Malik smiled and she suddenly felt weak in the knees. “Victorianna. Now that is appropriate for one as lovely as you.”
Sweet talker. Got it. She gave herself a little shake. And don’t be falling for it!
She avoided his eyes. “How long have you been... were you... I mean...”
“Imprisoned?”
“Okay.” She wasn’t really sure how to respond. “How long were you... imprisoned... in the... the... statue?”
“Gargoyle, my dear. I was a gargoyle.”
Irritation flared. “Fine. How long were you a damned gargoyle?”
Both brows rose. “I beg your pardon? Is it customary for a lady to use such language?”
“I’ve never been accused of being a lady before.”
A small frown marred his perfect forehead. “You’re not a lady?”
“Technically, yes. Well, I’m female. And ladies are female.”
Jesus, quit babbling you idiot.
She held up her hands. “I’m sorry. I’m not used to talking to strange men, who just broke out of a statue in the middle of the woods, so early in the morning.”
He stood and stretched again. He did a slow turn to take in his surroundings.
Tori took in the surroundings also as he turned away from her. His pants fit his bottom to perfection. Absolute perfection.
Her cheeks warmed as a sly grin appeared on Malik’s face. He brushed sand off his knees.
“My trousers have definitely seen better days.”
She stood and made sure to keep a respectable distance. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Which was?” He pursed his lips. “Ahh, yes. How long was I a gargoyle? What year is this?”
“2021.”
A fleeting dose of sadness crossed his face. “Let’s just leave it at a very long time.”
“How did you... get in there?”
His jaw tensed. “The same way I got out. Witches.”
“I didn’t say that my sister was a witch.”
He snorted. “My lady, I may be old by proper standards, but I am not an imbecile. I am well aware of what has transpired, both then and now.”
She couldn’t argue with his logic. “What happens now?”
He stretched out his leg. “For now, I just take it all in. At least for a few moments, I just want to enjoy my freedom.”
A rustling above her head made Tori duck. A large crow stared down at her as she rubbed the muscle in her neck to relieve the pain from the sudden cringing.
“Stupid bird.”
Malik walked to the tree. “Sonhos, my old friend.”
Tori watched in amazement as the crow flew down and gently landed on the man’s shoulder. It made cooing noises as Malik stroked its feathers.
“Old friend?”
“Unfortunately, Sonhos was sitting on my shoulder much as he is right now when the spell enacted. He was thrust into our stone tomb right along with me.” He kissed the crow’s beak. “While I must admit that I have been forever grateful for his company, my heart breaks that his life is as immortal as my own.”
“You’re immortal?”
He twisted a ring on his finger. A silver band wrapped with a chain was on his marriage finger. “Until this can be removed, I will return to that blasted stone on the next full moon. So long as I am still a... resident... I shall forever be immortal.”
Chapter Five
They stood side by side gazing over the lake. Tori breathed in the fresh air, felt the gentle mist of the morning fog caressing her skin. A bird chirped from a nearby branch announcing the start of a new day.
One in which he was free. After an eternity cast in stone, her sister had set him free.
At least temporarily. There was a month before the next full moon.
She could sense him beside her; in ways beyond just the simple fact that he stood right there. She felt his heartbeat and recognized his irregular breathing stirred by passion.
His or mine? She shifted from foot to foot. I shouldn’t be feeling this way.
“The beauty of this place is magnificent.” His voice was still coarse and raspy; still extremely sexy.
She gave a brief nod. “Early morning is my favorite time of day.”
“Is there a particular reason?”
She glanced up at him and then averted her eyes. “It’s the promise of new beginnings; like anything is possible.”
“And yet you were here in the late hours of the night.”
“That’s not my usual thing. I was trying to stop my sister.”
He mulled it over. “From freeing me?”
She stuttered. “Well... they... I...” she took a deep breath, “no one really knew what they were doing.”
“Witchcraft is a powerful thing to frolic with.”
She rushed to explain. “You have to understand. They dabble. They’re not full-blown witches in a hardcore coven. Our mother was a diehard occultist, so Felicia has always tried to follow in her footst...craft.”
He chuckled. “Occultist? Fancy term for witch. No matter; they succeeded. Although, I doubt they understand what they’ve accomplished.”
Without thinking, she grabbed his arm.
Her skin sizzled as she made contact. He narrowed his eyes at her.
Holy shit.
Does he feel that too?
Her thoughts were hazy as her body responded to an age-old enjoyment.
She cheeks reddened, and she yanked her hands away. “Sorry.”
Her pulse quickened as she fought an internal battle with the unfamiliar attraction that rose in her. Uninhibited lust from a simple touch.
She was desperate to distract herself. “Why were you imprisoned?”
“Love.”
“That’s it? Just one word?”
He grabbed her hands and electricity flowed between them. “The past is not important. What is relevant is the here and now. You feel that; that instantaneous connection between us.”
She didn’t pull away. “What does it mean?”
“It means there’s a reason my prison was discovered by your sister and her witches. And, there’s a reason that they freed me, mistakenly or otherwise.” He leaned down and inhaled her aura. “You.”
“Me? I had nothing to do with it.”
He brushed a strand of hair from her face. Her eyes widened as realization dawned.
“My hair.”
“Yes, it’s beautiful.”
“No, they used my hair in the spell.”
He sucked in his breath. “That is why they were successful. You are the one.”
His strong arms pulled her until her breasts flattened against his rock-hard torso. Malik crushed his lips against hers, and thrust his tongue in her mouth.
Electricity exploded and her nerve endings tingled. Heat raced through her body as she melted, and lost herself in the deep, sensuous kiss.
She moaned. The sound snapped her back to reality and she shoved him away. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Confusion clouded his features. “I don’t believe I need to explain what that was.”
Her chest heaved from emotion. “You don’t just grab me and start making out.”
He raised a brow and crossed his arms. “It’s always worked before. I never had trouble with the female persuasion in the past.”