Page 11 of Protected By the Gargoyle
“Absolutely.”
He brought them to a small room with a wrought-iron table for two and a view of the harbor.
She bit her grilled chicken avocado panini. “Mmm, this is so good.” After she took another bite, a spot of green remained near her lips.
“You have a bit of guac. Right there.” He pointed out the location near her mouth.
She laughed and dabbed her mouth with a napkin. “Thanks for not letting me sit here looking like a slob.”
“You? Never.” She was the most beautiful woman in the world to him. He took a large bite of his Cuban panini, attempting to slow down his pace as he’d already devoured half of his.
“It’s so nice up here.” She glanced down to the Boston waterfront. “If I lived here, I’d spend as much time soaking up the view as possible.”
If she lived here… His heart swelled larger. What an incredible fantasy to have: his mate living in the tower with him. They’d share meals, go down to his room and make love, and he’d hold her in his arms, keeping her safe.
He grew semi-hard thinking of it and adjusted in his seat. “I do whenever I can.” He glanced out over the city, beyond the sleek towers to the streets below, now lively once more with humans out shopping for the holidays, perhaps stopping for a drink or a meal. “I especially enjoy sitting on the roof in the summertime. Unfortunately, the concerts are done for the season.”
“Ah, I can picture it,” she said. “Sitting up here with a glass of white wine and listening to the music.”
“Best of all, no crowds.”
“Ooh, even better. Next summer, Arto. Let’s do it.” Her eyes widened with excitement.
A future with Janie in it. Joy spread inside his chest. “Of course.”
After lunch, they lingered at the table.
She stretched her legs out to the side and groaned at the soreness. “I overdid it.”
He winced. “Sorry I pushed you too hard.”
“Don’t be. It’s me. I tend to do that, thinking I can take on more than I can. I can ice my legs or take a warm bath later.”
He tried not to gape as he pictured her naked in a bubble bath.
She waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Anyway, I was thinking that there are other ways to train.”
“Such as?”
“Learning. Is there someplace where we can do research on demons?”
He straightened, and his nostrils flared. “Demons?”
“Yes.”
Distaste coated his tongue. “Why would you want to learn about those filthy beings?”
“Because the more I know, the better off I am.” She tapped her temple. “Didn’t you just hammer that into my skull when we were training?”
He grunted. “Yes.”
“And knowledge is power.”
“True.”
“I’m sure you’d have the real resources here; not the nonsense I find on the Internet.” She rolled her eyes skyward. “You should see the stuff out there…” She cringed and then groaned. “No, never mind. Save yourself and skip that idea.” She fixed her blue gaze on him. “You showed me how to destroy a demon when we were in the other realm. Is there anything else you could show me?” She glanced around. “Maybe in a book.”
Arto released a low exhale; his blissful moment with Janie marred by the mention of those foul beasts. “Sure. We have resources in the library.”
