My frustration bubbled a little higher.
“Damn Austin for not wanting to be involved in this. He’s the missing link. He’s the ace in the hole. And he doesn’t want the job. Not officially, anyway, and if he won’t officially take it, it’s a hard sell to outsiders.”
“Yes, the situation is certainly grievous.”
I huffed out a sardonic laugh. “Grievous…yes, it is. So what I’m looking for is a replacement for Austin. Right now, the only candidate is Damarion.”
“He certainly has the right materials. Strong, sure, loyal, born to lead…”
“He’s an elitist, though, who hasn’t made an effort to connect with the nut cases of this house.”
“True, he hasn’t taken to Edgar and Niamh very well…”
That didn’t warrant a comment.
“I wonder if I could talk him around,” I said, bracing my hands on my hips. “Maybe he just doesn’t understand that I need my second to handle day-to-day issues that involve the whole house. If he knew that, he might be more inclined to treat everyone as a group.”
“He’d certainly need to welcome non-gargoyles, because you can’t just have gargoyles on your team.”
“Yes, exactly. He seems a little green—maybe he just needs some training, like I do.” I paused, thinking, then added, “And if he’s more secure in his footing, he may treat the Austin situation like a professional instead of a competition for dominance.”
“I was with you until that last bit.”
“It’s worth a try. I don’t have much choice.”
“But you do have a choice. You can send another summons and see who you get, like fishing. Catch and release. You don’t have to settle for your first couple catches.”
“Is it too late to quit and choose a different life?”
“And stay alive and free? Yes, miss. That ship has sailed. You have the magic now, and only death will change that.”
“I owe it to Damarion to give him a chance. He showed up in the nick of time and saved my life. He’s been taking beatings from me. The least I can do is talk to him. This is all new to him—the town, the people, us. I’m sure we can get him on the right track.”
“Of course, miss. There’s the spirit. ‘Beating a dead horse’ wouldn’t be a saying if people didn’t love to do it.”
“That’s not why…” I let it go as I passed him, headed for the kitchen. I’d grab a bottle of wine and invite Damarion to one of the larger sitting rooms for a chat.
I was in the kitchen, having just opened a bottle of wine, when I felt Damarion approaching the room from down the hall.
“Hey,” he said, coming up behind me. He slipped his hands across my hips and gently pulled me back until my back was against his front. “I was just coming to do the same thing.”
“What’s that?” I asked, coaxing myself to relax within his arms, wanting to just get over this hump of anxiety and let myself be touched by someone new. I knew if I just buckled down and made it through the first time, I’d realize it wasn’t such a big deal. Plus I’d get a little…exercise that I was starting to crave with more urgency lately. I just needed to stop getting nervous and running for the hills.
“Grab the wine.” He bent and ran his lips along my neck, lifting a hand so he could pull down the edge of my silk housecoat (Mr. Tom had insisted I have one), exposing the spaghetti strap of my singlet. The wet warmth of his kiss left a trail until he got to the strap, then he hooked his fingers underneath it, about ready to pull that down, too.
In the middle of the kitchen.
“Let’s…” I slid away a little, hitting the edge of the counter with my hip as I half turned. This would all be so much easier if he didn’t come on so strong. It was like he didn’t have a “warming up” setting. He went from normal guy to Mr. Handsy in one second flat. “How about we—”
He dropped his finger to my lips. “Shh.” He pulled his finger away and planted a kiss on my lips. “I know what will help you forget about that bear.”
I paused. “What?”
He reached around me and took the bottle of wine. “You need me to show you how I feel, right?” He grabbed two glasses. “You need romance?” He gave me a sultry smile. “Give me ten minutes, and then look in on my room. You have the ability to see into any of the rooms, right? Ulric said the house lets you look in on anyone. I’m sure you’ve been using it to check on me…”
I tried to keep a straight face, but a furrowed brow might’ve broken through. Not only would I not do that because of the creepiness factor, but the thought honestly hadn’t crossed my mind.