Erotica Gargoyles Excerpt
Chapter 1
Isabelle shivered.
"What's wrong," Simone asked, "you cold?"
Isabelle shook her head. "No, I just have the creeps."
Simone raised her eyebrows. "I thought you didn't mind walking by the park at night."
"I don't. Not usually. I just have that creepy feeling that we're being watched."
Simone looked around alertly. "Well if we are, let them come." She brandished her pepper spray. "I can take 'em!"
Isabelle laughed. "Simone, warrior princess."
"Damn straight!" Simone nodded decisively.
"You're certainly tall enough to be an Amazon."
"It's not my fault I'm not vertically challenged," she replied loftily.
Isabelle snorted, and looked around nervously again. "I don't remember that building having gargoyles on it, do you?"
Simone followed her gaze to the rooftop on their left across the street. "I never actually looked." She turned back to Isabelle, clearly dismissing the gargoyles as unimportant. "So, what about Alan?"
"What about him?"
Simone gave her an exasperated look. "Come on! He has a good job, he's good looking, nice..."
"Boring..."
"Isabelle," she protested, "What is it with you? There's something wrong with every guy you meet. He was definitely interested, you should go out with him."
She shrugged. "I don't know, I guess I've always had a certain kind of guy in mind, and none of the ones I've met are even close."
Simone snorted. "You read too many romance novels. You're never going to find a man like the ones in the books. They're fictional. No real guy can match that."
She sighed. "I'm not looking for a larger than life, can't be real kind of guy. I just want a guy that actually excites me, rather than puts me to sleep."
"Ouch, harsh!" Simone laughed.
Isabelle smiled at her, but felt her gaze drawn irresistibly back to the gargoyles on the rooftop. "I swear they weren't there before."
Simone glanced over again. "Maybe they're having some kind of special art exhibit or something."
"Could be." Isabelle frowned.
"Now what?"
"It's weird. I swear I feel like they're watching us."
"Izzy, you have the most vivid imagination I've ever seen."
"In other words, you think I'm nuts."
Simone nodded. "That's one way to put it, yes."
Isabelle punched her on the arm. "Hey!"
Simone laughed. "What? You said it, I didn't."
"You didn't have to agree so readily," she grumbled.
Simone threw an arm around her. "You know I love you, but you have to admit, you are a bit eccentric."
Isabelle glared at her, then dissolved into laughter. "Yeah, I suppose I am. Maybe that's why I'm doomed to be single forever. There's no guy out there weird enough for me."
They both laughed and turned the corner, arm in arm.
**************************
"What do you think?" Trey cut his eyes sideways to look at Lucas, being careful not to turn his head as he did so.
"Nice," Lucas said with appreciation, also being careful not to move. "Not the tall one, she looks too much like a model for my taste, the short, curvy one."
"Of course. Like I go for the tall thin model types?"
"Good point. She has a beautiful laugh. Have you talked to her at all?"
"Not yet. I wanted your opinion first. I don't even know her name."
"What do you know about her?"
"Not much, pretty much just that she walks past here every night with the tall one."
Lucas laughed. "You're waiting for me to make the approach, aren't you?"
Trey grinned. "What can I say, they trust you easier than they trust me."
"That's because they can see what a playboy you are at first glance."
"Yeah, well, you play with all of them with me, so you're just as much of a playboy as I am."
Lucas gave a mischievous grin. "Yeah, but I hide it better than you do." He watched the pretty curvy little female as she turned again to look back at them, his face growing thoughtful.
"You're wondering if she's going to be the one, aren't you."
Lucas gave him a rueful look. "I guess I'm not quite as much of a playboy as you are. I just... you know... it'd just be nice to find a real mate. I know it's rare, but," he shrugged, "I can't help but hope."
"No, I understand. It would be nice to have someone who really understood us."
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
"Oh come on, you know we're going to end up sharing a mate. We've been sharing lovers for centuries."
Lucas smiled. "Yeah, I know, it's inevitable. We make a good team anyway."
Trey grinned at him again. "The females sure seem to think so."
Lucas laughed. They watched them in silence another few moments, until they turned a corner and went out of sight. Glancing around to make sure nobody was looking, Lucas stood, stretching his wings, and took to the air in the direction the women vanished, following at a discreet distance with Trey right behind him.
***********************
Simone stopped on the second floor landing of their apartment building and turned to Isabelle before splitting off to head for her own apartment. "Now you will be there tomorrow night, won't you?"
"Would your best friend in the entire world miss your first ever solo art show?"
"She better not. And she better wear that dress."
Isabelle frowned. "What dress?"
Simone glared at her. "That ultra cool dress I convinced you to buy but that so far you have been too chicken to wear."
Isabelle cringed. "Well, I don't know..."
"I do know. You're wearing that dress as your gift to me, to bring me good luck."
"You don't need good luck, your show will be a rousing success because your art is fantastic, not because of my dress."
"Isabelle," Simone said warningly.
"Okay, okay, fine. I'll wear it."
"Yippee! Wear those heels with the straps that go around your ankles too, those will look fantastic with that dress."
Isabelle grumbled, but capitulated when Simone's face took on that stubborn look again. "Okay," she sighed.
"Great," Simone grinned. "Twilight Gallery, seven sharp."
"I'll be there," Isabelle promised.
*************************
Trey looked at Lucas. "You heard that? It's the prefect venue to make our approach. What do you think?"
Lucas nodded. "I agree, it's perfect." He paused thoughtfully. "Just think. Tomorrow night may be the night we meet our true mate."
"We can always hope," Trey replied longingly.
Lucas gave an emphatic nod, and after waiting to see that Isabelle arrived safely to her own seventh floor apartment, went home to plan their approach.
Chapter 2
"Stop fidgeting, you look great," Isabelle scolded, batting Simone's hands away from her dress.
"I can't help it, I'm nervous!" she wailed.
"Everything will be fine, you'll see...whoa..." Isabelle froze, staring.
Simone looked around frantically. "What? What!"
"That." Isabelle nodded toward a tall man standing nearby, examining one of Simone's paintings. He wore a silver silk shirt stretched impressively across his muscular chest and arms, with waist length hair in an odd shade of steel grey tied back at his nape with a leather thong. Black slacks that hugged his nearly perfect ass completed the ensemble. "Now that is what I call a man."
"That is gay," Simone observed.
"What? Why would you say such a blasphemous thing?"
Simone laughed at her dismay. "Because he came with that." She nodded toward a similarly impressive man, also tall and muscular, but his long hair was a reddish brown instead, and his silk shirt a beautiful shade of autumn leaf orange that complemented his hair color perfectly.
"Whoa," Isabelle repeated. "Totally yummy. Maybe they're just friends?" she suggested hopefully.
"Don't be naïve, girl." Simone gave her a stern look.
"It's not fair!" Isabelle protested. "The only two guys I've seen in years that I really think are hot, and they're gay. It's just not right!"
"Stop looking like someone just stole your lollipop," Simone hissed, "here comes the dark one."
"I'd like to use him as a lollipop," Isabelle muttered.
"Izzy!" Simone glared at her, scandalized.
"What?" she asked, mutinously.
"Give me that," she grabbed Isabelle's glass of champagne, "you clearly don't need it, and I do." She chugged it, ignoring Isabelle's protests.
A rich deep voice interrupted their conversation, "Hello ladies."
They turned to face him in unison, chorusing, "Hi!" in bright, cheery voices.
He stepped back a step, looking doubtfully from one to the other. "Is everything okay?"
"Just fine," Simone replied, shooting Isabelle a quelling look as she tried to stifle her laughter with only minimal success. "Are you enjoying the show?"
"Very much so. The man by the door says you are the artist behind all of these beautiful paintings?"
Simone beamed. "Yes, I'm Simone Greene." She shook his hand. "Are you and your boyfriend looking for anything special?"
He looked confused. "My what?" He tracked her gaze to the other man and comprehension lit his features. "Ah! I see. No, actually..." he paused, frowning, "well, I mean yes..." he paused, frowning again. He shook his head and was silent a moment, apparently gathering his thoughts. "What I mean is, yes, we do live together and yes, we are looking for something for our apartment, but he is not my boyfriend. We're cousins."
"Oh!" Simone blushed. "I'm so sorry."
He chuckled. "No harm done, I suppose if I swung that way I could do worse."
They all laughed.
"No," he continued, "I prefer my lovers softer and," his eyes shifted to Isabelle and traveled slowly up and down her form, "how is it Trey puts it?" He looked her over once again, "curvier."
Isabelle felt her face grow hot as the other man joined them.
"Are you being greedy with the two loveliest females in the entire building?" he asked, smiling.
"Of course I am." He gestured toward Simone. "This is Simone Greene, the artist behind the show, and this beauty," he turned toward Isabelle, "I haven't been introduced to yet."
"Oh," Simone reached back for Isabelle's arm and pulled her forward. "This is my very best and very single friend, Isabelle."
"Simone!" Isabelle protested.
Simone looked at her innocently. "What?"
Lucas reached out and took her hand, drawing it up and brushing his lips softly against her knuckles, sending a bolt of electricity straight to her core. "Hello. I'm Lucas and this is my cousin, Trey."
Trey reached out and took her other hand, duplicating Lucas's actions and the resulting heat almost exactly, murmuring a hello as well.
"Uh...hi..." she stammered, mentally cursing herself for her lack of witty response.
They both smiled at her, neither one relinquishing his hold on her hand.
She looked over at Simone a little desperately, feeling more than a little overwhelmed.
"Uh...so," Simone began brightly, "you said you were looking for something special?"
"Indeed we are," replied Lucas, his eyes never leaving Isabelle, who felt herself growing even redder.
Trey released Isabelle's hand with obvious reluctance, turning back to Simone. "We'd like to find something that would fit over our fireplace."
"Oooh, a fireplace," Isabelle said, "I love fireplaces."
Lucas smiled. "Truly? Then perhaps I can lure you over for dinner if I promise to light a fire for you."
"Perhaps," Isabelle said lightly. Oh my god, did he just ask me to dinner?
Trey looked at him. "I don't think she's convinced."
Lucas's eyes gleamed as he stared at her, causing her legs to go a little weak at the intensity of his gaze. "Then I'll just have to work harder."
"Good." Trey offered his arm to Simone. "Show me what you have that would look good with dark blue and gold."
Simone took his arm and they strolled off. Lucas turned back to her. "Your friend stole your champagne, would you like another?"
"Yes, I would, actually."
He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and led her through the crowd.
