Page 73 of Howl for the Gargoyle

I groaned and rolled my hips, shimmying off my jeans. Hannah greeted my cock with a long wet stripe of a lick, and I fell back on my elbows, grateful to be at the mercy of my insatiable werewolf girlfriend.

It was only two days before the full moon, and rightfully Hannah should've been a bit of a wreck. Instead, it was me who was pacing circles around her as she got ready for the day. She smiled at me in the reflection of the mirror, painting her lips in the most unnecessarily erotic shade of plum, a color I now wanted smeared around my cock.

"Just grab a bag and meet me back here. Or come to the bar," Hannah said.

I nodded, pausing and leaning against the doorframe of her bathroom. She was wearing long, loose black pants and a black lace bra, her nipples full and flat against the lace, teasing me with the peek. She had her right foot hooked behind her left ankle, hip cocked as she played with the strands of her hair, teasing them in different haphazard directions.

It'd been a long time since I'd been in a relationship, and I couldn't remember ever being as fascinated by a woman getting dressed and ready to go out. Hannah's pleasure in beauty extended to herself, and while she'd always dressed with a kind of elegant ease, it was fun to see the process of choices and the care of details that created the result.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," I said.

Hannah turned, and I withheld my groan as she braced her hands against the counter, offering too tempting a view of all her long angles. She arched a dark eyebrow, and I sighed.

"It's…been a really good three days," I said.

Hannah smiled back at me. "It has, but why does that make you look anxious?"

I bit my lip and debated honesty before rushing across the space. Hannah seemed to fall forward into me, the natural magnetism we found near one another, our chests pressing close even as her head tipped back to hold my gaze.

"It's the same amount of time as our appointments. It feels like the…the bubble's about to pop, or I'll wake up from the dream, or—"

Hannah's smile softened and those richly stained lips lifted to mine, her arms circling my shoulders as she pressed a soft kiss to my mouth. "It's not," she said simply.

My own smile hitched, and she kissed me once more. "Oh. Okay," I said, only a little sarcastic.

"Grab some stuff, come to the bar, meet the band since you'll be spending at least five months in close quarters with them. The bubble will continue to float," she said gently. "But it's not a dream."

I nodded and she mirrored me, smile widening before she added, "If anything, meeting the band should really set reality in. If you see us in rehearsal, you'll realize what a control freak I am."

I grinned. "Hannah, babe." I leaned forward, watching as her pupils dilated. How had one silly little word become such a siren call between us? "I knew that already."

She huffed a laugh into my kiss, mouth parted and tongue flicking out to swipe at mine. I pulled back before we could get carried away. She looked perfect, and I didn't want to muss her. Or I did, but I'd rather she was on her way to rehearsal and I was getting my things and we were standing in the same room again as soon as possible. I wanted the knowledge of us having time together to sink in. That there wasn't a clock ticking down the minutes to zero.

"Okay, I'm leaving," I murmured, more to myself, considering I was still helping myself to little sipping kisses.

"M'kay. See you soon," Hannah answered, her hands combing through my hair, tugging at my roots. I groaned and she laughed again, nudging me away with her hip, turning again to the mirror and picking gold chains off hooks that hung along the top, still fussing with her final accessories.

I'd managed to drag myself out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, hunting down my shirt, when I found myself charging back to the bathroom door.

"Hey," I blurted out.

Hannah fought her smile, eyebrows raising. "Hey."

"You're fucking beautiful."

Her cheeks flushed, which was the perfect accessory. I pulled my shirt up my chest, snapping the shoulders in place, and left her to get ready.

"So are you!" she called as I reached the stairs.

I grinned, jogging down. I hadn't given her enough compliments while I worked with her. At least not ones that didn't feel slightly staged in retrospect. And it had been the agency that provided our venues with flowers, not me. I made myself a mental list as I gathered my things and left the apartment. I would get flowers on the way to the bar to meet her, hopefully make her blush again in front of her band. I would call Khell and plan a double date.

No.

We needed dates just for the two of us first. Maybe a vegetarian cooking class. Or just a night at the local BYOB double feature movie theater.

I needed to call Khell and see if I could get some work with him before we left for the tour, save up some more money to cover my bills and take Hannah out on dates. She thought she was forming a mating attachment, and I was going to prove to her why that was absolutely the best news.

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