Page 13 of Gaming with the Gargoyle in Hallow's Cove
“What are you doing?” I can’t stop smiling or laughing because he’s just so fucking cute like this.
“I’m using gravity to keep it in.” He swipes a pillow off the bed from beside me and shoves it under my ass, finally letting me back down. “There, that should help.”
“You’re such a dork,” I say, grabbing his hands and pulling him back down to me. He fits so perfectly around me as he snakes one massive arm underneath my head and pulls me to his chest. “Yeah, you’d better be my pillow, since you stole mine.”
“Re-purposed. I re-purposed it is all.”
“I like this pillow better anyhow.” Snuggling into him, I can’t help but think what a good idea this was. “See? This doesn’t need to be complicated. This can just be like… the next level up of our friendship.” As soon as the words come out of my mouth, I want them to mean so much more than they sound like.
“Ding,” he whispers into my hair.
“Grats.”
Chapter six
Gabe
Imighthaveaslight obsession with watching Gwen sleep. This wasn’t the first time that I’ve watched her sleep, I’d been doing it for years. It started when she realized how much time I must spend alone now that she isn’t fully nocturnal anymore. She can’t be, really. Somebody has to run the store during the day. It is, however, the first time that I’ve ever been here in bed with her while she sleeps.
Normally, I sit at the side in a chair, made specifically for people with wings, and read or watch videos on my phone.
Though we don’t get great cell service in Hallow’s Cove, I still have a phone, because I got used to having one during college. I guess it’s actually more like one of those touch MP3 things, at least that’s how I use it. When I’m out of videos or downloaded books, I will fly out of the valley, and go to this little diner that I like. There, I’ll have an absolutely massive meal and load up my phone with new content.
The fact that most people in Hallow’s Cove don’t have cell phones also means that they just aren’t as aware of people being on their phones or taking pictures as it feels like other people are. Gwen has always teased me for carrying mine around all the time, but I love having the ability to take a picture of her whenever I want. Every selfie that I have of us together, features her laughing in some way, because the idea still seems ridiculous to her.
In the cool moonlight, her skin reflects back at me, and I know that I want to capture this moment. Whatever happens, I want to be able to remember her like this. Her head on my arm, snuggled into my side with one leg thrown over me. Her top hand is under her cheek, squishing her face adorably. I reach off the side of the bed and root around until I find my shorts. I grab my phone and snap a few pictures before I realize something.
That beautifully rounded belly could be nurturing our baby even now. In less than a year, I could be using this phone to take pictures of first smiles. And for the first time since we’ve talked about it, I get to really imagine it. What will it be like, our little family? Our baby will undoubtedly be a gargoyle, monster genes tend to overwrite human genes in almost every case, since most of ours are magical modifications on human genes anyway. So, I’ll have a lot of one-on-one time with our child while she sleeps. Looking around the apartment, though, I realize that while it has been perfect for Gwen, it might be a little small for a family of three that has disparate sleep schedules. We will have to talk about it, I suppose, and figure out what we want to do.
If all of this works out, we should still have the house, so that’s an option. She hasn’t wanted to live there as of late, but I think most of that had to do with all of the renovations that Preston had been doing, though she has mentioned that she felt weird living in my house with Preston. Because even though my father technically owned it, he bought it for my mom and me. He and Preston only lived with us in the summers. The rest of the time it was our house. Preston’s mom knew about us, and I had always said as long as we stayed out of sight and didn’t jeopardize Preston’s inheritance, she didn’t care if my father kept his mistress. If my dad had spent more time with my mom, he probably would’ve lived longer, and so would she, because I’m pretty sure they formed a mate bond at some point. In many ways, it explains a lot about their deaths. Mates don’t do well apart, and so, when my dad died, it wasn’t long before my mom did too. Honestly, thank God for that, because she missed out on the drama of all of the shit Preston’s mom pulled after my dad’s death.
When she kicked me out, at eighteen, Preston paid for me to go to school. He then, of course, proceeded to court Gwen, whom I was only just realizing I was in love with.
Sometimes, when Gwen sleeps, I’ll get things done around the house for her, or the shop, and I actually have a few things that I had planned on getting done today. But, there’s no way I’m leaving this bed before I absolutely have to. I’d rather stay here and soak up this moment for as long as I’m able.
The sun rises regardless, and I cut going to my place in our store closer than I normally would. The room begins to brighten and my chest clenches. What if this was all a dream? What if I wake up tomorrow and Gwen has changed her mind? Tonight has been the most amazing night of my life, and I could cry that it’s ending. I press a kiss to Gwen’s forehead and exchange my arm for a pillow.
The coffee pot is easy enough to set up, but I’ve never been more disappointed that I can’t stay and have breakfast with her. I scarf down a granola bar and pound two protein shakes on my way down the stairs, a panicky feeling in my chest. Everything in me is screaming to go back to her, and I refuse to think about what it could mean.
My sword and shield sit next to my usual spot, and I pick them up, sliding into position as the first rays of sun brighten the store. The sun, my unrelenting mistress is here to ruin my most perfect night as I slip off to sleep.
Sleep, for gargoyles, is kind of like what I’ve heard it’s like for humans when they fall asleep in the car. You’re asleep, but still somewhat aware of what is going on around you. So, when tourists come in and take selfies with me, I usually know what’s going on. When something big happens in the store, something exciting or bad, I usually have some idea of what’s up before I’m fully awake at sunset.
So, when Gwen brushes up against me, I feel it. Her round ass rubs across my arm, and I’d be groaning if I could make sound. It isn’t the first time she’s done this, she often bumps against me when she’s trying to squeeze past someone, and will jokingly do it once or twice a day. Sometimes, she’ll elbow me a little to try to get my attention when something is happening, because she knows it’ll rouse me from sleep a little bit. Today though, it seems a little more frequent than usual. I don’t really think anything of that first brush, but then it happens again. By the third time, I’m pretty sure she’s doing it on purpose, and by the fourth, she’s whispering in my ear.
“Oh, excuse me, sir I didn’t see you there.”
And it’s not just boob or ass brushes, she’s trailing her hands down my arms, grabbing on to my horns, which of course reminds me of what we did last night. If I could move, my dick would be as hard as a rock right now. Gwen has always been a jokester, and I don’t know why I’m surprised that that translated into her being a tease. I always become more aware of the sunsets, and so it’s no surprise when she tells Jonas, our werewolf employee, that she is going upstairs, because we need to have a brief business chat. When I wake up, Jonas lets me know, and I unfold myself from my crouch, crack my neck, and head upstairs to Gwen’s apartment.
The door is unlocked and the lights are dim when I enter.
I really didn’t know what to expect when I opened the door, but I must admit that it was something sexy. Instead, I find Gwen crying in front of her laptop.
Chapter seven
Gwen
WhenIcameupstairsfifteen minutes ago, I’ll admit that it was with the intent of doing a bit of research and then getting ready so that I looked hot for Gabe. I haven’t been this horny in years, and teasing him all day got me super riled up. I hopped on my computer to do some research about what gargoyles find attractive, because I will admit, I have no idea.