Page 10 of Never Been Gargoyled
Great first impression, Dazy.
Just great.
Chapter 6
Feydin
She should be running away. Screaming. Packing her things or, even better, abandoning them where they were. Not offering her hand and giving me a smile that made my knees crack.
“Run,” I bellowed. There, that was better.
She blinked. “Sorry, I’m not into exercise. Although…” Her gaze swept through the hall and foyer beyond. “I have a feeling I’ll be putting in my time trying to get this place in shape.” Her low laugh rang out, tickling down my spine, thawing me even more.
Fissures appeared on my arms. My glorious, stony arms! And my heart…
Thud. Thud-thud. Thud-thud-thud.
“No…” I wailed, spinning and racing in the other direction.
“Why areyourunning?” she called out, scooting after me. “Don’t leave yet. We just met. I haven’t offered you an éclair. No, wait. No éclair for you today. I ate themalready. How about a nice slice of bread? I could toast it in the oven and slather it with butter.”
I halted in the foyer, trying to find a place to hide.
Why in all the hells was I doing that?
“I’mnottrying to run. In fact…” I reeled around, finding her much too close, well within my personal boundary zone. A quick heft, and I’d laid her over my shoulder, her ripe ass pointed toward the ceiling and her lush thighs draped across my chest.
“Oh my,” she exclaimed, slapping her hands onto my back. “Um… Is this some sort of gargoyle welcome tradition?”
“I’m not welcoming you,” I growled, turning and rushing to the front door. I whipped it open and started through, only for my wings to smack painfully against the frame, bringing me to a teeth-jarring halt. Grumbling about the brain I appeared to have lost touch with, I tucked my wings in and rushed through the opening, across the porch and down the steps, and over to her vehicle, where I plunked her on the ground. “Go.”
She looked up at me. Hells, she was sweet. All curves and pretty sunset hair and brown eyes I could?—
No, I was not attracted to her. She was essentially prey and one did not swoon over prey. Hells, I hoped not.
“Could you do something for me?” she asked, cocking her head.
I scowled. Surely that would drive her away. “What?” I had no idea why I’d said that. Now would be a good time to stomp my feet, thunder at the sky, and frighten her.
For whatever reason, I actually didn’t want to scare her. The thought of that smile leaving her face, of her cringing away from me made my heart pinch tight.
Heart…
“Hells!”
Her eyes widened before her cute brows drew together. “Hells?”
“My heart should not be thudding.”
“Well, you did just carry me out of my house and over to my car. Maybe it was the exertion? You should work out more if you’re feeling out of breath already. Although, I’m not one to talk, since I don’t generally enjoy working out. I’m more of a hands-on kind of woman in that I can work all day in a garden and never feel as if I’m getting exercise. But put me on a treadmill, and I not only go flying off the end, but I also smack onto my belly and lay there, groaning. In fact?—”
“This is not your house!”
“Sure it is. My great-aunt Helga left it to me in her will. We were pretty close, though only through letters while I was growing up. My dad was estranged from her, so he didn’t visit her unless he felt he had to, but that didn’t stop me. We corresponded at least weekly. When I moved out, I visited her all the time in the nursing home, though she didn’t know who I was the past few years. Early-onset dementia sucks, don’t you agree?” She didn’t pause for an answer but kept speaking rapid-fire. “She never married or had children herself, and my dad and I are her only surviving relatives. Dad was pissed when he didn’t inherit the estate. I assume hehad wild thoughts of selling the property off for condos.”
“Condos?” I bellowed.
“Yes.” She glanced toward the manor house. “Four or so, I think. Anyway, that’s not happening. I’m going to fix this place up and live in the manor. I’ll restore the grounds and turn it into a botanical garden I’ll open to the public.”
