Page 22 of Never Been Gargoyled (Harmony Glen #4)

Dazy

A fter dinner, Feydin excused himself to look into my legal situation online, and I found myself wandering through the estate with restless energy.

The lasagna had been perfect comfort food, and our conversation over dinner had been easy and warm, but I couldn't shake the feeling that everything was balanced on a knife's edge.

I walked through the first floor, cataloging all the work that still needed to be done.

The floorboards in the front parlor creaked ominously in one corner.

The wallpaper in the dining room was peeling near the windows.

The kitchen cabinets needed fresh paint, and half the light fixtures probably weren't up to code.

Actually, I doubted any of the electrical system was up to code. The panel sure had looked old.

So much to restore, and I might not get the chance to finish any of it.

The thought made my lungs ache, so I stepped outside into the evening air.

The gardens looked better already from our work, but there was still a lot of potential waiting to be unlocked.

I could envision pathways winding through flower beds, a pond with water lilies, definitely seating areas where visitors could rest and enjoy the beauty.

Twinkle lights strewn everywhere. My version of magic.

That assumed there were going to be visitors and that this place would be mine to share.

I was so lost in my planning that I almost missed it at first. The greenhouse at the back of the house looked different. Clean windows and… I walked closer.

Stopping outside, I gaped through the glass. The greenhouse had been a disaster zone of dead plants and broken glass and high on my priority list for renovation.

I went inside, gasping at what I found.

It had been completely transformed. The glass panels sparkled, the floors were swept clean, and neat rows of pots and planting supplies had been arranged on long tables. Even the old heating system looked like it was working again, based on the gentle hum coming from inside.

This had to be Feydin's work. He'd been missing for hours while I made dinner, and now I knew why.

My throat closed off with emotion. He'd done this for me. Spent his time creating a space where I could nurture seedlings and watch things grow, even if everything else fell apart.

I needed to thank him.

The gatekeeper's cottage sat at the edge of the property, a much smaller version of the main house, though with the same stone construction. I could see warm light glowing through the windows.

I knocked on the wooden door and waited. No answer.

“Feydin?” I called out. “It's me.”

Still nothing.

Maybe he was in the shower and couldn't hear me. Or maybe he was asleep already. The man had worked incredibly hard today, both on legal research and apparently on greenhouse restoration.

I'd thank him in the morning.

Back in the main house, I climbed the stairs to my bedroom, but as I reached the landing, I heard sounds from above. Footsteps on the roof, moving slowly.

Feydin was up there.

I remembered him carrying me up there that morning, what felt like a lifetime ago. I’d sat securely in his arms, looking out over Harmony Glen. A perfect time spent with the male I…

Alright, the male I was falling in love with. There was nothing wrong with that. He was special, and he seemed to like me. Human-monster relationships were a common thing here in Harmony Glen.

My bedroom had a large window that opened onto a section of roof that looked relatively flat and safe. If I was careful, I could climb out and see if he was up there.

The window opened easily, and I stuck my head out to assess the situation. The moon shone on the roof sloping gently near my window, highlighting the wide slate tiles. And there, about twenty feet away, I could see Feydin's shadow.

I climbed through the window carefully, testing each step before putting my full weight down. The slate felt cool under my bare feet, but solid enough.

“Feydin?” I called when I saw him sitting on the top, staring toward town. He almost looked sad. Lonely. And the thought of him feeling that way pretty much ripped my heart out.

He turned, and even in the dim light, I could see his surprise. “What are you doing up here?”

“Looking for you.” I made my way across the roof tiles toward him. “I saw the greenhouse.”

“Ah.” He watched me approach with that intense focus of his. “Do you like it?”

“Like it?” I settled beside him on the wide, mostly flat section of roof. “I love it. It's perfect. But why did you do all that work?”

“I wanted you to have a place to grow things. Even if?—”

I knew what he wasn't saying. Even if I lost the estate.

“Thank you. It means everything to me.”

We sat together for a while, looking out over the moonlit grounds. From up here, I could see the gardens we'd been working on, the greenhouse glowing softly below, and the lights of Harmony Glen twinkling in the valley.

“It's beautiful,” I said.

“Yes, it is. ”

When I looked over at him, he was watching me instead of the view. That intense stare made my pulse surge and my cheeks overheat.

“You're not looking at the scenery,” I pointed out.

“I'm looking at the most beautiful thing up here.”

My breath caught. “Feydin.”

“I know we haven't known each other long,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “I know this whole situation is complicated and uncertain. But I need you to know that no matter what happens with the estate, no matter where you end up, I want to be there with you.”

“You'd leave here? This has been your home for years.”

“Home isn't a place anymore.” He reached over and touched my face gently. “It's wherever you are.”

The words hit me like a physical blow in the best possible way. Nobody had ever looked at me the way he was looking at me now, like I was something wonderful, miraculous.

“I'm falling in love with you,” I whispered.

“Dazy.” He leaned closer, his hand still cupping my cheek. “I've been in love with you since the moment you climbed through the front window and started making this place live again.”

“Show me,” I said.

He kissed me then, soft and sweet at first, then deeper as I responded. The taste of him, the feel of his hands in my hair, and the way he held me like I was something fragile and important, combined to make my head spin .

When he pulled back, we were both breathing hard.

I kissed him again, pouring all my feelings into it. My love, my trust, my certainty that this was right.

He groaned against my mouth and pulled me closer, his wings spreading to shelter us from the night air. Warmth radiated from his body, and he smelled clean and fresh.

He kissed his way down my throat, finding the sensitive spot that made me gasp. His hands were gentle but sure as they pushed my shirt up, his mouth following the path they traced.

“You're beautiful,” he whispered against my skin.

I arched against him, my hands fisting in his hair. The slate was cool against my back when he laid me down, but his mouth was warm as it moved lower.

When he reached the waistband of my shorts, he paused, his fingers tracing the line of the fabric as if it were a boundary he wasn’t sure he should cross. His eyes met mine, a question lingering there.

I nodded, swallowing hard against the anticipation that tightened my throat. “Finish what you started earlier?”

“I will.” He slipped his fingers beneath the fabric, his touch gentle as he eased my shorts down.

The cool night air coasted across my skin, raising goosebumps, but his hands were almost reverent as they mapped every inch of me he revealed.

He took his time, exploring the curve of my hips, the line of my thighs, as if he were committing them to memory.

I watched him, my heart pounding in my chest, not with nerves, but with a need so strong it left me breathless.

When he finally slipped my shorts off completely, he leaned back, his gaze traveling over me like a caress.

I felt exposed, yet safe, as if the intensity of his look could shield me from anything.

He reached out, his hand cupping my ankle, his thumb circling the bone in a way that sent shivers across my skin.

His touch was electric, sparking sensations that made my nerves hum like live wires.

Slowly, he trailed his fingers up my calf, the back of my knee, the inside of my thigh.

The callouses on his fingertips made me hyperaware of every touch.

When he reached the juncture of my thighs, he paused again, his eyes moving up to meet mine.

I nodded again, gripping the rough roof tiles beneath me for support.

He leaned in, his breath warm, and then his mouth was on me, his tongue tracing lines of fire that made me gasp.

He took his time, learning what made me writhe and what made me beg.

His hands held my hips steady as he worked, his mouth doing things that made me see stars brighter than the real ones overhead.

I could feel the pleasure building, one that started deep within me, radiating outwards like ripples on a pond.

His fingers joined his mouth, one sliding inside me with a gentleness that countered the strength he possessed.

I arched against him, a moan escaping my lips as he began to move, his finger curling slightly, hitting a spot that sent sparks dancing behind my eyelids.

He added another finger, the stretch burning slightly, but the pain was welcomed, tying me to this moment even as the pleasure tried to sweep me away.

His mouth never left me, his tongue moving in time with his fingers in a dance that felt completely new.

The roughness of the roof tiles beneath my fingers and the coolness of the night air combined to heighten every sensation.

I was a mess of need, my body coiling tighter and tighter as he brought me to the peak.

“Feydin,” I gasped, my voice ragged, every part of me trembling. “I'm going to…”

“Let go,” he said against my skin, his voice vibrating through me, adding another layer to the heightened sensations. “I've got you.”

My body convulsed as heat crashed over me in ripples that seemed to go on forever.

I clutched his hair as I arched my body against his mouth.

He continued to pump his fingers inside me, riding out the storm with me, and he didn’t stop until the last tremor had passed, until I was limp and sated, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

Only then did he gently withdraw his fingers, placing a final, soft kiss on my thigh before he leaned back. His eyes met mine, a soft smile playing on his lips. Lifting his hand, he proceeded to lick my essence off his fingers, groaning while he did it.

When I could breathe again, he lifted me into his arms and held me against his chest, kissing the top of my head.

“That was incredible,” I said when I could finally think again.

He chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest. “We should get you inside before you get cold.”

“I don't want this to end.”

“It doesn't have to.”

He helped me back into my clothes and lifted me effortlessly, carrying me through my bedroom window. He set me down gently beside my bed, and for a moment, I thought he was going to leave.

“Stay,” I said quickly. “We don't have to do more, but I'd love it if you held me.”

Relief spread across his features. “Are you sure?”

“Very sure.”

He kicked off his shoes and climbed into bed with me, pulling me on top of him, his tail coiling around my waist, his wings holding me close. I rested my head on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

“This changes everything,” I said softly.

“Is that okay?”

“More than okay.” I tilted my head to look at him. “I want everything with you, Feydin. All of it.”

“Even if we end up somewhere else or lose this place?”

“Especially then. You said home isn't a place anymore. You're right. Home is this. It’s you.”

He tightened his arms around me.