Page 23 of Starry with a Chance of Nightshade

And most certainly too young for him. She was in her early twenties at most. That helped him get something close to control. He glanced over to find the dog was about ten feet away, giving him the stink-eye.

Drest walked over to the dog and bent. “You’re a big boy, aren’t you? I once knew another rottweiler who was as big as you.”

The dog gave Drest a slight warning growl before moving away from him and going over to one of the gargoyle statues, lifting a leg, and peeing on it. All the while, the dog kept his sights set on Stratton and Drest.

The gargoyle’s expression changed from neutral to downright livid. It was then Stratton realized he’d been right. He had seen it move before. It wasn’t just a statue. It was an actual gargoyle.

“I’m so sorry,” said the woman, dragging his attention back to her. “I swear, he’s never charged someone, wait, that’s a lie. He has. I haven’t actually let him eat apersonyet though.” Her gaze went to the dog, and she tipped her head. “What?”

Drest perked.

Stratton glanced around, making sure there wasn’t a threat near them before he eyed the woman once more. “Everything okay?”

With a jolt, she looked to him, as if she’d forgotten she wasn’t alone. “Yes?”

“Not sure you sold that,” said Drest.

She gifted him a smile. “No. I guess I didn’t. Everything is good. I should get him home before he decides to try to eat another professor.”

Drest appeared to be fighting a full-blown laugh-attack. “As in we’re professors?”

“Aren’t you?” she asked. “You kind of look like you would be.”

“Take a guess at what we teach,” said Drest, clearly amused.

She arched a brow. “Do they have classes for law enforcement or criminal justice here? You have cop written all over you, dude.”

Stratton’s lips drew into a smile. “He does, doesn’t he?”

Drest motioned to Stratton. “Okay, what about him?”

The young woman bit at her lower lip. “Drama or something to do with theater. Could be art. The professors there have long hair and beards too. Although there is a biology professor here that I swear looks just like he fronts a grunge band on the weekends.”

Drest laughed again. “Grunge. Ha. Told ya.”

Stratton found himself fixated on the woman once more.

She tipped her head slightly. “You’re staring at me weird.”

Shit.

He flinched. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to. It’s just, well, I know I said we haven’t met before but I’m starting to think we have.”

“I have the same feeling,” she said, narrowing her gaze on him. “We’ve probably seen one another in passing on the campus.”

“Franks!” shouted a young man with ink-black hair that hung to his shoulders. He was walking with another group of young men and broke from the pack, jogging over toward them.

Stratton fought the urge to plant himself in front of the young woman and declare her off limits. As irrational as that sounded, every bit of him pushed to make it a reality.

“Hey, Craig,” she said with a smile. “Congratulations on making it to the playoffs.”

Craig gave her a sappy look that said he had an interest in her romantically.

Stratton nearly knocked said look off the man’s face.

His buddies hadn’t gone far. They were currently climbing on another of the gargoyle statues, shouting fight songs. It was evident they’d been drinking, or they were just naturally moronic. Stratton really hoped that statue was a real gargoyle too and that it would spring to life and end them all.

“You told me that you don’t pay attention to baseball or any sports,” supplied Craig, the same expression on his face.

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