Page 17 of Never Been Gargoyled
I pinched my lips together, refusing to admit she was right.
A frown appeared on her face. “But if you were stone, sitting on the roof?—”
“Perching. Gargoyles don’t sit. Weperch.”
“You never sit?”
“Not on the roof.”
Her head tilted back, and she stared at the ceiling. “I’d like to sit on the roof sometime. Perch.”
I’d take her there one day soon.
“Why did you just touch me?” I asked, pressing my palm against my chest. Such a simple thing, her pressing a finger into my arm. Yet I’d felt it all the way to my toes. Clawed toes, but still. Would she find my claws repulsive? Some humans did. It may not help that I could retract the ones on my fingers.
In Harmony Glen, at least half of us were monsters. You’d think species would stick together, not allowing insiders within their family group, but in Harmony Glen, we all felt as if we were equals. Claws or long fur or spiked tails or wings didn’t make a difference when it came to friendship.
“You’re right to bring that up,” she said. “I shouldn’t have touched you. I’m constantly reminding myself that people have boundaries and that crossing them could get me into trouble, let alone offend someone.”
“I’ll excuse your behavior this time.”
She blinked up at me before her low laugh ringing out, tickling across my bones. “Funny. I like your dry humor, Feydin. And your wings. You’re cute.”
Me, cute?
My poor newly awakened heart could hardly stand being this close to her, let alone flattery. “Turn around.”
Her mouth opening slightly, she looked up at me. “Why? You’re not going to…spank me for touching you, are you?”
“Why would I do that? Turn around.”
“I don’t think I’m into that kink, though I haven’t tried it yet. Throat hold, maybe. And if you want to call me a good girl, I might or might not swoon for you.”
“Duly noted. Turn around!”
Her nose scrunched with her displeasure. “Hey, you could ask nicely, and you could also tell me why you want me to turn around.”
“I’m going to fix your hair.”
She stared at me for a long time, long enough some might thinkshewas the one having silent seizures. “Alright. I don’t see any harm in that.” With a smirk, she spun.
I gently released the band holding her hair together at the base and worked out the braid, running my fingers through the silky strands. Massaging her scalp.
When she groaned, my hands froze.
“I’m hurting you,” I huffed, starting to ease away from her. “That’s the last thing I want to do.”
I tugged my fingers away from her scalp.
“No, it’s fine,” she said quickly. “It feels good. That’s why I groaned.”
“I’m truly not hurting you?”
She shook her head. “I like it. Keep going. I’ll give you a month or so to stop.”
“A month… Ah. You do like it.” My heart flipped over and surged up my throat. My mate enjoyed my touch. This was a good sign, right? Hope bloomed in my heart, spreading so big, it was crushing my ribs.
“I told you that, right?”
