Page 28 of A Highland Gargoyle's Lucky Star
Hold on to your hat, Sagittarius! That new love interest is taking center stage and making you swoon. You may not have been lucky in love for quite a while, but this one’s different. However, they also won’t be easily won over. You’re going to have to work for their love and affection. Don’t give up! Your tenacity will pay off if you stick with it. After all, you’re pretty irresistible, and they’ll realize it too if you make sure not to let them get away!
“I’m never drinking again,even if Scotsmen in kilts tempt me,” I moan pitifully as I sit up in bed and cradle my throbbing head.
There’s a faint chuckle off to my right and I jerk my head in that direction. I have to blink several times to make sure I’m not still dreaming.
“Holy hotter than Goliath! You’re real?”
The big, brawny gargoyle I dreamed about all night is standing by a tall window with his muscular—and shirtless, might I add—arms crossed.
“Aye, I’m Elryk. I caught you before you could fall off that train last night.”
I gasp as my memories come back to me and I look around, bewildered.
“I appreciate you saving me from imminent death and all, but where the heck am I?”
Elryk’s expression is brooding. “You’ll be staying here at DarkWing Castle for a time in order to keep you safe.”
He moves slowly toward the bed and picks up a glass of water from the side table, then hands it to me. “Drink this.”
I take a sip and then massage my temple, wincing when I encounter the lump from when that fucker Malcolm punched me last night. “Got any aspirin too?”
He goes to the door and opens it, speaking quietly to someone on the other side then returns to his former position.
“My colleague will bring some shortly.”
I take another drink of water, the cool liquid a balm on my parched throat. My mouth feels like ass and I seriously want to brush my teeth. A shower would be nice too.
But first things first.
“Um, so. Am I being held captive here?”
Elryk’s face goes blank. “You’re an honored guest of the DarkWing gargoyle clan.”
I narrow my eyes. “Then why is someone just hanging around outside this room? Seems like a guard to me.”
“For your safety.”
I cross my much smaller arms in a huff and do my best furrowed-brow glare. “Look, Mr. Duncan-MacLeod-From-Highlander-Meets-Goliath-from-Gargoyles, don’t think you can pull the wool over my eyes just because you’re sexy as hell. I’m nobody’s fool.”
That seems to get a reaction out of him. He takes a step back and shifts awkwardly.
Ha!Serves you right. I may be tiny, but I can be intimidating!
Then I do a double take. “Hold on. Back up. My brain’s not fully online yet. Did you say we’re in a motherfreakingcastle?”
His gaze turns wary. “Aye. DarkWing Castle.”
Well now, that changes things.
I explode out of bed like a bottle rocket. “Shit! Where’s my phone? I’ve so got to take some pictures for my parents. They’ll lose their minds.” I pat my pockets and frown, then I spy my bag from the train in the corner of the room and hurry over to it. “Wow. How’d you manage to get my things?”
My disastrous exit from the train hadn’t exactly afforded me time to grab my bag.
“One of my men returned to the train and removed everything he believed was yours from your compartment.”
I beam at him. “Thanks.” I step closer and grab one of his hands, pumping it furiously. “Nice to meet you! Again. I’m Noah. Thanks for saving me from what promised to be a messy and unpleasant death last night.”
His green eyes go wide and he stares at me like I’m some kind of fascinating but potentially dangerous creature.
