. He was a monster on her world. It’d been a miracle she’d wanted him in the first place. “If you do not wish to be my mate, I understand.” Yet her rejection hurt like nothing he’d ever felt before. All he could think of was putting some distance between them. Immediately. “I will go.”

  Rising, he moved toward the parlor.

  “Wait!” Her cry stopped him. “You can’t just leave. I—I…”

  He turned to find her on her feet, a look on her face that made him want to pick her up and carry her back upstairs to finish what Mae’d interrupted. But she was more human than Khargal, and her bite had not meant what he’d hoped. She had not intended to claim him. His chest ached, but he knew he needed to give her an out. “The mating is not permanent. Given time and distance, your dassa will dissipate from my body and our bond will subside.” While technically true, Khargals who’d shared their dassa for a long time often couldn’t survive the death of their mate. The amount of dassa she’d shared with him wouldn’t be that strong, but he would most likely spend the next few decades in withdrawal. “It will be best if I leave you now.”

  “Give me time to think about this.” She stepped forward and placed her hand on his bare chest. “Please?”

  The warmth of her hand and the pleading in her eyes unraveled his resolve. He had intended to retreat to the hills overlooking her house and resume his watch; his duty to protect her only strengthened with the claiming. Remaining nearby would strain his willpower not to touch her, but he would try because she asked. “I will return to your garden for as long as I am able.”

  Without waiting for her to speak again, he retreated through the house, making sure to close the front door firmly behind him.

  Angie sat in stunned silence as Sten left the house. Mated? Was such a thing even possible for humans? Yet if Sten was telling the truth—and the longer she knew him, the more she believed he was—she wasn’t completely human. And she couldn’t deny the aching grip he seemed to have on her heart. The few boyfriends she’d had never made her feel like this, like they owned a piece of her soul and would take it with them if they left. She would be empty if Sten wasn’t here. Was that an effect of the mating bond? What would it feel like if Sten strengthened it with his dassa?

  In the pit of her stomach, she wanted to know. Wanted to feel that intensity.

  Sally pushed in through the pet door at the back of the kitchen, her gray fur dusted with a pale sheen of pollen. She’d shown up in the garden one day about a year ago, thin and mangy, and Angie’d started feeding her out of pity. Now the cat sat next to her empty kibble dish and let out a plaintive meow.

  “You said it, sister.” Angie refilled the dish and then plopped down in the nearby seat to watch Sally eat. The cat still didn’t like to be touched, but she was a good mouser and nice company in the garden.

  Though apparently she’d had more company than she’d realized all along. Regardless of whether she chose to complete the mating or not, he couldn’t continue living in her garden. That wasn’t any kind of life, no matter what he said about duty.

  The lights over the breakfast nook made her eyes burn, and she lay her forehead against the cool Formica tabletop. She’d barely slept last night, and most of tonight was gone already. Perhaps she should sleep. Things would be clearer in the morning.

  She trudged up the stairs to bed, shutting off lights as she went. Moonlight slanted in through her windows, and she looked down into the garden at the silvery shadows around Sten. She’d always looked with such pleasure at her garden, but now when she peered out, all she felt was longing deep in her gut. Isn’t that your answer?

  She pressed both palms to the glass, catching a glimpse of his glittering emerald eyes watching her from below. His pose was definitely different now. Tense. Pained. A reflection of her own emotions. She felt horrible, letting him stand out there alone in the dark. But he was a gargoyle. A living, breathing gargoyle. How could that even work? And how would she explain to the rest of the town why her statue was gone?

  What if I sold him? Not really sold him, but pretended
to. Although she’d told York the gargoyle was part of the historic property, that wasn’t exactly true; the building was on the historical record, but the moveable items on the property were hers to do with as she pleased. All she’d need was a bill of sale, to borrow Mae’s pickup so she could “move” him off the property, and Sten would be free.

  Eyelids heavy, she realized she’d made up her mind. She wanted to complete the mating. She wanted Sten to stay with her even if it meant they holed up inside all day and only came out at night.

  Smiling, she turned away from the window, stripped down to her panties, and climbed between the sheets. That would at least solve one problem. Now she just needed to come up with a way for him to pass as human.

  8

  Sten’s duramna refused to settle over him. With Angie so close, he could not bear to shut himself off in the deep sleep. But it meant he was aware of every sound, every movement inside the house. He watched the mangy cat skulk around the corner of the house toward the backyard. Listened to the crickets sing to the moon. Breathed in the honey-almond perfume from the flowers Angie loved to grow beneath her bedroom window.

  When he’d entered her room while she was showering, his hunger for her had been unbearable, more necessary to him than food. She did not feel the mating pull like he did. The aching hollow in his chest hurt as much as her unintended dassa burning within him. He glanced up at the stars. He’d been on Earth longer than he’d been alive on Duras, and tonight he found himself yearning more than ever for a rescue ship to take him home. To remove him from this temptation. If he went to her again, there would be no stopping his mating instinct. He would fill her with his dassa as surely as he’d fill her with his seed, making her his in every way possible whether she wanted him or not. He should remove himself from this place immediately.

  But there was no escape for him. His gaze returned to the house he’d watched for over a hundred years, imagining her lying naked on her sheets. As long as he was on Earth, he would keep Angie safe, whether she wanted him as a mate or not.